Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-04-30

- i have been to them during my
life all | should have been; after my
death no longer owe them anything.
The ties If blood do not continue with
out the constant, sacred affection Cf each
day. An unrateful son Is less than
stranger. lie is culprit, fer he has not
the right to be Indifferent to his mother.
i have always trembled b fore
mankind, before their iniquitous laws,
their inhumGn customs, their infamous
prejudices Before God, l no longer
fear Dead, throw away from me that
sh@meful hypocrisy; l dare TO utter my
tLUu,, nd to openly avow the secrets
Of my he,.lJ.
1" Therefore ! o ~ trust the
whole Of that part q II, -.--a #
which the law permits me to dispose
to my dearly loved lover, Pierre Ger
mer Simon de Bourncval, afterward to
revert TO our dear son Rene.
This viii has been drawn up in ad
dition, in more formal manner, by
notary.)
And before the Supreme Judge who
hears me, 1 declare that l should have
cursed heaven and my existence if | had
not found the deep, devoted, tender, un-
shaken affection Of my lover. if | had
not learned N his arms that the Creator
has made human beings to love. TO sus-
tain and to console each other and TO
weep together III hours Of bitterness
my two eldest sons are the chill
dren of Nj de Courcils. Rene alone owes
his existence to NJ. de Bourneval. l pray
the Ruler Of mankind and their desti-
nies TO place the father and sen above
social prejudices. TO make them love
each other until their death, and love
me still in my grave.
"'Such are my last thoughts and my
last desire.
M. de Courcils had risen He cried,
That is the will Of a mad woman
Then NJ de Bourneval stepped forward
and declared in loud and decisive
voice: Il, Simon de Bourneval, declare
that this writing contains only the strict
truth. l am ready TO prove 1t by letters
In my possession.
"Then N. de Courcils walked to-
ward him ! thought they would seize
each other by the collar. There they
stood, both tell, the one stout the 9TH
er spare, qulvering. The husband Of
my mother stammeringly articulated,
You are "a villainv The other said,
in dry, vigorous tone: We will meet
In another place, monsieur. | should
have affronted and provoked you n long
time ago if / had not valued above all
else the tranquility during her life Of
the poor woman whom you have made
to suffer so much
Then he turned toward me: You
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.
1.-TWO days later NJ de Bourneval
killed NJ. dc Courcils in a duel. My
brothers, afraid Of a frightful scandal,
kept silence. l transferred to them and
they accepted their share Of the fortune
left by my mother.
II took the name Of my true father,
renouncing that which the law gave
and which was not mine
IN de Bourneval died five years
ago have not yet found consolation
for my grief. "
He rose, took several steps, and, plac-
ing himself in front Of me, said:
well, | say that my mothers Will
was one Of the most beautiful. most
loyal, grandest things u woman could
accomplish. l. not that your opinicn?'
| stretched out both hands To hum,
Yes, surely, my friend Guy de
Maupassant