The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-07-16
HER GOLDEN LOCKS.

Hugh Herriek and I studied medicine
together AS soon as we got TO Paris md
wore fairly settled down TO work Herrick
had the good luck--or, as 1t turned out,
the misfortune--to cross the path of
woman with whom he 1t once fell maaly
In love; woman who was beautiful
enough to turn stronger hoad than his,
and whose chief and crowning glory was o
head of the most magnificent hair have
ever seen. 1t was of a curious reddish gold
In color, and in its thick, silky masses
seemed almost like some live thing, curl.
ing and winding and glinting in tho sun.
Men fought for her favor and pleaded for a
lock of her hair, but she never could BIO in
duced to part with single strand, and
one daring youth, who tried force and
strategy in his desire for that golden fleece,
was found dead By his own hand the next
day. 1t was said that she was a Partisan,
with dash of the gypsy in her, but she
herself would never tell. II am child of
the wanderer, mes amis," she would say
for all answer Hugh, the spoiled darling
OF his family, was kept literally supplied
with money. He spent it all on La Me-
duse as she was called, and the clinics saw
him but seldom. He layished upon her ey
erything that woman could wish. She
WAS life and soul and heart TO llm--poor
Hugh But l studied her n little, unob-
served, and could never bring myself to
believe that she was what he thought her.
There was man who had come to Paris
at the same time that she made her appear
ance there tall, dark, sinewy fellow,
distinctly foreign locking, and withal a
man of the world. He was either CON
stantly with La Me1use or gone on sud-
den journeys whose purpose no one ever
knew.
You couldn't puzzle him with science,
and no had the bearing OF gentleman,
but he was always thought to be partly
oriental at least, and his relations with
La Meduse were understood to be of a
purely platonie nature.
One day in October, when I returned
from the clinic, found Hugh in great ex-
element at my den, and was staggered
upon being demanded as his second in a
duel with Nj, Oural, as the dark man was
called.
~ depend upon you, old man, to stand
by me in this, he said. 1--WE have quar-
relied about La Meduse-I can't tell you
what 1t was-but he challenged mo, and,
by heaven, he shall have his satisfaction
Curse his presumption, to dare to say
He ended abruptly, and started about
the arrangements.
The next morning at dawn we met in a
secluded little field outside the city-M.
Oural, cool, but with an unfathomable
look in his dark eyes; Herrick, frankly
eager and scornful; the other second, a
witness and myself.
Well never mind about the PAGES or the
shots--Oural was killed--shot through the
heart-and as l could do nothing for him
his second and the other witness took him
in the carriage to the house of La Meduse
according to his previous orders, 1t
seems, though we did not know of 1t at
the time, and Herriok, returning to the
city took the fast train for the north into
Germany. never could find out what be-
came of his body. At the same time La
Meduso disappeared from Paris. Herriek
/ did not hear from,
obtained leave to go to Germany for
the hospital service. And it was there that
found Hugh Herriek, and found him dy-
ing.
OF his malady he could give me little
Information 1t was a trouble of the
heart that was slowly killing him, though
what it was or how it had been caused
none of the many skillful physicians who
had examined or treated him could say.
He had got away to Germany in safety,
and had gone to all obscure little village in
the south till the affair should blow over,
and it was there, the first night of his ar
rival that there was brought to him a
note from La Meduse
Enclosed In the parehmeDtliko foil Of pa
per was tress of hair from the head of La
Mcduse-long and silky and clinging-
what he had often begged for in the days OF
their love, but in vain, and this was what
| the note contained:
"You have killed him, and l hate you,
for he was the prince of my people, and
loved him. What were you to dream you
had my lover l despise the justice that
this country deals in, so let you go-to
face what | shall send you. l give you
what you have so long desired, that it may
DO your curse MS 1t has been mine. / &c
to my own, and search Is useless.
1t was unsigncd and l discovered ont
long, giistening lrnif etlnRlng to the sheet
Their was gone. ! asked him about tht
loek$1f hair.
1T is gone, he said. ~ lost 1t soor
after A sPasm of agony wronched hi!
heart, and ho could not finish.
When he could speak again, he got my
promise that / would examine his hear
when he was gone and see what had killed
him
And now comes the strange and almos
Incredible part of my story, for | did a
poor Hugh asked me, and, unknown t.
any one, held post norton examination
and when l laid open the chest there la!
his heart, still and scarlet, and round anI
round it, binding and COMPRISING it Ii
its deadly hold, was wound a long, cling