The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-01-21
XIV.

fully at that common invention-a o
which one could not break-the per-
seption of q possibility entered the
magistrates mind that this mar might
be sincere. Hitherto he had closed his
heart against sympathy for this a
Ehey had met In mutual hostility.
The ann in which Jacques Dan
tin approached the question, the reso-
tuition with which he spoke, no longer
assembled the obstinate attitude which
he had before assumed in this same
Eoom.
Reelection, the prison-the cell, with
out doubt-a frigftful and sitting cell
had done It's work. The man who
had been excited to the point OF not
speaking now wished to tell all.
YES" he said, since nothing has
happened to convince you that ain
not lying"
Il am listening to you" said the
magistrate.
jacques Dantin told NJ. Ginory his
story. lie related how from early
youth he and Revere had been close
eriends; of the warm affection which
lad always existed between them: OF
the sha1ns and receptions of which he
had been guilty; Of the bitterness OF
his ruined life; of an existence which
ought to have been beautiful, and
which, SO useless, the life of a$viveur.
had almost made him-why?-how?-
ehTeugh need of money a lack of
moral sense, descend to crime.
This Revere, whom he was accused
OF Killing, he loved, and, to tell the
truth, in hat strange and troublous
estence which he had lived Revere had
oeen the only true friend whom he had
known, Revere, a sort of p~essimistic
philosopher, a recluSe, lyCanthropic,
after a life spent in feasting, having
tsurfeited himself with pleasure, recog-
'hfzcd also in his last years that diSin
sfsrested affection is rare in this world
and his savage misanthropy softened
before Jacques Dantin'S warm TREND
ship. He continued to search for in what
- called pleasure and what as ones lair
'Whitens becomes vice, In play, in the
uproad Of Paris, forgetfulness Of life, of
che duh life of a mar growing old,
alone, without home or family, an old,
stupid fellow, whom the young people
8ook at with hate n say to each other,
Why Is he still here?' Revere more
and more felt the need Of Withdraw
ting into solitude, thinking over his
adventurous life. as a and as ruined
as mine, and he wished to see no one
= wolf, a wild boar in his lair. Can you
understand this friendship between
Two Old fellows, n of whom tried in
every way to direct his thoughts from
himsel and the other waiting death in
. corner of his fireside. solitary, UNI
~Gociable?"
Perfectly. Go on"
And the magistrate, with eyes rivet-
"a upon Jacques Dantin, saw this man,
excited. making light Of this recital of
che past, evoking remembrances OF for
lost, as all his life was.
T-1Ihis Is not a conference. Is it not
30? You no longer believe that it is a
ecomedy? ] loved Revere. Life had
soften separated us. He searched for
at the other end Of the world.
y made a mess of mine and ate 1t In
sParis. But we always kept up our re-
'fatiors, and when he returned to
France we We're happy in again seeing
other. The a turned the
snair, the more tender the heart became.
I had always found him morose-from
dts twentieth year he always dragged
after him %aSSsinister companion-ennui.
q chosen a consular career, to
Ave far away and in a fashion not at
all like ours. ] nave often laughingly
with unrequited love; that he had
perienced some unhappy passion. He
no! 7 feigned to believe 1T. One
NOT soTnber and melancholy like that
without som secret grief. After all.
there are others who do not feel any
Eayer with a smile on the lips. Sad
IS no sign. Neither is gayety!"
H9ls face took on a weary. me1an-
eholy expression, which at first aston
tshed magistrates; then he expert
Delccd q feeling OF pity. He listened,
silent and grave.
aur life. shall I not2 My monologue
would he too long. The years Of youth
PASSED with a rapidity truly astonish-
Ing We come to the time when we
found ourselves-he. weary Of life, es-
in his chosen apartments In
the Boulevard de Clichy, with his
paintings and books, sitting In front OF
fire "a awaiting death, / contfnu-