His Other Wife: A Novel — page 325: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FATHER LOUIS’ STORY. 317 well as for his art. I felt glad to know him personally, and at once dismissed my preoccupation, giving him the closest attention. He held a sealed packet in his hands. He began to speak in a slow, mellow, and impressive voice, using good but very simple and forcible English. As well as I can recall them, and they are not easily for- gotten, his words were: ‘‘* Father, I think I am going to die very soon. I have a disease of the heart, and my symptoms have of late admonished me to ‘‘set my house in order.” I see your eye light, but I have not come to you for confession, nor any of the sacred rites it is your office to dispense; not that I despise your religion— on the contrary, it is the best form of doctrine that I know of at all, and does more good in the world than any other; but I have my own ideas about this and the future life) and I need no one to stand between me and my Maker. This will not alter your interest in what I am about to say. © For almost seventeen years I have been the custodian of a strange and solemn secret, and a heavy trust. I feel that God will call me from my place before the issue comes in which my testimony will be needed for the protection of the innocent and the punish- ment of a great crime. That issue is sure to come; I must leave a record of what will stand in my stead when justice claims her due.’ ‘‘ He then opened the sealed package, and took from it the curious old volume which lies there before Mr. Craig, GComicbooks. (E(@)