The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-11-09
A FALSE PROPHECY

Awakening from state of lcthar-
gy, Comtc Raymond de Villemerc
beheld his doctor gazing on him
sadly.
''Saved once morcv breathcd the
comte, and he smiled as lie atretch-
ed out his arms.
"My poor friend" sighed the doc
tor.
The sick man stared aghast.
Pull Yourself together" he con-
tinued. "Iou are a man who can
stand the truth
What do you mean?"
"4our symptoms are those of the
nona."
"Of what?"
"A curious plague. When the
state of lethargy is over, the patien.
has three lucid hours, at the end of
which he dies suddenly"
"Wheww
"Now, look here, keep your spirits
PIP, like the plucky fellow you are
After all is said and cone life is
not worth living for. Goodby-
goodby, my poor friend--goodby::"
Ten minutes later the comte had
risen. Clad in his flannel smoking
Jdcket, he was putting the hss
toueAes to his toilet. The Assteg
mad vathdrswn that his friend
might have time to settle his world
ly affairs.
The day before, % soen as he was
taken with @seD-he had made up
his mind to prepare for tho worsb-
he had cant for his lawyer and foz
a priest aaa eg8tEovad an his let
ters. Taen be had lid down his
giddy head and aanen aaleep with
the conviction that he would not
awake again before dooznsday.
But now he was like o condemn
ed man who, after having made
sure of repriere, found himself
suddenly on the way to the scaffold.
Tomorrow the joys and friendly
ties of LIS whole life would be gone
forever.
, While he was: finishing bis cigar,
reclining listlessly on the cushions
of his divan, Raymond saw all his
life fit past him as in dream.
NEARLY forgotten episodes of his
childhood cropped up as if they
were quite recent. Then in rapid
succession his mind dwelt on the
many times he had fallen in love
between fifteen and twenty-five un-
It'll he came to the first month of
his married life.
How full Of unmitigated JOY
those days had been! Raymond re-
membered the minutest events Of
Ehis honeymoon or moons spent in
fun and frolic, with pleasant ez-
..cursions, veFging on bachelors dis
sipation and freaks which made
lively gossip for fashionable folk.
Delighted beyond measure by the
admiration which his wife excited
wherever he took her, he was more
,madly in love after his marriage
than before. He would have been
Jealous if the mere possibility OF
such a thing could have been aeza-
Eously entertained by either Of them.
gAnd all this passionate love had
been brought to an end by soanda-
lous separation owing 10 q h,tndse
son his part and q rash azDepada a2
the little comtesss.
BY mutual consent they had sepa-
rated. Yet, strange to say, their
love for each other had continued.
SO far as the would was CONCERNED.
their relations weEe restricted by icY
bows whenever they met ON the
heulevards, but their prooaAssssssed in
difference for each other sc.,reeay
deceived their common friends.
! The idea Of dying without haging
seen once more the woman he loved
above all others appeared peePos-
ferrous to the >cnmte. Studied ob-
stinacy and stern Nresolve seemed 10
be altogether out of place when
Brought face to face with everaast-
ing separation.
What risk did he run now in at
tempting. reconciliation even if It
were not to succeed?
Raymond sprang . DO feet. and
seating himself before his writing
desk scribbled nurSiedly q short tele-
gram and sent it. off by his Yaaee.
He looked at his watch. NS dad
two hours more to live. The eom-
tesse would have time to come.
: Would she conl6? Would she be
touched by a note containing a tdy-
ing mans fareweIlp Or, In Tho 70
lentless dignity oA offended won,nn,
NSpuld she ref,lse.D forgive egen un-
der these solemn circumstances?
If The anguish Of uncertainty, add
ed to the moral torture, made Rap-
pond vince despite all his nerve
md resolution resolution ttotssahe ilis inevitable
fke coo1lv. With gou1aHhinp refv