The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-02-23
A FALSE PROPHECY.

ASA ~ 'ptSo i k1t iyN-
Comic Raymond dc Villcmcrc beheld
his doctor gazing on him sadly.
"Saved once more!" breathed the
comte, and he smiled rs no stretched
out his arms.
"My poor friend" sighed tho doctor.
The sick man stared aghast.
Pull yourself together" he contin-
ued. lyon are a man who can stand
the truth
what do you nlean?"
"Your symptoms are these CT tho
mona"
"Of WHAT"
"a curiors plague. When tho state
OF lethari;y is over, tie patient has
three lucid hours, at the enc of which
he dies suddenly"
"Whcwr'
Nov. look here. keep your spirits
up, like the plucl:y fellow you arc! Aft
er all is said and done life is not worth
living for. Goodby-goodby, my poor
Enthusiastically"
Ten minutes later the comte had
risen. Clad III his flannel smoking jack
ct. he was putting the last touches to
his toilet. Tho doctor had withdrawn
that his friend might have time to set
tie his worldly affairs.
When he had done brushing his mus
tache and smoothing his finger nails.
Raymond chose one OF his driest cigars
and lit it, while casting q sorrowful
look at b Others, those which he was
not to smoke. Then he threw himself
on his divan and began to reflect.
However brave he might be. however
fearless of death, Comic do Villemcro
soon came to the conclusion that his
case was q peculiarly aggravating one.
The day before, so soon as he was
taken with fever-hc had made up his
mind to prepare for the wcrst-he had
sent for his lawyer, and for a 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 doomsday.
But now he was like a condemned
man. who, after having made sure Of a
reprieve, found himself suddenly OH the
way to the scaffold.
Outside the CHEEKY atmosphere Of a
bright June day the Champs Elysees
were alive with q continuing stream of
smart carriages. Everything spoke of
happiness aud health. Ho himself had
felt so fit, and he was asked to be.
lieve that tomorrow there would be
nothing left Of all this-so far as he
was ooncerned-but a mournfnl crowd
81 friends, q trip in a slow jolting hearse
and the mumbling of a priest before IN
open grave.
Tomorrow the joys and friendly ties
OF his whole life would be gone forever.
While he was finishing his cigar, re-
clining listlessly on the cushions of his
divan, Raymond saw all his life fit
past him as in a dream. Nearly forgot
ten episodes of his childhood cropped
up as IT they were quito recent. Then
IN rapid succession his mind dwelt OH
b many times he had fallen in love
between Is and % until he came to the
first month Of his married life.
How full Of unmitigatcd JOY those
days had been! Raymond remembered
the minutest events Of his honeymoon
or moons spent in fun and frolic, with
pleasant excursions, verying OH bach
eior's dissipation and freaks which
made lively gossip for fashionable folk.
Delighted beyond measure hy the ad-
mlration which his wife excited wher-
ever he took her, he was more madlv
IN love after his marriage than before.
He would have been jealous il the mere
possibility OF such q thing could have
been seriously entertained by either of
them. And all this passionate love had
been brought to III end by a scandalous
separation owing to q blunder on his
part and q rash escapade Of the little
cOmtesse.
BY mutual consent they had separat-
ed. Yet, strange to say, their love for
each other had continued. So far as 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 Of dying without having
seen once more the woman he loved
all others appeared preposterous
to the comte. Studied obstinacv and
stern resolve seemed to be- altogether
out OF place when brought face to face
with everlasting separation. !;
What risk did he run low in at
tempting q reconciliation even if it
were not to succeed? i
Raymond sprang to his feet, and seat.
ing himself before his writing desk