Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-31

nsanth; Ayua have cAonss us1f; - eAnneo
srs al in yoar favor and Dry passsA. d
6iEpolo Fesuning 10 hin hnasaG - sUaik
tAsaL His agifafioa, for . time alAyod, BCw
nnnxarily incressed he fs's ID hi aF1
NJ hga. hs hreast, sort Of shnaasginG.
cunkinnow vihrakin: he MSS unAhls 70 rs9aiA
In ons place either sitting Or sanding. Hb
tongue vas dry. and chung - Il ginsd 70 ~
sticky palate. He trisd To brsakfasE, ba1 v0
unable to sak He bad hard that drink
would give courage. and b ordered . eArafs
a rum, and drank without stopping III Efaas
gln4o full A bat Ike fre ran throsgh NJ
blood, followed by dnlling II he sA
Eve found the msaA nov" b thosgAs;
.things 60 better
But as the end of IN hour the carafe v0
mpty, and hb agitation hAd returned n
tn1rably. He felt . mad dezirs to roll upon
- door, 70 scream and bite. Evening fsll
A ring u the bell gave him such . feeling of
siiding that b bad scarcely strength enough
10 Fiss and receive his sscondA He was afraid
b speak to them-to say BON jour, o. .
single word-they would discover III from
the alteration in his voice.
sWelI, ali is arranged" aid tho colooal
eheerfuliy, according to The conditions
named Your adversary at first claimed ths
choice Of weapons. but soon yielded He haa
accepted everything. and hin seconds are
onicerxr
@You will exsuo ~ il W run away at
once, the marquis added; I'VE have still .
thousand things to arrange and . surgeon 70
secure, Us you know the combat ceases only
after . serious wound, and balls sometimss
play the strangess tricks The ground must
also be near a house where you can be carried
hos h. ho.,
before u.s.
and the seconds departed
Once more alone, it seemed to him that he
would go mad
The servant having lighted the lamps, b
seated himself at the table to write letters
and his ante morton wishes. but, having
traced at the top Of che page, This il my
Last will and testament" be got up with .
shudder aud moved away. He was incapable
Of writing . connected sentence, Of taking
resolution or Of deciding anything. He bad
to fight; he was unable to escape that. How
ever, he did not wish to escape it; no desired.
rs he had always desired and intended, to
fight to the end Nevertheless he knew well
that, In spite Of every effort Of his mind, all
the application of his will, b. would Be unable
to keep up the strength necessary TO take him
70 the place Of meeting.
He sought to picture 70 himself the combat,
his attitude and The bearing Of his adversary.
From time to time his teeth chartered in his
mouth with AN audible noise Taking up the
dusling code Of Chateau Willard, LIE en-
deavored to read After this lie wondered II
his adversary had ever fought before. Was
be Of rank. and how could he find QUIT He
recalled the Baron de Vausj book upon noted
duelists. and ran through it from end to end.
The name Of George Lamil was not there.
Still, no must be goo,i shot, else be would
never have accepted SO readily the deadly
pistol and the conditions
He opened in passing q box Of silver
mounted ebony placed upon his table. and,
taking up the pistol lying on tho cushion, put
himself in position and raised his arm. But
be shook from head to foot-the weapon
pointed in every direction
1T is impossiblei' he cried at last, 4impos-
sible-I cannot fight in this condition. and
turning the dangerous toy he gazsd into it,
mouth-that little hole, 30 small 50 dark,
and yet charged with death. He thought Of
the dishonor before him, the whisperings at
the clubs, the smiles in the salons, the scorn
Of the women, the sneers Of the papers and
the insults thrown upon cowardA With
his eyes still fastened upon the pistol, it
seemed to him that flame suddenly leaped
from the muzzle-be saw that it was loaded,
and he found IN this strange, inexplicable
joy.
II on the ground he bad not the calm and
cool exterior i. was necessary he should have
in the face Of an adversary. he would be lost
forever, sullied, branded with infamy and
chased from society. And that calmness,
that GOODNESS, be did not have-he knew it,
he felt It.
Nevertheless, he was brave. he wished-ths
thought touched upon in his mind was never
finished, for with = gesture OF despair. insert
ing the pistol in his mouth, De Signoles pulled
the triggerl
When the valet, attracted by the report,
rushed in,o the chamber he found the vi
comt1 dead upon his back A jet Of blood
had spattered the paper on the table and
made splash like great red seal just above
the words
This is my last will and testament -
Translated for The Enquirer from the French
of GUY DE Maupassant by Z C. Wacycuer