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ME WEEKLY CONSTITUTION. ATLANTA, C.U TUESDAY MAX- * 1838
MY WIFE'S DIAMOND.
flj dMnti Ners.
[Oop/HrM-* 1W D? B. 8. McClure 1
Ur triWi oaurtmrnt of preeloutttonreli not
-gZr—ga). nod of diamond* »ho hu bat 8
Blnrlo ono, How the c»mo by tbit one, will
l. ,i, ow b is tbo promt itory.
I game jeon ago, while I waa atiil a bachelor,
It Ml ia«7 path to befriend to a conelderablo
•xtant an aged Hnngarlen Jew whom I ha 1
■■earthHi la extreme porerty In a wretchop
lenomcnt bonee In one of the moot unsavory
fUattoCi of Now York. Mo was a wonderfolly
handsome old mao, according to the Jewish
gvpe, and wonderfhlly learned In those
odeoere which the Babbine principally affect.
If he naderstood little of the ncbnlor hypothc-
tii, be eonld at least repeat the nntlre Paata-
geoch from memory, and expound the myetl-
onl slgnUcance of its separate hair linen and
■ooent marks with comprehensive ragneness.
On Ute morning he sailed away-for part of
mrserrlee bad been to procure him n ticket of
Jcove from American soil. I drove down to
She dock to bid him godspeed. Tours clung to
bla eyelids, and he was voluble in protests.
Slone, of gratitude. Interspersed with mutter.
Inge In Hebrew. As tho vessel was Anally on
the point of easting off. be exhibited eigne of
a violent internal struggle, as though there
waa something he very much wanted, and yet
hesitated, to say or do. I resumed as encourag
ing as aspect ai I could manage; but it availed
nothing until the plank waa actually being
manned by the sailors. Than my Israelite
gulped downs prodigious sigh, and exclaimod
tmojbw. rnnentrr.
T hern lake it. It is all I have to give you.”
TbniMng something into ay hands, he van
Isbrd beneath the companion way.
What he had thrust upon me proved, when
luvi atigated, to lie a morsel of ebony about tho
shape and dlmeusious of a hen's egg engraved
with a multitude of mythic bcasts.lt was especi
ally a very clever bit of workmanship and
would have figured to excellent advantage In
the cabinet of a bric-a-brac amateur. I as
signed It to the pocket of my ovorouat and pro
ceeded about my busiuma.
When 1 reached home that evening and was
oeated by un flreslde thinking over tho hate
pen Inga of the day, the old lew's parting gift
nounedito me; and pmduelng It It, I subject
ed it to a mote careful scrutiny than the pre
vious one had bran. Than, a deep soam
■round its longer ctrcumfWeooo prompted the
nolJoei that perhaps it was not a mere solid
piece or lamp of ebony after all, but might on
the routrary be a bos or casket, le which raaa
I waa anxloaato view tie contonts. Ho I
wasted much time In Ineffectual efforts to pry
it open. It resisted heroically; and I bad
about determined to try no further, when, at
tny finger nail accidentally pressed upon tho
atonisch of a particularly sinister-looking grif
fin, It yielded; and the egg dying aeundor
down tha middle, at If by means of a bidden
spring, its iutcrlor lay revealed.
As singular an object as ever I
liehsM grectrd my sight. It appetred
to In- a perfectly modeled oriental Idol,
not larger than the tip of your Indy’s thumb,
with legs drawn up, to that the chin retted
U|s.u the knees, it sat In Its ebony shrine liko
■ tu'.isn tn Ins 'hronc. Every feature wan
eornjJrto. Its fun head was a mcab of sapient
wtirklce; Itaeyeo peered flora their eoekets
with a eopbl-ticated leer; and the corners of
Its mtiuin weie twisted Into a complsiaant
■mirk. Tlerowss » grotesque attraction, an
tincai.ny oh.rm shout the thing, that retaluod
my gore fiom the moment It alighted. I don't
know bow long I remained stupidly staring at
It, iK-fuie 1 thou,lit of carrying the inspection
/briber Into detail.
AI any rate, hy-aed by I put forth my hand
and picked It up. It was with increasing cu
riosity that I puisued tho examination.
Ho far as weisht and texture wore concern-
mi,. I Judged that this extraordinary specimen
was t.l' wood: yet on the other hand, tbs green
ish lustinuf tie luilaue, sad tho sound It emit
ted at 1 upped it, pointed to metal. Its heed
was covered with a suit of what 1 would have
wagered waa secular, Haney hair, in hua tho
must unmitigated red; hut on testing It, It
proved to bo as substantial as the rest. A vol
uminous garment rut I used the body, descend
ing hi count line fo'ds in front, and wrought on
the lock with tortu. us tntortwiuings of gold
Ihioad; the very grain of tho cloth and the
ttuSncaa of the embroidery having been Imi
tated by tho conscientious ertlit. Ik-low the
horn of the shirt protruded ten diminutive
lose, fashioned with u realism that waa pain
ful. Ugly escreocrnccs afflicted them, and
they terminated in nntrimmud, ragged nails.
