Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-24


all the happiness that earth can give? Do your
butcherly work YOURSELF I'll have no hand in
it."
SIT is precisely" replied the latter gentleman,
because we are DESTROYS that this indispens-
able work should not be done in q butcheriy
manner that we have brought you here. You
are known to be the skillfuIlest surgeon in
Rome, and you will perform the operation at
once by opening the veins In her ankles; If you
refuse. l swear that and my bro"-he checked
himself before he could wholly pronounce the
word 'brother'-'my companion will fall ON
you with our poniards and hack you to death"
"Do their bidding" said in low faint voice
the young lady in the armchair.
do hear aright?" said the Doctor.
"You do" resumed the lady. "Do their bid
ding, or you will incur fate as dreadful as my
own"
Doctor Eneas Macbride appeared to hesitate
for moment; then he said, II will do your
will; and may. Heaven forgive me for yielding
to you! But must have vessel, q large yes
sci, OF warm water"
That shall be at once procured" replied the
taller Of the masked men, leaving the room,
You Will remember that Doctor Eneas Mac
bride was also tall Of stature. He bent over
the reclining lady and whispered something to
her.
Il have told her." he said, drawing himself
up to his full height, that will not hurt her
Presently TIVE female attendants each closely
masked, entered the room. carrying between
them large silver tub full OF warm water.
This vessel they placed before the Young iady.
who, without word, immersed her feet in the
water. Then Doctor Macbride, once more
bending over the victim, smoothing the hair on
her forehead, and feeling her pulse. knelt. Ian
Get in hand, by the side of the silver foot-bath.
He rose. looked in the victims face. chose q
fresh lancet, and knelt again by the side of the
foOt-bath. The water was now deeply discol-
ored. Ere long 1t was completely crimson.
Bring another bath-a tuba bucket-what
you will" said the doctor; land more warm
water" Then he continued, hastily holding his
wrists around the ankles Of the patient while
the first foot-bath was taken away and another
substituted for it, This will finish the work"
How she bleeds!" said the tall man, who,
with folded arms was watching the scene The
young lady had fallen back in her chair. her arms
hanging loosely.
''she is insensible" said the shorter of the
masked men.
.'she is dead!" said Dr. Eneas Macbride,
solemnly.
How she bled!" repeated the shorter of the
two masked men.
'.She will bleed no MORE" said DR.. Macbride.
land now let me ask you what Sou intend to do
with the evidence of your, and may almost say
my, guilt -, How do you intend to dispose Of
the corpse ~ ---s.. :. -. :
Put it into sack full Of stones and sink It In
the Tlber, ," muttered the taller gentleman
"At the risk of the sack rotting, the weights
becoming disengaged from the body and of the
corpse floating, or OF being washed on shore and
the features recognized"
BURY it in the garden" suggested the
shorter man.
sit is still dangerous" resumed the doctor.
"The bodies of buried people that have been
murdered have been disinterred over and over
again. One was, you know, last year in that
vineyard close to the Appian Way, and the as
sassin was brought to Justice"
hot 10 tr,,D ~
"When you planned your little scheme, gen.
tiemen," the doctor went ON almost banter
ingly, you should have planned the last act
OF your tragedy as well as the preceding ones.
Let me tell you that murdered dead body ia,
in a civilized city, one Of the most difficult of
imaginable things to get rid of. But since
have gone with you 80 far in this abOminable
business will go yet further and help you to
conceal this corpse. Bring it back with me to
my surgery in the Piazza di Spagna-I am &C.
customed to have such burdens brought to me
at dead of highland I'll dnsect her. By
which | mean that in less than twelve hours no
recognizable trace will remain of your de-
ceased relatiVe-if relative she be-"
The victim was evidently stone dead. After a
long consultation, the masked men acceded to
the proposition OF the Doctor, who appeared to
have become so completely their accomplice.
and who accepted, with many protestatlons OF
thanks, large purse Of gold sequins Again
he submitted to have his eyes bandaged and
again he was conducted to the coach in waiting
beioW; but something else accompanied the
party. and was placed on the seat beside the
Doctor. That something else was the body,
rolled up In many thicknesses of white linen, Of
the lady who had been bled to death! The car
rage made route as circutOus as before to
the Piazza di Spagna; but it was them at Doctor
Macbrlde's request, driven round to the entrance
of the narrow lane behind the Paiazzo CarpmiI,ali
linen the burden wrapped In white linen was
carried by the Doctor and the taller Of the
masked men by the back door into the dissecting
room, and LAID like stone on the table The
Doctor noticed that his fellow-bearer was tremb-
ling violently, and he had evidently had enough
of horrors for that night!
Three months afterwards DR.. Eneas Mac
pride returned to Edinburgh, bringing with him
his wife. young aud extremely handsome
Italian lady of noble Roman family. Pope
benedict XIV. the enlightened and humane
LamOretnl, had had much to do with bringing
about the union of the handsome young lady
with I'll DOttOre Enea Macbrde, Scozzese." He
had Informed the young ladys brothers. Don
Rataele and Don Antonio Cordiscoglio, Counts
OF that ilk, that if they did not consent to the
Apostolic Chamber they would be prosecuted
with the utmost rigOr Of the law for having
basely attempted to murder their sister by
causing her. as they thought, to have the veins
OF her ankles opened. OF course they had never
oeen opened DR.. Eneas Macbride, while pre-
tendlng to execute the dreadful behests of Don
lafaele and Don Antonio Cordscoglio, had
nrst administered to her potion which speedily
reduced her to complete insensibility and had
next skilfully mingled with the warm water In
which the feet of the patient were immersed
the contents OF the packet of cochneal which
ne ne had purchased at the Jfarmdcia Panciarotto.
Inc poor girls only offense had been that she
nad lmprudently. and in mere girIish folly. en-
Outraged for short time the addresses of a
young man much her inferior in rank; but by
her naughty and vindictive brothers this tran
sent Irritation was esteemed a crime which her
death alone could expiate. How fortunate it
was that DR.. Eneas Macbride was 80 much adj
dicted to making anatomical preparations"
the use OF cOchineal for their per-
lection! l fancy, however, that after his mar
rage he ceased to dissect small dead hands. and
himself with covering small live ones
with kisses.-Bo,c Bells.