Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-22
The Unfinished Man.
uscrlpt.
Arksnaw Traveller

Arkan-aw Traveller
Some time ago the writer visited
Prof Gailn.i, of iittl. Rock, Ark and
while sitting IN III" library. engaged in
rpnvcr-atlnn with the entertaining gen.
tlrman. observed roll If manuscript
tied with a strip of black cloth. We
ask"l him II u MAS something designed
Tor publication.
II will never H. publishcd. he said.
and began Ia unroll Il. "Scr how il
ends, and planclng at the buit,m 81
the last rage We read the following
while he sat alone. deeply n'us;ng,
hears" passed the honse. aud " here
The s.nt"nce broke o1. Requesting. al
most implorinp. the professor a. tell us
the history - the curious manuscript.
he finally consented.
Il came Ia Arkansas when I was u
Young man. one night ] sat In my
library writing story for magazine.
] VA, IN gool health and had cause to
fe.l elated over the success had j. y.
attained by the publication Of small
volume of sketches. hut = III felt the
heavy weight ~ melancholy depression.
! arose ani walked ont. Int spun re-
turned. not experiencing any change
] bent myself to ~. work If writing
drcary story aud worked with snrpris-
ing rapidity until wrote. A hcarse
passed III. house aud Here I stop
ped. A strange pres"ntimont told me
that I would never finish the sentence.
Next day ] took up my pen Ia finish il.
bnt had not touched the paper with
the pen when n pie cling shrek causel
mo to spring Ia INV feet and ruth from
the room just In time 10 sce horse. at
tached 10 q buggy. dashing wildly io-
ward my gate. A frightened woman
was in the bnpgv aud ! rescued her. I
pat my manuscript away and devoted
myself b. my new acquaintance: our
friendship grew into love and finally
Ne married Then followed ten wears
~ happiness. u Il not tell NV wife Of
tho unfinished manuscript. hut one day
she fonnd II and begged mc To finish il.
! did not like to confess my foolish
Tears. aud finally told her that !
would. The next night. after my wife
hal gone 4, bed. took down the story
her sale tnok up the pen and was
ins, IN the art ~ tonchiag the paper
when my wife called me- ran to her
aud found her ~ u d,ing condition.
having been attacked i,y rheumatism of
the heart
Have you ever attempted since 10
finish npA
Yes After my vii. hid been dead
~ several wears ! determined one
night to hmish the story. went to the
de-k, int hal no sooner dipped INV pen
IN the ink when noise Ia M ~ joining
toum attracted my attention. Hurrying
into ~" room ! T. NH my s,n living
On the iionr doai lle hal always becn
Ia wrctehc,l health aud had committed
suiclsle
DO ven ever expect to finish the
storsY-
expect io try again. II IN impos
"hle Tor IA" D. remain snperstitious.
even though ! may have powerful
cause fot duinR so bf course. all this
would have happened even II had not
h"gnn ~" story I think that next
Tuesday night. n feel like il. shall
devut" IA, self /" the completion of the
Noik. f"r ! desire ~ ae u in print.
tom" mp and -c" me start of.
We we're busy when Tuesday night
eain", anil cowardly confession were
not sptrv that sonething kept ~ away.
i"tlt "Wednesday morning We hurried
:" the house wlrro fer years the pro
irsscr hal lived Th. horrible Thought
sril'd ~ that he had taken mp his pen
!" finish the story aud had fallen dcad
Soin" timc 'lap~ei before W. had the
courage io ku, III nj the door. Al last
~e rapp"l
No answer.
Another rap.
No answer.
WITH hl"~l alnos, at freezing point.
ani With hair standing erect. We showed
"l"n The door The old man sat lean
m hack IA hts chair. eating pie.
luin" ~. he sail cbccrfully. You
"" have just finished that story. and
" ga'" m" an appetite for pie. Pies a
f"Hl thlnp to eat after Won finish mp
story. but yun want to wait until you
nro through writing"
hti You hear amy strange noiscsy"
W. sod when you began to write"
Well. ,".. 4 calf over IN the AL
l"nng yard laN lcd for while. oh.
-. '"n are thinking about that story |
uii N"h som" time ago. WHY. my
d'nr follow. Nuu should not hav. been
~ '"li~h ~ a. ha,. believed mo ]
h'''' ~as married you know. Have
s''uo PIE