Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-10-03

otoOo III loehSA Aoo"A ~'N
looked down at his face, purple with
the death of strangulation. His white
strong teeth, the most beautiful | had
ever seen, were set tight upon some
thing. TO this the physician, who
stood beside him, pointed.
"We must extricate it," he said. "It
will be clse to the identity of the
murderer"
"Then he did not kill himself?" l
grasped. /
The physician turned down the bed
clothes. and | saw another handker-
chief tied about the wrists.
The window had been opened. too.
,Is heard TSaSs5a saa rape p ladder ladder h9Rg from
murdered
How well Iremember all the details
Of such horrible hours. But | will
not write them down. Much skill
was needed to yart those set teeth, and
extricate what they beld; but this
bring done, it proved to be the end Of
a finger. the little finger, so they told
me. Whoever had murdered my father
bore away mark that would last u
lifetime.
This fact saved me from suspicion,
for one who would have been disin.
herted the next day might we'll be
suspectedifhe who was to disinherit him
died foul death at night. But search
was in vain. We found no token of
the guilt, person, who doubtless. we
said, had flown in terror Of apprehen.
sion before he could secure the valua-
bles which must have been his object.
The funeral took place. The days
of mourning passed. Inmy grief | had
half forgotten nv bride; but she bore
herself we'll aud with dignity. Dressed
ia black vailed in her mantilla, black
gloves on her hands, black fan shad-
ing her ewes. she seemed to mourn as
deeply as did.
"She is as dignifiel as queen"
said the notary to me. ''She will adorn
her station"
We had been married for weeks, and
so occupied had | been with this hor
ror that had fallen upon ME that |
had not given her a caress; but time
soothes all emotions. At last, though
! still grieved for my father. my pas
sion for Pepita returned. One even
| ing we sat together on the balcony.
and life seemed sweet again. As the
night drew on | led her to our own
apartment. 1t was the first time that
we had entered it.
Shall | ever forget that hour-,he
look of her face. the perfume of the
rose in her hair, the warm, sweet still.
ness Of the summer night: placed
her in a great chair and knelt at her
feet My head rested on her bosom
"PepIra, satti, wv-~se-...ena.
Forget the ceremony which becomes
you so we'll. Your mantilla hides,
walls your beautiful hair. Cast it aside. F."
/ She obeyed me. She also drew the
golden comb from her hair, and let it
hoat over my face in its perfumed
Righteousness.
Take off your gloves, Pepita," !
said. 1T has pleased me to see You
gloved so we'll, but now We are alone. y
/ | heard her heart give one quick
/ throb.
Basil, she said, "let ME keep gloves
on my rongh, washerwom,n's hands
until idleness whitens then, even when
alone with you."
absurd" said |. IL love your
hands and all; take of your gloves
aud let me kiss them"
/ At this Pepita removed the glove OF
her left hand, on which my wedding
ring shone.
"Your hands are white already"
said covering them with kisses. Now
the other.
No" said she. ats whim Of mine. y
looked at her.
81 burnt my hand yesterday she
said. IL desire to keep it gloved."
knelt no more before her.
"Pepita," said, "take off your glove.
"What a tyrant, Basil, she said, "Lis.
ten. Twill confess. Imade vow that il
might be your wife and great lad y
| would never take off my gloves.
have half broken it now, so pardon me
if | not quite do so.
"Pepita," | said, "you made another
VOW to obey me, your husband, re,
move your gloves
"Nerv WE'LL" said she, humbly.
al will remove my glove, and you are
my husband, aud yor also made VOW
TO me.
She drew the glove off, and as she
did so, dropped her hand into the folds
of her dress.
q approached her and took it in
my own.
Often and often had those little
hands rested in mine, or played with
nv long hair. l knew their every
dimple. And now, what was this /
saw? A hand torn and mutilated
Heaven! The courage she had to hide
such pain! And Of the little finger,
only stump remaining! 1t had been
scared with a hot iron. So had the
great torn bite across the back-but,
ah the horrible hand!
| looked at her. She looked at me.
81 am your wife," she said. my
name is yours. Basil, | love you"
"He was my father" | answered.
"Yet you are my wife. You may put
on your glove again"
People said many things concern
ling us when We parted so soon. She
was unfaithful, jealous-but no one
knew.
She lives in her handsome house,
and l have heard that her elegance in
always wearing gloves is admired by
many, while others enviously whisper
"washerwoman's hands," | and a
portion of my fortune that reserved for
myself belong to tsis monastery.
She bears my old name, l am only
| protbar p,c,l fHh., 10 ali koll ~,