The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-02

burst at any shock or any moment. The
poor fellows yoke had indeed been too
heavy.
In the presence of such tremendous
possibility I think for an instant 1 felt
anxious only about myself. What I
should do; how dispose of the body;
how explain the circumstance of his
taking off ;; how evade the ubiquitous
reporter and the coroner's inquest; how
a suspicion might arise that I had in
some way, through negligence, or for
5.me dark purpose, unknown to the jury,
precipitated the catastrophe, all flashed
before me. Even the note-with its
darkly suggestive offer of "good ma
terial" for me-looked diabolically sig
niticant. Wat might not an intelligent
lawyer make of ita
I tore it up instantly, and with fever
ish courtesy begged him to be seated.
"You don't care to feel it," he asked,
little anxiously.
"No."
"Nor see it ?
"No."
He sighed, trife sadly, as if I had
rejected the only favor he could bestow.
saw at once that he had been under
frequent exhibition to the doctors, and
that he was, perhaps, a trife vain of this
attention. This perception was corrobo-
rated a moment later by his producing
q CODY of medical magazine, with the
remark that on the sixth page l would
find O full statement of his case.
Could I serve him in any way, L
asked.
It appeared that I could. If I could
help him to any light employment, some
thing that did not require any great
physical exertion or mental excitement,
he would be thankful. But he wanted
me to understand that he was not, strict
ly speaking. poor man; that some years
before the discovery Of his fatal COM
plant he had taken out life insurance
policy for S., 900, and that he had raked
and scraped enough together to pay it
up, and that he would not leave his wife
and four children destitute. "You see, "
he added, eff could find some sort Of
light work to do, and kinder sled along
y9u know-until - -:
He stopped, awkwardly.
II have heard several noted actors
thrill their audiences with single
phrase. think I never was as honestly
moved by any spoken word as that
"until ;, or the pause that followed it.
He ewas, ,evidently quite unconscious OF
its effeeA for as took seat beside him
on the sofa, and looked more closely in
his waxen face, I could see that he was
evidently embarrassed, and would have
explained himself further, if l had not
stopped him.
POSSIBLY 1t was the dramatic idea, or
possibly chhnce, but few days after
ward, meeting certain kind hearted
theatrical mhnager, asked him if he
had any light employment for a man
who was an invalid. "Can he walk p
Eyes" "Stand up for fifteen min
utes?' "YesS" "Then I'll take him.
He'll do for thu last scene in the DE-
struction of SAnnacherib its q tre-
mendous thing, you know, we'll have
1000 people on& tke stage" l was
trifle alarmed at the title and ventured to
suggest (withoht betraying my poor
" engage in the " Destruction of Senna-
cherib, "aud that even the spectacle Of
it might be too much for him. Needn't
see it at ALL" said my managerial friend,
"put him in fro INT, nothing to do but
march in and ma1ch out, and dodge cur
tain"
He was engaged. I admit 1 was at
times haunted by grave doubts rs to
whether I should pot have informed the
manager of his physical condition, and
the possibility thai he might some eve
n;ng perpetrate q real tragedy on the
mimic stage, but ION the first perform
ance of "The Destruction of Senna-
cherib, (which / com hscientiously attended,
was somewhat reli eved. I had often
been amused with the placid way in
which the chorus inI the opera invariably
received the most astounding informa-
ton, and witncsscdI the most appalling
tragedies by poison br the block without
anything more than vocal protest or
command always delivered to the audi
ence, and never to th actors, but think
my poor friends utter impassiveness to
the wild carnage aud the terrible exhibi-
tions of incendiarlsm that were going on
around him transcribed even that
Dressed in costume that seemed to be
the very soul OF anachronism, he stood
little outside the proscenium, holding
spear, the other hand pressed appa-
rently upon the secret within his breast,
calmly surveying, with his waxen face,
the gay auditorium. I could not help
thinking that there Was certain pride
visible even in his placid features, as of
one who was conscious that at any mo-
ment he might change this simulated
catastrophe into real terror. could not
help saying this to the doctor, who was
with me. eyes" ne Said, with profess
sional exactitude, "wl len it happens
he'll throw his arms up above his head,
utter an ejaculation, and fall forward on
his face-it's a singulaf ailing, they al.
ways fall forward on ir facc-and
they'll pick up the man dead as Ju-
Illus Caesar. -ez, .-
night, with a certain hideSus fascination.
but. while it will be remembered the
~ DSSITuCUlOu vi koCuuoSll6ElO had q
tremendous run, it will also be remem-
bcred that not single life was really
lost during its representation.
1t was only few weeks after this
modest first appearance en- the boards of
"The Man with an Aueursn " that.
happening to be at dinner ,arty Of
practical business men, Isought Il inter
est them with the details of the ,bove
story, delivered with such skill and
pathos as L could command. regrt to
say that, as pathetic story, it for 10
ment seemed to be dead failure. At
last prominent banker sittinganext o
me turned to me witt the awful ques
ton: "Why don't your friend try to re-
Ealize on his life insurance ?" begged
his pardon; I didn't cutie understand
"Oh, discount, sell olt. Look here
(after a pause). LIT him, assign his
policy to me-it's nothuch Of risk. on
your statement. Wel-Ill give him his
five thousand clear"
Al Lo All TTndo tho o1vica of tbio