The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-06-03
CHAPTER XXI.
THE CONTENTS OF THE COX.

TIE CONTENTS OF THE BOX.
One day very soon thereafter my
servant presented me a box, hic he
asaid had been brought there by an In
(. quest that it be delivered into my own
HAND. And further, to beg 1 would
4 make him a visit as soon as my duties
would permit.
The evening being advanced 1 could
not go that night. SO contented myself
with the promise I would cross the bay
on the morrow.
Later, my company being my own,
4 gave attention to the box,such a metal
receptacle as was commonly used for
articles of value. 1t responded easily
to the key, and opened without diff
> Guilty.
The reasons for d'Ortez's fear and
retirement lay bare before me, If 1
would but search them out. Within
the box. bound together by deerskin
thongs, We're many writings. some on
parchment, some paper, of different
sdAses and degrees Of preservation.
Some were we'll worn from age n
handling, others more recent, We're In
better condition. Some there We're
these must have been the latest to find
n resting place in his keeping.
All were arranged In due and sys-
tematic order; of whatever age, each
bore a careful superscription, giving
in brief the contents of the paper writ
ten by his own exact hand. Beside this,
each document was numbered and
placed in sequence. Verify, it was most
~rnethodically DONE, SO any child could
read and understand.
1t was with much 1nisgiving I APP
preached the task of making myself
familiar with my old friends secret.
Had he committed some youthful
crime which weighed heavily upon his
trembling age, and had driven him to
these savage shores, where, shut out
fron ali companionsEip with his kind,
he did a lonely penance. If SO, / pre-
ferred to remain in ignorance, for his
was a friendship so dear, SO pure, l
desired not to faint it with the odor
OF guilt.
He had, however, made his request
IN such urgent terms. even pathetic,
Z could not disregard it, and putting
aside the reluctance l felt, 1 took up
the paper which lay on top, directed to
lxnyself, and began its perusal. Ii was
AS follows:
My Dear Placide: The great feebleness
,of my worn-out frame warns me again
chat time for me is almost past. 1t MAY
BE, when you recross the seas, 1 shall have
gone to final judgment. remember
my request, and carry On to the end that
s @1rk un Mhlsa seneratl All is of b e9ga eonta hass
In these papers, except some recent news
i have of the Pasquiers from the northern
colonies.
Possibly If you went to Quebec and
sought out the Cure of st. Martins (who
wrote this last, No. 32) you may right 1t
all, and give to my soul Its eternal peace.
With the strong affection which my
bodily infrmities have iii no wise dimin-
Ished. I am. your old friend,
Raoul Armand Xavier d'Ortez,
of Cartillon. Normandy.
HAVING carefully read this letter, ]
then proceeded to peruse the various
documents in the order he had ar
ranged them.
The first. written by the hand OF the
Benedictine. Laurent of Lorraine, alb
bot of NauX. told of the admission tc
the monastery of a child, son of Henri
-3'Artin, to whom the good monks gave
the name Bartholomew Pasquier. This
child, though designed for orders, left
.the monastery, cast his fortunes with
..he king of Navarro, and became q
sgraat officer in the household of King
Henri The Fourth.
Other documents gave an accoun,
Of the posteri,y Of this child down tc
one Francois Rene Alois de Pasquier
isrilo fled to America in 1874 to escape
the vengeance of a certain great lore
sE-hoae son he slew in a due:. This was
he who was reputed to have beer
l.f.le1 Ia battle, and to have left nc is
,s.a. And this Mas he whom / after
ysEyd, 4o.nd 10 be my own good father
a here was also contained a accounl