Year: 1879

-unmindful Of the way l have beer
brought here-I shall willingly do, my
duty as surgeon. But if you have
maditated a crime.von may have Obliged
me to follow you, hut YOU cannot force
me to be Your accomplice."


"Be easy, SIR" replied the stranger
there is no crime In all this" And Ia.
king the doctor by the arm he walked
up 10 the alcove, then pointing to band
that came from behind the curtain, he
said THAT is the hand you are to cut
off,


The doctor took within his own the
expended hand; he felt it's delicate fin
gers shudier at the contact 1t was 8
w"man's hand, small and beautifully
shaped, on which ruby ring made its
whitebess appear stll more remarkable.


'Ndthing here exclaimed the doctor
"no, nothing demands an ampula,ion "


"And ] tell you. cried the stranger,
with thuudeting voice, S'that /; the sur
geon refuses, shall fulfil his office my
self and, seizing an ak that lay at the
foot Ct the bed, he lai'i the hand on the
night table aud prepared to sever it


The d"ctor held him back


"Then do it y"urselt," said the man


s'But this is au atrocious deed !" cried
poor LisIranc


That is nothing to you 1t must he
done il will he SO Tue lady wishes it,
likewise: if she must ask it of you her
self, she will do it Come, madame, re-
quest the doctor to do you the favor"


Poor Lisfranc, pale and trembling, fel,
ready to faint on the floor A feeble
voice came from the alcove, and said in
a tone Of unutterable despair and resig
nation:


"Sinee you are surgeon, sir-Yes, |
entreat you LET it be yourself-and do
not let-oh, you-for mercy's sake! !"


Come, doctor" said the unknown,
"either you or l."


So fierce and terrible was the aspect
of the stranger, and so implacable and
relentless his determ,nation-the prayer
OF the poor lady so poignant aud de
spairing that the doctor felt impelled by
humanity itself to obey the command


He took his implements, implored
with a last look the heartless stranger,
who merely replied by pointing signia
cantly to the ak With broken spirit
and cold perspira,ion bathing his brow
the doctor recalled all his energy and
presence Of mind Twice his arm trem-
bled, and he paused At length the blood
spouted forth-a shrek burst from the
alcove. and tn that cry Of agony sue.
ceeded dead silence.


The stranger stood by, apparently uu.
moved Nothing was heard but the
noise OF the horrible work Soon the
hand and the instrument fell together
The doctor, livid and exhausted gazeti
upon the stranger with haggard eyes =
The latter stopped, picked up the severed
hand, and drawing the ruby finger from
of one OF the fingers presented it to the
doctor.


Take it,doctor," said be: sit is sou
venir; no one will claim it from you -"
He then added in a low voice, ut is
over p


Immediately the other two masked
men came in, and bandaging his eyes
again led him away, The same carriage
that had brought him there set him do wn
again a. bis own door. Doctor Lisfranc
snatched the bandsge from his eyes in
time to see the carriage rolling away and
disappearing in the darkness 1t was
O'Clock in the morning


1t was in vain that day after dav, the
doctor exhausted every means he could
imagine for penetrating the mystery OF
his terrible adventure Had it not been
for the ring (ndisputable proof) he
would have thought himself prey to an
hallucination


Hoping, however, that the ruby ring
would, sooner or later, lead TO some rev.
elation of this mysterious affair, he was
in the habit of wearing it suspended to
his watch chain.


About two months after the events
just recorded, DR. Lisfranc received an
invitation for ball given by the Coun-
tess de P, in her magnificent man.
sion in the Rue de Varennes. Paris


He accordingly went.


All the fashionable elite of the French
nobility, as well as the most illustrious
personages of the German diplomacy,
thronged the salons which were radiant
With light and beauty.


A young man, with pale face and
melancholy eye, had been, during the
evening. the object Of particular remark
by many Of the guests. He walked from
time to time through the suite of apart
ments with an anxious look, and ther
with a sorrowful demeanor separated
from the crowd. A


1t so happened that this young mar
found himself. for an instant, opposite
Doctor Lisfranc His eyes mechanically
falling upon the doctor soon assumed 81
earnest stare, then glittered with fear
full expression on the ring that shone OF
his chain With a sudden and rapit
movement the young man passed through
a group that separated him from tn,
doctor, and walking directly up to hin
elbowed him rudely and Intentionally
The doctor politely demonstrated, bu
instead of answering the young man re
pea,edlv struck him in the face.
1t may easily be conceived what ex
citement and CONSERVATION this seen
produced.


The next day was appointed for


meeting,and the company soon after dis
persed in confusion


The young Matilda de- 1.-THE name


are too illustrious and too well know


for US to point them out, even by in


tials was the daughter of one of th


most illustrious soldiers of the Empire


Her father had acquired an elevate


rank, great glory and high station i


the army; but he was one of the few ger


erals whom the Emperor had not enrich


ed. Matilda de- had, therefore, n


fortune to bestow upon the one VII


should call her his


Napoleon de was the grandson {


the noble Duchess de- The Ducbes


had great name, an en- PITY title, but n


fortune


Notwithstanding this the Duchess an


the General, long bound together by th


ties Of friendship, had mutually agree


to unite their two children in marriage


OF this determination. however. the