The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-25

anu tHeTe appeared my 1anQl0rU III
violent state of agitation calling and
reckoning.
Monsieur! Monsieur, In the name
of heaven, come at once! All. what
misfortune. A frightful catastrophe
has just happened
'Apoplexy,' l said to myself, and
dashed indoors and upstairs.
There We're turnings and odd steps
and passages; but by some instinct L
went straight for the right door, which
swung open as l reached it, and the
landlord, with q face white as a table
cloth, and broken physic bottle in his
hand, shot out impelled by an eXplo-
sion of vigorous language in some East
ern tongue. 1t came from great arm
chair in the window where sat huge
old man, or the wreck of one. The
mighty chest was sunken and the
great, sinewy, hairy hands dangled
Imply out of the sleeves of his flannel
dressing gown. His face was bleached
as white as his great beard; but his
eyes. They turned on me suddenly,
flashing yellow like a tigers, and for
second l felt like boiling after the land
lord. However, he spoke quite civilly.
Much obliged to you for coming.
| We're in a difficulty here l speak no
French, and this fellow can't under
stand English. He's broken my bottle
of medicine, and 1 ought to take the
stuff every two hours. I can't make
him see that all he has to do is to get
the prescription out of the top drawer
over there and take it to the chemists
know Alexandra gets it made up
somewhere near. It's quite a simple
thing
L found the prescription, and turned
the landlords dolour into joy. He un-
derstood perfectly-had been before
with M. Alexandre-the chemist was a
friend of his, and by good fortune at
home to-day.
Tell him that you must be back by
L. You will be so kind as to stay
with me till he returns"
1t was open to me to object of
course; but l had no inclination to do
so with Sir Stretton's eyes fixed on
me. So 1 dismissed the landlord on
mis- errand, and he tripped off light
heartedly hugging the bottle
Sir Stretton kept silence till we heard
his footsteps descend the stair.
"Fasten the door, if you please. Will
you tell me your name?'
l did so, and mentioned my uncle
You're one of the right sort if you
are like him. If 1 only had him here
| this minute. See here, sir VIII you
help dying man to do a righteous act
with no profit to yourself, and the
chance of some danger?''
| IF it will not interfere with my duty
to my employers 1 will"
You shall decide for yourself Years
| ago l had the chance of setting
wrong to rights, and I shirked it. Now,
here [ am, crippled and incapable, Civ
en- over into the hands of those who
are resolved that the secret shall never
be told by me; tied hand and foot;
watched night and day; brought here
to die, away from all my friends, from
any one who speaks my language. I
tell you l could have shouted for JOY
when 1 heard an English voice in the
courtyard this afternoon
1 have no doubt that he did hear it;
but he wasn't paying much of a COM
pliment to my French, was he?
What do you want me to do for
your"
Il want you to write down and wit
ness what 1 have to say. It's death
bed confession. There is a man in Eng
land who must have it. You may run
some risk in taking it; there are one
or two who would kill you rather than
it should ever fall into his hands-if
they knew. But decide, mani In heav-
ems name, decide! The time is going
my strength may go, too, at any mo-
ment Are you afraid?"
"I'll take it," replied recklessly, as
| follow yun111d wi n no
piteous look in those great fierce eyes.
/ whipped out my memorandum book
and pen GO on SIR
| 1 can't we'll be expected to tell what
he confided to me. The family history
that followed was SO amazing that a
mere hint of it would scatter confusion
| from one end of the country to the
other 1t began with a hdeous bit of
| wrongdoing two generations ago, in
hushing up which some of the highest
in the land were concerned, and the
consequences spreading wider with
each year that passed now affected di-
rectly or indirectly many of our
noblest families. With this Sir STREET
ton had nothing to do; his share in the
evil was simply that of inheriting the
secret and keeping it.
| When the knowledge came to him he
| was a young man, low down in the
service, and madly in love. To reveal
it would have meant utter ruin, So
cially and professionally. He was not
| strong enough to face it, and so re-
luctantly Joined the conspiracy of 81
| lcnce to his never-ending shame and
regret. Now that he was dying, child
less and wealthy, his wife fairly pro-
vided for, he saw a chance of making
partial restitution in one or two cases,
while his statement would enable his
old friend to enforce righteous dealing
on some of the others implicated
Larry will see justice DONE" he
gasped; ''but the proofs-he will want
the proofs. You shall take them to
him."
He had been speaking fast in an odd.
and then it failed and broke and the
words came tumbling out unintelligiby,
but he forced himself to continue. / had
| a flask of whisky with me, and, with
some misgivings, poured him out few
drops, which he swallowed greedily.
Fetch me that" he said, pointing to
| great Bible which stood on a stand at
his elbow. I thought he was going to
swear or make me swear something, but
he only opened one of the covers. They
| were the thickest and heaviest I have
| ever seen. Leather as thick as the sole
| of your boot, with a big brass clasp,
lined with watered silk stamped in gold.
/ Can you get me some boiling water?"