The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-09-20
Tho Unfinished Manuscript.

Tho Unfinished Manuscript.
Some, time ago the writer visited
Prof. Gailnet, of Little Rock, Ark.
and while sitting in the library, en-.
gagged IN conversation with the enter
tanning gentleman, observed a roll of
| manuscript tied with a strip of black
cloth. We asked him if it were some-
thing designed for publication.
ut will never be published" he
said, and began to unroll it,. stSee
how it ends" and glancing at the bot
tom Of the last page we read, the fol-
lowing: "While he sat alone, deeply
musing, q hearse passed the house, and
There the sentence broke off. Re-
questing, almost imploring, the Profess
sor to tell us the history Of the curious
manuscript, he finally consented.
II came to Arkansas when l was q
young man. One night I sat in my
library writing story for magazine
| was in good health and had cause to
feel elated over the success had lust
attained by the publication of a small
volume of sketches, but still I felt the
heavy weight of melancholy depression.
l arose and walked out, but soon re-
turned, not experiencing any change.
| bent myself to the work of writing a
| dreary story and worked with surpris-
ing rapidity until I wrote, "A hearse
passed the house and Here stopped.
A strange presentiment told me that l
would never finish the sentence. Next
day took up my pen to finish it, but
had not touched the paper with the
pen when a piercing shrek caused me
to spring to my feet and rush from the
room just in time to see horse, at
tached to buggy, dashing wildly to-
ward my gate. A frightened woman
was in the buggy and rescued her.
L put the manuscript away and devo-
ted myself to my new acquaintance;
our friendship grew into love and fla
ally we married. Then followed ten
years of happiness. I did not tell nv
wife Of the unfinished manuscript, but
one day she found it and begged me- to
finish 1t. l did not like to confess my
foolish fears, and finally told her that
I would. The next night after my
wife had gone to bed, I took down the
story and read it over. would finish
it for her sake. took up the pen and
was just in the act Of touching the pa
per when my wife called me. / ran to
her and found her in dying condition,
having been attacked by rheumatism
of the heart.
"Haye you ever attempted since to
finish it?''
Eyes. After my wife had been dead
for several years determined one
night to finish the story. 1 went to
the desk, but had no sooner dipped my
pen III the ink when noise in an adj
Joining room attracted my attention,
Hurrying In the room found my son
lying on the floor dead. He had al
ways been in wretched health and had
committed suicide?"
"Do you ever expect to finish the
story2"
IL expect to try again. It's impossi-
bic for me to remain superstitious,
even though l may have a powerful
cause for doing 50. Of course. all this
would have happened even if l had not
begun the story. I think that next
Tuesday night, if feel like it, l shall
devote myself to the completion of the
work, for l desire to see it in print.
Come up and sec me start off,
We were busy when Tuesday night
came, and-cowardly confession--were
not sorry that something kept us away,
Early Wednesday, morning we hurried
to the house where for years the pro.
fessor had lived. The horrible Thought
seized us that he had taken up his pen
to finish the story and had fallen dead.
Some time elapsed before we had the
courage to knock ut the door. At last
we raped.
| No answer.
Another rap.
| No answer.
| With blood almost at freezing point.
and with hair standing erect, we showed
open the door. The old man sat lean
ing back in his chair, eating pie.
"Comein, he said cheerfully. "You
see l have just finished that story, and
it gave me an appetite for pie. Pies a
good thing to eat after you finish up a
story, but you want to wait until you
are through writing.'
Ibid you hear any strange noises?n
we asked, "when you began to write. -
well, yes. A calf over in an adj
joining yard bawled for a while. Oh,
yes, you are thinking about that story
told you some time ago. Well, my
dear fellow, you should not have been
50 foolish as to have believed mo. !
never was married, you know. Have
some pie"
The prince Of Wales delights in
black costumes.