The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-23

high communion to prepare myself for IL
happiness l have hea,d Of you as on,
wise, good and thoughtful of strangers
AS wise man l wished to talk with you
AS good man l wished to commune will
you. AS one thoughtful of strangers
wish to ask your assistance. also wishc,
to spend my last days on the earth amit
the beauties and the peaccfulncss of nature
as she reveals them in these woods. In tho
city l should be bcggar in death.
should be compelled to beg my hcarse, my
coffin, my grave. Here am rich. own
all. AS one old man may claim from an
other old man, can claim of you the ser
vices which friend pays to friend when
spirit has departed from body. have eat
en- at your table to-day. shall leave my
body to night, will you bury it tomorrow :
| would like 1t to have Il suitable grave.
Can you guide me to such spot, old trap
PERI"
The trapper initiated his guest in rising.
That nc regarded his guest as perfectly
sane; that he had respect for his Judgment;
that he accepted the conversation as utterly
honest; and, the strangers views as final,
was shown by the fact that he yielded in
slant compliance with the strangers re-
quest.
"Thcrc is a place just behind the rock
there that I've often conceitcd would make
cheerful spot for grave; for the pines
Dc big over ii, and the water makes pleasant
music on the white sand and lcetle stuns
underneath. We will 80 and see it,"
The next morning the trapper rose ut the
usual hour: He did not go to the bed oc-
cupied Dy his guest at once. lie went and
stood in the doorway. He even went to
the spring and brought a pull of fresh
water. lie acted as If his guest were
asleep, sleeping Il needed sleep, and would
lain not wake him; but at length he en-
tered the house and moved with steady
and measured step to the bedside of his
guest. ...I.
The man was lying on his back, his
hands by his side, and his face COMPOSED
with that composurc the complete TRANQUIL
ity of which no earthly trouble can ever
rutlic. The trappcr looked steadily at him
him 30 as to command view of the far
thcr side Of the body. A knife lay on the
blanket, and one keen, dclicately shaped
blade open. The trapper took It ND and
looked at it. The sharp point of it was
colored with stain. lie stopped and
looked at the wrist. 1t had been puncturcd
just above the pulse, for Il slight wound
was there, and blood stains were on the
white skin. The trappcr reached over and
felt the blanket. In one little spot il
was moist-that was all.
The trapper looked astonishcd. lie gazed
on the face OH the pillow, white with the
sure whitcncss that never dcceivcs, lie
looked ut the knife blade, with its stained
point; then at the wrist with the slight in
cision; and then he made reorganization
of the bedding, this time closely. On It,
beyond few drops, there was no blood.
The man had evidently prepared himself
for the act, had opened his knife, had
puncturing, as he isupbostd, 'rtc' III ttasr,
but, by II misjudgmcnt, had missed the ar
terry and had made slight incsion in the
flesh that lies one side Of 1t.
1t Is said that the Imagination is able to
kill; that under similar circumstances men
have, from sheer imagination that they
were bleeding to death, actually died.
Was 1t 80 in this case2
Certainly not dozen drops of blood had
left his body, yet there was tho white face,
and the knife, and the wounded wrist.
What killed him2 How did he die
Was 1t n natural dcath2 Was it suicdc7