The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-03-17

| and summoning all my presence Off
mind, coolly directed him to the spot. 4
l did not know what had happened, h
nor did dare return. In the morninEb
l learned all, when my grief for your
situation and remorse for my acts
prompted me to confess but my cow
ardice overcoming this impulse, per-
suaded myself that you could not fails
| to prove your innocence. and that n
| need not suffer for my deed I there
! fore returned to Paris. None knew II
had been in England. had not given
my name at the hotel, and I assured
myself l should never be suspected
"On reaching Paris I Immediately
started for Brindisi. whence tele-
graphed to you. The dastardly part II
had played in permitting you to bear
the blame, followed: but again and
again l told myself your innocence
| could and must be proved without my
confession. And then l hoped that now
being free you might give me the love
1t had been my lifelong desire to OBJ
peared l felt convinced the blame
might be shifted on her husband. who
| suppose had returned to his own
country, where he would probably new
er be found. And this hope proving
false. Bostock's confession assured me
| / Sc
Imagine then my despair on find
Ing you would not believe him guilty;
| that you would have his confession
proved and that you loved him. I
hated him for the noble example he
had set me, and because he had sue
ceeded where I had failed in winning
| your love. All this drove me mad, and
I said such words to you as l would
now give all the world to have left
unsaid. Then came news Of the sec
ond operation and his recovery, when
! | resolved TO set you and him free
from all imputations of guilt by my
confession, and then to evade the dis
grace and punishment l have not thu
courage to face.
Il know my life has been waste.
and l feel it might have been other
wise, but l loved pleasure too much
and tasted happiness too little, for the
| happiness l sought in my youth / was
never able to gain. see now the fault
was wholly mine, for had my love for
you been great, and strong, and noble,
1t would not have failed to win your
own. l have brought trouble, sorrow.
and disgrace upon you, and little as
deserve your forgiveness 1 hope you
will not refuse it, made, as 1t is, in this,
my last hour.
BE merciful, and pardon me, is the
last request of one who, though he has
deeply wronged you. loves you with q
deeper and better love than he has
ever felt before. 1 die in the belief
you will not withhold 1t from me. Fare
well, dear Olive, farewell. God bless
you now and forever"
He read through the letter. which he
carefully sealed, and then, that 1t might
reach her without fail next morning,
he went out and dropped 1t into q
neighboring letter box. AS it fell with
thud into the receptacle, 1t seemed
| as II he had sealed his fate. Feeling
his way through the dense fog, he re-
gained his study and then sat down to
write a second confession, giving the
necessary details which would prove
the truth of his assertion. This which
was intended for the public, he directed
to George Coris.
Everything was done now save the
most important of all, but from this
he did not finch; all preparations had
been made. From IA drawer in his desk
he took a bottle of chloroform, and held
1t between him and the light. There
was more than sufficient there to send
| him into a sleep from which in this
life there could be no awakening. He
thought 1t strange he should feel SO
calm and collected now, in contrast to
the disturbance he had suffered before
finally resolving to seek death.
The strong odor of the drug nearly
intoxicated him as he raised 1t to his
lips and then sat it down once more.
lest he had left undone anything which
he might remember and wished to do
when ii was too late. No, nothing had
been forgotten, and with regret he rec
ogniZed that there was nothing to de-
lay his last moments He took the
bottle again, lifted it slowly, then with
Il sudden effort boldly swallowed it's
contents. His life had now practically
come to an end the drug must soon
begin to paralyZe his brain.
AS he PASSED a mirrOr he started at
his reflection as though he had seen u
phantom. Then he deliberately looked
into the glass at the face when a little
time hence would pear small semblance
to its present aspect. He could not
help recognizing that it was comedy,
while his rounded throat and bsoad
shoulders showed strength. And he
remembered how women had smiled ON
him. how men had welcomed him, how
readily friendship had been extended
to him, how The world had been q
pleasant place to him, the world he
was Nounta | y quitting.
He crossed the room to couch ON
which he tang himself, thinking now
of Olive and of the surprise viii. h
awaited her next morning when he
would have gone where? He closed
his eyes wealiiy, and presently opened
them without being able to tell how
long they had been shut, and all UNI
willing TO lose moment of The con-
sciousness that was left 10 him. Oli.e
would surely feel sorry, and she would
forgive and lily him, and rem, lnber
him when others forgot. -;ealm,
soothing feeling was passing through
his veins; he felt himself slnking
through an abyss of darkness. and 1hx n
suddenly Started 10 mekeIulness as IL
he had received ; shock.
Ard now came the terrible con-
SC iousness that he was gcing 10 his
death, that nothing could size, him,
hat he could retain his fading sens. s
no icnge-
Then he became absorbed into dark
ness, silent. Vet SUI sil.g as il with hid
len lita--a sufTota,sng and ap;.a.ii -
!arIness through which he sank don a.
and down, and down 10 1ea III.
tCcnt nuer Next Week.
Ercl;eb :;