Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-04-06
THE TWO
VANREVELS
By BOOTH HARRINGTON.
Author of THE Gentleman From Indiana
and "Monsieur Beaucaire''
Copyright, 1903. by s. S. Mcclure Co.
CHAPTER XIX.
COPYRIGHT, 1903, by s. s. Mcclure Co.

CHAPTER XIX.
|V1TlILL CUMMINGS had abandon
+" ed the pen for the sword until
-1 such time as Santa Anna
GsGGY 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 ole did doubt it.
What reason had Mr.. Carewe to injure
Crailey Gray? Only five in Rouen
knew the truth, for Nelson had gone
with his master, and, except Mamie,
the other servants of the Carewe house
hold 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 goodby to
Mrs. Tanberry; how Mr. Carewe hap
pened to be examining the musket his
father had carried in 1872 when the
weapon was accidentally discharged,
the ball entering Crailey's 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 fled, attended by his serv-
ant, and how they had leaped aboard
the evening boat as it was pulling out
and We're now on their way down the
river.
And this was the story, too, that Tom
told Fanchon, for 1t was he who brought
her to Crailey. Through the long night
she knelt at Crailey's side. his hand al
ways pressed to her breast or cheek,
her eyes always upward and her lips
moving with her prayers, not for Graf
ley to be spared, but that the Father
would take good care of him in heaven
till she came. 81 had already given
him up" she said to Tom meekly in q
small voice. II knew it was to come,
and perhaps this way is better than
that thought it would be far away
from me- Now can be with him, and
perhaps shall have him little longer,
for he was to have gone away before
noon"
The morning sun rose upon a fair
world, gay with bird gatherings 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,
hearkened and smiled goodby to the
summer he loved; and, when the day
broke. asked that the bed be moved so
that he might lie close by the window.
1t was Tom who had borne him to that
room. II have carried him before
this" he said, waving the others aside.
Not long after sunrise, when the bed
had been moved near the window, Grail
ley begged Fanchon to bring him q
miniature of his mother which he had
given her and urged her to go for 1t
herself. He wanted no hands but hers
to touch it, he said And when she
had gone 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. couldn't have said that
yesterday, could I, without causing us
both horrible embarrassment? But
fancy can now becausgI'm done for
y That's too bad, isn't itf 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 mine! But
! want to tell you what's been the mat
ter with me. 1t was just my being q
bad sort of poet. I suppose that I've
y never loved any one, yet I've cared
more deeply than other men for every
|. lovely thing ever saw, and there's &c
= little that hasn't loneliness in it. I'd
be ashamed not to have cared for the
: beauty in all the women I've made
, love to-but about this one-the most
beautiful Of alp
4 "She will understand" said Tom
quickly.
. "She will-yes-shes wise and good
II Fanchon knew, there wouldn't be
even memory left to her, and don't
1 think she'd live. And, do you know,
believe I've done favor for Miss Bet
i ty in getting myself shot. Carewe will
y never come back Tom, was ever 9
mans knavery so exactly the architect
! Of his own destruction as mine? And
y for what gain? Just the excitement OF
the comedy from day to day, for she
4 was sure to despise me as soon as she
p knew, and the desire to hear her voice
say another kindly thing to me, anG
: the everlasting perhaps in every won
an, and this one the hearts desire Of
all the world! All, Welt. Tell me-
want to hear it from you-how many
hours does the doctor say?"
"Hours, Crailey?" Toms hand twitch
ed pitifully in the others feeble grasp
II know it's only few"
They're all fools, doctors" exclaim
ed Vanrevel tlercely.
mo, no. And I know that nothing
can be done. You all see it. and yol
want me to go easily, or you wouldn'
let me have my own way so much. l
frightens me, I own up, to think tina
SO soon III be wiser than the wisest IL
the world. Yet l always wanted tt
know. I've sought and I've sought
but now to go out alone on the search
1t must be the search, for the Hol,
Grail-I"-
"Please don't talk" begged Tom in
: broken whisper, "for mercy's sake, lad
1t wears on Won SO"