Year: 1871

My wife had little workable, the
drawer of which she kept Invariably locked.
| had often noticed that she never left il
open; never, by any chance, had forgotten
to take out the key. This thought began to
trouble me what had she to conceal from
me? | was certainly beside myself / be-
lieved in her innocent countenance, her
clear eyes, her kisses no more. What if
these were but parts of the deception?


One day the countess visited us. She
came to take my wife home with her, over
whelming her with rersuasions to go and
stay the whole day with her. Our estates
lay not far distant from one another, and I
gave my wife promise TO follow her soon.


Scarcely had the carriage left my court
yard, when l collected together all the keys
| could find, and with them sought to open
the drawer At length found one


A locker on would have taken me, as l
drew out the drawer, for one who for the
first time in his life was about committing a
theft. was thief, opening a lock to steal
from weak woman her secrets


My hand trembled as | came in contact
with the different things in the drawer hut
| carefully avoided creating any disorder
that might bctray my presence. Suddenly
my breast seemed as if crushed by iron
hands; | felt on the point of suiFocating
under a roll Of lace lay package Of papers :;
quick as thought my heart whispered that
they were letters at the first glance, any
one would have known Them to before
letters


The package was bound together by a
rose colored ribbon embroidered with silver
As | touched the ribbon, thought, Is
this right ? Is it not unworthy of an honor
able man thus to steal the secrets Of his
wife-secrets which belonged to her maiden
hood alone? Is she answerablc to me for her
thoughts and feelings before she became my
wife? Should be Jealous Of the time when
she scarcely knew of my existence? But
what if these letters date since | have had
a right to watch over all her thoughts, to be
jealous even OF her dreams-since she has
been my wife?'


[ united the ribbon. No one wcs there,
no mirror near to point out on my cheek
the mounting flush of shame. opened
one letter after another, and read them all
through to the end.


Oh, that was 4 terrible hourf


Shall tell you what was in those letters?
The most despicable t-eachery ever prac-
ticcd against a man. Ny best friend had
written them; but in what tone? With
what persuasive and passionate eloqueuce
did he speak therein How he planned aud
counselled the course a wife might take to
deceive her husband And all these letters
were dated since our marriage-while had
been so happy! | find no word to picture
what ] experienced on reading them. 1t
was q feeling like the working of deadly
poison. | drank this poison to the last
drop. 7 read every one Of those letters
through by itself. Then laid them in or
der, bound them together, covered them
with the lace, and locked the drawer


was certain that my wife, if l did not
go for her, would hasten home before eve
ming. Aud so it was. How quickly she
sprang from the carriage, and ran toward
me; how she embraced me How she kiss
ed me How happy she was to be with me
again


| allowed her 10 perceive nothing OF the
revolution that had taken place within me.
We talked together, supped together, and
retired as usual to our rooms, which were
side by side. ! sid not close my eyelids.
Awake, [ continued hours. AS the first
quarter past midnight struck, ! stood in her
chamber. Like little angel in the midst
of snowy clouds, lay her lovely. fair head in
peaceful slum5er upon the dazziingly white
pillows. What monstrous lie of nature,
to lend to sin features 50 innocent [ was as
determined, as indexible as a monomaniac
in his fixed idea. The raging passion of
jealousy had eaten into my soul. Softly |
laid my hands upon her throat, and sud
denly pressed them together That mo-
ment she opened her large. dark blue eyes,
saw me with amaze, then closed them slow
". She was dead. She died without hav-
ing had time to utter one word in ber own
defence, peaceful as in dream. As mur-
dered her, she felt no anger toward me.
Only a single drop of blood, pressed ont of
her mouth fell on the back of my hand
where, you know but too well. 8.


She had no relations to inquire into the
cause of her death. aud | purposely delayed
sending out to my friends invitations to her
funeral, until it was too late for any of them
to reach my place in time. No one upon
my estate had any suspicion OF the truth.
Besides, was master who had any right
to question me?


When all was over, and | was returning
to my home, my conscience was not bur-
dened in the least She had deserved her
fate. thought of her no more,


On reaching my home, found the count
ess, my wife's only female friend, just ar
irving. Like others, she had come after the
hour appointed for the funeral She was
painfully agitated Whether from sorrow
or sympathy, knew not, but the words
of consolation with which she essayed to
addressed me, were so confused, that I
could scarcely understand them. At last