The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-09-29
The Unfinished Manuscript.

Some time ago the writer visited Pr0f.
CABINET, of Little Rock, Ark, and while
sitting in the library engaged in con-
versation with the entertaining gentle.
man, observed roll of manuscript tied
with strip of black cloth. We asked
him if it were something designed for
publication.
sit will never be published, he said,
and began to unroll it. "See how it
ends" and glancing at the bottom of
the last page we read the following;
"While he sat alone, deeply musing,
hearse passed the house, and" here
the sentence broke off Requesting,
almost imploring, the Professor to tell
us the story of the curious manuscript,
he finally consented.
Il came to Arkansas when was q
young man. One night 1 sat in my
library writing a story for magazine.
was in good health and had cause to
feel elated over the success had just
attained by the publication of small
volume of sketches, but still L felt the
heavy weight of melancholy depres-
sion. arose and walked out, but soon
returned, not experiencing any change.
l bent myself to the work of writing a
dreary story and worked with surpris-
ing rapidity until | wrote IA hearse
passed the house and" Here ]
stopped. A strange presentment 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 attached to buggy dashing
wildly toward my gate. A frightened
woman was in the buggy and rescued
her. put the manuscript away and
devoted myself to my new acquaint-
ance; our friendship grew into love and
finally we married. Then followed ten
years of happiness. l did not tell my
wife of the unfinished manuscript, but
one day she found it and begged me to
finish it. / did not like to confess my
foolish fears, and finally told her that
/ would. The next night, after my
wife had gone to bed, took down the
story and read it over. Iwould finish
it for her sake. ] took up the pen and
was just in the act of touching the
paper when my wife called me. | ran
to her and found her in a diving condi-
ton, having been attacked by rheuma-
tism of the heart
"Have you ever attempted since to
finish it?''
Eyes. After my wife had been dead
for several years determined one night
to finish it. | went to the desk, but had
no sooner dipped my pen in the ink
| when a noise in an adjoining room at
k,.o nj OIL Tim, III
the room L found my son lying on the
floor dead. He had always been in
wretched health and had committed
suicide"
''Do you ever expect to finish the
storyP"
81 expect to try again. 1t is impos-
sible for me to remain superstitious, even
though may have powerful cause for
doing so. OF course, all this would
have happened even if had not begun
the story. | think that next Tuesday
night, ii l feel like it, l shall devote my
self to the completion of the work, for ]
desire to see it in print. Come up and
see 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-
fessos 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 at 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.
Come in, y he said, cheerfully "You
see l have just finished that story, and
it gave me an appetite for pie. Pies {
good thing 10 eat after you finish up {
story, but you want to wait until you are
through writing"
Ibid you hear any strange noises, !
we asked, "when you began to writer
"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. Why, my
dear fellow, you should not have beer
so foolish as to have believed me.
never was married, you know. Hav'
some pie. "-ATkdnSaaO Traveller.