Arizona weekly citizen., 1895-06-15

forehead of a logician. His well-shaped
 hands hung llstlessly by his side; hls
 physiognomy indicated a man of taci- | turn tendencies; his manners were those
 of studied distinction.
 The prisoner had not yet been inform ed of the refusal of the court of appeal
 to take action in the premises; the ap- peal to the emperor for commutation of sentence was stlll pending. It Is true that the emperor had granted an su- dlence to the able counsel who had de- tended the criminal, but had vouchsafed him no answer. The venerable abbe Crozes who before every execution
 made earnest entreaties for imperial
 mercy at the Tuileries had succeeded no better. To commute the death sentence in this case, was 1t not equal to the abolishment forever of the capital punishment? An example had to be
 made. At the office of the public prose- cutter the execution was foregone con- cluslon and Monsieur de Paris, the execut oner, had already received ordsrs to take charge of the prisoner at , oclock in the morning of the 9th of June.
 Suddenly the noise of musket butts knocking against the flag of the passage near the cell was heard; the lock grated heavily; the door opened; ayonets glittered through the dusk of the entrance; the governor of the prison MT. Beauquesne, appeared upon the threshold accompanied by visitor.
 M. de Ia Pommerals, aroused from his meditation, raised hls head and recog- nized at a glance in this visitor the fo Arp1orA Un1ra.n
 Upon sign from the governor the also after mute introduction, retired, and the two medical men were left to- gether, standing before each other and looking into each others eyee.
 La Pommerais with motion of his | hard, pointed to his only chair and | then sat down upon his simple cot from | which the sleepers, as rule, are soon | awakened with start, to dres m no more on earth. As the light was very feeble the great surgeon approached his patient in order to observe him better and to speak in low voice.
 Velpean was then entering upon his sixtieth year. He had reached the acme of his fame and occupied then chair in
  irst professor of the clinical surgery in Paris.
 After a moment of silence he adressed Pommerals:
 "Sir," said he, "being both medical nen l shall omit the useless expressions If condolence, the more so as 1 am from severe affection of the prostate gland which 1 know for cer- ainty will place me within two years ard half at the utmost on the death list Let us then come to the point in ques- ion without any further preamble"
 "Am 1 to understand from your words doctor, that my judicial situation 8 hopeless?" interrupted La Pom merais.
 ''So it IS feared" simply answered Vel l ,ean.
 ''Is the hour for my execution fixed?"
 "I do not know, but seeing that no { nal decision has been arrived at as ct, should think that you may still ( rave few days. lC
 La Pommerais wiped with his canvase leeve his livid forehead: ''So be it,"l { aid he; '1 shall be ready; was already from th,s on, the sooner, the { ,etter." C
 As no nna1 action has been taken s yet in your case" continued Velpean, ' the proposal which I am going to nake to you can only be, conditional. ' f you are pardoned, so much the bet ( CT! If not. ...." t
 The great surgeon stopped suddenly. ,
 'lf not" asked La Pommerals.
 (To be continued ID next issue.l