San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-03
CHAPTER NIX .
A Legacy for Peter Cams.

A Legacy for Peter Cams.
IL at any time / entertained one
shadow Of regret in the execution OF
those who had traduced me and SO
earned their destruction. it was after
we had dwelt for season with Albert
Redmayne beside Como. But Jenny
swiftly laughed me out of these emo
lions.
keep your tenderness and senti-
ment for me- she said. Il will not
share them"
We might have killed Albert thou
sand times and left no sign-a fact
that brings me TO that part Of my
recital | most deplore.
Nevertheless, though things difficult
and dangerous we had triumphantly
achieved. before this task for n child
we failed; and the reason for our col
lapse was not in Jenny but in me.
Had i listened TO my austere partner
[ should have waited only until she
had searched for and found her UNI
cle's will. This she did: and rs the
instrument proved entirely satisfac-
tory, my duty was then TO proceed
about our business. Only an artists
fond pride interviewed; nothing but my
vanity, my consciousness of power to
excel, upset the rightful climax. We
were. indeed, both artists. but how III
cOmparably the greater she. Had she
won her way with me, we should be
living now to enjoy the fruits Of our
accomplishment.
way, yet. in defeat, her final, glorious
deed was to intercept the death in
| tended for Inc. that | might still live.
Loyal to the. last, she sacrificed her.
self. forgetting. in that supreme mo-
ment. how life for me without her
could possess no shadow Of compensa-
ton.
My wife's deeper sanity and clearer
vision always inclined her TO distrust
our American acquaintance, Peter
| Cams.
Cams is a great man on his own
! plane. But. though he is a greedy
creature who digs his grave with his
knife and fork. though his habit Of
drenching himself with powdered to-
bacco, instead of smoking like u gen
| tleman, is disgusting. yet | have moth
ing but admiration for him. His lit
| tie plot-to treat me TO dose or my
| own physic and present n forgery of
Robert Redmayne" in the evening
| dusk-was altogether admirable. The
thing came in manner so sudden and
unexpected that l failed Of a perfect
riposte.
1t was Jenny. Of course, who had
assisted me to dig Marcos grave on
Griante and who shared my disap-
| pointment when we found that Bren.
don had escaped my revolver
| While Jenny related her sufferings
and made appeal to her listeners over
mastering devotion, | left the house
and Brendou saw me 90. To get a
boat, that i might cross TO Bellagio
was the work of ten minutes. A blaze;
beard was all the disguise l used, save
that | bad left my coat in the boat
and appeared before Redmayne in
shirt sleeves.
With trembling accents I related tC
Assunta. who. of course. knew me not
that Poggi was taken fatally i'll and
might hardly hope to last an hour. II
was enough. | returned TO the boat
and in three minutes Albert joined m'
and offered Inc untold gold TO row n,
had never rowed before. A hundre,
and fifty yards from shore | directc,
him TO pass into the bow OF the boat,
explaining that | should so max,
greater speed. As he passed me, TIT
little pole-axc fell. lie suffered moth
ing and in five minutes more, will
heavy stones fastened to feet an,
arms, he sank beneath Como. Thu
lpole-axe followed. its work completed
Then | rowed ashore swiftly, re
turned the boat TO the beach unOb
served, hid my disguise in my poke
and strollcd TO a familiar inn.
stopped at this albcrgo for consider
able period. that sufficient alb
might be established. Then the crasl
came. i returned home suspectinj
nothing--to fall like Lucifer. to fine
all lost. to hold my dead wife in IN!
arms and know that, without her, lift
was ended for me.
In seemly. splendid fashion sh,
passed and it shall not be recorde,
that the man this glorious woman
loved made an end of his days witt
less distinction and propriety. To di
on the gallOws is 10 do what man.
others have done; | will condcscen'
to no such iGnOminy. Cams under
stood me well enough for that.
Let not my legacy 10 Peter Gam
be forgotten. or that / appoint Mar
Brendon executor and residuary lega
tee.
al finir del gioco, 81 vede chi h
guadagnato." AT the end of the gam
we may see the winner" But no
always, for sometimes the game
drawn and honors are easy. hav
, played a drawn game with Pete
Cams and he will not pretend a viz
tory. or withhold the first applaus
where it belongs. He knows that, eve
il We were equal. the woman WI
greater than either Of MS.
: Farewell.
!. Giuseppe Doria.
Ten days after Peter Cams ha
read this narrative and its sequel q
), his snug home outside Boston. ther
awaited him. upon his breakfast tabl
e a little parcel from England. SOM
thing amazing challenged his aston
ished eyes. There came long letts
| ,.-b,s.k