The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-03-05
IMPERIAL MILLIONS
By JULIAN HAWTHORNE
Copyright, 1891. By American Press Associa-
tion-]

He was now within sight of the house,
ard he quickened his pace, seeing in inn
agination Olympia waiting for him there.
How sweet beyond thought would their
reunion be! For her he had surrendered
everything. Had there been more to
give he would have given it; and he
knew with a blessed certainty that she
would love the poor artist as much as
and even more than the hundredfold
millionaire. They would find their
riches in each other, and the treasure of
thousand worlds would be well ex-
changed for that.
: Thus thinking he hurried forward and
crossed the lawn, which in a broad ex-
panse surrounded the house. A broad
graveled drive, sweeping in semicircle,
led to the verands and the front en-
trance. On this he saw the marks Of
carriage wheels and of horses hoofs-
evidence that Garcia had kept his COM
pact. Yes, Olympia must actually be in
the house! He realized now the alter
native which hitherto he had not per-
lnitted himself to contemplate-that Sal
lie, after robbing him of all, might have
omitted to fulfill her part of the agree
ment. Had she done this he would
have had no remedy. His joy that this
crowning misery had been spared him
was so great that he could find it in his
heart to bless the enemy who had tor
mented him as seldom man had been
tormented.
He sprang lightly on the veranda, and
trod it with resounding footsteps He
had thought that Olympia might hear
him and come forth to meet him, but
she did not appear. No doubt she was
too weak for any exertion, and he must
moderate the first manifestations of his
happiness lest she be overcome. But his
happiness was to last for lifetime; he
could afford to put a curb upon it at the
outset. Inc uoor stood wide open. His
pulses beat with the buoyancy of boy
hood as he crossed the threshold.
The staircase was on the left; morn
ing room on the right. He entered this
room. On divan in the large bow
window some cushions were placed, and
upon the cushions, with shawl thrown
over her, lay Olympia She lay in an
easy position, he1 right cheek resting on
her hand. She appeared to be asleep.
Grown weary with waiting for him, she
had probably dropped off into nap.
He approached her softly, intending
to awaken her with a kiss. He knelt
down beside her and bent over her.
Sound indeed was her repose. There
was no movement of her bosom. No
breath came between her parted lips.
There was no throbbing in the artery of
her white wrist. Her cheeks were very
pale. She looked as lovely as a spirit,
but in that warm spring air she was
strangely cold. Why was it? What
was it?
"Olympia!' he said softly, "wakei it
is IT. She did not stir.
tOlympiar clamored wild voice, ris-
ing to shrek, resounding and echoing
through the empty house. "Olympiar'
And then harsh cry struggling in the
throat-"Olympiaw But Olympia heard
not. She lay pale and still as before,
with her cheek upon her hand.
After a while Keppel Darke rose from
his knees, another man than when he
knelt down. His face was pinched and
haggard, but he was now calm. He felt
in his pocket, and an ejaculation of sat-
isfaction escaped him as he drew out his
revolver He had feared that, in the be-
wilderment of the morning, he might
have lost it. He examined the weapon;
it was loaded, every chamber, and in
perfect order. He cooked it, and then,
bending down once more, kissed Olym-
pia's face AS he raised himself erect,
and placed the muzzle against his tenn
Pile, he faced the window, and his glance
travelled out across lawn and woodland,
bathed in the light of the declining sun
the lovely earth, rejoicing in spring,
which he would never see again. At q
distance of couple of hundred yards the
drive passed through a gateway and was
merged in country road, extending In
the direction of the heswamp, where lay the
bones of Francois Dupont And Just at
the turning of the road, half a mile away
was visible an object that, even at thai
moment. caused Keppel Darke to stay
his hand and lower the revolver. The
object was a carriage and horses, and be
side it stood two figures. The carriage
seemed to have met with some accident
Keppel gazed for few moments witt
burning eyes. Gradually terrible smile
wrinkled his cheeks. He uncocked thu
revolver, slipped it back in. his pocke
and bounded out of the room. Leaving
the house by door in the rear, and tax
ing advantage of the concealment of the
,, shrubbery, he gained the woodland, ant
then set off at a swift, leaping run in the
direction of the carriage. His cours,
would keep him out of sight of the two
persons until he was close upon them.
In less than five minutes he was very
near. Peering out between the trees, HI
saw that the forward wheel of the car
riage had come off, the pin having give1
away. Garcia was working to remedy
the broken piece, and Sallie, clad il
mans clothes, was leaning against th'
bole of young oak hard by, with hel
hands hanging folded in front of her
Her utter Inconsistencies of the eyel
that were fixed upon her seemed strange
to Keppel. He was half inclined to sus
pect affectation. To test the matter, HI
drew his revolver, cooked and leveled it
He was an excellent shot. He could hi