A girdle of gold encircled the waist and was
knotted at the hip. whence Us ends fell down-
waitl looped together. ThU waa s serpent,
holding hu tell in hit mouth. Not a scale sras
omitted. Indeed, I had to fetch a maghlhr-
ing glam to aparvelato Its completeness, tty
manikin exhaled a queer perfume, half like
sandal wood, and half like something else,
put gent and penalrsting, that 1 had never
smelled before and therefore cannot name;
I will ask the trader to guess the legion o-
strong* fancies with which this tiny monttrae
d isc sculptor
lty flUrd my brain. 1 thought of t
who had dewgurd It In an epoch waicn par-
haps antedated Christianity. 1 thought ortho
history it might have witnessed, of the dynas
ties It bad torn nourish and decay. I took Ibr
granted that it waa very anol*nt. 1 thought
of thr pray on it bad board, of tha destinies It
bad swarrad—waa t‘ not a Mich; Mad it not
there fora been sroishlppcd as a Mod; All the
myitery and maple of the out seemed to he
cod pressed Into t> It mloute compn-s.
1 worked myrrh into quite a state over It.
It artrd upon my imagination as • spur. It
aflr. ltd me as opium affects its devotees. My
pub waaecrrlrralrd; tha arteries throbbed
perceptibly In my temples. Tbsn gradually,
as I hr Id It iu »y pslm, 1 htaan to ci\joy tho
oatua-catrr'o privilege. Tbs wall, of my
chambe r niellrd into thin air. The nineteenth
Centura crumbled sw-y. t was in India, in
the aauttrary uf the Brahmin-. The place
waa lllumit a'rd by moonlight. Hooding
through an aprticte to tba dome above our
hradr. A rlrclrof wcoirn rb.intrd ft minor
Vhythmio Uelisly. aaating their bodies with
She accras. In the ,.nlrr of the circle stood
ptieots clod In nacnifernt vr-tments. They
Wvir performing some font astir rite over this
Identical effigy of s cod. They pss^d It front
one toanotbrr end tisrk again, aver keeping it
within the range of the moon. The soag of
the women gr-w usr sonorous, thetr motions
non animated,- St the summit of its crescendo
tho sang rtapprd short off, their motions
eoasrd; there wss brratblese silence. Then si
tbst Instant, vertically down from the maun
Which had attained >ta smith, shot a spark sc
global* of distill.d light, hurled Itself Tike an
arrow in tho krossn of my Idet-I orates I
sras startled. 1 half me* Rent my chair. Tha
old Jew’s moment* slipped front my grasp sad
railed open the Boor. Tbo vision oollspssd. I
Ol up in Its rgx-shspsd prison. WhythUolr.
inistaaca struck me as of importance I can t
y; but the fact is I immeaJaMy dlmbad ou t of
«■« s in my room again. I laughed at my expe
rience, concludtd that I had boon dreaming,
sad reasoned correspondingly that it was high
time for mo to get to bed.
Bat When J bad turned off tbo gau and was
eemfuttsMy established among my pillow*. I
remembered that 1 had forgotten to shut tho
idol up in its cgj
cumstonca struct
asy; bat the feet —-—* - - -
Ud and approached the table whereon I had
left the idol lying. There indeed it still lay.
Wbst. however, wss my surprise upon ran ark-
tag that, like the brilliant in the Arabian
Nights, it betrayed itself by its own lightf
There indeed it lay, shedding a phosphorescent
glare for a distance of several inchos round
about it. Bony heathen god had htohaio!
Of coon* the most natural explanation was
tbo simplest. Doubtless the substance or
which it was moulded did in truth contatu
phtAphorus; and that explanation I onoe ac
cepted. .So without more ado, as the breose
from au open window waa playing with my
• * " . . . .*- *^-,1 U p to replace it
niglit-drcsM, I picked tho Idol up
in its case. But I dropped It the Second after.
A sharp quick tingle darted up my arm to my
elbow, aa though I had touched an elestrio
sponge. ru7r.led more than ever, 1 mustered my
courage and picked it up again. Whatever its
quasi-electric property had becn.lt refused to
manifest it a second time. The tinclo was not
repeated. I got back into bed, with renewed
material for wonder.
At last I Rank into a restless sleep and was
betet all night by a myriad weird oriental
SlfCftKA.
The next morning of course the first thing I
did was to pinch the Griffin's belly and re
turns acquaintance with my fetich. Daylight
made no appreciable difference In its appear
ance. 1 could handle It, also, with entire Im
punity. It seemed to have forfeited Its electric
quality for good. Bofore starting for my office,
J attached it by moans 1 of tho loop in its ser-
pentJno bolt to my wstch-chsin, where it hang
like a very presentable trinket.
That day I chanced to encounter a friend at
tbo restaurant where it was my custom to
lunch. Do is an erudite gentleman, an inter
preter In one of tbo courts. Almost as soon as
we bad shaken hands, he exclaimed with a
lively interest mantling bis physiognomy,
“ why, wbst is that?" pointing to the new or
nament dangling from my buttonhole.
‘•Ah,*' 1 asid, “1 am glad you have noticed U.
I don't know precisely what U is. Perhaps you
can enlighten ran." ,, ,
‘•Let we see it,” he said, extending his hand.
