The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-02-28
The Unfinished Man
uscrlpt.
Arkansaw Traveller.

some time ago the writer VISITED
Prof. CABINET, of Little Rock. Ark, and
while sitting in the library, engaged in
conversation with the entertaining gen
tleman. observed roll of manuscript
tied with q strip of black cloth. We
asked him if it was something designed
for publication.
1T 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 muslng,
hearse passed the house, and" here
the sentence broke of. Requesting. al
most imploring, the professor to tell us
the history of the curious manuscript,
he finally consented.
Il came to Arkansas when | was a
Young man. One night l sat in my
library writing a story for magazine.
| was in good health and had cause to
feel elated over the success | had j. st
attained by the publication of small
volume of sketches, but sill | 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 rapiditv until l wrote, A hearse
passed the house and Here | stop
ped. A strange presentiment told me
that / would never finish the sentence.
Next day took up my pen to finish it.,
but had not touched the paper with
the pen when 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. |
put my manuscript away and devoted
myself to my new acquaintance; 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.
l did not like to confess my foolish
fears, and finally l told her that l
would The next night, after my wife
had gone to bed, 1 took down the story
and read it over l would finish it for
her sake. l took up the pen and was
Just in the act of touching the paper
when my wife called me. l ran to her
and found her in a dying condition,
having been attacked by rheumatism of
the heart"
Have you ever attempted since to
finish it?'
Yes. After my wife had been dead
TOR several years l determined one
night TO finish the story. I went to the
desk, but had no sooner dipped my pen
in the ink when noise in an adjoining
room attracted my attention. Hurrying
into the room | 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
storv?"
Il expect to try again. 1t is impos
sible for me to remain superstitious,
even though l may have a powerful
cause for doing so. OF course. all this
would have happened even if l had not
begun the story. | think that next
Tuesday night. if feel like it, shall
devote myself 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
fessor had lived The horrisle 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" he said cheerfully. You
see have just finished that story, and
it gave me an appetite for pie. Pies q
good thing to eat after you finish up q
story, but you want to wait until you
are through writing
Did you hear any strange noises p
we asked. when you began to write
We'll, yes. A calf over in the 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. Have
some pie"