Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-17
Guy Oscard's next word.

Guy Oscard's next word. He died of tho sleeping sickness, 2
 said Oscard. We had come down tc
 Msala before him--Joseph and I.
 broke up the partnership, and we left him in possession of the simiacine
 plateau. But his men turned against
 him. For some reason his authority
 over them failed. He was obliged to
 make dash for Msala, and he reached 1t, but the sickness was upon him."
 Maurice Gordon drew n sharp sigh of relief which was almost sob. Marie was standing with her two hands on
 the pillow where Nestorlus lay. Her deep eyes were fixed on the English. mans sunburnt, strongly gentle face. Did he send message for mel Yes?" she said softly.
 "No." answered Oscard. "He--there
 was no time."
 Joseph at the window had turned half round
 "He was my husband,' said Marie in her clear, deep tones, "the father of this little one which you call Nes- torius."
 Oscard bowed his head without sur prise. Jocelyn was standing still as a statue, with her hand on the dying in fant's cheek. No one dared to look at her.
 K "It Is all right" said Marie bluntly. "We were married at Sierra Leone by the English chaplain. My father, who Is dead. kept, hotel at Sierra Leone, and he knew the ways of the half castes. He said that the Protestant church at Sierra Leone was good enough for him, and we were married there. And then Victor brought me away from my people to this place and to Msala. Then he got tired of me; he cared no more. He said was ugly"
 She pronounced 1t ''ogly," and seemed to think that the story finished there. At all events, she added noth- ing to it. But Joseph thought fit to contribute post scriptum.
 You'd better tell 'em, mistress" he said, ''that he tried to starve yer and them kids; that he wanted to leave yer at Msala to be massacred by the tribes. only Mir. Oscard sent yer down 'ere. You'd better tell 'em that"
 'No," she replied, with faint smile. "No. because he was my husband"
 Guy Oscard was looking very hard at Joseph, and, catching his eye, made a little gesture commanding silence. He did not want him to say too much.
 Joseph turned away again to the window and stood thus apart till the end.
 q have no doubt,' said Oscard to Marie, "that he would have sent some message to you had he been able. but he was very 1.-The was dying-when he reached Msala. It was wonderful that he got there at all. We did what we could for him, but 1t was hope less"
 Marie raised her shoulders with a pathetic gesture of resignation.
 "The sleeping sickness sha said, "what will you? There Is no remedy. He always said he would die of that He feared t."
 In the greater sorrow she seemed to have forgotten her child, who was staring open eyed at the ceiling The two others, the boy and girl. were play Ing on the doorstep with some uncon- sidered trifes from the dust heap. after the manner of children all the world over.
 'He was not good man." said Marie. turning to Jocelyn, as if she alone of all present would under stand. 'THe was not a good husband. but"-she shrugged her shoulders with one of her patient. shadowy smiles 'it makes SO little difference-yes?"
 Jocelyn said nothing. None of them bad ausht to say to her. for each In that room could lay separate sin at Victor Durnoyo's door. He was gone beyond reach of human justice to the higher court where the extenuatlng cir cumstance is fully understood The generosity of that silence was infec- .ious. and they told her nothing. Had they spoken she would perforce have believed them. but then. as she herself ,aid. it would have made so little diff ference. So Victor Durnovo leaves these pages. and all we can do is to re- member the writing on the ground. Who among us dares to withhold the sxtenuatlng circumstance? Who is ready to leave this world without that crutch to lean upon? Given mixed blood-evil black with SSil white-and what can the result be but evil? Given the climate of western Africa and the mental irritation thereof. added to a lack of education and the natural vice inherent in man, and you have-victor Durnovo.
 Nestorius-the shameless-stretched out his little bare limbs and turned half over on his side. He looked from one face to the o.her with the grave wonder that was his. He had never been taken much notice of. His short walk in life had Len very near the