Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-06
THE THREE SONS.

The house was TO all Appearances un-
tenanted. There was not sign of life
visible from without. but In one Of the
magnificent rooms overlooking the Rue
do vaennes sat three men anxiously
awaiting the result Of the consultation
which was then taking place TO know II
there WAS the slightest hope not for the
recovery but for the prolongation Of the
sufferings OF Gabrielle Anne Sophie,
dowager Marquis do Guebrianges. their
mother.
The oldest gentleman, the marquis,
was tall and thin. He might have been
30 years old. but his age was difficult 10
guess. his face being 80 utterly devoid Of
expression. His few remaining hairs
did their best to disguise their scarcity,
but In spite of their well meant efforts
il was distinctly visible that this glass
Of fashion" was bald. The marquis was
Q cold, heartless man, In whom none
could feel the slightest confidence; he
was egotistical to the last degree, with
no superior intelligence to palliate his
overwhelming selfishness
/ The second son. Count Rene was quite
hCICut. Win oAdO
eyes that looked man full In the face
and smile as winning and q nature as
| expansive as the marquis was reserved
| and repellent. he seemed to be Of q diff
| ferent race, and his restless energy and
heen intelligence had shocked the old
marchioness and driven the late Marquis
Hercule de Guerbrianges to the verge Of
distraction. Rene u quite unlike the
rest OF the family" he often said. with
sigh. II wonder from whom he inherits
his disposition Perhaps from your side
Of the house. marchioness; certainly not
from mine"
The youngest son, the vicomte. was
Just 20. but his wrinkled face and bent
figure made him look much older. He
was one Of those old young men who are
20 frequently met nowadays and 80
painful to see. who appear to be q
growth peculiar to this end Of the CEN
tury.
At last the door opened, and the men
Of science stepped softly across the
threshold. The famous specialists who
had been summoned ut the last moment
began long account Of the case couched
In terms which, though doubtless intel
ligible to his colleagues, conveyed no
meaning at all to the young men. At
last he came to the point. and with
trembling voice and fearful eyes told
them to prepare for the worst. The old
lady was sinking rapidly. Then the ply
sicians withdrew, and the brothers heard
the old doctor invite his comrades to the
L.. T. s,k Il.
aud. to Judge by his cheerful tones. the
tears were very far from his eyes in
deed.
"Old hypocrite" thought Count Rene
The others thought nothing at all
The three sons entered the darkened
room and stood around the bedside of the
dying woman.
The marquis asked her il she was suf-
fering. She shook her head There she
lay. Just alive. and nothing more She
seemed to realize what slender hold she
had upon life and to try and economize
her little remaining breath, for she did
not utter q word. and the blue eyes. SO
like. her second sons. gazed wistfully
upon her children. and two tears-the
last she would ever shed-rolled slowly
down her withered cheeks.
What q life hers had beenl Full Of
the pomps and vanities OF this world,
brilliant and enviable without, but in re-
atty one long martyrdom She thought
Of all she had endured for her boys sake,
Of the insults, of the neglect. even bru-
tality of the husband of her youth, and
she wondered az she lay there gasping
her life away il half her punishment for
her sins had not been meted out to her
on earth. Instinctively, in this supreme
moment. she turned to Rene, for he was
the only one Of her sons who had ever
shown her any real affection. and now
she remembered how she had always
curbed his eIuberant nature and received
his caresses coldly enough and sent him
away many time with something very
like tears in those bright blue eyes She
tried to extend her hand to him, but her
strength failed her. and the hand fell
wearily to her side.
do you know us, motherY" asked the
marquis.
A low kissing sound issued from her
lips, and the men leaned over her to
C8UCu, " posSiuic, lilo WoIuS euo wan ny
ing hard to frame.
The vicomte stifled cough with his
handkerchief. The marquis listened at
tentively. but on these two faces there
was no sign of emotion. They might
have been at the bedside Of the merest
acquaintance. while Rene. poor fellow,
felt q lump rise in his throat and the
tears stream down his cheeks. This wom-
an was his mother, and she was dying.
my sons" gasped the woman. II
know that I am dying, and before go to
my last account ! have q confession to
make. Don't weep, Rene: keep your tears
for q better woman. God knows what
you will think Of me when you know
all. have been an unfaithful wife. and
one of you has no right to the name he
beara II is-it la Here the voice
died away, and she sank back among her
| pillowA
Il was over. and one more soul had
gone into the presence Of its Maker. The
brothers retired softly, and once In the
adjoining room looked at each other
apart (which could It beI" At last
the marquis spoke with more emotion
than he had ever shown in the whole
| "a III. .o1f o6aorl,aI l;fa