Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1896-05-29

BOurneVal, VINO was ulNlleu 10 De pres
ent, entered and placed himself behind
me. His frock coat was buttoned tight
ly. He was very pale, and he often nib
bled his mustache, now little grizzled
He doubtless expected what was COM
ing.
"The notary double locked the door
and commenced the reading, after hav-
ing in our presence broken the red wax
seal of the envelope, Of whose contents
he was ignorant :"
Suddenly my friend was silent, rose
and took from his secretary an old pa
per, unfolded it, kissed it for long
time and resumed. Here is the last
will of my dearly loved mother
81, the undersigned, Anne Gather
inc Genevieve Mathilde de Croixluce,
lawful wife Of Jean Leopold Joseph
Gontran de Courcils being of sound
mind and body, do hereby make my last
will
{" 4 ask forgiveness Of God above,
and then Of my dear son Rene, for what
I am now going to do. l think my
child is stout hearted enough to under
stand and to forgive me. Ihave suffered
all my life. was married from consid-
erations Of advantage and was afterward
despised, disregarded, oppressed and de-
ceived increasingly by my husband.
Il forgive him, but l owe him
nothing.
" My elder SONS have not.loved me,
have not caressed me, have scarcely
treated me like mother.
" I have been to them during my
life all l should have been; after my
death no longer owe them anything
The ties of blood do not continue with
out the constant, sacred affection of each
day. An ungrateful son is less than a
stranger He is culprit, for he has not
the right to be Indifferent to his mother
{" L have always trembled before
mankind, before their iniquitous laws,
their inhuman customs, their infamous
prejudices. Before God, I no longer
fear Dead, I throw away from me that
shameful hypocrisy; I dare to utter my
thoughts and to openly avow the secrets
of my heart.
:" Therefore I leave in trust the
whole Of that part Of my fortune OF
which the law permits me to dispose
to my dearly loved lover, Pierre Ger.
mer Simon de Bourneval, afterward tc
revert to our dear son Rene.
(This will has been drawn up in adj
dition, in more formal manner, by Q
notary.)
"And before the Supreme Judge, who
hears me- declare that l should have
cursed heaven and my existence if hat
not found the deep, devoted, tender, un
shaken affection of my lover, if I hat
not learned in his arms that the Creatol
has made human beings to love, to sus
tain and to console each other and t.
weep together in hours Of bitterness.
"My two eldest sons are the chill
dren of M. de Courcils. Rene alone owe
his existence to M. de Bourneval. Ipra.
the Ruler of mankind and their desti
MES to place the father and son abov'
social prejudices, to make them low
each other until their death, and low
me still in my grave.
"'Such are my last thoughts and IN.
last desire.
I'M. de Courcils had risen. He cried
THAT is the will Of mad woman.
Then M. de Bourneval stepped forwar
and declared in a loud and decisiv
voice: L, Simon de Bourneval, declar
that this writing contains only the strie
truth. I am ready to prove it by letter
in my possession.
"Then M. de Corlrcils walked tc
ward him. I thought they would seiz
each other by the collar. There the
stood, both tall, the one stout, the otl
er spare, quivering. The husband c
my mother stammeringly articulated
You are villainp The other sale
in dry, vigorous tone: we will NEE
in another place, monsieur. l shoul
have affronted and provoked you Ion
time ago if I had not valued above a
else the tranquility during her life
the poor woman whom you have mad
to suffer SO much.
"Then he turned toward me: 'Yo
are my son. Will you come with me?
have not the right to take you away
but will take you if you wish to accom-
pany me-
II pressed his hand without answer
ing. Indeed, was almost overcome
"Two days later M. de Bournevi
killed M. de Courcils in duel M
brothers, afraid Of frightful scanda
kept silence. transferred to them an
they accepted their share of the fortul
left by my mother.
II took the name Of my true fathel
renouncing that which the law ga,
and which was not mine.
m. de Bourneval died five yea
ago. I have not yet found consolatio
for my grief"
He rose, took several steps, and, pla
ing himself in front of me- sale
"Well, say that my mothers wi
was one Of the most beautiful, mo
loyal, grandest things woman cou!
accomplish. Isnot that your opinion!
I stretched out both hands to hin
eyes surely, my friend. Guy
Maupassant.