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

Having found an empty hrst ciass
compartment. placed my grip ana rug
on the seat and tipped the conductor
not to allow any one else IN my com
nartment. | went up and down on the
platform TO look at my fellow travellers.
, There was the usual crowd or rat,
noisy Germans, nervous AlheTlcd!lS anu
stolid Englishmen, whose faces wore no
expression, and though travelling Tor
pleasure looked as IL they We're ooreu
TO death.
had seen this class of people so
aften that .hey were thoroughly un-
interesting TO me, but l was attracted
bv a group Of three people VINO stood
outside a third class car,
one was an elderly lady dressed IN
black. A hin shawl covered her bonE
shoulders. aud though il was warm she
was sniyeriuE with colo, n q dIy
cough seemed TO shake her Whoie boay'
She vas accompanied by a younger
man and woman. The man had a very
unpleasant face. with coarse FEATURES
The woman was tall u slender, win
a long, narrow face with protrudlnS
cheekboues and a pointed chln.
"Oh. my dear children sighed the
old lady. Il feel SO miserable, really !
am not we'll n all"
You only think SO. Il is all lmagln2-
ton. You Will be all right IN a httIe
while-won't she, Adele
why, Of course, dear. But YOU
know, mother must always complain,
she would not be herself if she did
not"
But why should I leave today; it
was not necessary at all when l feel
so bad"
her poor body, she held a handkerchief
To her mouth, and | noticed a bright
red spot on il.
"Oh. God, / am sure something VIII
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 ii was not nee
essary to send me off today, but, or
course, 1 know l was In your way n
a burden TO you"
Why, the idea, mother!.'
You only need a few weeks rest in
the country, plenty Of food ana 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 l left-I feel so weak"
Now that is your own fault, mother.
Why didn't you get up in time instead
Of waiting until the last minute You
would have missed your train II we had
not hurried you Off"
The old lady sighed. A e glistened
N her eye.
"Oh, God, Oh. Cod she moaned. Il
know something is going TO happen"
What foolish nonsense exclaimed
her amiable son-in-law.
"Oh. il l had only had my beef tea
before left / will die on the way,
and no one will be with me in my last
minute
Il wish you would be a little more
sensible. mother. l hate to hear 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.
l hurried back to my comfortable
seat, indignant at this heartlessness.
How could a daughter treat her mother
i'm this manner2 1t was outrageous.
Her poor, suffering face haunted me.
l could have thrashed this monster Of
a son-in-law 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 train. l stopped be-
fore the old lady's compartment. She
had tainted. and some friendly person
was DflnSll ner 10 II handed her a
cup Of beef tea, which she swallowed
eagerly, as If she was starving. l
clenched my fist at the thought Of those
brutes she had 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.
l slept all night in my comfortable
berth and only woke up when we ar
rived at Rennes, the end of my trip.
Mechanically / followed the porter who
carried my things.
Suddenly there was a connection.
Trainmen and passengers hurried to-
ward the third class car.
"a doctor-a doctor, quick." / 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 it-an accident or a muir
der?' an Englishman asked me.
"A murder" / answered. a murder
for which no one can ever be pun
ished by human justice. She was muir
dered by her own child as surely as if
she had been stabbed in the heart"