Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-20

was broken ana War1ng lay weak. languid, but returning to his senses, Cram and the doctor read the confes- sion to their patient, and then started to their feet as he almost sprang from the bed.
 "It's an internal lie!" he weakly cried. "I took that knife from Doyle and kept it. I myself saw Lascelles to his gate, safe and sound"
 XI
 The sunshine of an exquisite April morning was shimmering over the Louisiana lowlands as Battery "X" was "hitching in," and Mrs. Grams pretty pony-phaeton came flashing | through the garrison gate and refined up in front of the guns. A proud and | happy woman was Mrs, Cram, and daintily she gathered the spotless, cream-colored reins and slanted her long English driving-whip at the ex- act angle prescribed by the vogue of the day. By her side, reclining luxuri- ously on his pillows, was Sam Waring, now senior first lieutenant of the bat tery, taking his first airing since his strange illness. Pa1lid and thin though he was, that young gentleman was evidently capable of appreciating to the fullest extent the devoted at tentions of which he had been the ob- l ject ever since his return. Stanch friend and fervent champion of her husbands most distinguished officer at any time, Mrs. Cram had thrown her self into his cause with a zeal that | challenged the admiration even of the men whom she mercilessly snubbed because they had accepted the general | verdict that Lascelles had died by Waring's hand. Had they met in the duello as practiced in the south in those days, sword to sword, or armed with pistol at twelve paces, she would have shuddered, but maintained that as soldier and gentleman War ing could not have refused his oppon- | ent's challenge, inexcusable though such challenge might have been. But l that he could have stopped to vulgar, unregulated fracas, without seconds or the formality of the cartel, first with fists and those women's weapons, nails, then knives or stilettoes, as though he were some low dago or Sicilian-why, that was simply and ut
 terly incredible. None the less she was relieved and rejoiced, as were all ! Warnings friends, when the full pur- port of poor Doyle's dying confession was noised abroad. Even those who were slzeptical were now silenced.
 For four days her comfort and relief had been inexpressible; and then came the hour when, with woe and trouble in his face, her husband re-
 turned to her from Warnings bedside with the incomprehensible tidings that he had utterly rcpudiated Doyle's confession-had, indeed, said that
 which could probably only serve to re-
 new the suspicion of his own guilt, or else justify the theory that he was de- mented.
 Though Cram and the doctor warned
 Waring not to talk, talk he would, to
 Pierce, to Ferry, to Ananias; and
 though these three were pledged by
 Cram to reveal to no one what Waring
 said, it plunged them in an agony of
 doubt and misgiving. Day after day
 had the patient told and retold the
 story, and never could cross-question
 ing shake him in the least. Cram sent
 for Reynolds and took him Into thei1
 confidence, and Reynolds heard tho
 story and added his questions, but to
 no effect From first to last he remcm
 bered every incident up to his parting
 with Lascelles at his own gateway
 After that-nothing.
 Ills story, in brief, was as follows
 He was both surprised and concerned while smoking and chatting with Mir Allerton in the rotunda of the St
 Charles to see Lascelles, with friend evidently watching an opportunity O speaking with him. He had noticed
 about a week previous a marked diff ference in the old Frenchman's man
 ner, and three days before the tragedy when calling on his way from town t, see madame and Min Min, was in formed that they were not at home and monsieur himself was the in
 formant; nor did he, as heretofore, in , vite Waring to enter. Sam was fel low who detested misunderstood |, ing. Courteously, but positively, h demanded explanation. Lascelle / shrugged his shoulders, but gave if He had heard too much of monsieur . attentions to madame, his wife, an
 desired their immediate discontinu ance. He must request monsieur's as !; surance that he would not again visi Beau Rivage, or else the reparatio . due a man of honor, etc. 'Where upon," said Waring, II didn't propos l, to be outdone in civility, and therefor replied, in the best French I coul command: Permit me to tender mor sieur-both. Monsieurs friends wi find me at the barracks"
 The I've French Prisoners Discharged