Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-08-21

prepared to cut it"-both gentlemen nodded
their heads signifcantly-"at moments
notice, if things do not 60 as you wish
them to 90, I will drink. And noW"-he
resumed, after very moderate potation,
"what is it that you desire me to do?"
"To perform surgical operation"
"When?"
"This instant"
"Where?"
AS the taller of the two masked men made
this reply, he took the doctor by the arm
and led him forward. The shorter person
lifted q heavy velvet curtain yelling an
open portal, and the three passed into a vast
bedchamber. Here everything in the way
of furniture, and even the ceiling and cur
tains and the counterpane of huge four.
post bed in the centre Of the room, had
been shrouded in white sheeting. At the
foot of the bed there sat, or rather there
half reclining in large chair covered with
crimson velvet, young lady-she could be
scarcely more than nineteen-eXceedingl
beautiful, and with golden hair that rippled
over the shoulders. Her hands were tight
ly clasped, and she was deadly pale. She
was clad in long, loosely flowing undress
robe of some white, silky materials, and
DR.. Macbride could see that her little feet
were bare.
"You see this woman-this most guilty
and unhappy woman ?" said in a harsh
voice the taller of the two gentlemen. "She
has disgraced the noble family to which
which she belongs, and it is necessary that
she be deprived of life. Here is the case
of lancets, and you will instantly proceed
to bleed her to DEATH"
"She is prepared to submit to her fate,"
added the shorter gentleman in green and
silver, land you will make the greatest pos
sible expedition. I need scarcely say that
you will be amply recompensed for your
palms."
II will do no such horrible and unmanly
thing" cried DIR. Eneas Macbride. "Do
you think 1, physician, whose bounden
duty is to do everything that ne possibly
can to save human life-be it that of the
newborn infant or the dotard of ninety
would consent tn put to cruel death poor
lady who should be enjoying all the happi-
ness that earth can give? Do your butch
ery work yourself; I'll have no hand in it,"
ssIt is precisely" replied the latter gentle
man, "because we are desirous that this in
dispensable work should not be done in a
butcherly manner that we have brought
YOU here. You are known to be the skill
fullest surgeon in Rome, and you will per-
form the operation at once by opening the
veins in her ankles; if you refuse, swear
l. w
fore he could wholly pronounce the word
brother-"my companion will fall on you
with our poinards 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
biding, or you will incur fate as dreadful
as my own"
DR.. Eneas Macbride appeared to hesitate
fora moment; 81 will do your will and may
heaven forgive me for yielding to you !.
But must have vessel; large vessel OF
warm water"
''That shall at once be procured" replied
the taller of the masked men, leaving the
room. You will remember that DIR. Eneas
.Machride was also tall of stature. He bent
over the reclining lady and whispered
something to her.
~ have told her." he said, drawing him
himself up to his full height, "that will
not hurt her much"
Presently two female attendants, each
closely masked, entered the room, carrying
between them large silver tub full OF
warm water. This vessel they placed be-
fore the young. lady, who, without a word orc
immersed her feet in the water. Then DIR.
Macbride, once more bending over the vic
tim, smoothing the hair on her forehead, and
feeling her pulse, knelt, lancet in hand, by
the side of the silver footbath. He rose
looked in the victims face, chose a fresh
lancet and knelt again by the side of the
footbath. The water was now deeply dis
colored. Ere long it was scompletely crimson.
"Bring another bath-a tuba bucket
what you willn' said the doctor, "and more
warm water!" Then he continued, hastily
holding his wrists around the ancles of the
patient, while the first footbath was taken
away and another substituted for it, this
will finish the work."
s'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 DIR. Eneas Macbride,
solemnly.
CHOW she bledv repeated the shorter of
of the two masked men.
''She will bleed no MORE" said Dr. Mac
bride. And now let me ask you what you
intend to do with the evidence Of your, and
I may almost say my guilt. How do you
intend to dispose of the corpse? :,
"Put it into sack full of stones and sink
it into the Tiber," muttered the taller gen.
tleman.
cat 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 recognize
ed."
"Bury it in the garden" suggested the
the shorter man.
"It is still dangerous, resumed the doctor.
"The bodies or 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
ha hronrhf
tice."
"That is true"
"When you planned your little scheme,
gentlemen" the doctor went on, almost
banteringly, "you should have planned the
last act of your tragedy as well as the pre-
ceeding ones. Let me tell you what q
murdered dead body is in a civilized city,
one of the most difficult of imaginable
things to get rid of. But since have gone
l will 90 yet further and help you conceal
the corpse. Bring it back with me to my
surgery in the PIAZZA di Spagna-I am ac-
customed to have such burdens brought to
me at the dead of night-and I'll dissect
her. BY which 1 mean that in less than
twelve hours no recognizable trace will re-
main of your deceased relative-if relative
she is"
The victim was evidently stone dead. AT
ter a long consultation the masked men ac-
ceded to the proposition of the doctor, who
appeared to have become so completely their
accomplice, and who accepted, with many
protestations 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 below; but some
thing else accompanied the party, and was
placed on the seat beside the doctor. That
something else was the body, rolled up in