1 took it off, and while ho was studying it
through bln eye-rlaiwee, I told him substantial
ly all that I have told the reader in the fore
going pages. When 1 bad done, he dedafed
that H waa certainly a very unique curio and
an unhiistakabio antique. “What,” ho contin
ued, “what ia this Inscription upon its hack?”
“Jnirription?” I queried. “I did not know
there wss an inscription. Where'/’'
‘‘Here,” ho anawerid, tracing with the point
of a toothpick the line of gold which I had be
lieved to )>o embroidery. “Tie is a devico or
legend. 1 think it Is Sanskrit. It would bo
worth tbo trouble of liuvlng it translated.”
•'By all means,” 1 acquiesced. “It may con
vey eomo information regarding its origin aud
nature. Whom do l know who understands
Bsi'skrlt?”
41 1 know a man who does—a lawyer whose
office isn’t ten minutes distant from this spot.
Buppoee you call upon him?”
“CapiUl! Dear me, how lucky I was to run
across you.”
We hurried through our lunch and in due
courto of timo after it were seated In the law
yer’s office. My friend was an old aoquaioUnco
of his, so that ho didn’t object to being later-
\ ii wci!(tltiring business hours.
“Ob, yes,” ho affirmed, “it (a a devico in San
skrit, a v« no,” and tborcupon with tho assist-
nnco of a dictionary be read ur tha translation.
*'lt niakcH one squirm, does it not?” ho in
quired.
•'Won’t you write It down?” I asked.
"Why, certainly,” he responded, sailing tho
actiou to the word. Thia Is what he wrote:
WIU my potency be and
1 thanked the lawyer cordially, and went
away.
Home days later I got aboard a Hixth avenue
botae-csr at the Central Park terminus of tho
route, with tho intention of paying a visit in
l?th street. Kaconelng myself in a corner
nesr the pisiform, t soon became absorbed by
the sffsirs i wss bent upon.
I don't know bow loug I had been seated
thus when my revery was violently interrupt
ed by a swift tingle up my arm. Unawares,
my band hud been toying with the idol; and
this was the result.
"Ah,” I thought, “now the electrical condi
tions hsve been restoicd. Let us see whether
their esae Is aonarent.”
J glanced down at my watch-chain. Thera
hung the idol, as innocent as you please. I
touched it again. In lieu of tho tingle, I ex
perienced two fine darts of pain in my finger,
as though it had been pricked with a pin.
Then tho exceptional aymptomv ceased, and
the Idol In my clasp .waa aa harmless as a dovo.
I raised my eyes, conaldorably mystified. As
they swept over tho space before them, they
wereamated by something which banished
all ether existences fathoms deep In the inane.
A face, directly opposite me, a woman's face,
beautiful beyond any words. A fsee that
horned itself then and them Into the tissues
of my life, disclosing uuconoelvedaUUodes of
joy and anguish. Itoseribe her? Bhould I at
tempt to do so, as she appeared to me, every,
body would scoff and cry. incredible; save only
those who have seen her with their own eyes:
and to them my warmest description would
seem pitifully cold aud inadequate.
without my suspecting it.
When this Amt fall dawned upon u
my station and departed to atone i
thk vkrkown bkavty in the stbrkt can.
Kuffloeltthat 1 gated upon this woman’s
face, and was chauged in doing so as completely
aa at the llsster’a fiat the water was changed
to wine. Bhe sat there calm and proud in her
Imperial beauty, unconscious of the spell the
was weaving around my heart. .Her eyes.
S low iK'tteath their lashes, were fixed unou
e talisman that hung faun my chain!
Bo I gated upon her aa boldly as I chose
without running the risk of giving her
offence.
But at lsst*she started and seemed to shake
herself free from a brown stndy; looked out
of the window to learn her whereabouts; aud
signaled the conductor to stop the car.
No doubt it was au ungeotiemsoly course to
take, sod fiavoted of the Bowery, but forget
ting my engagement in l?th street. 1 got out
and followed her, maintaining a judicious dia
ls bit so as to be unobserved.
I followed her back up 6th avenue, hop
ing that she would lead to her dwellingplace,
and that, with a certainty of its location to
wetk upon, 1 might in the future be enabled
to find out who the waa Bhe disappointed me,
however, by turning into one of the large
•hops that aie »itnatcd on the thoroughfare in
flop, near its Junction with 23d street. 1
_ wed her Into the shop only to lese her in
the cloud of ladita that was dense about the
coontera.
To search for her there would have been as
futile as to search for e needle In a stack of
hey. Be 1 posted myself at the door by which
we had entered, and stayed for an hour and
mere like a sentinel, getting thoroughly chill-
id through, end seanalif each fhoe that went
}f, oblivious .of the fact that the shop had n
i uct again.
cording to Its already acquired trick, my
I played with the idol on my watch-
d. Bapidly, without * warning, an influ-
dozrn different separate exits, eel of any one
of which she might have passed at any moment
„me,I quitted
... me for my de<
linqoency in 17th street.
But the countenance of the unknown beauty
haunted me all day. I dragged perfunctorily
through my accustomed routine of business
and waa heartily glad whan the hour struck
for me to go up town. In order to reach home
with the. greatest possible dispatch, it was nee-
car ary that 1 should travel by the 6th avenue
line of hone can: and clinging to the strap in
one of them, I fell, by a natural association of
Ideas, into a condition of sentimental melan
choly which waa, to say tha least) conspicuous
ly at variance with the mundane character of
the equipage.
