Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-05-17
A FALSE PROPHECY.

[AaHa
his doctor gazing on him sadly.
Saved once moroi' breathod the
comte, and ho smiled as he stretched
out his arms.
my poor friend, " sighed the doctor.
The Gck man stared aghast
pull yourself together, " he contin-
ued. "You are a nan who can stand
the truth"
"What do you mean?"
''Your symptoms are those Of tho
mona"
"'Of whatg"
"a curious plague. When the state
Of lethargy is over, tie patient has
three lucid hours, at the end Of which
he dies suddenly"
"Whewr'
'cNow. look here, keep your spirits
mp, like the pluoky fellow you arel Aft
er all is said and done life is not worth
living for. Goodby-goodby, my poor
friend-goodby."
Ten minutes later the comte had
risen. Clad in his flannel smoking jack
ct, he was putting the last touches to
his toilet. The doctor had withdrawn
NAV AAb AAAGuu mAAknN nnNO bAAAO " uNN-
tie his worldly affairs.
When he had done brushing his mus
tache and smoothing his finger nails,
Raymond chose n of his driest cigars
and lit it, while casting a sorrowful
lool. at the 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, Comte de Villemere
soon came to the conclusion that his
case was a peculiarly aggravating one.
The day before, SO soon as he was
taken with fever-he had made up his
mind to prepare for the worst-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
aaleep 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 q
reprieve, found himself suddenly on the
way to the scaffold.
Outside the CHEEKY atmosphere Of q
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 be-
1ieve that tomorrow there would be
nothing left of oil this-so fer as he
was corcerned-but a mournful crowd
of friends, a tr'p in a slow jolting hearse
and the mumbling of a priest before an
open grave.
Tomorrow the joys and friendly ties
of his whole life would be COMO forever.
While he was finishing his cigar, re-
.clining listlessly on tho cushions Of his
divan, Raymond saw all his life fit
past him as in q dream. Nearly forgot
ten episodes Of his childhood cropped
up as If they were quite recent. Then
in rapid succession his mind dwelt on
the many times he had fallen in love
between 10 and 20 until he came to the
first month Of his married life.
How full of unmitigated JOY those
days had beenl Raymond remembered
the minutest events Of his honeymoon
or moons spent in fun and frolio, with
pleasant excursions, verging Oh bach.
olor's dissipation and freaks which
made lively gossip for fashionable folk.
Delighted beyond measure by the ad.
miration which his wife excited wher-
ever he took her, he was more madly
in love after his marriage than before
He would have been jealous if the mer,
possibility Of such a thing could hav'
been seriously entertained by either o
them. And all this passionate love hat
been brought to an end by n scandalou
separation owing to a blunder on hi
part and q rash esoapade of the it'll
oomtesse.
By mutual consent they had separat
cd. Yet strange TO say, their love TO
each other had continued. So far as tn
world was concerned, their relation
were restricted to icy bows wheneve
they met ON the ~boulevards, but thei
professed indifference for each othe
scarcely deceived their common friends
The idea Of dying without havinI
seem once more the woman he love-
above all others appeared preposterou
70 the oomte. Studied obstinacy an
stern resolve seemed to DO altogethe
out Of place when brought face to fac
with everlasting separation.
What risk did he run now in at
tempting a reconciliation even il !
were not to succeed?
Raymond sprang 10 his feet, and seat
ing himself before his writing des
soribbled hurriedly a short telegram an
sOnt Il of by his valet
He looked at his watch. He had tw
hours more 20 live. The comtesse woul
have time to come.
Would che conner Would she b
touched by q note containing a dyin
mans FAREWELL Or, in the relentlel
dignity Of offended woman, would sh
refuse to forgive eyen under these soloin
circumstances?
Tho anguish Of uncertainty, added {
the neral torture, made Raymond vino
despite all his nerve and resolution I
tako his Inevitable fate coolly. Wit
something very like terror he eyed th
heeting minutes which separated hiI
from eternity.
Another hour few away while ne va
NsiAing rea5y 70 die, stopping now an
4hen 10 muse with melancholy on b