Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1891-02-27

C6UC u1y 1cS. vnoG yOu WILL 0Ot - 4O1
me either ont Of courtesy or love q re-
ward or fear of bullet. you shall nc
cord through pity"
"How so, sir?"
81 will myself, here upon the spot,
before your eyes, shatter my leg with
a pistol shot"
The Englishman sat down, seized the
pistol aid held the muzzle close against
his knee. Mons. Thevenet was about to
spring towards him to wrest the pistol
from his hand.
do not move" said the Englishman,
''or / will fire. Only answer me one
question: Do you wish unnecessarily to
increase and prolong my suffering?"
''Sir, you are a fool! Have your own
way! l will take your leg Off"
Mons. Thevenet accomplished his task
through his skill, in brief time restored
to health. He rewarded his physician,
whom he esteemed more highly every
day; shed tears of joy for the loss of his
limb. and sailed back to England with
a wooden leg.
Some eighteen weeks after the En-
glishman's departure, Thevenet re-
ceived a letter from England, the con-
tents of which was the following:
You receive the Enclosure as q proof Of my
most profound gratitude. 1t is draft for two
hundred and fifty guineas on NJ Panschaud
banker. in Paris. You have made me the hap
piest Of earthly mortals in depriving mo Of my
limD, which stood in the way OF my earthly
happiness.
Worthy man, now you may know the cause Of
my foolish within, as you then called it. You as
serted, on the occasion referred to, that there
could be no reasonable ground for q selfim
posed mutilatiOn such as mine. l offered then
to lay you q wager You acted wisey in not &C
cepting it.
After my second return from the East Indies
made the acquaintance of Emily Harley. the
most perfect Of women. 1 adOred her. Her
wealth, her family connections were salts
factory to my relatives. To me her beauty and
angelic disposition were alone attractive. I
mingled In the throng Of her admirers Alas
my good Thevenet, was fortunate enough TO
become the most unfortunate Of my rivals. She
loved me-beyond any and all men, me. She
did not conceal it: and for that very reason she
dismissed me. In vain 1 duplicated for her
hand Her parents and friends all joined with
me. In vain. She remained immovable.
For a long time was unable to discover the
ground OF her objection to marriage with me-
whom she passionatcly loved, as she Herself
confessed. At length one Of her sisters dis
closed to me the secret. Miss Harley was mar
veouSly beautiful, but had the misfortune to
have been born with one leg. and by reason OF
this imperfection she hesitatcd to become my
wife. She feared l would esteem her less OF
account OF this imperfection.
at once resolved TO become like her Thanks
60, th.. II;
accomplished.
returned to London with my artificial leg.
My first thought was 10 visit Miss Harley. !
had previously written TO England that through
a fall from my horse had broken my leg and
that amputation had become necessary. had
the sympathy Of all, and Emily swOOned the
first time she saw me. She was for a long time
inconsolable, but she became my wife. TIE
day following our marriage confided to her
my secret how great q sacrifice my desire to
possess her had cost me. She loved me 50 much
the more tenderly. Oh, my good Thevenet, if
possessed ten legs to lose, l would, without
sign of regret, give them all for Emily.
shall be grateful to you as long as I live.
Come to London and visit US. Learn to know
my glorious wife, and then say again II am
fool" CHARLES TEMPLE.
Mons. Thevenet showed this letter to
his friends. and rotated the incident,
and laughed most heartily as often as
he told the story. Nevertheless. he is
a fool" said he
The following was Mons. Thevenet's
reply:
SIR: thank you for your magnificent pres
ent, for so must call it. because can not term
it compensation for the small service rendered
you.
wish you happiness in your marriage with
the most why of English ladies. 1t is true q
leg is much 10 give for q beautiful. virtu0us and
tender wife; yet not too much, il in the end one
does not come to feel that he has been cheated
in the exchange Adam was obliged to sacrifice
q rib for his wife; and IL has cost many other
men q rib for their loves-some q head. But
after all you must permit me. very moderately,
to stand by my opinion. Indeed, for the present
moment you are right. You are now In the par.
adise Of the spring time Of matrimOny. But
am right also, with this difference only, that my
view comes but slowly to be recognized and &C
cepted. like every truth which one at first de.
clineS to receive.
Have a care, sir; 1 fear that within two years
you will regret that you had your leg taken of
above the knee
You will think it would have been much bet
ter below the knee. At the end Of three years
you will be convinced that the loss OF q foot
would have been sufficient. In four years you
will affirm that the sacrifice Of great toe, and
in five years. the amputatiOn Of q little toe
would be too great At the end Of six years. you
will confess that the cutting on the nail would
have been sufficient.
l say all this without any purpose Of detract-
ing from the worth Of your estimable wife.
Women can preserve their beauty and virtues
more unalterable than men their judgments re-
speeding them. In my youth could any day
have sacrificed my life for beautiful woman,
huf n log. for hal I no vT,vG fal
long have ceased to repent. II had done SO
should to-day say: "Thevenet, thou vast
fool With which have the honor to be, your
most obedient servant, THEvENEr.
the year 1893, during the Reign of
Terror, Mons. Thevenet, whom young
surgeon had caused to be suspected of
being in sympathy with the aristocracy,
the knife of the all-levelling guillOtine.
Either from loneliness or desire to
seek out acquaintances Thevcnet made
inquiries for Sir Charles Temple. His
residence was pointed out to him. He
called and was admitted. In an easy
chair, by the fireside, with foaming
pot of porter, surrounded by news
papers, sat fat gentleman. So I'M
wieldy was he that he could with diff
Guilty rise.
''Ah, Mons. Thevenct," cried the fat
gentleman-whOw was none other than Sir
Temple pardon me if lido not rise; but
this accursed wooden leg hinders me in
all would do. Friend, you have come
probably to ascertain whether have
vet come to be of your mind or not"
Il come as a fugitive to seek your
protection"
'"Then Won must take mn vOur omar