Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-12-26

looked iHto MS eyes 4 uoupteu III no
longer, and my heart sank like lead
within me. What II the old weakness
had attacked him againp ] asked my
self. AT that hour knew that every
soul In the hotel would be in bed, and
the nurse and myself were virtually
alone. Did l dare to call for hclpP
His eyes were fixed upon me. think
he read my thoughts. An impulse to
protect myself made me rise and move
toward the hall door. Quick as a
fash he stepped in front Of me, locked
the door, held the key up before me
for an instant, then dropped II into his
pocket. knew now that i had an in
sane man to deal with. But howp 1t
would take all the courage and self
possession / could muster TO do 1t.
There was little time to consider; IL
made false move there was no telling
what might be the result.
The nurse still sat nodding in her
chair. II was useless TO alarm her.
for knew she was too timid TO be OF
any service to me; but l must act.
quietly went to her and told her to go
to her room-it adjoined the one in
which she sat-but not to go to bed, as
l might need her. Then assuming the
coolest manner possible, l crossed the
sitting-room, opened the stove door
and renewed the fire, and while my
face was turned from him, said: 1.-The
farce has lasted an hour, Mr.. B,
and / fail to appreciate it. However,
II l still have patience to listen, will
you tell me why you are hereP" / rose
then and resumed my seat on the chaise-
Tongue.
He always moved quickly, but
stealthily, like cat; and with some
such movement he came behind me
and whispered, close, close to my ear:
"Are you not afraid of mep" With
my blood fairly standing still in my
veins / answered. mot at all. Why
should / beP You must be out Of your
mind"
That's just it," said he. Then re-
Stunning his walk up and dsvn the
room, he continued: "Did you never
hear that had once been insanep'
"Yes," l replied, Il did hear some
thing Of the kind; but that was many
years. ago, / believe; an illness, was
it notp However, whatever you were
then will hardly excuse you for your
conduct tonight" He stopped, eyed
me curiously for moment, then
crossed the room swiftly to where sat,
and STOPPING, put his hand about my
throat. He clasped it with his long,
slender fingers, gently, very gently as
he said: What a strange, evanescent
thing life is; l could crush it out SC
easily--see!'' with closer pressure
II could kill you with my thumb and
finger"
/ disengaged the hand, and, pointing
to chair near me, begged him to be
seated. He obeyed. / Asked do you
remember any thing of your life in the
asylum" A sad, panied look came
over his face; the demon was over
come for the moment at least. | had
struck the right chord. He replied:
Yes; remember every thing. Shall
l tell it TO youp'
Glad OF the respite and hoping To
find way to control him eventually, ]
settled myself to listen to his story. l
give il in his own words as nearly as
can recall them:
From the time / was sixteen years
of age i was a sort of wanderer. |
was educated partly in Germany and
finished at Oxford, Eng. Thence ]
went to France, where l spent two
years, and after that lived some time
in Australia. l finally landed in India,
whore l expected to go into business
with my brother-in-law. A short time
after my arrival there suffered a sun.
stroke which almost cost me my life
and utterly dethroned my reason. For
six months / was great care to my
sister, but at the end of that time ]
was entirely restored, both mentally
and physically, and we determined to
go to st. Petersburg. 1t had been our
childhood home, and shortly after our
arrival there we were in the fashion.
able world, meeting old friends and
making new acquaintance. Among
the latter was the Countess L., a
lovely girl Of nineteen years. She
had soft dark eyes full of passion, a
complexion like a ripe peach, and q
mouth-ah! / dare not recall her face;
1t makes me mad even now, and | am
old and gray, and she is-dead.
Enough. loved her. I won her
love. The formalities of betrothal
were gone through with, our friends
had congratulated us, and within few
months we were to have been married.
/ was wild with happiness. Alas! why
did not die then / had unbounded
faith in her, my lady love, but l be-
came absurdly jealous. l was haunt
ed by all sorts Of fears. 1t was as II
some evil spirit had taken possession
Of me, which neither my reason nor
her devoted affection could exercise.
/ would lie awake at night and i'm.
agine / heard her calling TO me for
help; at another time some fiend
would whisper to me that my love was
untrue. So / doubted and trusted her
by turns and almost broke her heart
with my foolish fancies. l knew that
all my trouble was but the effect OF .
sicsly imagination, and ] would de
termine again and again TO fight of
the weakness, only to become more
and more victim. So my nights
were spent In torture and my days In
agony, lest some one should discover
my condition.
Zone day became possessed with
the idea that my fiancee had need oil
me. could hear her sigh and weep.
I hurried TO the house, gained admis-
sion, and when she came to meet me
l fell at her feet and implored her 10
tell me the cause OF her trouble. She
coldly repealed me; told me / was zeal.