Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-09-14
OR

m%utiuuIou, NV 14ItAe nus
just carried some work homo. You
know neighbors should help each other
out at such times"
Then she spread a clean napkin on a
little table at the head of my beI,
scratched o match and lighted seve al
candles. l was following her move
ments here and there and taking note
of the smallest detail. Suddenly the
slight 6 INNER which hal continued
to make its way throug.l one of my
eyes and keep me in Communication
with the outer world went out.
Nine. Cabin had closed m; eyes. AS
I felt her fingers on my eyelids the full
consciousness OF my awful condition
broke upon me and I could feel an icy
co dness creeping inward from the ends
OF my limbs toward my heart.
Little DEAR" said Nine. Cabin. turn
ing to Marguerite, who had entirely
ceased crying, there are certain
things to be done nov. The death
must be reported to the authorities,
and arrangements for the funeral must
be made. You ire not in a condition
to attend to such details, and / am not
willing to leave you alone; so, If you
have no objection, Ill go ard SEQ If Mr..
SimOneau Is at home"
AS Nine. Cabin pronounced this
name, 1 could hear Marguerite's breath
come and go with q rushing sound.
"GraciOus heaven" [ thought to nv.
self. lis he here, beneath this ve:y
roof? Mover, never will I permit this
hated creature to enter this sacred
chamber, to take charge Of my burial,
to condole with my beloved Marguer.
lite. and, most maddening thought of
all, to offer her his heart, his love, his
money, his protection. No, no! 1 will
come back from the dead: | will open
these eyes, which they think are
closed forever, and this tongue shall
c y out in hot indignation against this
sacrilege."
In vain, in vain. Although 1 called
upon my soul with frantic entreaty to
lend me Just strength enough to sit up
in bed and whisper q single word Of
warning. 1T Won d not heed me. was
dead. dead. The dread chill kept
creeping nearer and nearer to my
heart. L longed to shrek, to howl, to
grind my teeth and clench my fingers,
but not a fiber or muscle would vie d.
Death held me in his embrace. l could
only lie there and listen in the inn
penetrable darkness which enyeloped
me.
This is MIR. Simoneau," half whis-
pered Nine. Cabin.
In an agony of suspense I waited to
catch the first sound ot his voice. for
Something whispered to me that it
might possible be some other Simo-
neau.
Marguerite began sobbing again, and
there was a moment OF deep silence,
broken only by these accents of woe.
1t came at last, o full. deep, round
, voice:
Il am entirely at you service, madam.
I trust you will permit me to take
charge Of everything for you"
oh, horror. Oh, torment! There
was no mistaking that voice. 1t was
Simoneau, the hated rival. from whose
clutches l ha barely succeeded in saw
ing Marguerite. Simoneau, the tall,
handsome a with red cheeks and
wi Q teeth; the man whom Ma .guer-
it. had loved, but whom she had re-
sig ed to become tie Wife of a poor,
, mise able wretch, devoid of fortune,
lacking in every bodily grace, whose
Ii e hum by a thread, whose deep-set
eyes burned with sickiy tame. and
whose pa Q lips parted over teeth
bla kened by the acid medicines
necessary to keep bdy and soul to-
gether.
More than ever l recognized now
that l was dead-dead in the full sen 9
of the word-else had the presence of
this man called me back to life again.
l could not hea- that Marguerite made
any reply to oimoneaa's offer: but pres
entity 4 became aware of the proximity
of M.e. Cabin and Simoneau to nv
tedside. She was whispering to him
about the expenses of t.le funeral. and
was telling him how much Cabins
funeral had cost her. and pr posed ask
King Marguerite whether she had any
money. but Simoneau restrained her.
My soul revolted at the thought of
having my funeral expenses paid by
this man, and 1 lay there suffering ten
thousand torments, when | heard him
leave the room. Nine. Cabin also took
her departure. in order to prepare
some Inner for Margue lite. We wee
alone. l strained every fiber of my
body to make some slight movement
and attract my beloved wife's atten-
ton. l called upon heaven to open my
eyes for a single instant, that l might
look upon my beautiful Marguerite,
and in that look tell her all. But no,
no it was all in vain.
Marguerite refused to touch the focd
which Nine. Cabin had prepared, and
as l lay there listening to the faint
rumble OF the busy streets of Paris, as
it came through the open window. a
harsh, strange voice suddenly fell
upon my ear. 1t wa, the Medical In
spector.
where's the body" he inquired.
Simoneau had followed him in.
Shall / hold the candle for you?:"
asked the latter.
1T is not necessary" replied the in
spector. what time did he die?:"
AT 6 this morning" answered Silno-
neau.
Every instant 1 thought this officer
would approach my bed, feel my pulse,
put his a to my breast, look at my
eyeballs, and thus discover that my
soul had not yet taken flight: but no,
ne turned and left the room. for /
heard Simoneau say:
Goodnight. SIR"
My fate was sealed. The law had
decreed that ] was dead, and that at
IL o'clock the next morning I should
be lowered into tho common trench set
aside for the poor, covered over with
,n,,<h ,,5 Lee T. .akt