The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-08-01

UNLOCK the right hand top drawer
of that safe, Jim-the door Is open.
Hand me those bundles of stocks and
bonds and call those doctors"
Stuart complied with his request and
Bivens spread the brilliantly co!ored
papers on the white covering of his
bed, while the doctors drew near.
Listen now, gentlemen" he began,
still gasping with pain. you're our
greatest living DOCTORS I'm told. Well,
I'm not willing to die, won't die-do
you hear? I'm only forty-nine years
old. You see here thirty millions in
gilt edged stocks and bonds. Well,
there are three of you. I'll give you
ten millions each to take this stone
off of my breast that's smothering me
and give me five years more of life"
The three men of science stood with
folded, helpless arms and made no eff
fort to keep back the tears. They had
seen many men die. 1t was nothing
new-and yet the pity and pathos of
this strange appeal found their way to
the soul of each They never envied
a millionaire again.
They retired for another consulta-
ton. Stuart replaced the papers and
gave the key to Bivens.
"Ask Nan to come here a minute"
he said feebly.
pered to q servant. When he return
ed to the bedside the dying man look
ed up into his face gratefully.
"You don't know how it helps me
to have you near, Jim, old boy. I'm
lonely Nan 1 guess is i'll and broken
down. I've lavished millions on her.
I've given her all possess in my will,
but somehow we never found happi-
ness. If 1 could only have been sure
of the deep, sweet, unselfish love Of
one human soul on this earth! If I
could only have won a girls heart
when 1 was poor. But 1 was rich,
| and I've always wondered whether
she really loved me for my own sake.
At least I've always thanked God for
you. You've been a real friend. Our
hearts were young together and you
stood by me when-I-was-poor
An hour later when the covering
was turned back from the dead body
Stuart saw that the smooth little cold
hand had gripped the key to his treas
ures in a last instructive grasp.
He looked again at the lump of cold
| clay and wondered what was passing
| In the soul of the woman who was
now the heir of all his millions.
Why had she shown such strange
and abject terror over his death-an
event she had foreseen and desired?
A horrible suspicion suddenly flashed
through his mind. He determined to
know at once.
AS he had feared, Nan refused point
blank to enter the death chamber and
asked him to come to her boudoir
He found her standing by a win
dow, apparently calm. Stuart looked
at her a moment with a curious de-
tached interest. Suddenly aware of
his presence she turned.
"At last, at lastv' she cried in low
broken accents. ooh, dear God, how
long I've waited and despaired! At
last we may belong to each other for
everybody and soul! Nothing else mat
| ltIS nOMy dOtS IL w Z blluil lOlGtC All
the blank hideous years; you'll forget
it, won't you, dearest? You'll forgive
me-now-say that you willT
"I've long ago forgiven, Nan, but tell
me about this sudden attack You were
with him when he was strickenT
eyes, I took the nurses place at
midnight; couldn't sleep"
| 30
"Until l called you"
"And you gave him the medicine in
the absence of the nurse"
"Only one" she answered, hesitat-
ingly, "a particular kind the doctor
had not prescribed, but which he
asked for to relieve his pain"
"He asked you for medicine, NanY'
he went on remorselessly. "a poison
Gus powtler-and you gave him oneT'
Eyes"
"And you're sure you gave him but
one?"
"He was begging for two-I might
have given them both-its possible, OF
course"
He gazed at her with look of pity
"I know that you did, Nan, know il
as certainly as if I stood by your side
and saw you press it to his lips"
"You know, jim" she cried feebly
her head dropping low.
"And you feel no remorse"
"Why should l? His death seemed
only a question of days.
"From the bottom of my heart pity
your Stuart broke In softly. "The state
will never reach your act with the law
But the big thing is you have no con
sciousness of guilt and feel no remorst
because you have no soul. You have
only desires and impulses. That's why
you couldn't wait for me to earn my
fortune honestly and so betrayed me
for gold. 1 can see it all now. You
beauty has blinded me-"
"For Gods sake, Jim," she cried
fercely, "don't-don't talk like that!
|