Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-08


swer to the sign for silence. "He still
lives p
HE lives; but his hours draw to a close.
Had you not come now you would not
have found him alive"
"Let me see him at once"
"Come. His mother is with him."
He followed the Cure into a room
sparsely furnished, and OF unpublished
pine wood; q room on which there wat no
carpet and but little furniture; and there
he saw the dying form OF Philip Smer.
don.
Kneeling by the bedside, and praying
while she sobbed bitterly, was a lady
whom Lord Penlyn knew to be Smerdon's
mother.
She rose at his entrance, and brushed
the tears from her eyes.
"Your friend has come, Philip" she
said.
A light came into his eyes as he saw
Penlyn standing before him, and then in
a hollow voice he asked her to leave them
alone.
Il have something to say to him." he
said. "and the time il short"
"Yes," be said when she was gone and
speaking family in answer to Penlyn.
who said he had come as quickly US pos
sible, ives, | know it. I expected you.
And now that you are heSe can you bring
yourself to say that you forgive me?"
For one momen the other hesitated.
then he said: II forgive you. May heav.
en- do SO likewise"
All! that is tit is that that makes
death terrible! But listen! must speak
at once. l have but u short time more.
This is my last hour, / feel it, I know it,"
"Do not distress yourself with speak.
Ing. Do not think Of it now"
mot think of it! When have l ever
forgotten 1t! Come closer, listen! l
thought he had come between you and
Miss Raughton forever. l never dreamed
OF the magnanimity he showed in that let
ter. Then l determined to kill him-I
thought I could do it without it being
known. l did not go to the Chase on
that morning, but, instead, tracked him
from one place to another, disguised in a
suit OF workman's clothes that / had
bought some time ago for a fancy dress
ball. l thought he would never leave his
club that night; but at last he came out,
and then-then! l grow weaker.-I did
it."
Penlyn buried his head in his hands as
he listened to this recital, and once he
made a sign as though begging Smerdou
to stop, blu he did not heed him.
II had with me a dagger l bought at
Tunis, a long, sharp knife Of the kind used
by the Arabs, and l loosened it from it's
sheath as we entered the park, he walk,
ing q few steps ahead Of me. and, evil
IDENTIFY, thinking deeply. Between the
lamps l Quickened my pace and passed
him, and then, turning round suddenly,
l seized him BY the coat and stabbed him
to the heart. 1t was but the work Of a
moment and he fell instantly, exclaiming
only as he did so, Murderer Then to
give 1t the appearance Of q murder com
mitted for theft, l stopped over him and
wrenched his watch away, and as I took
1t / saw that he was dead. The watch
is at Deceive Chase, in the lowest drawer
Of my writing desk"
"Tell me no MORE" Penlyn said, "tell
me NO more"
There Ii no more-only this, that I
am glad to die. My life has been a curse
since that day, l am thankful it is at an
end. Had Guffanta not hurled me on to
the glacier below, I think l must have
taken it with my own hands,
"Guffanta! Penlyn exclaimed, sis it he
then who has done this -
ut IL he! He followed me from Eng
land herein some strange way he was
a witness to the murder-we met upon
the pass and fought, he taxing me with
being a murderer and a thief, and-and-
ali; this is the end!"
His eyes closed, and Penlyn saw that
his last moment was at hand.
He called gently to Mrs. Smerdon, and
she came in and, throwing herself by the
side of the bed, took his hand and kissed
it as she wept.
The Cure entered at the same time and
bent over him, and taking the crucifx
from his side, held it up before his eyes.
Once they were fixed upon Penlyn with
an imploring glance, and once they rest
ed on his mother, and then they closed
forever.
He il deadv! the priest said, 'let 10
pray for the repose of his SOUL"
1t was a few days afterward that Ida
Raughton, when walking up and down
the paths Mt Belmont, heard the sound Of
carriage wheels in the road outside, and
knew that her lover wal coming back to
her.
He had written from Switzerland say
ing that Smerdon was dead, and that he
should wait to see him buried In the
churchyard Of 81. Christoph-where many
other English lay who had perished In
the mountains-and he had that morning
telegraphed from Paris to tell her that he
was coming by the mail, and should be
with her In the evening.
She walked swiftly to the house to
meet him, but before she could reach it
he had come through the French windows
Of the morning room, and advanced to-
wards her.
"You have heard that he 10 dead, Ida?'
he said, when he had kissed her. 1T only
remains for me to tell you that he died
p~enitent and regretting his crime. It had
weighed heavily upon him, and he was
glad to 60"
"And o forgave him, Gervasey" she
asked.
Eyes. l forgave him. / could not but
remember-as | saw him stretched there
crushed and ~dying-that, though he had
robbed me Of q brother whom / must have
cOte to love. he had sinned for ME. Yes,
II forgiveness belonged to me, l forgavs
him.