Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-17

the morning my haggard look
: were the subject of remark. "Why
Fred, you look as though you hat
met a legion of ghosts last night 7
said Winston. "What is the mat
teri"
81 had bad night Of it," / an
swered. with a siclSly smile.
"And you'll have another If yor
are not careful. You had better
keep quiet to-day. Blythe way
did you write to Anderson 7"
/ do not know how l managed
to reply, for the question set me
shivering from head to foot, and
was so weak that l could scarcely
sit in my chair.
Unjust have answered in the affirm.
ative, however, for he said:
"Then we may look for some
thing from him tomorrow or next
day."
Immediately after he added:
"Why, Fred, You shiver as though
you had the ague, and you are
sweating like butcher. You're
sick, man. Come, jump into my
cutter, and I'll take you home
was glad Of the chance to get
away, and reaching my room,
locked myself in.
Winston sent a doctor round,
but | refused TO see him. Then
Winston came himself, but l would
not open the door. Then my land
lady came, then some of my fellow
boarders but ! turned them oil
away.
All, those were terrible hours
that l passed, and the night com
ing on brought me no relief. Can
you not guess what / was meditat-
ingi Coward that / was, / had at
last resolved upon self-destruction.
| commenced my preparations
with the same calmness and DELHI
Grafton that / would have used in
the most common transaction. l
wrote a short explanation for Car
rie, another for Mr.. Winston, a
third for my poor mother, and |
sealed them all. In a fourth en-
velope l inclosed the receipt to Mr..
Anderson. All this accomplished,
| went to my secretary and took
ont the weapon Of death. 1t was
simply q revolver, small and insig-
nificant enough in appearance, but
all-sufiicient.
Having examined the cartridges
to make sure that there would be
no failure, | sat down before the
fire to gather courage.
1t may be interesting to know
that no courage came TO me, for
the desperation-the growing fear
Of life-I can in no wise call by
that name. 1t was simply coward
ice. Yet, whatever you may term
it, it was all sufficient for the time.
1t nerved my arm, and, lifting the
revolver, placed its cold, death
dealing muzzle against my forehead.
In another second | should have
been lifeless; but Just as my fing-
err began to press the trigger, there
came tap on my door.
1t startled me, and, hastily con-
cealing my weapon, called out
that / could admit no one.
"Not me, Fred p q
l knew Carries voice, and a
yearning to look on her loved face
got the mastery Of me. Quietly
slipping the tell tale letters, which
l had left on the table, into my
pocket, | opened the door.
ooh, Fred, you are real sick"
exclaimed Carrie, the moment the
light fell on my face. "Why did
you not send for met Aren't you
better ?"
"Worse," / answered, huskily ;
"but, Carrie-good heavens y
AS l uttered this exclamation
started back, and then forward
and them scarcely know what
for hanging across Carries arm
was my overcoat.
Recovering from my astonish-
ment, | snatched it from her, and
thrust my hand into the pocket
/ drew out eleven thousand sever
hundred and fifty dollars and TWEEN
ty-three cents.
You have heard about, and per
haps seen, the singular capers of I
mailman, or the wild antics of thos,
crazed with rum, or the grotesqu,
dancing of savages. Well, judg
ing from what Carrie told me, an,
from the appearance of my apart