The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-11-02

you U4cdSo. NOW Wich " uuA0 yVu
witness Of great reraration."
They stopped and looked at the gem
eral with the greatest surprise as he
walked up to Valentine.
"Caballero" he said to him, II know
all the motives of hatred you have
against me, and those motives allow to
be just. I am now in the same position
in which I placed Count de Prebois
GRANGE, your dearest friend Like him,
I shall be shot tomorrow at daybreak,
but with this difference, that he fell as
a martyr to a holy cause and innocent
Of crimes of which / accused him, while
/ am guilty, and deserve the sentence
passed on me, Don Valentine l repent
from the bottom of my heart the iniquit-
Gus murder of your friend. Don Valen-
tine, do you forgive me?"
General Don Sebastian Guerrero, I
forgive you the murder of my friend"
the hunter answered in a firm voice.
You forgive meY
II forgive you the life of grief to which
am henceforth condemned by YOU"
you pardon me unreservedly"
'Unreservedly l do"
Thanks. We were made to love in
stead hate one another"
"You think so now"
II misunderstood you but yours is
great and noble heart Now let death
ccme and shall accept it gladly, for I
feel convinced that heaven will have pity
on me on account of my sincere repent
ance Be happy, niece, with the husband
of your choice. Senores, all accept my
thanks. Don Valentine, once more I
thank you. And now leave me, all, for
l no longer belong to the world, so let
me think of my salvation"
But one word" Valentine said. Gen
eral, have forgiven you, and it Is now
my turn to ask your pardon"
What can you meanW
II have deceived you"
Deceived me J"
Yes; take this paper. The President
Of the Republic, employing his sovereign
right of mercy, has, on my pressing en-
treaty, revoked the sentence passed ON
you. You are free"
His hearers burst into cry Of admira-
ton. The general turned pale. He tot
tered, and for moment it was fancied
that he was about to fall. A cold per-
spiration stood on his temples.
Fathers" he said turning to the
monks, lead me to your monastery.
General Guerrero is dead, and henceforth
l shall be monk of your order"
Two days after the scene we have de-
scribed Valentine and his companions left
Mexico and returned to Sonora. On
reaching the frontier the hunter in spite
of the pressing entreaties of his friends,
separated from them and returned to the
desert.
Don Martial and Dona Anita settled
in Mexico near the Ralliers. A month
after Valentines departure Dona Helena
returned to the convent, and at the end
of year, in spite of the entreaties of
her family, who were surprised at SO
strange a resolution, which nothing APP
parently explained, the young lady took
the vows.
When l met Valentine Guillois on the
banks OF the Rio Joaquin some time after
the events recorded in this long story, he
was going with Curumilla to attempt a
hazardous expedition across the Rocky
Mountains, from which, he said to me,
with the soft, melancholy smile which
he generally assumed when speaking to
l accompanied him for several DAYS,
and then we were compelled to separate.
He pressed my hand, and followed by his
dumb friend, he entered the mountains.
For long time / looked after him, for
l involuntarily felt my heart contracted
by sad foreboding. He turned round
for the last time, waved his hand in fare
well and disappeared round bend Of
the track. l was fated never to see him
again.
Since then nothing has been heard Of
him nor of Curumilla- All my endeavorsr
to join them or even obtain news Of them
were vain.
Are they still living? No one can say.
Darkness has settled down over these two
magnificent men, and time itself will,
in all probability, never remove the veil
that conceals their fate. For all, unhap-i
PLY, leads me to suppo2e that they per-.
ished in that gloomy expedition from
which Valentine hoped alas never to
return.
(The End)