Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-22
THE LAST CONFESSION.
By HALL GAME,
Author Of "The Scapego "The Bondman The Deemster &C.
BY HALL GAME,
Jan Rights Iseserved.)

cts might be like, and discover a
curiosity shop of poor little treasured
knife with broken blade. a nail.
two marbles, a bit of brass, some
string, screw, a crust OF bread, a
cork, and the leg of lobster.
While was indulging this weakness
the conviction was deepening in my
mind that my boy was i'll. So strong
did this assurance become at leagth,
that though l was ashamed to give way
to it so far as to set my face towards
hcme, being yet no better FOR my mol
iday, l sat down at length to write a
letter to Wenman-I had written to my
wife by every mail-that l might re-
lieye my pent-up feelings. | said moth
ing to him of my misgivings, for | was
10th to confess to them, having no pos
tive reasons whatever, and no mega
tive grounds except the fact that | was
receiving no letters. But gave him
full history of my boys case, described
each stage of it in the past, foretold
it's probable developments in the fut-
ure, indicated with elaborate care the
treatment necessary at every point, and
foreshadowed the contingencies under
which it might in the end become ma
lignant and even deadly, unless stopped
by the operation that I had myself af-
ter years of labor, found the art OF
making.
l spent an afternoon in the writing
of this letter, and when it was done, 1
felt as if burden that had been on my
back for ages had suddenly been lifted
away. Then I went out alone to post
it. The time was close to evening pray
thro11Ch tho Cfrpetc
the Talebs and tradesmen with their
prayer-mats under their arms, were
trooping into the various mosques.
Going by the Karueein Mosque l OBJ
served that the good Muslimeen were
entering it by hundreds. Some spe-
cial celebration" l thought. My heart
was light, my eyes were alert, and my
step was quick. For the first time since
my coming to the city, Fee seemed to
me beautiful place. The witchery of
the scenes Of the streets took hold of
me. To be thus transported into a
world of two thousand years ago gave
me the delight of magic.
When I. reached the English postof-
flee found it shut up. On its shutters
behind it's iron grating notice board
was hung out, saying that the office
was temporarily closed for the sorting
of an incoming mail and the despatch
of an outgoing one. There was little
crowd of people waiting in front
chiefly Moorish servants of English Wis
itors-for the window to open again,
and nearby stood the horses of the
postal couriers paving the pavement.
I dropped my letter into the slit in the
window and then stood aside to see if
the mail had brought anything for me
at last.
The window was thrown up and.two
letters were handed to me through the
grating, over the heads of the Moors,
who were crushing underneath. I took
them with a sort of fear, and half wish
ed at the first moment that they might
be from strangers. They were from
home; one was from my wife-I knew
the t e., e g r,s1Sp before looking at the
man.
/ read Wenman's letter first. Good
or bad, the news must be broken to me
gently. Hardly had / torn the sheet
open when l saw what it contained
My little Noel had been i'll: he was still
SO, but not seriously, and l was not to
be alarmed. The silence on their part
which 1 had complained of so bitterly
had merely been due to their fear of
giving me unnecessary anxiety For
his part (Wenman's) he would have
written before, relying on my manli-
ness and good sense. but my wife had
restrained him, saying she knew me
better. There was no cause for appre-
henSlon; the boy was going along as
well as he could be expected, etc., etc.
Not a word to indicate the nature
and degree Of the attack. Such an in
SUFFICIENT epistle must have disuuited
the verlest nincompoop alive. To send
a thing like that to me-to me of all
men! Was there ever so gross a mis-
take of judgment?
knew in an instant what the fact
must be-my boy was down with that
Old congenital infirmity of the throat.
Surely my wife had told me more. She
had. Not by design, but unwittinglv
she had revealed the truth to me. Gran
vile Wenman had written to me. she
said, explaining everything, and |
was not to worry and bother. All that
was possible was being done for our
darling, and if | were there could do
no more. The illness had to have it's
course, so l must be patient. All this
is the usual jargon of the surgerv-I
know that Wenman had dictated it
and then true line or two worth all
the rest from my dear girls own bleed
ing mothers heart Our poor Noel was
this, and that, he complained of so and
so, and first began to look unwell in
such and such ways.
1t was clear as MONDAY. The at
tack of the throat which l had foreseen
had come. Five years I had looked
for it, Through five long years I had
waited and watched to check it. had
laDored day and night that when if
Should come Ihmight meet it. Nv own
health l had wasted-and for what?
For fame, for wealth, for humanity. for
science? No, no, no, but for the life
OF my boy. And now when his enemv
was upon him at length where was L
L who alone in all this world of God
could save him? l was thirteen hur-
dred miles from home
0, the irony of my fate. NV sou,
rose in rebellion against it. Stagger-
ing back through the darkening streets
the whole city seemed dead and damn
ed.
How far l walked in the CITY of oh
hVion | do not know, but presently
out of the vague atmosphere wherein
all things had been effaced. | became
conscious, like one awakening after
q drug, of an unusual commotion 60