Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-09

tramp in the environs of the city, deter
mined to bury the accursed thing out of
my sight forever. In a remote spot on
solitary hillside made its grave, wish
ing that too might rest beneath the sod
As l walked home, hunger and thirst
overpowered me. gave my last bit of
copper to woman who was milking her
COW, receiving in return draught OF the
| foaming fluid. This sustained me to
reach home again, and in the street met
an old comrade, who, railing me on my
wild looks. invited me to breakfast As
had no dinner the night before, poor
human nature urged me to accept, and
with the hot coffee, the rolls, the fruit
and she Omelet, a semblanCe of comfort
stole into my heart. While talking with
my friend an undercurrent of thought
about the tragedy kept tapping up over
every other subject, as the tide comes in
that nothing can hold back. Then it
occurred to me to wonder if the brother,
finding my mission unaccOmplished,
would not return to demonstrate with
me, and to take away the money had
not earned. How could | explain to him
the reason of my failure and my tiight2
Yes, surely, he would come to seek me,
and as an honest man it was my duty to
face him. AS to explaining to him, that
was another matter Only one person in
the world could have told that my knife
was plunged into living breast, and
not dead one, and she would sneak no
more. Why harrow her survivors with
the unavaling knowledge of her brief
return to life? Alter all had acted
without knowledge, and at the insliga-
tion of the one who loved her best. Ger
tainly he loved her, as brothers rarely
love their sisters, it seemed to me. | re-
called the shudder with which he turned
from brief glance at the bed of death,
and the sob in his voice that came, ap-
parently, from mighty grief. Assuredly
| should see him again. Ever now he
might be awaiting me at my lodgings.
AS | rose to go, my friend, who had
been carelessly looking over journal of
the morning, read aloud paragraph an.
nouncing thai this was the wedding day
of the young Princess N. a Russian
beauty, famous of late in Florentine soci-
ETY., who was to marry Prince L, a
Roman mob eman, as young, rich aud
well born as herself. "Let us 90 to the
church door," said Paul, my friend,
''even if we are lot bidden. A cat may
look at the king, and all the world may
admire a bride alighting from her car.
riage." Excusing myself on the plea
that my garments did not entitle me to a
place even upon the pavement, broke
away from him and returned to my soli-
tary room. AS | mounted the steps, l
walked slower, dreading the apparition
of my visitor of the previous night. |
opened the door to find that the room
was empty and undisturbed But upon
my table lay a parcel, and tearing it open
| saw within my bloody knife enfolded
in paper on which these words were
written:
Il return to you your property, my
somewhat careless and decidedly nervous
doctor. You VIII probably never hear
from me again, but consider your gold
we'll earned"
A cold sweat broke out upon my brow.
Now, indeed, had my feet touched the
waters of dark and unknown sea-.
Could it be that was the instrument of
a crime2
#
| pass over the anguish of that day.
In the evening, able no longer to endure
my thoughts, | went out to cheap cafe
where could venture to ask for sim,
pie meal on trust, since by tomorrow
would arrive the small allowance sent
me by my widowed mother every month.
| asked for little, but | ate less. In my
dazed state | was conscious that people
around me were talking eXcitedly. BY
and by some newcomer suggested tc
have the story over which they were all
gabbling, told connectedly. Thus il
was that, like creature in a dream,
heard of the tragedy with which Flor
ence that day was ringing-the tale OF
an Infamous attack the night before
upon lovely Princess N, on the eve
of her wedding day, by some unknown
miscreant, who, stabbing her while she
lay asleep, had left her there for dead
That she did not die was a marvel, but
the stab, though deep, was not neces
sarily mortal. Clearly the assassin''
hand must have wavered in its aim
Almost Immediately the attendants
reused by some noise in the princess
room, had found her, and by prompt
measures the unfortunate lady was re
stored to consciousness. Although
hardly possible that she could survive
the physicians yet gave some hope
Useless to speak of the sorrow befall
ing the noble household, or of thu
young bridegroom thus cruelty robbed
of his intended. Much more was printeC
and said regarding the murderer, hi
motive, and the search for him that wal
to be set on foot, but for that l careC
little. was ready to deliver myself VI
at that moment, it it could serve to ex
pose the villain who had used me TO
his tool. When [ returned home agail
to mediate upon the best course for M,
to follow, found another note from
the destroyer of my peace, curt and mys
terious as the preceding
''Fear nothing, doctor. You are saf,
and unsuspected. Our patient has es
capped u.s."
Some years later went one evening t.
the opera. Looking up at the array O.
beauties above me saw her. Never tt
to be forgotten was the exceedingly
white skin, with the large, dark eye
and hair of raven blackness. She wor
a robe of white, with row after row O
priceless pearls around her throat.
} "That's the beautiful Princess L, -" sale
! gossip near me. "She has just re
turned to Florence with her husband fo
the first time since the tragedy that s,
| nearly cost her life. Do you know Their
, uao a r,,,nnr that aha hoA 1oo,.