The San Francisco call., 1904-02-21
CHAPTER XIX.

Will Cummings had abandoned the
pen for the swoE until such time as
Santa Anna should cry for quarter. and
had left the office in charge of an i'm
ported substitute; but late that night
he came to his.desk once more, to write
the story of the accident to Corporal
Gray; and the tale that he wrote had
been already put into writing by Tom
Vanrevel as it fell from Crailey's lips,
after the doctor had come, so that
none might doubt it. No one did doubt
it. What reason had Mr.. Carewe to
injure Crailey Gray? Only five in
Rouen knew the truth; for Nelson had
gone with shis master, and, except Ma
mie, the other servants of the Carewe
household had been among the crowd
in front of the Rouen House when the
shot was fired.
So the story went over the town; how
Crailey had called to say good-by to
Mrs. Tanberry; how Mr.. Carewe hap
pened to be examining the musket his
father had carried in 1912, when the
weapon was accidentally discharged.
the ball entering Craileys breast; how
Mr.. Carewe, stricken with remorse and
horror over this frightful misfortune.
and suffering too severe anguish Of
mind to remain upon the scene of the
tragedy which his carelessness had
made, had fed, attended by his servant /;
and how they had leaped aboard the
evening boat as it was pulling out, and
were on their way down the river.
And this was the story, too, Inat Tom
told Fanchon; for it was he who
brought her to Crailey Through the
long night she knelt at Crailey's side,
his hand always pressed to her breast
or cheek, her eyes always upward, and
her lips moving with her prayers, not
for Crailey to be spared, but that the
Father would take good care of him in
heaven till she came. Il had already
given him up" she said to Tom, meek
~, in small voice. Il knew it was to
come, and perhaps this way is better
than that thought it would be far
away from me. Now L can be with
him, and perhaps 1 shall have him a
little longer, for he was to have gone
away before noon"
The morning sun rose upon a fair
world. gay with bird-chatterings from
the big trees of the Carewe place, and
pleasant with the Odors of Miss Betty's
garden, and Crailey, lying upon the bed
of the man who had shot him, bark
ened and smiled good-by to the summer
he loved; and, when the. day broke,
asked that the bed be moved so that
he might lie close to the window. 1t
was Tom who had borne him to that
room. Il have carried him before this
he said, waving the others aside.
Not long after sunrise, when the bed
had been moved near the window,
Crailey begged Fanchon to bring him a
miniature of his mother which he had
given her, and urged her to go for it
herself: he wanted no hands but hers
to touch it, he said. And when she had
gene he asked to be left alone with
Tom.
Give me your hand, Tom" he said,
family. I'D like to keep hold of it a
minute or so. 1 couldn't have said that
yesterday, could 1, without causing us
both horrible embarrassment? But /
fancy can now, because I'm done for.
That's too bad, isn't 1t? I'm very
young, after all. Do you remember
what poor Andre Chenier said as he
went UP to be guillotined ?-'There were
things in this head of minep But 1
want to tell you what's been the mat
ter with me. 1t was just my being a
bad sort of poet. 1 suppose that I've