Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-18

I
daughters came to Montpelier on a visit, ant
learned from the servant what had happened
They wero glad TO see the house freed from
the rough hammered neighbor, aud it wa
their opinion that their father would soon sc,
that the loss which he still mourned for th,
moment, was great gain. They set out tt
talk with him about IT, But With hoars,
voice and eyes sparkling with anger, be com
manded them 10 be silent or leave the house
and they left, shaking their heads doubtfuly
to lament, in circles of their acquaintances
about the obstinacy Of their old father.
A month passed by without bringing an,
change in the situation between Tisson and
Coste. The quarrel was the talk of all Mont
| pellier, but nobody felt himself called TO u.s.
sumo the part of peacemaker.
Then the Professor, by special permission,
began his summer vacation. journey earlier
than usual. For ten years COste had always
accompanied him all through the vacation.
The two had been together in Paris, in the
Pyrenees, in Auvergne, and in Switzerland.
Everywhere they had had delightful times
Now the Professor iourneyed alone. He
would go to Paris frst-and thence-he did
not know whittier. Only away from Mont
peiller He could stand II there no longer.
The Colonel, hidden behind the curtain
stood at his chamber window when the car
riage came up before the door of the next
house. His breast seemed 10 be bound to-
gether with cords. His dry eyes burned
like fire as he saw the Professor, feeble and
bent, leave the house and step into the car
riage. The carriage rolled away Coste COW
cred his worn face with his bony hands and
wept; but he felt sort of relief in the
knowledge that his lost friend was no longer
in his immediate neighborhood. For several
days he walked in the garden with gloomy
thnuabtu lief, IoI II ~. -.
Then certain calmness came over him one
morning, as soon as he had left his bed, he
wrote the following letter
DEAR Is1DoB: l have concluded to leave
Montpelier and go TO Algiers to live. There
l shall find my old regiment and several old
comrades, with whom / shall stay They
can not replace what have lost, but shall
not be so entirely alone with them as l am
here. Before go, never to see you again, l
would like 10 be with you together once more
as in the good old times. So make the fol-
lowing proposition Write me when you re-
ceive this letter, and give me a rendezvous in
Paris. Then, as two years ago, we can look
around at the sights of the great city, eat to-
gether in the evening, and then wish each
other good night, just as we used to every
evening for ten years. The next morning /
shall be gone. You shall then think of me
whom you have taken leave in peace and
friendship; and you shall be the same az ev-
er to me. My anger with you lasted only a
few days; since my rage subsidized and /
came to myself have felt the same toward
you as of old, and l remain, even If you do
not accept my proposition,
'Your true friend,
''CAsIMIR CosTE"
Old Pascal had given the Colonel the ad.
dress of her master in Paris. He had put up
in little hotel in the hue du Helder, the
landlord of which was native of Montpelier,
and at which Coste and Tisson had previous
ly often lodged.
On the second day after the letter had
been sent to the Professor, the Colonel re-
ceived a letter from Paris. He recognized
the writing Of his friend at once, and tore
open the envelope with trembling hands.
The letter contained only few hastily writ
ten and illegible lines:
II have sworn never to speak the words
that you would have to hear in order to en-
ter my house but may venture to write
you how hard it has grown for me to keep
my oath. Forgive me the wrong that did
you in anger. have atoned for it, aud
have remained, unto death,
''Your faithful friend, JT"
Aho ictteH utOppeu lTOm tue OOlOnel
hands. The air grew black before his eyes.
As soon as he had revived little, he hasten
ed TO Pascal. She had received no news
from her master. Thereupon Coste tele-
graphed the landlord in Paris asking for i'm
mediate tidiDgs about the condition of Pro
fessor Tisson, of Montpelier A few hours
later an answer was received from Paris
Professor Tisson had died suddenly; on the
morning Of the previous day he had been
found dead in his room the funeral was to
take place tomorrow; the daughters of the
deceased had been notified of the sad event
Coste left for Paris that evening aud ar
rived there few hours after the burial of his
friend. He met both daughters and the SON.
in-law of the deceased in the hotel. They
wore the deepest mourning, and bore the
misfortune that had befallen them with the
greatest dignity. They looked distantly at
the old man who entered their room unan-
in a dusty traveling-suit and with
agitated mien; and they gave short, precise
answers to his questions about the last mo-
ments of their father. He had had a stroke
of apoplexy he went to bed about ten
O'Clock in the evening, well and in good spir-
its twelve hours later he had been found
dead in his bed, and already cold. He had
probably passed away at about eleven o'clock
in the evening-without pain, they would
hope.
Coste asked to be conducted to the new
made grave the next morning. When he had
from the graveyard TO the hotel, he
learned that the 'ladies and gentlemen from
southern France" had already departed, after
they had ordered Handsome" tombstone to
be erected over the grave of Monsieur the
Professor.
The landlord, NJ. Doucet, talkative man,
had known the Colonel for years, and usually
was glad to converse with him but when
the Colonel attempted to find out from him
the particulars of his friends death, he be- |
came reserved and chary of his words. Coste
saw very well that they were concealing the |
truth from him. He wanted 10 know the |
facts in the case. He bribed the waiter who |
bad charge Of the room in which Tisson had |
died. AT first the man would say nothing !
about it but after Coste had solemnly prom |
ised not to betray him, he told him the fol- |
lowing, with frightened face
NJ. Tsson had arrived five days before. |
He looked most pitiably-so melancholy and |
weak. He had gone out but little had eaten |
alone in his room, and spoken with nobody |
in the house. On Friday evening he wrote |
several letters, which he took to the post |
himself then at about ten o'clock he ordered |
.ea, and told him (the waiter) that he was 60
ng to bed; nobody should disturb him be-
lore morning.
"When 1 knocked at his door at about nine
o'clock, Saturday morning, TO give him let.
.er that had just come, received no answer,
md found the door locked suspected that
had happened. called NJ. Doucet,
md he sent me at once for a police commits
Iioner, so that the door might be opened in
he presence of an Official M. Doucet, the
and doctor, entered the room to-
yether. was ordered to hold watch at the
I.t L.. L skn1 |
When the three came out, NJ Doucet looked
white as chalk. He took me aside and said
/ depend upon you as an old servant of the
house to make no talk for the reputation Of
he hotel would suffer in consequence
promised TO say nothing and up to this time
have not spoken with soul about the af-
air / shall also speak with nobody else
bout it you we're an old friend of M. Tis-
on's know that you ought to hear the
ruth. After some hours the doctor came
Jack with two assistants. The three shut
nm In ha ahaunhaR xyhara tha |