I swallowed a hasty dinner and mountel to
my own apartments to be alone with my fair
toimentrtas. I threw myself upon a sofa and
wondered whether.I should ever set eyes
upon her again,
According
hand
guard, ,
cnee crept over me which I am to this day in
competent to explain.
Itwas as though a will not mine Mixed sud
denly upon my memben, while I withdraw to
a comer of my brain and* watched my own
performances as if they were those of another
person. It compollod me to risofrom the sura
on which I lay and hurriedly to divest my-
self of the clothes I had on, substituting for
them my evening-dress. It compelled me to
elaborate my toilet with infinite care, and to
d<*ccnd the staircase past the threshold and
out into the street.
After a walk of some minutes I hailed a
cab that waa jogging sleepily along, and
muttering to the driver a few syllables
whicn I could not distinguish, was rattled
over the cobble-stones whither I could uot
guess.
By*and*by tho cab halted, the driver flung
wide the door, and out 1 leapt.
Before mo strotched a band of carpet up an
ordinary stono stoop; aud above mo was ex
tended such an awning aa it ia the fashion to
rrect where festivities are in progress. I ran
up the stoop and was admitted by a negro into
an ordinary marble paved hallway. Tbo ne
gro guided tuo lo the gentleman's dressing
room; and having repaired tho damage wrought
upon my appearance by tho commotion of the
drive, I Joined the stream of guests that flow
ed into tho parlor.
The parlor was entirely unfamiliar to me,
I could havo sworn that I had never been ra
ce ived there beforo. It was brightly lightod,
hot, redolent with the scout of flowow. uu*
mfortably crowded, and noisy with tho bus*
of conversation and the clatter of lauxhtor. I
made my obeisance to the hostess, who was a
totafytrauger to me, and proceeded to oirculato
among the pcoplo.
I thought I recognized a face hero and there,
but I wss by no means snre, aud dill not ven
ture to address a mothor's Ron. I felt d:i/.^d
ami giddy, I had no coi ‘
1 should have gone away.
I stalked forlornly to and fro, and specu
lated upon what the denouement of this ad.
venture was likely to be. >,
Abruptly, a hush fell over the assemblage.
Indies and gentlemen settled themselves la
their chairs and abandoned talk, aa If to listen
to a speech or to music.
Somebody whispered to somebody olw, “Miss
Berths, the daughter or tho house, Is about to
play. Let ns go into tho other room.”
- 1 pushed thtough the throng into the back
parlor.
There was a man seated at a piano. Out
of sight some one was audibly tuning n violin.
The pianist struck a few preliminary
chords. The violinist emerged from her con
cealment.
For an instant I believed that I should
swoon. My heart bounded Into my thro it.
The violinikt was no other than my regal
beauty of tho street car.
What fatality had thus brought na together?
They played the “Krl Kina" so that ouo’a
hair rose on cud; and afterward;# an im
promptu by Chopin, the mighty, psasionato,
plaintive melody of whieb penetrated tho In
most marrow of my soul and set it quivering
with a delight aa acute as pain, but better far
than the music was the consummate grace of
Miss Bertha's movements—now soft and woo
ing, now swift and florae as she las hod the
strings. I watched her with infatuated eyes
until tho last sobbing note had expired into
the air.
Aa soon aa she had done, the stupid audience
destroyed the Uautiful effect of her music by
clapping their hands so loudly that you would
have wished to stuff their ears with cotton.
Uand-rlspping after music Is too boisterous—
even for an applause It is incongruous* liko a
dole of bitter medicine after an exquisite diu-
ner. It effaces tho sweet impression that tho
music should have left-
The audience clapped their hands until the
skin must have blistered; aud then they troop
ed around my htroiue to proffer their congrat
ulations. I appealed to a mo’.hcrly looking
indy who was fanning herself at my tlbow,
and saying that I hadn't tha honor of Miss
Bhe eyed me quizzically, as much as to re
tort, “Nor havo I tho honor of yours,” but her
good natura triumphed aud she replied, '‘Cer
tainly,—only, dear me, how awkward, I—I
can't recall your name, Mr.?”
“Mr. Morton," I said.
“Oh yes, indeed, Mr. Morton. Well, come
nlih me.”
The lady introduced mo very prettily, and
Bertha greeted me with as much grariousness as
1 was entitled to expect I sat down beside
hr r and told hor as well 1 could something of
how deeply 1 bad been affocted by her muste,
but my heart thrilled so keenly at hor nasr
presence that I had no trifliog hardship la
speaking coherently. I am sure 1 bjushed,
and I am afraid I stammered like a school bey.
She responded languidly, as was natural, in
one to whom compliments like mine were an
old story; but in the midst of au indifferent
sentence her eyes brightened up, and the ex
claimed with vivacity. “Why, what hsve you
there? 1 have seen that before," designating
my idol.
