The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-02
POISONED IN DESPAIR.

we're both getting the best of it, when .
ssedy-looking individual entered the place.
"Glsss of bitter" said the stranger, hsav
ing n deep sigh, and stariuH hard nj John, A.
he took Gown q clear gls~~ and drew q foam
ing draurh: Of tie amber liquid, which he
placed clear and sparkling before the visitor
Here are my iust IT, yupPers, said tht
strHnper. with y h,hvy sigh. MS he hid then
OF the counter forIohn to rake them into :h'
til.
THE last tvupcuce," sAil the man again.
as he lad his hauI upon the stem Of this
glass, staring hard the while at John rs il h-
had expected tn tTopence to be refunded.
If 1 hid come down 10 t~wopenos,' said
John to himself, Il don't think l shOali
spend II in beer. ] might in tobacco but |
think il would so in bread"
He did not speak, however, but Sat.dowR
and took up his PAGER, and began reading
again There was no one in the place, so the
stranger went on again.
my last twopence," he said. more loudly.
When / have swallowed this bser, 1 shallbS
q beggsr and an ou:cast."
with a glass Of beer inside him. said
John, ~sentennously.
Eth p
with a glass of beer inside him, said
John, quietly.
yes, to be sure, said the stranger 'bui
the last glaSs-tho last. Tn world has never
given me q chance thsworld Tejects-scorni
does not care for me-. l will poison my
sef-mir . deadly drug with this last glass
and be free of the world.
> John re turned his paper, gave il a punci
in the middle, got it folded conveniently. and
went on reading.
az say" continued the stranger, loudly, 81
viii poison myself where / stand, and fL
here dead, as a warning to a brutal and un
feeling world"
John went on spelling through his papo
without moving q muscle.
Here, then, Is an end OF my worthless
self" said the stranger, very deliberatelytak
ing . email packet from IN euvelope-apacko
that looked like the white powder that goei
with thsblue under the name Of seidlitz and
this he opened verydelberately and emptiet
it into the beer, where, for the most part, h
lay on the froth.
John looked up, saw what he was doing
and the stale OF Rffairs-how the whit
powder emptied out of the paper refused u
mix with the beer.
Like a spoon p he said, getting up and
handing one.
"a spoon Yes" said the stranger, with /
knocking laugh that would have been wortl
ten shilings a night at the Surrey Theatte.
As he spoke, he took tho spoon, stirred thu
liquor, and threw tho little piece Of meta
down, while Johr resumed his place andwen
on reading.
Farewell, cold world, farewell 7" said tn
stranger. They may bury mo where the
will. might have been great but now
ali, now, poor, neglected one they ma
bury me in sunshine or in shadow, l care III
not"
BE took up the glass, drained II to the las
drop, and then, standing the glass down neh
on by the counter, Gnd heaved a trcmeaiou
agh--one which sounded like satisfaction 0
the goodness of the bitter beer.
As for John, he went on reading as coon
as could be, his lips moving as though b
were spelling over the big words.
The man uttered aroar, and moved towardr
The entrance but, unable to contain his an
noyance, he turned sharply round, and came
back.
''Villainous type Of q, cold and heartless
he said, addressing John Grimjohn,
you have taken my last coin; and you sit
there and let me poison myself, without
stretching out a land 70 save--without say
ing a word"
Wave you taken poison p
Il have-I hRye!" groaned the stranger.
Have you really ? Was that poison in the
paper 2 said John, coolly.
Yes l have Just swallowed a fatal dose OF
arsenic-one of the most dangerous of our
p~oisons."
"Ah, know what arsenic is" said John,
cooly.
And l have taken enough to kill sixmen,'
grosned the stranger in a hollow voice.
well, that was wasteful," said John,
grimly. You might have bought enough
Tor one, and spent the balance on beer
Enough forsiI-enough for six - said the
stranger, rolling his eyes, and speaking in
tragic tones.
Good" said John, opening "a flap in the
counter. Come in here"
He caught the stranger by the collar, drew
MIN in behind the counter, through the bar
parlor, and into n kind of store behiudwhere
there was a large cupboard.
n one SAW you como ill., said John,
quietly, and no one saw you take the
poison r
only You nlyyou." said the man, faint
ly. "A doctor-a doctor!"
And lac Eas about Ia fling himself intoa
chair but John held him W. and thrust him
into the big closet.
Doctor, eh ob, yes, my boy, you shall
tave a Doctor half a dozen of en-. They'll
hold u hne ry,el round your corpus"
'Wh-wh-what do you mean r gasped
the stranger; as John thrust Linn back, and
held the dOr ready to clap to.
Il mean M glad you took arsenic said
John.
''Wh-wh-Nhy. you unfeelins wretch pr
Because it l.aNrs the body so nice and
limp and soft. The doctors like it So"
What doyUu mean : faltered the poisoned
olan.
Mean - said John. why, that the doc.
sors viii give me ten pounds for a good.
healthy, s'rong subject like you. 1 say. what
a splendid lecture on anatomy that will be
round you about the day after Tomorrow p
'Sell me--:o the doctors" groaned the
n1rrified Inan.
"of course; but not you-your body. You
wont know anything about IT, my lad aud
nobody else, for no one saw you come in"
Wretch ~ roared the stranger.
Put th-wordwGs cut in half 10y John bang.
Ing to aud locking the closet door.
i say, lie said, knocking at the panel.
"ies-yes let inc out" cried the man,
family.
Just die as quickly AS you can, there's a
goo fellow and don't mind making a noise.
II II case your niind-no one can hear
you"
The man began to kick and hammer nj he
door' and John walked up and down, smiling
and rubbing his hands. Then he turned to
the Lar, served n few customers. left tho
piacs IN charge OF a %bar-Inan, and went 10
where the straugerwas still ~hemmeriny away
at the door. away
.Notd dead yet: Z" John said, with his mouth
to the keyhole.
"No-no-no! Let ME out, " groaned the
rnan, ''or 1 shall die :"
We'll, ] want you to die. said John, coolly.
but it wasn't ~poison-only powdered
chalk" groaned the prisoner. Lei me out.
let me out :"
You sooundreI cried Johu, opening the
door. colariig tie stringer and si1kinship