Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-08-09
A MYSTERY.

army OuOer. Inc Ren6r&l'b wills WAb
case Of nervous debility. She had, so
to speak, 3 genius for nervousness her
body, like her soul, vibrated at a touch |
like delicate stringed instrument under |
skillful masters hand. She was an |
excellent wife, and she adored second |
husband, whom she married soon after |
the death Of the general, whose title the
world continued to give her.
She worshippsd the last husband, but
unfortunately, the unworthy scamp,
much younger than his wife, In no way
deserved the self sacrificing tenderness
and loving solicitude with which she
treated him. Whenever and wherever
an induoemsnt offered he stole away from
an elegant home, and spent the night as
well as his wife's money in dissipation.
The wife's sorrow and despair were
boundless, all the more as the frivolous
youth, who had every reason to avoid an
open rupture, know how to preserve
appearance with an inexhsustible store
of indisputsble evasions and excuses.
He lied and cheated with the thorough
and untiring attention Of man to whom
fraud and artifce yielded yearly income
OF many thousands. Thus she was
absolutely unable to get any proof Of his
infdelity. Nevertheless, her unerring
instinct told her that her husband de-
oeived her and was unfaithtul, thought
which sutfioed to entirely unsettle her
highly nervous organization.
Moreover, she put his different state
ments together and discovered little
ons-delinquencies. Then the
poor woman shed bitter tears and sobbed
in heart-breaking fashion, and became 30
miserable that she was not ashamed,
under the circumstances, to consult me,
her family physician and trusted adviser.
At first strOve TO calm her in the usual
way, by lying.
But alas | soon saw these innocent
expedients were not sufficient. So the
generals wife often sat for hours in my
study, crying and wriDging her hands,
with incessant grief. One day she sat
on the sofa, her head buried in her
hands, grosning and moaning in agony
Of soul. Without design, beyond trying
to sooth her, / smoothed her forehead
several times with my baud, and, saw,
to my great surprise, the aobbing woman
become quiet, invOluntarily let her hands
tall to her side, draw regular breaths and
soon fall into deep sleep.
My establishment merged into joy, for
the poor woman with her grief had be-
come q little troublesome. Therefore
ordered my servant to roll the sofa on
which she slnmbered into the next room.
After q while awakened her by blowing
in her face, and told her che had slept.
"Ab," she answered, THAT has done
me world OF good. feel indeed tina,
you are right, doctor. Probably | have
fnnl 20 hY,a haY.
She gratefully pressed my hand and de.
parted, hopefully smiling.
About month sfterwsrd the coupe o.
the generals wife stopped again before
my door, and the poor wife sat with weep
ing eyes in my study. Renewed groans
renewed tears. l told her 20 60 to tn,
little room. | made the same passsl
lightly over the brow as on the forme
occasion, and she slept again in q moment
Again she awoke in calmer state AMI
hastened to her husband. She repeated
the call quite frequently.
One day the generals wife came to m
unusually agitsted, and confessed wiz
tears that her husband had not COM
home the previous night. My ofhc
hours were nearly over; my waiting roor
was thronged. gently led her into m
little room, put her TO sleep as usua
locked the door and went back to N
studies. My servant brought an urger
dispatch. Brazilian prince was dar
gerously Ill F.; surgical operation mus
be performed, and they honored me wit
request that should perform it. Til
steamship would leave Bordeaux ne1
morning. To catch the night train
must start at once. | excused myself (
my patients. l quickly packed all IL
necessary instruments and books, bougl
ticket and soon left Paris far behind.
The train was late; the steamer ",
waiting for US. was scarcely on dec
before the signal for departure "!
sounded and We were moving. went
once to my cabin, unpacked my scientii
works and lost myself in reading.
thought of the great honor fallen to II
share, and slternsted between hope al
fear as to the success OF the operatio
Wearied with the days excitement,
went to sleep and did not awake Il
morning. | went on deck. The capita
approached me.
"We seem to have come good wa
captain 7"
-Four hundred miles, "was his answe
sand where do you intend to stop
the way r.
nowhere. We go directly to Rio
Janeiro. A SO days voyage lies befo
u.s." A steamer travels much slower
those days than now.
"Thirty-six days!' cried mechau
oslly. "No trile that, captain a loi
time-s very long time, indeed"
l looked thoughtfully at the play
the waves. dark presentment sudden
troubled me. II seemed TO me as If | hi
forgotten something.
But what could have forgotten I VIII
what had slipped my MUD Sudden
groaned aloud. Like lightning it hi
flashed through my head. The general
wife had forgotten the generals Wit
the generals wife in complete cataleps
the generals wife, locked in NE lit,
room which my people never entered, {
key OF which had carried with me.
Captain" | cried, lifting my ham
imploringly, 81 must instantly send
telegram"
The captain took two swift steps sid
ways and fixed his eyes on me in 81
gular way. He evidently believed tina
had suddenly gone crazy.
81 must, | must telegraph, captain, !
insisted. 81 have forgotten the genera
wife, captain the generals wife, who
asleep. DO you hear, captain She
asleep"
SIN the DEVILS name. what do v
mean ?" cried the captain, IMPATIENT
''Ii you left her asleep she must la
awakened by this time" He turned /
back, laughing hosrsely, and order
two sailors not to lose sight of Lie.
| rrL
passed. Sleeping or waking, sIws
saw the dreadful picture Of the DC
woman, sunk in sleep, lying on the ),
from which she oould never rise.
In what state 1 found myself on I
thirty-sixth day it would not be essy
you to imagine. At last Rio de- ] sne
was in sight. threw myself into b,
sprang ashore and ran to the teleera
office. "Break open door OF small rool
wake up generals wife.
When the dissipated husband of
generals wife discovered that she, I
had been out all night, he gave
matter no more thought than to use
favorable opportunity for another
rousal.
SIS madame home yet ?" he nonch
antly asked the porter, as he return
the second morning.
"No, sir" replied the porter. I
affair did not trouble him, but it bes
to appear strange.
The third day went by and the ION
came, and no sign of the generals W
Her husband became uneasy. He 8
to her relatives in the country. I'll
had not seen her for years. The var