"Oh.this is a rather unique present I had giv
en me the other day." I answered, detaching
it from my chain. My arm tingled violontty
as my fingers came in contact with it. "I im
agine It to excecdklly ancient,and if a little su
perstition were permtoeable I should imagine
also that it was manufactured under the im
mediate supervision of no less distinguished
individual than bis satsuic majesty, fi cer
tainly behaves very extraordinary ai times."
"Where have I seen It before?" mused Ber
tha. "It seems as though I had l»eeu familiar
with it yean, ago.”
She nschrd forth her hand; aud not with
out a few mbgivlngsl deposited it therein. Bho
had on a glove, however, and that perhaps
pratxcUd her from its shock. At soy rate
»bc grasped it quite fcaricMly aud scrutinized
it until every detail of its auatomy must have
been stamped upon her retina.
"No," she s-id," *J cannot rcmomWr, aud
r et I know that tbto is not the only timo tb rt
have held it in luy hand. Its odor scorns to
awake far off reminiscences, dim and obscure,
like those of a former life. Tell uio all about
bow you came by it."
I Jumped at the opportunity to loiter by her
ride aud recounted every circumstance con
nected with its history, from tho embarkation
of tie old Hungarian Jew down to tho Eng
lish version of its. legend frtruished by my
friend's legal friend. Tbi* marvelous olemeut
cf the tale did not appear to impress her.
* Nr\" she rciteratid, "I cannot remember;
aud yet I am sure that if 1 c mid remember. I
»tii-uld be able to toll you much more about it
tbsn you alieady know." •
Bhe gave it back to me, aud while I was
replsciug it on my watch guard, somebody
the was introduced to her, aud etiquettscon*
pelltd me to move away.
Aa I left the house 1 had the presence of
mind to ncte its number and the name that
Was engraved on the door-plate. The name
waa Gucdaila. The street waa among the
•eve ntiee. esst of Third avenue.
Not until 1 again faced myself in my own
lodgings waa tba orarwhelming singularity of
what I had gone through fairly borne In npon
am. Tbsn I could scarcely credit my own
memory. I eonld scarcely believe I bad not
keen tho victim of an hallucination. Bat the
lorgin* la my heart when I thought of Ber
tha convinced me that aonething nor# rest
and permanent than an hallucination nnsl
have been at the bottom of It Ho
never tasted anything bat milk will hardly
thirst for wine. . .
After a sleepless night I rose next morning
with the sun, and taxed the faith of our house
maid who waa washing down the side walk,
with the announcement that I was bent on a
before-breakfaat stroll. I bore rapidly in the
direction of Seventieth street, snd ssnnterad
psst theecene of the night’s exploit, corrobo
rated my recollections by the sight of a mode it
brown stone house writh a door-plate, Guodalli.
In the course of the ensuing week I sum
moned my audacity and, not, it must be
acknowledged, without considerable trepida
tion, paid iny party call. Unspeakable was
my relief when I saw that they did not kno\7
me for an interloper. Besides, the discovery
of several mutual friends tended to dissipstc
any inward doubts that they may hava enter
tained. Of course I lavtohtdmoatof my attention
upon Bertha; and recarring to the topic o
our former dialogue, “No,” she said, “I cannot
yet remember. Nor to the feeling of familiar
ity with it as pronounced as it was. Indeed,
most likely it was a mere delusion. Buch
mistakes are so very common.”
How after that I called again; how I
f lowly won for myself a footing of intimacy
in the Gucdaila household; how, day by day, I
became more and more irretrievably in love
with Bertha; how, aa the reward of long
waiting, I began to discern sparks of a re
sponsive sentiment In her own deep eyes: and
how, finally, one summer evening, we dared
to confess our love, I havo neither the space
nor the disposition to record. Eventually I
presented myself before Mr. Guedalls in his
study as a suitor for his daughter’s hsud.
He listened attentively, encouraging me by
numerous nods snd confirmatory inteijectionv,
and when I had at length pulled the rein upon
my tongue, he shook mo warmly by the hand
and said, “You have spoken nobly, Mr. Mor
ton, and I thank you. I could not wish Bertha
a better husbahd than she will have in you.
You have spoken also with a frankness which
I will strive to emulate. You have kept noth
ing back, nor shall I. There is something
about Bertha's history of which even she her
self is ignorant, but which I feel that yon have
a right to know.”
The exasperating gentleman suspended his
discourse just at this trying passage, and con
sumed an eternal interval in rolling a cigar
ette. Blowing a stream of amoke through his
nootrils, he continued, "You must know, Mr.
Morton, and I confide it to you in tho most
rigid privacy, that Bertha to uot our own
daughter. She to adoptod.
IIo leaned bark in hto chair and regarded
me as if to reckon the consequence of hto
tidings.
“Indeed?” I answered. “Well?”
“Ab, you take it manfully!” he cried. “I
wes cure it would make no difference. You
love her just ns well?”
"Better, a thousand times better,” I assured
him eagerly- “Now that the has no father or
mother, the tie between us will be more bind
ing than before.”
"Ah, pardon me, no mu
lias a father and mother. _
tiuly ns though wo had given her birth. Bhe
must never know to tho contrary. Re
member, I pledged you to secrecy boforo I
spike.”
“For that matter, sir, my desires coincide
with your own. It would only psln hor to
know tho truth.”
