The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-19

not ike TO leave the world with the
| chances of my wife and child going to
| the workhouse or to be chargeable on
/ the parish after my death. You would
wish to leave your money to some one in
/ PARTICULARS it not so?'
l. "Of course l should like to leave my
money, property-of course-yes!
never thought of making my will"
you must also remember, Tom, that
it would never do to die deliberately, In
the way we both wish to die, without
leaving to the world our reason for the
act. You would not wish your name to
be a by-word and be cause Of derision
to any one, 1 am sure and am certain
don't wish my own to be so. Therefore
we must draw out our reasons for dy-
ing?'
"Do you know, Jack, I never thought
of that!''
''Well, then, first put your knife down
on the cushion there, and then we will
set to work. I've plenty of paper in my
bag and plenty of lead in my pencil, and
| we've the whole night before u.s."
A tremble of my hand, quiver in my
voice, would have been fatal. l opened
: the bag and drew forth the writing
, paper. The knife was on the cushion at
my side.
| "Now, Toni let us first state our rea
sons to the world for wishing to die to,
night by our own hands. If ycu will
dictate to me your reasons, l will write
them down, and then we will revise and
correct them. After that l will dictate
my own to you and you shall write them.
We shall be able 10 do our work well and
quickly"
"Quite right, Jack; we ought to give
them our reasons. How odd that
never thought of that. Let me see; if l
Kill you first might write them out
afterward.n
s:Ah, but you will write out mine2
Don't be selfish; there's good chap"
sIo be. sure Well are: you ready2''
HGbegan- debating Tong and iowery
sentences. Now and again inter-
aAptef his fow w.of language to gain time:
This kcft him thoroughly occupied and
Interested, while the train sped on at ex-
EFess rate = He, had nearly finished his
lApg. rambling dictation, when to my in
e4prcssible dclight4 felt the speed of
the train slackening. knew my chance
OF deliyerance was near.
'sRead over for yourself what I have
written, ~ said to him. 'eThe carriage
ffs very close-a little fresh air will do us
IKood l will make any corrections you
may require a. .---@-ss, ~-+'>'---s ',--r
Ir.I sat ipns the knife and reachad osert to
IQXer,, the GLASS. "A slight fumbiing
4eeGssftated my rising to manage better
En6sfFhe knife was in my lefthand con-
ceaIed under my coat. I turaed around
I to look at my old friend, and saw him
trying intently to read my scribble by
the light of the lamp, seemingly uneon-
scious of the stopping of the train. In
another moment the glass descended, the
knife. dropped upon.=the; platform, my
hand was thrust through tAe:Nindow and
len the handle sof sthea 81 oefss HhE tEtiu
NEARLY stopped asI jumped -eut, shut shut the
door and held the handle FIRMLY. Peer
Raven was then quite engrossed with
what had written for him. / called the
guard, and secretly and quietly the por-
tiers were assembled over the platform at
the door of the carriage.
''Come, Tom, this is SwindoD Let us
have cup of coffee!" | called him
through the window.
In that moment the spell was broken.
l saw him look for his knife, then rush
to the window at the opposite side, but
we were too quick and too powerful for
him. The guard, two porters and 1
jumped into the carriage, and he was
secured.
My best friend, with brilliant future
before him and in the ripe portion of his
life was raving maniac, and has re-
NAMED sO-insane from that time-one
of the many victims to overwork.
l need scarcely add the case which
Raven had represented to me as calling
him to Exeter was an entire fabrication,
and was invented by him as a part of the
scheme which, in his madness, he had nc
doubt seriously imagined would be fo'
the benefit of us both.
That terrible night can never be eff
faced from my memory, and 1 can never
sufficiently congratulate myself on hav-
ing SO fortunately thought of the expe
dient which answered so admirably
"Writing for life"