The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-05-16

appeal to him ana went to the grave
with the absolution of the church and
cursing his only child for deceiving
him. There was little reason to doubt
/ oil the evil tales heard of Courtray,
for before heayen he was just n man
lost in the sea Of worldly dissipation
{ and drifted on to the rocks of ruin and
disgrace. {E
II need not dwell on these particu.
lars, Gillicuddy, but may simply soy
to round out my story that, from orsS
disgraceful thing to another, my
young gentleman found himself &C.
cused of a. felony in his effufts to exc
out his high living, and when the Off.
GERS Of justice were asking for him
ne took leg bail and left the country
without shaking hands with them.
'Well, wherever he was rumor had
it that he had crossed the sea and
made his way into the American wildt
as far as Canada and found a COM
pany of French fur traders and ad-
venturers near the waters Of Lake HUI
ron. 1t was year after that when
this rumor was verified, for there came
"A
who had been among these same fur
hunters, and he told dreadful tale OF
Indian massacre and that with his
own eyes he had seen Courtray shot
down III the wilderness Mt the hands
Of savages and seen him lying dead
among score Of others. Aye, Gill;
cuddy, and, more than that, this same
traveller brought back the papers of
Courtray, which he had taken from his
pocket when he lay dead.
"I think the news brought mourning
to his creditors, If 1t did not to others;
but, as for his family, they just gave
him decent burial-that is, they bur-
led him in spirit--and in the Church Of
Notre Dame incense was burned and
candles were lighted and priest in
long robes said solemn mass for the
reposc of his soul.
"As for the young wife, L never
heard tell of her after, and she might
as well have been dead and buried,
for oblivion swallowed her, and she
never came out of it.
at was no wonder, Gillicuddy, that
l got n start of surprise when l saw
could scarce believe my eyes when
l saw man dead for nine years just
back to his earthly provender with IN
appetite that seemed to be keen from
a long fast.
I watched my gentleman through
the corner Of my eye for some time,
and l saw plain enough that he was q
bit Ill at ease over something, for he
had an eye that wandered with suspi-
cion, as IL looking about for surprises,
I thought. He was not dressed rs a
gentleman Of quality, but showed plain
ly enough that his sojourn in another
world had not been n prosperous one,
for his finery was a bit threadbare and
tawdry.
'I confess, Gillicuddy, l felt a bit
sorry for the man-not that he was
back to life again, but that he was
back looking rs though the expense Of
his own funeral would have been n
fortune in his hands. N was sorely Mt
q loss whether to speak to him or not,
for 1T was an uncanny thing, thought,
to break In upon the quiet Of a man
who had been n ghost for so long
time, but when I';saw him feeding so
naturally on the dietsof the living
considered the converse Of the living
might not be amiss, so across the room
/ strobe and, coming up behind him,
just slapped him on the back and said:
!. Well, Courtray, I see you're back
again. Could: not You and the devil
agree or are you here to visit the pale
.glimpses Of tho moon OH n short parole
onlyf Gillicuddy. you should have
seen the man start and turn pale. l
thought he was about to turn to a
ghost again and vanish before me.
He looked up to me and said in n whis-
per: 'Launston. Is it you? Speak low
Pm not to be known
Then you're not deadT said I.
I've some life in me yet.' said he.
But speak low, man, and, mind, Cour-
tray is dead for the present, and am
Picot-M. Picot'
"He was mortally disturbed, 1 could
see, but he was still the clever devil
he used to be, and he gave me his new
title with such q droll twinkle in his
eye that burst out laughing and call
ed for a bottle.
am happy to make your acquaint-
ancc, NJ. Picot,' said I, 'and We'll just
sit and talk over the past and revive
the memory of oar dead and buried
old friend, Jean Lazarus de Courtray'
"And so, Gillicuddy, there we sat
and talked long together, and there
were some things In our talk will be
OF interest for you to hear, though
can plainly see you are beginning to
hdget, thinking perhaps that all have
said Is but an idle story. But wait,
Gillicuddy; I am getting to the point.
and, IL mistake not, you'll be open
ing your eyes and gasping for more ere
I have done with my story; so take an