Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-14

lie uldle guests udu fttlreu TO the
smoking room. Pereira, the well known
| theatrical manager. with marble white
| high collar and loud cravat. stood in
! front of the hearth, holding a glass OF
! curacao in his hand.
Everything depends on the plot" he
said. "A drama that cannot be sum.
married in five minutes is of no ac-
| count. When an author comes to me
at breakfast time to talk over new
piece With me l tell him before he be-
gins that if he cannot give me the plot
within the time it takes me to eat an
egg. his work is not worth considera-
ton"
Il am not Il dramatic author" said
Maurice St. Clair the tall attache of
the Russian embassy. but ii you will
permit me. Pereira. l will give you the
synopsis of narrative that am sure
you will be able to utilize. But the
time consumed in eating an egg seems
to me too short to cover the details
of any tangible plot"
We'll. I'll make it two eggs,'' re-
Joined the theatrical manager good
naturedly, but I'll tell you beforehand,
like the man about to be guillotinetl.
that l have my suspicion of tales told
by men of your meter. Well, out with
it,"
The story was the sensation of vi
emma when l was stationed at the Rus
sian embassy there. At that time there
lived in the city Il specialist in heart
diseases. DR.. Theodore Arnold. a man
about forty years old. who had host
of patients. Physically he was an
Apollo, always dressed in the height of
fashion. with finely cut features and a
yriY
was in all respects a type of Austrian
manhood. but he had the eyes of a
Yankee. sold and blue like steel, which
betrayed a phlegmatic nature.
"One day DR.. Arnold was called to
attend the daughter of a Russian FAM
lily, named Skebeow. The expert ply
stefan at once detected dangerous
heart disease. DR.. Arnold was capti-
waited by Miss Masha Skebelow, who
was tall and exceedingly beautiful
brunette. Accustomed as he was to
the examination of patients, he felt
when he had to place his
ear to the fair breast of Masha and to
knock on her heart.
DR.. Arnold fell passionately in love
with Masha Skebelow. He sued for her
hand, was accepted, and the marriage
took place within a month. Immedi-
ately after the wedding the Skebelows
left Vienna to seek table u'hote in
other cities.
Young Mrs. DR.. Arnold charmed So
,iety with her ,ravshing beauty and
amiable manners. Her health was so
fully restored within a month after
the marriage that she could attend all
social entertainments and even balls, /
her husband permitting her to dance
at times.''
Despite the heart disease?" asked
Pereira.
Yes, the young woman was so
greatly improved that even as physi- |
,ian DR.. Arnold allowed his wife to |
waltz. This was fatal mistake in a |
sense, for the dashing |
'oung Captain Won Blasewitz was al |
Ways most conspicuous on the ball |
programme of the charming Russian"
We'll enough" said Pereira, impa-
iently, the dramatis personae are in
place, now forward to denouements, as
We say in theatrical parlance."
lone day the doctor found package
If letters"
Which brought the husband the con-
fiction that he had been betrayed?"
"Certainly."
THE husband, of course, wreaks VEN
by one of those crimes which are
never discovered.'
How, then, was it found out ."
From the lips of DR.. Arnold himself !,
"a confession provoked by the insup- I
oressible longing to free the con-
science"
out with the plot, Maurice; leave /
'ut all psychological reflections"
"Masha," continued ST. Clair. "was
not entirely restored to health, though
Dr.. Arnold had treated her for more +
han two years. AS gradual as was her
so gradual was to be her
iecline. This was the physicians re-
'enge. He controlled his anger and
,ontented himself to play the role of a
husband who is suspicious and watch
ul. In this way he filled Masha's soul
With fear and anxiety. So he watched |
Ter like cat. A mysterious power
aid obstacles in the way of every at
empt at a rendezvous. Correspondence |
vas interrupted and her love was pois-
med
This life. full of excitement and
worry, gnaWed away at the heart of |
Nasha. The doctor was killing his wife
step by step in the same way that he
TAU ulHloSl tilccleu compete cure.
Hours of anxiety and despair were fol-
owed by long days of lonesome sad
less, which forced the blood into the
leart. And while he watched the prog
'ess of his satanic treatment with dia-
)olical delight he tortured his victim
With his hypocritical despair.
Before half year had elapsed the |
attacks of his wife-patient We're of daily |
the beating of the heart be- |
anne almost audible, the disease had |