Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-02-20

1t amputated."
''Sir, do, not know you. At least
produce before me some witness who will
testify to your soundness OF intellect"
"Will you accede to my wish, Mons.
Thevenet?"
Just as soon, sir, as you give me some
defensible ground for your desire to be
mutilated F"
81 cannot az the present moment COM
municate to you the truth of the matter.
Perhaps l may do so after the lapse of
year. But am willing to wager you,
monsieur, that wear hence you yourself
will affirm that the ground upon which
rested the desire to be free of my leg was
the noblest."
6! will not wager, so long as you do
not give me your name, your place of
residence, your family and your occupa-
ton"
"All that you shall know in the future,
not at present. l pray you, however, to
consider me as a man of honor"
"An honorable man does not menace
his physician with pistol. l will not
| mutilate you without there is a necessity
for SO doing. I have duties to discharge
| even to you-a stranger. If you are
| possessed of a desire to become the muir
derer of an innocent man, the father of
IN family, then shoot!
! "Good! Mons. Thevenet," exclaimed
! the Briton, selling the pistol. 81 will
not shoot you, yet will [ force you to
| amputate my leg. What you will not
| do for me either out of courtesy or love
of reward CT fear of bullet, you shall
accord through pity"
"How so, sirY'
81 will myself, here upon the spot,
| before your eyes, shatter my leg with a
pistol shot"
| The Englishman sat down, seized the
pistol and held the muzzle close against
his knee. Mons. Thevenet was about to
spring towards him to wrcst the pistol
fl ON his hand.
''Do not move" said the Englishman,
cor will fire. Only answer me one
question: Do yoa wish unnecessarily to
increase and prolong my suffering2"
"Sir, you are fool! Have your own
way! Twill take you leg off,"
Everything was made ready for the
operation. AS the first cut was about to
made the Englishman lighted his pipe and
swore it should not go out. He kept his
word. Presently the leg lay on the floor.
The Englishman continued to smoke.
Mons. Thevenet accomplished his task
like master. The invalid was, through
his skill, in brief time restored to health.
He rewarded his physician, whom he es-
teemed 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 English
mans departure, Thevenet received
letter from England, the contents of
which were the following:
You receive the inclosure as a proof of my
most profound gratitude. 1t isa draft for
two hundred and fifty guinens on Mons.
Panschaud banker, in Paris. You have
made me the happiest of earthly mortals in
depriving me of my limb, which stood in the
way of my earthly happiness.
w orthy man, now you may know the
cause of my foolish whim, as you then called
1t. You asserted, on the occasion referred
to, that there could be no reasonable ground
for a self-imposed mutilatiOn such as mine. |
offered then to lay you wager. You acted
wisely in not accepting it.
dies | made the acquaintance of Emily Har-
| ley, the most perfect of-women. adored
| her. Her wealth, her family connections were
satisfactory to my relatives. TO me her
| beauty and angelic disposition were alone at
| tractive mingled in the throng Of her adj
| mirers. Alas! my good Thevenet | was for
| tunate enough to become the most unfOrtu-
nate 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 l supplicated 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 passionately loved, as she her
self confessed. At length one of her sisters
| disclosed to me the secret. Miss Harley was
marvelously beautiful but had the misfor-
| tune to have been born with one leg, and by
reason Of this imperfection she hesitated TO
become my wife. She feared would esteem
| her less on account of this imperfection.
I at once resolved to become like her.
Thanks to you, my good Thevenet, the thing
was accomplished.
I returned to London with my artificial
leg. Ny first thought was to visit Miss Har-
! ley. I had previously written to England
that through fall from my horse l had
broken my leg, and that amputation had be-
come 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. The day follow
ing our marriage | confded to her my secret
how great sacrifice my desiI g to possess her
tenderly. Oh! my good Thevanet. if pos
sessed ten legs to lose, would. without a
sign of regret, give them all for Emily.
[ shall be grateful to you so long as | live.
| Come to London and visit Us. Learn to
! know my glorious wife, and then say again
| 49, w AoJL re ITAT