The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-04-27

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| friend, DIR. BardaiS, the savant whose
/ works in poisonous substances are 80
| well and favorably known, but one
| whose excellence of heart and almost
| fatherly Kindness Anatole had been
able to appreciate more than any on"
And now all of sudden, without re
| gard for his feelings, without being pre-
pared to hear it, the terrible prognostic
| is uttered by so great an authority.
unfortunate fellow" continued the
doctor. "what have you done"
Nothing that know Of stammered
Anatole, greatly troubled.
TRY to recolcct. Tell me what you
have drank, what you have eaten, and
what you have brcathed."
The last word spoken by the doctor
was a ray of light to Anatole. That
very morning he had received letter
from one of his friends who was tray
cling In India. In this letter had been Il
% flower plucked on the shores of the
Gauges by the travelcr-a flower, red,
warped, and of bizarre shape, the odor
of which, he remembered well now, had
| seemed to him strangely penetrating,
AnatOle searched in his pockethook and
took therefrom the letter ana flower in
question, which he showed to the sa-
want.
without doubt" exclaimed the doc
tor, lit is the Iyramenensis indica-
the fatal flower, the flower of death"
"Do you really think so?'
81 am sure of it."
"But it is not possible. | am only %
year old. ! feel myself full of life aud
health "
"Whcn did you open that fatal let
ter?"
at . o'clock this morning"
"Wcll, tomorrow morning at the
same hour, indeed at the same mo-
mcnt, You feel a sharp anguish at the
heart and it will be all over with you"
"And do you not know any remedy,
any means of"
"Nonc," said the doctor, and hiding
his face in his hands he sank backward
in an armchair. chokcd with grief.
From the emotion displayed by his
old friend. Anatole realized that there
was no hope. He departed in dazed
manner.
With beads Of cold perspiration on
his brow and his thoughts confused
Anatole moved along unconscious of
what was passing around him. ana not
even suspccting that the streets were
becoming deserted. He wandered a
long time thus: but at length, coming
to a bench, he sat down.
The rest did him good. Until then
he had been like a man who has been
struck on the head with club. The
effects of the shock We're disappearing.
and he began now to collect his warrant
thoughts.
"My plight" thought he, ''is that of
person condemned to death. Yet |
can still hope for mercy. BY the way,
how much longer have to live?"
He looked at his watch.
at lacks three hours of morning. 1t
Is time | was in bed. 30 to bed, in
deed! TO devote the last sad hours of
my life to sleep. No. | can certainly
do better than that. But, what? Par
bleu! | have it. | will draw up my
last will and testament"
A restaurant which remained open
all night was near by. Anatole enter
ed and sat down.
waiter bottle of champagne and
bottle of ink"
! He drank a glass and looked at his
writing-paper. rejecting: TO whom
shall | leave my six thousand francs
income? | have neither father nor
mother-a fact which is lucky for
them. And among the persons who
| interest me | can think only of one
! Nicette."
! Nicette was one of his forty second
| cousins, charming young girl OF IS
| years, with fair trcsses and large, black
eyes. Like himself she was an orphan.
ind this community of fate had long
ago established n bond of sympathy
| between them. His will was speedily
Nicette.
When it was finished he drank a sec
ond glass of champagne.
"Poor Nicettc," thought he. Her
guardian, who knows little of the
world except his class. which he teach
es to play on brass instruments at the
Conservatory, has bethought himself
to promise her hand to brute, n sort
of bully. whom she detests because she
loves another, as she has avowed to me,
although with reticence and an en-
barrassed air. Who is this happy NOR
tai? But he must be worthy of her,
since she has fixed her affection on