Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1909-12-09

TOO, a suffered deeply; that your
wife had discovered his treachery and
left him; that he had bitterly repent
ed; that he had made such atonement
as he could for his sin; that it was he
who has been caring for you in these
last hours, could you not pardon him? ?"
These words produced an eXtraordi-
nary effect on the dying man. Tor the
first time he identified his enemy with
his friend, as as the discovery dawned
upon his mind a CONFUSION seized and
shook his frame. He slowly and pain
fully struggled to a sitting posture,
lifted his right hand above his head
and said in tones hat rang with rau-
cous power of by-gone daye:
If l had known that I was eating
his b-b-bread, it would have choked
me! Send him to me! Where is he?"
Il am here" said David, quietly en-
tering h door. : Il am here to- throw
myself on your mercy and to beg you,
for the love Of God, to forgive me-"
AS he heard the familiar voice, the
beggar trembled. He made one last
supreme effort to look out of his dark
ened eyes. An expression of despair
10 NoCy liz dtlu
then, with both his great bony hands,
he clutched at the throat Of his night
robe as if choking for breath, tore it
open and reaching down into his
bosom felt for some concealed object.
He found it at last, grasped it and
drew it forth. 1t was a shining blade
of steel.
Mantel sprang to take it from his
hand; but David pushed him back and
said calmly: Let him alone
Yes, let me alone,' cried the blind
man, trembling in every limb, and
crawling slowly and painfully from the
bed.
The movements of the dying man
were too slow and weak to convey any
adequate expression Of the tempest
raging in his soul. 1t was incredible
that a tragedy was really being enact
ed, and that his poor trembling crea-
ture was thirsting for the Likelihood of
a mortal foe.
David did not seek to escape. He
did not even shudder. There was a
singular expression of repose on his
features, for in his desperation he So
laced himself by the reflection tina he
for a sin whose atonement had become
was about to render fina satisfaction
otherwise impossible. He therefore
folded his arms across his breast and
stood waiting.
The contorted face of the furious
beggar afforded a terrible contrast to
the tranquil countenance of the peni-
tent n unresisting object of his ha-
tired. The opaque flesh seemed to have
become transparent, and through it
glowed h maleful light of hatred and
revenge. The lips were drawn back
from the white teeth, above which the
great moustache bristles savagely. The
lids were lifted from the hollow and
eXpresslonless eyes. Balancing him
self for an instant he moved forward.
but the emaciated limbs tottered un-
the weight of the body. He reeled,
caught himself, then reeled once more.
and lunged forward in the direction
from which he had heard the voice of
his enemy.
Again Mantel Strove to Inherent
him, and again David forced -, -oo,-
Uncertain as to the exact location of
the object of his hatred, he raised his
knife and struck at random; but the
blow spent itself in air. The f~utilitv
and helplessness of his efforts crazed
him.
Where are you? G-g-give me some
he cried.
Il am here" said David, in a voice
whose pr%eternatural calmness sent a
shudder to the heart of his friend.
With one supreme and final effort. the
dying man lurched forward and threw
wildly toward the sound. His |
hand, brandishing the dagger, was I'D
and seemed about to descend on
his foe; but at that very instant. with
a frightful imprecation upon his Inns.
he gigantic form collapsed, the knife !
dropped from the hand, and he plung-
ed, a corpse, into the arms Of his in
tended victim.
David received the dead weight upon
The bosom at which the dagger had
been aimed, n the first expression of
his face indicated a certain disappoint-
nent that a single blow had not been
permitted to end his troubles, as we'll
is terror at ar event SO appalling. He
stood s%pellbound for a moment, sup
porting the awful burden, and then.
,verpowered with the horror of the sit
cried out:
Take him, Mantel, take him, Help
ne to lay him down! Quick, I cannot
it; quick!"
They laid the ~lifeless form on the
,ed, while the little dog, leaping up be-
'ide his dead master, threw his head
Jack and emitted a series Of %prolong-
d and melancholy bowls.