The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-10-14
be. but his quiet tone and the deep.


his story. therefore directed the but
Ter to loosen him and let him sit in a
chair. This the servants were very un-
willing to do, insisting that the man
should be Immediately turned over to
the police. However, when they saw I
was in earnest they let their prisoner
rise:
'Madam!' he said, strange as it may
seem, the purest and best actions of my
life are those which have brought me to
this terrible pass. In the unfortunate
being who is now before you surround
ed by hideous circumstances the world
would never recognize Count Hubert
De LONE, inheritor of one of the great
est names and descendants of one of the
proudest families Of France. Yet such
is my title and my family. Pray par
don me for showing emotion.
AT the outbreak of the late war be-
tween France and Germany was lieu
tenant of infantry, not yet arrived in my
twentieth year. The purest fires of pa
triotism burned in my heart, and in the
battles where we were engaged was
Cemarked for the heroic manner in
which Iexposed myself. Ipassed scath-
less through storms of lead, which dealt
death on every side, and escaped with
out the least injury till the battle of
Gravelotte, where a round shot mu-
tilated both my legs and rife bullet
destroyed my right arm.
when | awoke, after the battle, ]
was in the German field hospital with n
bcvy ofthe cleverest surgeons in Europe
about me. ] soon found that was the
center of attraction as the most extern
siYe case of limb grating in the annals
of surgery. They had found a dead man
OF my proportions on the field of battle,
and from him they had transferred to
me a right arm and two legs, and they
were watching with deep interest the
experiment of their growth.
For two weeks the result was doubt
ful, but at last science and nature tri-
umphcd over all obstacles, and it be-
came evident that was going to be able
to use the grated limbs as well as
ever used my own.
"'By the time | could stand, the war
was over, and returned to my home in
Brittany, to recover amid rural scenes
from the rude shocks l had received.
Here, as grew stronger, n strange and
awful thing happened. found that my
grated limbs had a will of their own,
and that that will was evil. Legs that
could hardly be persuaded to move in
the daytime, became at night restless
and tireless as those of predaceous
animal. Many time l awoke at mid
night to find myself being carried
abroad. Many n time my relatives,
hearing my cries, have rushed to my
room and found me clinging to the bed
by means Of my jaws and my left hand,
while my right hand and both legs were
to carry me off.
"I always resisted to the utmost, be-
cause knew from certain intimntions
what the upshot of these midnight ex-
cursions proposed by my limbs would
Qdious, horrible, vulgar-not
The romantic theft of the bold highway
man, but the low and brutal pilfering
of the burglar and sneak thief. Theft
by myself in spite of myself.
"'You can easily imagine, dear lady. |
that my discovery caused me the keen
est anguish. The cruelist thing of all |
was that must suffer in silence. Who |
would believe my story? So sllillfully |
had the operations on my mind been
performed that there was no scar to be |
seen, and, even were | able to prove that |
he limbs | used were grated, how I
'ould l satisfy anyone that they had
'etaincd their individuality and were
seeking to make of me an accomplicc
N these ncfarious undertakings?
1.-The constant struggle in which I
vas engaged gave me wild and hag-
rard look. | became the victim of ncr-
'ousncSs and melancholy, and the pco-
Die Of my estate began to avoid me.
When | came upon the road, riding or
Walking, those whom | met whispered
md drew aside. They knew that had
riyen my servants orders to watch me
It night and restrain me by force if
sought to go out. They therefore
colcd on me as a madman or at least
man with Il mystery.
This feeling was not confined to
he peasants; my equals also possessed
t, and | could see by their avertcd
ooks, their silence when approached
hem, that ] was feared. if not dis
iked.
Zone only remained true to her
beliefs and memories, but
hat was the one whom, above all
theirs, l desired to please - Louise,
aughter of Marquis De Campazany,
hose estates adjoined my own.
Even to her | dared not explain,
ct her love and sympathy were mine
lrough all and in spite of all
1.-THE only human being who knew
~ secret was the chief of the Ger
nan surgeons, who performed the
rafting operations. | sought him out
nd called him to my side for con-
lltation. His advice to me was to
ait with patience. "My friend" he |