Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-06-13

~ lethargy, COmte Raymond oe
Il y villemerc beheld his doctor gag.
ing on him sadly.
Saved once more!" breathed the
Comte, and he smiled as he stretched
out his arms
my poor friend" sighed the Doctor.
The SICK man stared aghast.
"Pull yourself together" he con.
tinucsl. "You are man who con stand
the truth.'
"WLat do YOU mean?"
"YOur symptoms IRE those OF the
Nona."
"Of what?"
"A curious plague. When the stnte Of
ietharSy Is over the patient has three
lucid hours, at the end Of which he dies
suddenly"
"Whcwv
"Now, look here, keep your spirits up.
like the plucky fellow you are. After
all Is said and done. life Is not worth
diving for. Good.by-good-by. my poor
friend -good-by."
Yen minutes Inter the Comte had
risen. Clad in his flannel smoking jack.
1t, he was putting the Inst touches to his
toilet. The Doctor had withdrawn that
hia friend might have time to settle his
worldly affairs.
When he had done brushing his mus.
tache and smoothing his finger nails
Raymond chose one Of his dricst cigars
and lit It, while casting q sorr0wful
look ar the others-thosc which he was
not to smoke. Then he threw himself
on his Givan and began to reject.
However brave he might be, however
fearless of death. Comic de Villemcrc
soon came to tho conclusion that his
case was a peculiarly aggravating one.
Tho day before, SO soon as he was
taken with fever--he had made up his
mind to prepare for the wOrst-hc 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 tho conviction that he
would no: awake again before dooms.
day.
But now hc was like a condemned
man who, after having made sure of q
rcprievc. found himself suddenly on the
way ut tn, scnffold.
Outside the CHEEKY atmosphere Of a
bright June day, the Champs Elysecs
was alive with o continuing stream Of
smart carriages. Everything spoke Of
happiness and health. He himself had
never felt 30 at. And he was asked to
believe that tomorrow there would be
uothiug left Of all this, 20 far a. he was
concerned, but q mournful crowd Of
friends, o trip In slow. jolting hcarse,
and tho mumbling priest before an open
grave!
Tomorrow the joys and friendly tici
Of his whole life would be gone forever
While he was finishing his cigar. re-
clininy listlessly on the cushions Of biz
divan, Raymond saw all his life dit past
him 10 In dream. Nearly forgotten
episodes Of his childhood cropped up al
II they were quite recent: then, In rapid
succession, his mind dwclt on the many
times he had fallen In love between Il
and %. until he came to the FIRST month
Of his married life.
How full Of unmitiyated Joy those
days had been! Raymond remembered
the miIutest events of his honeymoon
or moons, spent In fun and frOlic. will
pleasant excursions. verging on bach
.el0r's dissipation, and freaks which
made lively gossip for fashionable folk
Delighted beyond measure by the I'D
miraticn which, his wife excited when
ever he took her, he was more madl!
In lOye after his marriage than before
He would have been Jealous II the mer
possibility Of such thing could hav
been seriously entertained by either
them. And all this passionate love ha'
been brought to an end by q scandalou
separation, owing to blunder on hi
part and q rash escapade Of tho littl
COmteese.
BY mutual consent they had separated
Yet, strange to soy, their love for eac
other had continued. 80 fur as til
world was concerned. their relation
were restricted to icy bows whcneve
they met on the boulvards, but thei
pr0fessed Indifference for each Othe
scarcely deceived their common friena'
Tho idea Of dying without havin
seen once more the woman he love
above ell others appeared preposterou
to tho Comte. Studied 0bstinacy an
stern resolve seemed to be altogethe
out OF place when brought face to fac
with everlasting separation.
Whit risk did no run now In attcmp
ing a reconciliation, even II It were nc
to succeed?
Raymond sprang to his feet. ant
seating himself before his writing desl
scrubbed hurriedly q short TELEGRAM
and sent 1t OF by his valet
He looked at his watch; he had tw
hours more to live-the C0mtesse woul
have time to come.
Would she come? Would she |
touched by q note containing a dyiu
mans farewell? Or, In the relentlel
dignity Of offended woman. would 81
refuse 10 forgive, even under these "a
emn circumstances
The anguish of uncertainty. added
the moral torture, made Raym0I
wince despite all his nerve and resol
ton to take his inevitable fate COOL
with something very like terror |
eyed the fieeting minutes which 30
arated him from eternity.
Another hour flew away while he WI
getting ready to die, stopping now al
then to muse with melancholy on b
past lie. He wrote to his mother
very long letter, full OF remlniscenc