Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-07-11

she arranged my wife's ma gnificent
hair. Her face yas pale and rigid.
When she was leaving the dressing
room said, Never mind. Rhoda,
cheer up; you will find q good hus-
band yet. Carlo Is not worthy Of you
.She looked ut me with dreary
smile, but said nothing.
"The next morning Laura rang for
her, but she did NOT come. One or the
other servants answered the bell, and
said Rhoda was not down vet The
girl volunteered TO 70 ard call her. but
my wife said No. she is not wen.
I Let her be.
Laura turned to inc and said, i
think | will 80 myself and see IL the
poor girl Is i'll. she looked very pale
and miserable last night
Il kissed her as she passed me. She
lifted up her beautiful, fresh, smiling
face to me. All, Heayen it was the
i hast time saw 1t thus. She went to
Rhoda's room. which, for her conven-
fence was near our own. heard her
open the door. There was a moment
OF silence. and then scream-the
most dreadful, the most piercing =
aroused and bewlidered me. In a
minute | was there. To my dying day
shall never forget the horrible, fear
| full sight; 1t hauntS me now, and there
are nights when cannot sleep for
thinking of ii, though twenty years
1 hnx ca1 In xrtffh n
gaping, crimson wound In her throat
The agonized awful expression of her
face. the wild terror OF the staring
eyes, was more than l. a strong man,
dare gaze upon again. Alas! my wife,
my darling, had fallen In death-like
swoon
"Oh, Guy, pity me. She never recoy-
cred; the shock had been too
great in her then delicate condi-
ton. She lost her reason, and
then her life 1t happened two months
before the expected birth of our child
For some weeks she lay in a brain
fever, and when that was conquered
She fell into a state of Stupor, from
which she never recovered. Even
when her little daughter WAS placed in
her arms she gave no sign of con-
seriousness. When Clarice was one
day old her m2ther died. Need / tell
you of my grief-my despair? The
wretched suicide who had unwittingly
destroyed my wife was buried IN
nameless grave. While Laura lay i'll
summoned men of skill from every
country in Europe. but from the first
they told me there was no hope. She
lies my beautiful murdered wife.
where the waves chant her requiem
by the sunny shores of Como
81 returned to England broken
hearted man. | resolved to devote my
life to my dear child. All, Guy, you
can guess the fate that threatened her
Her poor mothers madness affected
her, as the doctors said it would. 1t
| has never broken out in any violent
form, hut it is there, lying dormant
land any great excitement may cause 1t
! to blaze forth. | stand, unhappy man
that | am, between two fires. She
4
10 or shrink from the marriage.
dread the consequences; If agree to
1T, | fear equally. No one, not even
my child herself, knows this sad story.
Mrs. Fenton, who was our housekeeper
ut that time has been Clarice's nurse
ever sine. We are obliged to keep CON
slant watch upon her, though without
allowing her to perceive 1t. Mine has
been q sad life. | have never known,
from one day to the other, whether
deprived Of sense and reason. There
are times when | dread looking upon
that pale, beautiful face, not knowing
what | may see there. Any one who
observed her attentiyely would see,
from the strange, intent expression of
her face, that something was amiss.
by the advice of the most eminent
doctors | brought her here; perfect sol
itude and quiet have / believe, pre-
served her from the curse, Guy, If
You marry my child, | lay my solemn
commands upon YOU never to remove
her from Deepdale. or TO cause her to
mix with the world. ! tried 1t only
once. and nearly lost her: 1t must
never be tried again. The only way in
which the disease has shown itself at
present is by delirim during the
night. | have known her, my poor
Clarice 10 rise from her sleep and
wander about the corridors: but Mrs.
Fenton has always managed her. AMI
she knows nothing IN the morning but
that she had bad dreams | leave the
matter with you now, Guy; YOU know
the tl1rth- take time and consider It.
II should die happy il knew that /
LEFT my only one In such brave and
gentle hands as yours. but can
hardly expect that even you, who love
her, should care to sacrifice Your life
as have done mine. May God guide
you arightv
My eyes We're brimming with tears