• Precisely. But to resume. Bertha is now
< no and twenty. Sixteen years ago my wife
end I were in Yionna. One day wo visitod
the impel lal protectory in tho suburbs. There
we were impressed by tho oxtrome beiuty of
oi.o of tbo lit Ho girls. We questlonod the
Miardlan about her parentage, but he could
g \o us no satisfaction. A four months since,
he said, the police had found her wandering
in the streets. Their best efforts had boon
fruitless to trace her antecedents* My wife’s
int» nst grow so strong that we ended by play
ing the tanram exacted by the Austrian law
•r d taking ber away. We named her Bertha
fur our owu child who had died. We have
educated ber, and aha to ours by every right
save that of blood.”
“And docs the remember nothing of the life
sho led before you found hor?”
“Nothing definite—only stray scraps and
ends—not enough to piece out a wholo fabric.
Of the actual facta she hu not a surmise.”
“Well snd good. Mr. Uuedalla. I am grate
ful for your confidence, and you may trust me
not to abuse it. Now—.”
“Ccrtsinly—now you msy rejoin Bertha
and Inform her of my consent.”
Wo were married a few months later.
As the reader 1s aware, when, in obedience
to Bertha’s wish I discrcetlr wound it up at
a juncture prior to my meeting with her tn a
Bixth avenue horse car. Duriug the term of
our courtship I deemed it unwise to broach
the sequel. But after we wore safely wedded,
end she wumlne beyond any peradventare or
dispute, I decided that tho momont had ar*
rived for me to tell tho rest. So one day in
our cosy little sitting room, I opened my mouth
and spoke without reservation.
Bertha looked very grave, and did not
volunteer a comment even when I had flu-
idiid.
' Well,” I said, “what do you think of it,
Bertha? Is it not. weird?”
“Ob, it is horrible, horrible,” she exclaimed
earnestly. "I wish you had not told me.”
"Why, Bertha,” I urged, “you must not take
it so seriouslv; nothing to horrible that turns
out so happily.”
“But to think,” sho rejoined, "to think wo
have to thank that hideous fetich for all our
happiness. It seems as though there wore
something wrong, something unreal in our
union, if it is due to the instrumentality of
that thing. Ob, it makes mo shuddor.”
I pbsded with Bertha, attempting to lay
the affair before her in a more cheerful light;
but to no avail.
“At least,” she concluded, “we must mend
the evil now by getting rid of the idol—or by
destroying it. Suppose we put it into the
fire?"
“What!” I cried, “Burn it? Burn this mira
cle of microscopic carving? You don't know
wbst you are proposing. You don’t retlise
how rare, how valuable it to. It would bo
criminal to bum such a piece of workmanship,
not to mention the ingratitude of the pro
ceeding. Better than that we might present
it to some museum.’’
"No. I slmll never be contented until it to
nut of existence. I shall never feel secure
from Its influence. What,” she continued,
“did you say the translation of that inscrip
tion on Its b#u-k?’’
1 quotid tho legend which I knew by rote.
*• Nut until my heart be pierced will my po-
tcucybc undone,’ ” repeated Bortha. “How
is one to pierce iff heart?”
"Box© a bole through it, I suppose,” I
•niwmd, trying to treat the subject with
levity.
‘T.xaetly, but how?”
"With a gimlet.”
"Good, fetch a gimlet and bore the hole.”
"Ob. Berths," 1 said deprecatlngly, resolved
upon a last appeal, "you ate not going to in
sist on demolishing it? Try to think of whvt
a sarxifiro it would bo. Just look at its ex-
qubit© modeling.”
* No, no,” sho protested. “If you wish to
oblige me, you will net discuss the subject. If
yuu love mo you won’t refuse to grant me
such a little favor. Perhaps I am un reason
able, but it is a wife's privilege to bo so. I
shall never rest until you deal with that
horrid monster as he deceives.”
It was with a load on my mind that I pro-
rtmd a gimlet aud vet about the task #f de
stitution. The poor fetich lay passive in my
hsud. It did uot seek to defend itself with it#
fhctric weapon. Indeed, ever since our we l
ding day it had conducted iteclf in this respect
in the most unexceptionable manner, as
thr ugh its mission in this world had been ful
filled. I bestowed one remorseful thoagbt
upon the Indian artist, who, long centuries ago
with incalculable toil, bad done what 1 now
with a single turn of my wrist was fated to
nndo; and grating my teeth I applied the
point of the gimlet upon the spot a little above
the waist, and began the distasteful operation.
My wife was behind me. bending over mr
shoulder. The ratface of the idol had just
broken beneath tha Tglmlet’s pressure, when
my wife startled me with two sharp Kronas,
•a if of pain.
“Wby darling.” I cried,springing te her side,
“What fa the matter* Are you eofferingr*
•look, look rtn». H ih.
f or.t of bn. Hot f*oo w»* »bUo wi*b te«».
j-li. uim) my bud m though to §ugyort hor*
self. Hers was as cold as icc.
