Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-12


Grandpa, grandpa, lisped my OAR
ling boy.
Then came the widrSs, half inarticu-
late: aIy children, it Is paralysis. God
bless remember, Claud: it's there.
And his eyes were directed to the
desk. There was written sheet direct
ed to me. l raised it from the desk.
His eyes followed my hand.
Yes. leave Cfanson. | have seen
vis-vision. Chanson will be swal-
swallowed up by the waters that sur
round it."
He made one effort to raigc his feeble
frame,and sank deeper in the chair. a
gasp, and Don Ignace had joined his
ancestors. / bore my weeping wife and
little Jgnace from the room.
"Coreta, darling, we must bear up
under this great bereavement.
''Oh, Claud! Claud! Now l have
only you and our boy.
The written instrument left by the
don was as follows:
DEAn CLAUD--When you have laid my re-
mains in the vault. do not delay, but leave the
island at once II not, / trembIc for your safe
IL. 10 not permit Coreta to visit tho vault.
want no priest. Read tho simple burial service
over my remains, end you and Pedro, ) uan
and Manuel can lay me in the vault. teei
that my time ia short. Gcodby. God bless
you, Coreta and my boy.
IGnAcE DE FLoREMo.
Pedro was heartbroken, for he had
spent lifetime in the service OF the
don. The day after his death we pre-
pared his body for its last resting place.
NV wife, with little Ignace, had TAX
en- a last look at the features Of the
dead. read the simple English burial
service over him III their presence and
that of the servants, and that night we
bore the body OF Don Ignace down into
the vault and laid him beside his father
Horror was depicted on the features
of Manuel and Juan. Pedro was one
who would have been surprised at moth
ing. After they had retired / was hours
bearing the contents Of the casket over
which Martell had so long held guard
ND to our room. had to return many
times. but at last had emptiod it. On
tho empty casket / replaced the skele-
ton, showed back the levers, closed the
wall and left the vault forever.
Up tie ladder, the last Of the jewels
about my person, the lantern in my
hand, [ showed back this last lever
The iron sheet closed to with clang
Going through the armory, / took last
look ut the sOmber array OF old tino
weapons on the wall--wcapons that had
taken human life. As / reached the
door two sabers fell to the floor. The
rust on the blades, to my fancy, looked
like human gore. One OF them rolled
over twice. What caused it? "Ha,
la, ha, la! The last Of the De Flore-
most" Did / hear those words? l
glanced around. The weapons on the
walls seemed swinging to and fro. A
large glass dccanter fell from the side
board and broke into dozeps of pieces.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! The last of Chan
son.' Was | paralyzed? / managed
to insert the key in the lock. WeIo the
flags above my head waving from tho
wall? Surely some one was pounding
on the iron plato | had just closed.
'Ha, ha, Ia, ha! Robber, robber,
robber! The pirates curse! The pirates
cursei Take it! Take it!'
Thank God, tho key was turned. ]
passed out with a shudder, locked the
door and was soon in our room.
"Oh, Claud, dearest, do not leave me
again. But what ails you? You are
trembling like leaf AID are, oh, so
white''
Nothing, dear. have but fulfilled
a part of the don's last wish. Tomor-
row we will fulfill the rest. We will
leave the island. It was his wish. dear
est. Do you regret to go?'
"What was his wish, Claud, and is
yours is mine. There is little to re-
main for now.
True, darling; there is nothing but
the remains of our dear old friend"
l went to bed, but could not sleep,
and when did get in doze / would
start up in horror. A feeling seemed