Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-01-20

come to see you. Suppose that a great
change had come over him; that he
too, had 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 1t was he
who has been caring for you in these
last hours, could you rot pardon him p
These words produced an extraordi-
nary effect on the dying man. For the
first time he identified his enemy with
his friend as as the discovery dawned
upon his mind a convulsion 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 that rang with rau-
cous power of by-gone daye:
If l had known that was eating
his b-b-bread, 1t would have choked
me! Send him to me! Where is her"
! I am here" said David. quietly en-
tering the 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 doa~air-
ing agony followed the attempt. a-1
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 1t at last, grasped it and
drew 1t 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.T
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 tragedy was really being enact
ed, and that this poor trembling crea-
ture was thirsting for the life-N'o~A 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 that he
for sin whose atonement had become
was about to render final 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 and unresisting object of his ha-
tired. The Opaque flesh seemed to have
become transparent. and through II
glowed the maleful light Of hatred and
revenge. The lips were drawn back
from the white teeth, above which the
great moustacf1e bristles savagely. The
lids were lifted from the hollow and
expressionless eyes. Balancing him
self for an instant he moved forward
but the emaciated limbs tottered un-
der the weight of the body He reeled,
caught himself, then reeIed once more.
and lunged forward in the direction
from which he had heard the voice of
his enemy.
Again Mantel strove to intercept
him, and again David forced -
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 futility
and helplessness of his efforts crazed
him.
Where are you? G-g-give me some
sign.!" he cried
Il am here" said David, in a voice
whose preternatural calmness sent a
shudder to the heart Of his friend.
With one supreme and final effort, the
dying man lurched forward and threw
himself wildly toward the sound. His
hand, brandishing the dagger. was up
lifted and seemed about to descend on
his foe; but at that very instant, with |
a frightful imprecation upon his lips, |
the 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. and the first expression OF |
his face indicated a certain disappoint- |
ment that a single blow had not been |
permitted to end his troubles, as we'll |
as terror at an event so appalling. He |
stood spellbound for q moment, sup
porting the awful burden, and then.
,verpowered with the horror Of the sit
1ation, cried out:
Take him, Mantell take himl Help
ne to lay him down. Quick. cannot
stand It; quick!"
They laid the lifeless form on the
bed, while the little dog, leaping up be-
side his dead master, threw his head
lack and emitted a series Of prolong-
I'd and melancholy howls.