I lrok.d in tho direction she ludlc.tod,
blocd curdled at the spectacle I witnessed
«r(n<iri*nf mir room soomed te
Hy
I open
lf*U cure I to Ub too apccbib *
The rtindorrof our room teamed
upon ■ irtreet In uomo Iluiiun «ity—• .»"•»
thut recoiled the Toledo ot Nuplee u touch ns
nny other. In tho middle of tho rond*ey n
man stood. Ho wuu ext ruding hln nrm u« If
to word offo blow, usd hi. oyee rrero rlretud
upon uu with un expreuion half of inteneu
Igony, half of reproach and
peal. Tho pallor ef de«th
on hi. cheek. Hi. Anger, elntohed
Tohdveiy ot the air. Hi. Up. twltchod u if he
aero trying to ape^. Ho tottered »“d fell.
A stream of blood gushed from hi* nostril..
Ono by one people began to collect around
him; and, finally, » crowd hommod him in
and bid him from our view. ButJ hod racog-
—r—the old
•UU UIU UUU IU/W —— -
nixed him. He wu the idol’s donor —
Hungarian Jew. . _ ..
‘ Did you see? ’ whispered Bortha, os
vision commenced to disappear.
“Yes, I sow," I answered, gating upon h
pale, frightened face. Her f«c*-her face
could 1 believe my aenres? How h»d I never
noticed It before? Her face wM the literal
repetition of tbo venerable Jowa, allowing
only for tho discrepancies of youth and sex.
Wot it poacihle that in this way the secret of
her parentage had been solved; _
"Bertha,” I cried, "did you know him? Dnl
yon recognise the man?”
“Ah, I do not know," »be murmured. “I do
not know. My hood fa in » whirl. And yet,
yes, I seemed to recognise him. His face woo
not altogether strange to mo, though where or
when I had ever seen him before I cannot
tall." Sho preened her hands to her temple,
and knltteahor brows. “It seems,"she said,
“•s if sometime that old men htd played n
part in my life. What can it mean?”
Bertha burst into a flood of hysterical tears,
and she was prostrated by the terrible effecte
of our vision for several hours.
The next day I lost no time In posting n let
ter to each of the American consuls in Italy,
describing the old Jew, giving hto name, and
inquiring whether nny such person had met
with au accident in the streets.
At the end of six weeks I
began to receive the consular replies. The
purport of them all was the same. “Not so
far as wc linvc been able to ascertain”—ex-
:ctly tbo reply I might have anticipated; bat
t did not relievo my mind. Indeed, until I
gain sot eyes upon tho rabbi sound and well
•i tbo flesh and learn from his own lips that
o to not the father of my wife, I shall not be
•reuaded th<-t the scene which Bertha and I
th saw. was entirely unconnected with the
'ith.
More than a year clapsod. Not once did
her ono ofu« refer to the nnfortunate idol.
last one evening Bertha said to mo,
,'hnfc hut become of it?” From tho
:dder with which sho pronounced the syl-
>, it, I gucssfid to what sho had refer-
I locked it up in tho drawer of my desk,”
nswered,
I don’t want to annoy yon,” she said, “bat
ou can bear to touch it, I wish vou would
uow and get it and throw it into the fire.”
f made no opposition. Unlocking the
.wcr of my writing table, I introduced my
od to tako the idol out. Bat there, thore
.ere I had left it, as intact os ever except for
:rifling scratch, lay no more tangible a root-
bt of its existence than a smill heap of
recnish powder. My surprise waa
reat that I called oxcitedly
, ter tha to approach. She declined
toll>e interested. “Pshaw," she said, “how
can you expect me to be nmv/cd by any now
deviations on the puis of tbat creature? I
am glad of it,” ana she undertook to brush
tho dust away, bat la the process of doing so
he paused. In the midst of the debris, like
ho rbfcnlx among hii ashes, we bohelcl a lit
!o glittering diamond.
TI1K DIAMOND IS FOUND.
“ Do you remember the drop of light that
shot down from the moon in tho dream you
hid ? ” asked Bertha.
“Yes, perfectly,” I said.
“Well, there it is,”
A WILD MAN LIKB AN APB.
Nothing Gives film Greater Agony and Ter
ror Than the Sight of a Womst .
Cnuaxn Dam, N. J., April S6.—Two mm of
Archibald Tyson, a fanner, returned irom a hunt
lost evening leading by a rope a frightful spootacle
of humanity In the shapo of a wild man. Both of
the Tyson boys are fall grown and tell the follow
ing ntoryo t the capture; About noon, when they
wero climbing tho Romapo Mountain on the north
side, they beard a shrill voice howling as if in ag
ony. Approaching the spot where the voice cams
from they encountered what appeared to be a huge
*%ne ef the boys, Bhtleman, raised hto gun to fire
•t the subject but was stopped by bis brother. Toey
then advanced closer and discovered that the ob-
scaro * ‘ * * "
body.
loo/ t matted and parti;
Alter a terrible straggle he was overpowered and
bound. He uttered a few unintelligible words ar d
quietly allowed them to do aa they pleased wl fa
After searching In vain far a hut or a care th#
led him home, where he was exhibited to \he
neighbors. He appeared to understand the t cm
man language, and whenever a woman appro•« to
ed would run aud try to escape. It totbought t» at
he must have escaped from some Insane asy Ufa
and wandered wild In the woods
When a piece or raw meat was offered him to
grabbed it and ate it ravenously. Afr. Tyson looked
lum up In a barn and Is watting for some relative to
claim nlni. _
A Northern View of General Gordon.
