Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-08-31
THE LAST JOURNEY.
BY Octave Mirbeau.


Having found an empty first class
compartment, placed my grip and rug
on the seat and tipped h conductor
not to allow any one else in my COM
partment, | went up and down on the
platform TO look at my fellow travellers.
There was the usual crowd Of fat,
noisy Germans, nervous Americans and
stolid Englishmen, whose faces wore no
expression, and though travelling for
pleasure looked as il they were bored
TO eat
| had seen this class Of people so
aften that they were thoroughly un-
interesting TO me, but was attracted
by a group CT three people VINO s,ood
outside a third class ear.
one was an elderly lady dressed in
black. A thin shaw covered ner bOny
shoulders, and though ii was warm she
was Shiycring with cold, and a 0Fy
cough seemed to snake her whole body.
She was accompanied by q younger
mar and woman. The man had Il very
unpleasant face, with coarse features.
The woman was tall and slender, with
a long, narrow face with protruding
CheekDOnes n Il pointed chin.
"Oh, my dear children sighed the
old lady. Il feel so miserable, really /
am not well ut all"
you only think so. It is all imagiua-
ton. You viii be all right in a little
Whlle-WOnt she, Adele
why, of course, dear. But you
know, mother must always complain;
she would not be herself IL she did
not"
But why should l leave today; it
was not necessary at all when 1 feel
SO bad"
A violent attack of coughing racked
her poor body, she held a nandkerchief
to her mouth, and | noticed a bright
red spot on it.
oh, God, | am sure something Will
happen TO me- she cried almost with
tears.
Nonsense, mother, what should hap
pen to you-it is nothing but a cold
Il know better. and 1t was not nee
essary to send me off today, but, of
course, l know | was in your way, and
a burden to you"
why the idea, mother!"
You only need a few weeks rest in
the country, plenty OF o and good
fresh air" said the man. IF it had
not been for that you might have
stayed with us"
But you might at least have given
me a cup of beef tea this morning be-
fore | left feel so weak"
Now that is your w fault, mother.
Why didn't you get up in time instead
Of waiting until the last minute. You
would have missed your train If we had
not hurried you Off"
The old lady sighed. A tear glistened
IN her eye.
oh, God! Oh, God,' she moaned. II
know something is going to happen"
What foolish nOnsense!" exclaimed
her amiable son-in-law.
"Oh, if ! had only had my beef tea
before / left! l will die on the way,
and no one will be with me in my last
minute
II wish you would be a little more
sensible, mother. / hate to rear you
talk like that; it is ridiculous. 1t is
time you got into the car now"
"Goodby, my child. God bless-both
of you"
The conductor ushed her roughly
into the compartments as though she
had been a bundle and slammed the
door.
| hurried back to my comfortable
seat, indignant at this heartlessness.
How could a daughter treat her mother
in this manner? 1t was outrageous.
Her poor, suffering face haunted me.
l could have thrashed this monster of
u son-in-iaw who had taught his wife
to abuse her own mother.
At Versailles, where we stopped for
fifteen minutes, l left the car and
walked along the rain. l stopped be-
fore the old lady's compartment. She
had tainted, ana some rlendly person
was bringing her to and handed her a
cup of beef tea, which she swallowed
eagerly, as If she was starving. I
ClenChed my fist at the thought of those
brutes she Rad left behind.
The beef tea seemed to revive her.
She was less pale; there was even a
tinge Of color in her emaciated face.
Maybe she would get over it.
| slept all night IN my comfortable
berth II only woke up when we ar
rived at Rennes, the end OF my trip.
Mechanically l followed the porter who
carried my things.
Suddenly there was q Commotion.
Trainmen and passengers hurried to-
ward the third class car.
"A doctor-a doctor, quick!" I heard
the conductor cry.
/ rushed TO the car. There was the
poor old woman, dead, holding in her
cold hand a handkerchief covered with
blood.
Two trainmen lifted up her body and
carried her into the waiting room.
What is tan accident or a muir
der?" an Englishman asked me.
"A murder" l answered." a murder
for which no one can ever be UNI
ished by human justice. She was muir
dered by her own child as surely as if
she had been stabbed in the heart"
A Bad Mixup.