Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-11
MCETTE.

nag with bis old friend, DR.. Bsrdzis
the illustrions savant whose work, o.
ssilolsfos;s substances are known a
over tie world. wlcse nobility Of bear
ard almost patsrnal goodness Anatol
bat learned 10 know better than an
otiicr living soal; aad now, without tn
beast hesitation or preparation. he hear,
tbs terrible prognossication issue from
those authoritative lips!
Unhappy child, what hare you done7
continued the doctor.
'Sothin;, that know Of" stznmere.
Anatole, greatly agitated.
Tax yoer memory; tell me what 20,
have eaten or drank-whas you have in
haled."
The last word wss q ray OF light :,
Anatole. 'iaat very morning he had re
ceiyeei a bitter from one Of his friend
who was travelling in India. In the let
ter WAS flower plucked On bank O
the Gangss by the trayeier-a strangely
formed r6'i flower, the perfume Of which
--he row recalled the fact yividly--ha.
appeared 10 him to be singularly pane
trative. He hastily drew forth his peck
etb5ok and produced the letter and it
contents and handed them to the savant
NO doubt is possibler cried the doc
tor; ''it il the Pyramenensis iadica-
the deadly flower, the flower Of blooir
you-really-
Alas. | ain sure Of it."
''But-it is impossible! l am onl,
five and twenty years of age and fee
full Of life and heaith.''
AT what hour did you open that fata
letter.
81 This morning at 0 o'clock"
"Well--toinorrow morning, at thu
same hour, q. the same minute, in full
health. as you say, you will IL a I,air
in your heart-and all viii be er."
And YOU know of no edy-nt
means Of
"None" said the doctor.
And covering his face with his hand.
he sank into a chair overcome by grief
In face Of the profound emotion o.
his old friend, Anatole understood tha
he was really condemned.
He hurried from the doctors house
like mailman. His forehead bathed il
preparation, his ideas all confused, go
ing he knew not whittier, he sped OF
and on anil the darkness of the night
taking no heed of the loneliness of the
streets he was traversing. For long
time he pursued this blind course, unit
at length. finding bench, he sank do WI
upon it.
How many hours had he still to live?
The persistent and distressing sound
Of racking cough brought him back K
consciousness; he looked in the direc
ton whence it came and saw, seated
upon the same bench, a pale and veal
little flower girl-a child not more thar
eight years old, who, as Francois Cop
pee says
Dies OF tho winter while offering us the spring
That verse of the poets occurred h
the mind Of Anatole; he felt in hi.
waistcoat pocket and found there two
sous and two louis. He was going t.
give the poor child the two sous, but rec
ollecting that he had only few hours
longer to live he gave her the two louis
This incident did him good.
He had been like man stunned by 9
blow on the head; his bewilderment was
overcome low and he began to reassem
BILE his dislocated ideas.
MY situation" he said to himself, sis
that of man condemned to death. A
man in that position may still. however
hope for pardon-many of that sort are
pardoned In our days. In past times
even some have been saved from the al
or the cord to devote themselves to some
difficult or dangerous piece OF work-the
launching of ship, for example. or as
i'll the time of Louis ri to marry an old
woman. Il | were consulted in the
matter slsgld prefer to launch - ship.
Unfortunately shall not be consulted
during the snort interval Of time tina,
remains to ;ae. But, by the way, how
| long have got to live?"
| He looked Mt his watch.
| Three O'Clock in the morning-it il
time to go to bed. To bed-waste in
sleep my last six hours! Not if | know
it. | have certainly something better
than that to do. But what? OF course
to make my will"
A restaurant-oneo OF those which keep
open all nish.-was not far off. Ana
| tole entered it.
"Garcon. bottle'of champagne-and
ink and pape-."
He drank glass of Clicquot and looked
thoughtfully at the sheet of paper be.
| fore him.
ITO whom shall I bequeath my 8 ,00C
francs year, have neither father MOI
mother--hnppily for theml Among the
persons who interest me, see only one
-Nicette.'
| Nicette was charming girl of eight
cen, with blond tresses and large black
eyes; an orphan like himself com
munity in misfortune which had long
| established between them q secret and
complete sympathy.
| His last Ill and testament was speed
ily drawn nj: universal legatee, Nicette
| That done he drank a second glass oil
champagne.
Poor Niuette!' he unused; "she was
very sad when l last saw her. Hel
guardian. who knows nothing of the
| world Out side his class of wind instru.
ments at the Conservative de Musique
had taken Upon himself to promise hel
hand to a brute of an amateur of fenc
ing whom she detests-the more so be
cause she has given her heart 10 some
body else. Who is that happy mortal
! haven't the least idea, but he is Ger
tainly worthy of her, or she would nevel
have chosen him. Good, gentle. beauti
full, loving Nicette deserves the ideal Of
husbands. All! she is the very wife thai
| would have suited me if-if--
| 'By Jove. it's an infamy to compel
her to destroy her life-by confding sucl
| treasure to such brute! l have never
before so we'll understood the generous
| ardor which fired the breasts of tbs
wandering knights and spurred them or
to the del.-esaace Ct oppressed beauty
And now / come to think Of it, what
binders me from becoming the knight
errant of Nicette? My fate is settled
at 0 o'clock-after that it will be too
late: now therefore is the time for &C
ton. The hour is little unusual for
visiting people. but when / reflect that
FIVE hours hence l shall be no more
conclude that / have NO time for stand
ing on etiquette. Forward-my life for
Nicette."
Anatole rose. and then perceiving that
he had no money he gave his gold watch
10 the waiter in payment for the cham.
pagne-a watch worth 500 francs.
The garcon took the chronometer and
examined it closely-weighed it in his
hand, opened it and finally put it in his
pocket doubtfully and without thanking
Anatole.
1t was 4 o'clock in the morning when