New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-06-28
COPYRIGHT. 1916
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Glove and the Ring.

81 ask nothing of life-eXcept
DEATH" said Marchese Baria.
THE one thing life can't give" an
swered Christopher Race.
They were sitting together at Flor
ian's, in Venice, at one of the 0ut-Of-
doors tables. They had met for the
first time that evening at nine, when
the place had been crowded, and they
had been forced to sit down at n table
together, if they would sit at all.
The Marchese Baria had talked more
than Christopher, because every inch
of Christopher Race was English,
while the Marchese Baria was half
Italian, and had lived in Italy for more
than half his twenty-SiX years. He
knew that his new friend was Il gentle
man chauffeur who had conducted Il
party of American ladies' from London
to Venice, where they had embarked
in n friends yacht, and left their guide
to go home alone in his ca%r-Scurlet
Runner. But of him christopher had
been told far more. He knew that
Baria had loved n lady, the most beau
tiful On earth-accOrding to her lover /;
that they had beer engaged; and that
then he had lost some thousands of
pounds, and had received an adverse
opinion concerning his health from an
eminent doctor. The lady admired
strong men, and threw Baria over to
take m whose lungs and whose bank
nnrn,tpt u,rn hath ynnrn c,ticcnnt,r,
than his. She was now the wife of
this person, who happened to be a
Prince. and the Marchese Baria wished
to forget her as Dol as possible. The
only way in which he felt himself able
to do this was by death and at present
he was engaged in shortening the short
lease of life given him by his doctor,
by taking too much alcohol. He had
promised his English mother on her
deathbed that never, in any circum-
stances, would he follow the example
set by one or two of his fathers hot
FLOODED ancestors, and commit suicide.
NoXiOus microbes had refused to in
feet him. He could not take typhoid
fever, or any other disease warranted
to carry off a delicate patient. But he
had hopes of pneumonia. That was
why he had chosen to sit out of doors
on an unseasonably chill, cold. rainy
night, clad in the lightest of garments.
ut is really very damp, and the mist
gets into ones bones, doesn't it," he
asked cheerfully.
Christopher assented, so far as the
Marchesc's bones We're concerned. He
RETAINED from adding that, according
to the newest theories, cold hurts no.
body, and chilled nothing but intrusive
microbes.
"All my people are dead, you see, ex-
cept a few particularly healthy ones,
whom l dislike extremely" went on
Baria. $50 you see I've 10 One to live
for I can do more for society by max
Ing a will than by existing. suppose
you couldn't by any chance be induced
-cr-to be charitable, and put an end
to me"
"Glad as I should be to give you
PLEASURE" said Christopher, I'm
afraid l must draw the line at MUIR
der"
as it murder to annihilate a person
whose one wish is to die?'
I'm inclined to think the law would
regard it so. But"-and Christopher
spoke slowly, as if On mature dellbera-
tell you what | can do. You
say you're trying a course of freezing
to hurry up matters. Well, |
this is June, but it's more like October
weather, and l can give you Il long,
dose of cold air in my motor.