Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-08-17

having placed her upon the bed he quickly
turned the mirror.
"Speak, Leontine, speak to me-" he
cried
She did not reply; her lips were color
less.
IA physicianI he exclaimed. eff I
can but procure a physician, it may not
yet be too late"
'No," responded his companion. ellis
ten to me. Rather than belong to another
Maurice, rather than become the wife of
any man but you, have taken poison.
But even the pain of dying l hail with
Joy, for in your arms l will breathe my
last. Press your lips to mino and let me
feel your breath upon my cheek"
"Oh, Leontine," murmured Dorval, as
he clasped her to his breast and pressed
kiss after kiss upon her cold lips "Oh,
what have you donep Surely this cannot
be DEATH"
SIT is death, and rejoice in my escape.
I have, in inviting this fate, done my duty.
Forgive me for suspecting you Adieu,
my love-"
The words were scarcely audible, and
Maurice bowed his head to catch the sound.
AS Leontine ceased speaking she trembled
violently. A sigh parted her lips. "Mau-
rice," she whispered family and in an in
slant more her spirit had fled. For few
moments Rorval remained in silence be-
side the dead woman he had so fondly
loved. 1t seemed to the man as though the
world itself was passing away; then, real
izing that the still form no longer con-
tanned the soul, despair seized upon him,
had o,,J }ivo
to his breast convulsively. The stiffness
of the room was broken by the clock strik-
ing the hour of midnight. AS the last
stroke vibrated upon the air the noise of
steps was heard in the corridor, and in a
moment more the door Of the chamber
opened, and De fremont entered.
"Leontine," he said, "where are your"
"Here,' exclaimed strange voice. The
tone was sepulchral. Dc fremont shud-
| dered and turned toward the spot whence
| it came.
Once more the mirror had turned, and
| before him he saw another room brilliantly
| lighted and upon the bed the pale, still
form of woman. Beside the couch stood
| Maurice, as pale almost as the dead girl.
| His dark eyes were fixed upon De Ire
| mont, and in either hand he held pistol.
De fremont looked at the scene before
him, but could not comprehend the mean
ing.
'What does this mean?' he inquired.
"Retribution, responded Dorval.
| II do not understand YOU"
| CITIZEN will explain. Leontine, whom
| you married, now lies dead before you.
We meet in the sacred presence, and one
of us must join her"
fremont did not speak.
"Your sin has found you out" oontin.
| ued Dorval. "You deceived the woman
loved and who loved me. learned the
truth too late to save her, but not too late
to avenge the wrong done to both. We
will fight without witnesses and here in
the presence of the woman you have tor
tured. OF these pistols but one is loaded. y
Maurice advanced AS he did so De Ire
mont retreated until his back touched the
wall.
death is in one Of these weapons;
know not which" said Dorval. CHOOSE p"
De fremont grew calm and quickly
turned his eyes toward the door, but his
companion intercepted the glance.
Choose or will kill you'll"
For an instant De fremont looked scru.
tinizingly at the pistols, but the cold iron
revealed nothing, and, yielding to chance,
he grasped the one nearest him.
The two adversaries stood confronting
each other. The scene was solemn. For an
instant not sound broke the stiffness Of
the room.
Not one regret for his misdeeds troubled
the mind of De fremont. His every
thought was conferred In the desire to xii
his enemy.
IF you have aught to prepare before
dying" he said, turning to Dorval, "dt
so quickly, for you, and not !, will fall. ;
| Perhaps" responded Maurice.
I They approached and placed the muzzles
of their pistols each above the heart of the
other, and at the same instant fired. The
household was aroused by the sound Of thu
report. The Baroness de Neuilles rushed
to the chamber Of her daughter. On enter
ing the room she SAW Maurice Dorva
bending over tho dead body of the Baror
dc fremont. Exchange.