The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-01-28
CHAPTER Nv.-(Contlnued.)

look, which was OF singular vitality,
that this man. who had never feared
death, still chung to life. IL was In
stsnct.
~ replied that certainly he might,
and / even said that he would surely
recover. but-with what grievous re-
pursuance did I approach the subject
4 asked him II, experiencing the general
feeling Of ease and comfort which per-
vSs1ed his being, he would not be even
more comfortable and happy IL he
thought OF what he ought to do for that
child of whom he had spoken and for
whose future he wished to provide,
And since thou art feeling better,
my dear Revere. 1t is perhaps h OPP
portunlty TO put everything in order In
that life which thou art about to re-
cover, and which will be a new life.
sHe looked fixedly at me with his
beautiful eyes. 1t was q profund re-
gard. and saw that he OWNED my
thought.
Thou art right he said firmly.
Mo weakness.
sThen. gathering all his forces, he
arose. stood upright. refusing even the
arm which / held out to him, and In
HIS dressing gown. which hung about
laim, he seemed to me taller, thinner.
even handsomer. He took two or three
steps, at first a little unsteady; then.
strengthening up, he walked directly 10
his safe, turned the letters and opened
AZ, after having smiled and said:
81 had forgotten the word--four
letters. II Is. however, a little thing.
NY head lis empty
Then, safe opened, he too out pa
pers--of value, without doubt-papers
which he took back to his lounge,
spread out Q a table near at hand,
and said:
Let us see. This which / am going
10 give thee Is for her. "A will-yes, i
could make a will, but II would create
talk, II would be asked what l had
done, 1t would be searched out, dug
out OF the past, Il would open a tomb.
I cannot. What I have shall be hers.
Thou wilt give 1t to h~er-thou'-
And his large, haggard eyes search
ed through the papers.
i" tAh, here he said--there are some
b0nds-Egyptian-of a certain value to
the holder, at 3 per e i hid that.
Where did I put it?'
"He picked UP the papers, turned
them over and over. became alarmed,
turned pale.
But I said to him, is It not
among those papers,
HE shrugged HIS shoulders and dis
played with an ironical smile h en-
graved papers.
g.aH COkilG CCTAAiGdNG6 VI hcNOIdNAOAto-
the bricabrac OF a consular life
Then with renewed energy he again
vent TO the safe. opened the till, pulled
It out and searched again and again.
s'Overcome with fright, he ex-
claimed, 1T Is not therep
why is 1t not there?'
And he gave me another look--hag-
gard. terrible. His face was fearfully
contracted. He clasped his head with
1871 A-f 49, 80 NJ - .aANa
ing out OF a dream.
IL is true, | remember-I have hid
den IL. Yes, / hid 1t / do not know
wherein some book. In which oneF
s.Ho looked around him with wild
eyes. The cerebral anaemia which had
made him fear robbery again seized
him, and poor Revere, my old friend,
the agony of a man who is drowning
and who does not know where to cling
m order to save himself.
lie was stile standing, but as he
turned around he staggered.
i1Ie repeated in a hoarse, frightened
voice: Where, where ave / hidden
that2 Fools The safe did not seem
TO me secure enough. Where, where
have l put ttT n
1t was then, monsieur-yes, at that
mclment-that the concierge entered
and saw us standing face to face be-
fore those papers OF which she has
spoken. I must have looked greatly
embarrassed. very pale, showing the
violent emotion which seized me by
the throat. Revere said to her rather
roughly, What are you here for2' and
sent her away with q gesture. Nine.
MoEiche had had time TO see the open
safe and the papers spread out. which
she supposed were valuable. j dnder-
stand how she deceived herself, and
when l think of 1t I accuse myself.
There was something tragic taking
place between Revere and me. This
woman could not know what IL was,
but che felt IL.
And what was more terrible, q hun
bred times more terrible, when she had
disappeared. There seemed to be a
battle raging In Royere's brain, as be-
tween his will and his weakness. Stand
ing upright, striving mol to give way,
struggling TO concentrate all his brain
power In his effort to remember, to find
ONE trace OF the hidden place where
he had foollshly put this fortune be-.
tween the leaves OF some huge book,
Revere called violently, ardentIy, to his
aid his last remnant OF strength to
combot against this anaemia which
took away the memory of what he had
done. He rolled his Eyes desperately,
found nothing. remembered nothing.
ts3TF1I WAS dWIu1, THIS COI1DaL against
memory which had disappeared, fled:
this aspect OF a painting beast, a hunted
boar, which seemed to seize this man,
and I shivered when, with a rage I
shall never forget, the dying man
rushed In two steps to the table, bent
over the papers, snatched them up
with bis thin hands, crumpled them up,
tore them in two and threw them under
his feet. with an almost maniacal
laugh, saying In strldent tones:
.Ahl Decorations! Brevets! Bau-
bies! Childish fooiishnessi What good
are they? Would they give her a liy-
ing?'
And ne kept on laughing. He excit-
ed himself over the papers, which he
stamped under his feet unuI he had
completely exhausted himself. He
Easped, Il stifie. and he half feI! over
the lounge, upon which / laid him.
fully believed that he was dying. /
experienced a horrible sensation, which
was agonizing. He revived, however.
But how, after that swoon and that
crisis. could / speak to him again Of his
daughter. OF that which he wished TO
leave her. to give In trust for me? He
haru ma nraocrtInfad a mffb obf1ds.h