St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-02
The Sordid Side Of Life
She dried her hands and followed
BY. GUY DE MAUPASSANT.

She dried her hands and followed
him.
La Rapet approached the bed and
studded the dying woman. She felt
the pulse, listened to the breathing,
tapped the chest, questioned her to
hear her speak, then, after final look,
went out, followed by Honore Her
opinion was formed, the old woman
would not pass the night.
well, then?" he asked anxiously.
The nurse answered.
well, she'll last two days, perhaps
three. You give me six francs alto
gether."
six francs-six francs" he cried
Have you lost your senses? Don't 1
tell you she will not last five or six
hours?" And they disputed long
time together AS the nurse was going
away, and as his wheat would not be
gathered in, he at last consented.
Very well, that's settled; six francs.
all included, until the corpse is car
| ried away
yes, six francs"
He strobe toward his wheat, lying
in the field beneath the broiling sun
that withered the stalks.
The nurse entered the house
She had brought her work, because
by the dying and the dead she worked
without relaxation. Suddenly she ask
ed:
Have they administered the sacra-
ment, Mother Bontemps?" The peas
ant shook her head, and La Rapet, who.
was devotional, rose hastily.
"Seigneur Dieu! Is that possible?
I'll go and get the cure,'' and she ran
Off toward the priests house at such
speed that the ganins thought some
misfortune had happened.
Honore, afar off, saw them pass He
called out:
Where is our cure going?"
He is carry the good God to thy
mother, pardi"' replied the choir boy.
That's good" said the peasant. re-
| turning to his work.
Mother Bontemps was confessed, re-
ce1Ved absolution, and the priest went
away, leaving the two women alone.
La Rapet looked at the dying woman
curiously, asking herself how long she
would last.
The day was declining, a fresher air
entering the chamber in puffs caused
the picture of saint on. the wall to
dance groteSquely. The little window
curtain, yelloWed and covered with fly
speckS, seemed to be struggling to fly
away like the soul Of the old woman.
She lay there silent, her eyes express
ing Indifference to death, so near. Her
breathing sounded harsh in the silence.
AS night fell Honore came in and
approached the bed. He saw that she
was still living.
How goes it," he asked, as he used
| to do when she was indisposed
Then he sent away La Rapet after
| the Injunction:
Tomorrow at 5, without fail"
She replied:
'Tomorrow-5 o'clock"
She arrived at daybreak, when Hon
ore was eating his soup, which he had
prepared himself. ESQ
We'll, has the mother passed away?",
she asked. - ~
''She is much better" and went out,
chuckling.
La Rapet was disquieted as he ap-
preached the bed, angry to find the
old woman in the same position. She
understood that she might last two,
four, or even eight days, and she was
furious at the man who had played
her the trick and the woman who
would not die.
She set to work. nevertheless, her
eyes fixd on the wrinkled face of Mere
Bontemps.
Honore came in to lunch. He seemed
happy, even jeering. Then he went
out. He was harvesting his wheat,
under very favorable conditions.
La Rapet was getting exasperated.
Every minute that passed seemed to
be robbing her of money. She had
desire, an insane desire, to take that
old bag, that old witch, by the throat
and stop, with a little squeeze, the
feeble breath that was stealing her
time and money.
Then she thought Of the danger, and
other ideas came in her head as she
approached the bed.
Did you ever see the devil?" she
asked.
NO" murmured Mere Bontemps
feebly.
Then the nurse began to tell stories
to terrorize the poor, dying creature.
A few moments before one died the
devil appeared, she said. He carried
a broom in his hand, an iron pot on
his head, and he screamed horribly.
| When one saw him it was all over, life
would go out in little while.
Overcome with an insane look. the
dying woman tried to raise herself to
flee. She struggled partly out of the
bed clothes, then fell back with a deep
sigh.
It was all over.
And La Rapet TRANQUILITY put every
thing in the closet, and, with expe
rienced hands, closed the staring eyes
of the dead. She laid a saucer Of holy
water on the bed and sprinkIed the
room, then, kneeling down, began to
repeat the prayers for the dead, that
she knew by heart, having learned
| them as a matter of business
When Honore entered in the evening
he found her still praying, and he cal
| culated that she had made 20 sous out
| Of him, because she had watched three
| days and night, which made only 5
| francs instead Of which he owed
| her.