Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-03-22
THE DOCTORS PROPHECY


his arms
My poor friend, sighed the doctor.
The sick man stared aghast.
Pull Yourself together" he con-
tinued You are a man who can stand
the truth"
What do You mean?'
Your symptoms are those of the
Mona"
"Of WHAT"
a curious plague. When the state
of lethargy is over the patient has three
lucid hours, at the end of which he dies
suddenly"
Nv hew,"
Now look here keep your spirits up,
like the plucky fellow YOU are. After
all is said and done life is not worth
living for. Good-by-good-by my poor
friend -good-by."
Ten minutes later the comte had
risen. Clad in his flannel smoking
jacket, he was putting the last touches
to his toilet The doctor had Withdrawn
that his friend might have time to settle
his worldly affairs.
When he had done brushing his
mustache and smoothing his finger nails
Raymond chose one of his driest cigars
and lit it, while casting IA sorrowful look
at the others those which he was not
to smoke Then he threw himself on
his dtan and began to reflect.
However brave he might he how
ever fearless of death, Comte de Vile
mere soon came to the conclusion that
his case was peculiarly aggrayating
one.
The day before, so soon as he was
taken with fever-he had made up hi.
mind To prepare for the worst-he had
sent for his lawyer and for priest and
destroyed all his letters. Then he had
laid down his giddy head and fallen
asleep with the conviction that he
would not awake again before dooms-
day.
But now he was like a condemned
man who, after having made sure OF a
reprieve. found himself suddenly on the
way to the scaifold.
Outside the CHEEKY atmosphere of a
bright June day. the Champs Elysees
were alive with a continuing stream of
smart carriages Everything spoke of
happiness and health. He himself had
never felt so fit. And he was asked to
believe that tomorrow there would be
nothing left of all this, so far as he was
concerned, but mourniu crowd of
friends, a trip in slow, jolting hearse,
and the mumbling priest before an open
grave,
Tomorrow the joys and friendly ties
OF bis whole life would be gone forever.
While he was finishing his cigar, re-
Ginning li>tes, Y on the cushions of his
divan, Raymond saw all his life fit past
him a. in dream Nearly forgotten
episodes of hi, childhood cropped up a.
! il they were quite recent then, in rapid
Succession Ei, mind dwclt on the many
time, hc had ta.en I'm love between 10
and 25, until he came to the first month
of his married life.
How full OF unmtigated JOY those
/ days had been, Raymond remembered
/ the minutest events OF his honeymoon
or moons spent in fun and frolc with
! pleasant excursions, verging on bache-
! lor's dissipation and freaks which
made lively gossip for fashionable folk.
/ Delighted beyond measure 10y the adj
! miratiOn which his wife excited when
| ever he took her he was more madly
in love after his marriage than before.
! He would have been Jealous if the mere
| possibility of such a thing could have
been seriously entertained by either OF
them Aud all this passionate love had
been brought to an end by ,candalous
separation, owing TO blunder on his
| part and "A rash escapade of the little
| cOmtcsse.
BY mutual consent they had separat-
ell. Yet, strange TO say. their love fsr
each other had continued. So far a the
world was concerned, their relations
were restricted To icy bows whenever
they met on the boulevards but their
professed indifference for each other
scarcely deceived their common friends.
The idea ofdying without having seen
once more the woman he loved above
all others appeared preposterous 10 the
comte. Studied obstnacy and stern re-
solve seemed to be altogether out OF
! place when brought face to face with
everlasting separation.
What risk did he run now in attempt
ing a reconciliation, even if it were not
to succeed?
Raymond spraug to his feet. and.
seating himself before his writing desk.
scrubbed hurriedly short telegram and
sent it of by his valet.
He looked at his watch; he had two
hours more to live-the comtesse would
have time TO come.
Would she come? Would she be
touched by a note containing dying
mans farewell? Or. in the rcicutles,
dignity of offended woman, would she
refuse 10 forgive, even under these
| solemn circumstances
The anguish OF uncertainty added "a
the moral torture. made Raymond vince
despite all his nerve and resolution L.
take his inevitable fate coollv With
something very like terror he eyed the
lleeting minutes which separated hin
from eternity.
Another hour lew away while he wa.
getting ready to die, stopping now and
then 10 muse with melancholy on hi,