From the Phils Jelphto Pro*.
The speech of General Gordon delivered at
Montgomery yesterday, though distinctly southern
in Its tone, had one noticeable characteristic which
distinguished it from the customary sentimental
fervid confederate memorial harangues, glorifying
the lost cause and the bravery, devotion aud other
virtnei of those w bo lost It. General Gordon was a
soldier, and a brave one, and he took occasion to
remind his southern audience of “the persistent,
indomitable will and sploudld courage of the north.”
He paid tbc hifhkst tribute to southern courage
when be said or the men who opposed them that
•‘the ru*hlng end oft-repeated on«eu of northern
phalanxes with fixed bayonet* against iho wa Is of
fire I rum southern gnu* and over the dood bodies of
thtlr comrades, piUd In ghwuly hecatombs before
southern foils and breastwork*, bear witness to
t tslerul courage and devotion which nothing can
ever impeach." We welcome this evidence that
there l» one southern memorial orator whose
patr'otUm takes in the whole country, and whs
thinks tbc virtues of both aide* are worthy of
eulogy. ,
• World*# Vltpsniary,
No medical association stands higher than that
of the World'* Dispensary. Buffalo, N. Y. Thl* is
attributable to but one fact, and that Is. that this
association is in all re*pecti thoroughly reliable,
and any one who (s troubled wUlTbtood. Hvevor
fact smears, may rest assured .that the treat-
te'uiriuftL W |7iwW^UrSr , eMnoWol, c oroolo
rtlVbrVAreSiw eSSroSS* IV W'MjdgjSj
Golden Medici Kerned;, »nd will be eared
DR. JOHN BULL’S ~
SiisTonicSm
FOR THE CURE on *
FEVER and AGUE
Or CHILLS and FEVER,
AND All MALARIAL DISEASES.
Tk. JTOPriotCTof tklx MUtnua m«Uelut
taitly eUteifarit. npt rlority orn .Ur.ro.
•i'»'•»« th. public terti, urt
CERTAIN, SPEED Y ud PERU AH ENT eua
tt Anoud rover,or Chilli ud 7, rer.vket*
«r of ihort or long .undine. Ho nfen to tha
■■tiro Wo. tors and Sonth.ro mob try to boor
him toitimony to tho troth of tho uuiHob
thotlnnoouovh.toTorirUlltUiltocnr.il
th.dlrostioni.r.rtrlctly followed.pdc.nd.d
•nt Ia.5re.tiB.nyeuM.1ingl.d01.hu
1 nffleiont for . cure, ul whol. MHy
tola to onto, into nio lo continued ia imtllor
doMi for a vook or two Utar tho dintu hu
kMB cheeked, more umcUUt ia diffloaltud
loBMtonding eon j. TJinUfy thl. modieia*
willnot require aa/ald tokeop thabowtUia
good order. Should the patient, howem, re*
qain.uthutiomidieino.Utorh.Tiagtuum
three or four doooo of tho
Of KENTS VEGETABLE TAimV vyxm
will bo luflMont. Bu no othor.
OR. JOHN B1JXot.'R
SMITH’S TONIC SYRUP,
BULL'S SARSAPARILLA,
BULL'S WORM DESTROYER,
Th* Popular Ramedleo of th* oar.
Principal Offleo, Ml Hrt. St, LOIHSTIlU,n.
•cut — Am sat non tbur A wky top col a na
xrcAnxAX. fbize, •1g.oo0.-m
Ticket. Only «g, Krone. In FroporttoaJ
LlS.L.
LOUISIANA STATE LOTTERY CO
r^n^M^biWoM
OOMMS3IONKM
Wo too fladsMtewd-kowk. ood outer win pay
rtl prim, drawn fit The LontaUn. Bute Lottaria.
Which mar bo pmented at oar oaaotom.
J. H. Oatenr. Pno’tUnl.tao. NU’lBuK.
■ J. W. Kiuura. PrrotBMo NU1 nalBMh.
A.BUOWM, Frci’tNowOrleuu NatT Bk.
Incorporated la IMS for X roan by too larva,
tore for educational ud ohulubla porpoto. with
.capitaloftl,000.OOO-towhich, noorre fond ol
oror1000,000 bu ilno. been added.
By aoOTcnrbelmlnr popular roto Ita fruchUf
wu mode 0 port of the promt State OonaltnUon
TtfeMla. lndonod by
tho people of any etore. .
it mn ecaui o» nwrrewra.
Ita Grand Single Number Drawings Taka
place monthly, and the Extraordinary Draw-
rags regularly every three months instead ol
Bemi-Annnally as heretofore, beginning
“juwiJSwD OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A Po*.
TUNK. FIFTH GRAND DRAWING, CLA88 W,
ioftho Comwinr lu
..urination write clc*rly?|
tow Yooh^SebMUtooSiiurr Sou?
V expire, (at our expMto^ddrarojd re
Now OrloTStV
ami ad*
Maks P. 0. Money Jrdera. .
< * rM »r£x? ORUSANsflfATIOlfAI. BAN*,
rot wodwkynrm awOritautol
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