Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1892-11-24
NICb|I'I'R.
BY SAINT JUIRS.

gu dIG " ucdN udlI ouAN AAO WV
tor, looking lntently at Anatole.
Anatole staggered.
He had come gayly to spend the ev'
ching with his old friend, DIR. Bardais
the lllustrious savant, whose works, on
yenomous substances are known all
over the world. whose nobility Of heart
and almost paternal goodness Anatole
had learned to know better than any
other living soul ; and now, without the
least hesitation or preparation, he heard
this terrible representation issue from
those authorltive lips!
Unhappy child, what have you
done?' continued the doctor.
Nothing that | know Of. stammered
Anatole, greatly agitated.
TAX your memory, tell me what you
have eaten or drunk-what haye you
inhaled%
The last word was a ray of light tc
Anatole. That very morning he had
received letter from one of his friends
who was travelling in India in the let
ter was flower pluckeu on bank Of
the Ganges by the trayeler-a strangely
formed red flower, the perfume o!
which-he now recalled the fact vivid
ly-bad appeared to him to be singl'
larly penetrative. He hastily drew
forth his pocketbook and produced the
letter with its contents and handed
them to the savant.
No d,ubt is possible = cried the doc.
tor 1T is the Pyramsne lndica the
deadly flower, the flower y
'Then--you-really- -think
Alas. lam sure of it,.
Butt is imposslble--I am only
five and twenty Years OF age and feel
full of life and health--
AT what hour did you open that ia
tai letter:
This morning at 9 clock.
We'll tomorrow morning at the
same hour, at the same minute, in full
health, as you say, you will feel II pam
at your heart and all will be over.
And you know of 10 remedy-no
means Of
None ! said the doctor.
And, covering his face with his hands
he sank into chair overcome by grief.
In face of the PROFOUND emotion Of
his old Friend, Anatole understood that
he was really condemned.
lie hurried from the doctors house
like mailman. His forehead bathed
in cold perspiration, his ideas all con.
fused, going he knew not whittier, he
sped on and on amid the darkness of
the night, taking no heed OF the loneli
ness of the streets he was traversing.
For long time he pursued this blind
coulse, until at length, finding bench,
he Sank down upon it.
How many hours had he still to live:
The persistent and distressing sound
of Il racking cough brought him back
to consciousness he looked in the di-
rection whence it came and saw, seated
upon the same berch, pale and weak
little flower girI--a child not more than
8 years old who, as Francis Coppee says:
Dies of he winter while offering us
the spring
That verse OF the poets required to
the mind of Anatoe; he felt IN his
waistcoat pocket and found there two
sous and louis. He was going to give
the poor child the two sous; but rec.
ollectlng that he had but a few hours
longer to live he gave her the two
louis.
This incident did him good.
He had been like man stunned by
q blow on the head his bewilderment
was overcome now, and he began to
reasonable his dislocated ideas.
My situation said he, is that Of a
man condemned to death. A man III
that position m ~ still, however hope
for parliamentary of that sort are par
doned in our days. In past times, even
some have been saved from the ak or
the board, to devote themselves to some
difficult or dangerous piece
of work-thc launching of ship, for
example, or, as in the time of Louis Al.,
to marry an old woman. II | were
consulted in the matter. should pre-
fer to launch ship. Unfortunately,
I shall not be consulted during the
short interval Of time that remains to
me. But, by the way, how long have
l got to live
lie looked at his watch.
Three o'clock in the mornlng-lt is
time to go to bed. To bed-waste In
sleep my last six hours Not if know
it. have certainly something better
than to do. But what? OF course