The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-01-23

with no unnecessary luggage. What
did an unknown suicide want of an
other coat and change of linen?
81 kissed my mother and sister, and
startled my grandfather by an embrace,
and started upon what 1 mentally
called my last journey, with deter
mined spirit.
"There was a certain hotel to which
many of the people of our village were
in the habit of going. This l avoided.
Another, chosen st hazard, seemed to
be better. Thither i walked, deter
mined to leave no trace of my destina-
ton to those who knew me-no clew to
my identity to those who should find me
dead.
Il had no mark upon my clothing, no
card, paper, or letter with me. / had
torn the hatters mark from my beaver
As / ascended the hotel steps felt, so
to speak, like one going to his own fu-
neral.
"a grinning waiter bowed before me.
A pert clerk lifted mp his head and
stared. was an ordinary traveller to
them, that was evident.
alt was late in the evening; tn
place Wore an air of repose. Laughter
and faint clink of glasses in an inner
art,,,a {all nf
One old man read his newspaper before
the fire. Nothing else was astir.
81 asked for room The.clerk nod
ded.
"'Do you care what floor q he asked.
81 shook my head.
Number twenty-nine is empty he
said, and tossed key to the waiter,
whom l followed at once.
1--WE reached the room by two flights
of stairs. At its door the waiter
paused.
Thought he said twenty-nine, he
mutteyed. The key IS twenty-one'
"'Then open twenty-one with it, l
said !; don't care for the number of
the room
"No, sir-to be sure, sir, said the
waiter, and passed along a few steps
further.
"'Twenty-one, he said, and unlock
ing door, pushed it open.
"'Shall 1 bring you anything, sir 2
he said
"I answered No. and lie left me,
having put the candle Oh my bureau.
"The hour had come. As | shut the
door heavy sigh escaped me. Alas
that life had become so woeful thing
to me that / should desire to be rid
of it.
''In the dim light of my one candle |
paced the floor, and thought bitterly OF
the girl loved SO dearly.
at was in the days of curtained
beds. The bed in this room was hung
with dark chintz SO were the windows.
Over the bureau was a looking glass,
with a portrait of a lady in puffed
sleeves and high comb at the top by
way of ornament. There were four
stiff chairs, and a brass shovel and
tongs stood guard beside the CRATE. j
fancied myself lying dead on the bed
amidst all these belongings, and felt
sorry for myself. Then l took my
pistols from my pormanteau, and leav-
ing the door unlocked--for why should
1 put the landlord to the trouble of
breaking it open? ] lay down upon the
bed, drew the curtains, took a pistol in
each hand, and, as true as / now speak
to you, had the muzzle of each to tenn
pie, when some one opened the door,
and
"'There, now, JESSIE said voice /;
/ told you you didn't lock it,
"'I did, said another voice and
sent the key to the Office by the cham
| bermaid.'
81 laid the pistols down and peeped
through the curtains. There were two
ladies in the room. One an old la 1y, in
brown front of false curls the other
nv cruel lady-love, Jessie Grey. For a
moment fancied i must be dreaming.
"sSure it's the right number Q asked
Jessie.
"'Twenty- -one-yes, said the other.
And here's my band-box. o, dear !!
I'm sleepy
"'Tm not, said Jessie wish was,
aunt.
"'You didn't sleep wink last night,
said the aunt. Nor you haven't eaten
your meals to-day. You'll go into a
decline if you go on that way. I'll see
DIR. Black about you tomorrow.
-".I don't want DIR. Black to be
called sighed Jessie. I'D rather
die.
WHATS the matter 2 cried the old
lady. 'You are not yourself. You
don't eat or sleep, and you cry pcrpetu-
ally. What ails you ?" l
I'm miserable, said Jessie.
"'Why 2 cried her aunt.
$50, aunt, said Jessie, it's all your
fault. You told me over and over again
that girl must never jump at an offer !;
that man must be refused at least
once, or he'd not value a girl. And /