The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-07
"Tha. is a question upOn which


 "It is question though" he con- tinued, "which concerns me very much. My suffering daily increases, but dom, see that am approaching the grave with that degree of acceleration which prom ises an early relief from pain. have often thought that in my case, a man would be justi6able in taking his own life. It looks to me as though am re- lenuessly tortured"
 hardly knew what reply to make, foI felt that the old man had cause to com plain, but after few moments of rehec. ton, said:
 Wait. No matter how much you may be racked by pain, wait. You surely cannot live much longer"
 A light of encouragement shone in his eyes as he said:
 "Ah, those are pleasant words"
 After this fancied that he was not so restless. He continued to take medi- cine, to allay pain rather than to prolong life, he said. He wrote several strangely readable articles for the Cal FIsh. I don't know, that with all my experience in handling manuscripts, have ever seen handwriting so peculiar as his. A number of our citizens who saw it re- marked its dissimilarity to any chirog- raphy they had ever ieheld, and among them the old man was known as the curious scribe.
 One evening, as was about to leave the office, he followed me to the door. "Mr. Buck" said he, |" think now that my time is short"
 He looked as though he wanted to smile, but that his poor old lips had lost the movement necessary to the reflection of so pleasing an expression.
 "Why do you think so, MT. Withers p
 "l dreamed last night that was dead. I thought that lay down in quiet rest, like tired man who goes te bed"
 "I don't think that you should sleep here alone"
 "Yes," he replied. "The presence of anyone would disturb my meditations. l have an impression that will die sud- denly. An attendant would do no good, and would rob the first few hours of my long coveted sleep of that deep solitude which desire shall surround me"
 As was walking down the road to- ward the house where boarded on long time and short rations, met Squire Duval.
 "Well, Buck" when l had stopped and shaken hands with him, Chow is the curious scribe getting along~
 "Almost cheerful in the thought that he is soon to leave us," replied.
 "S.range old man, migh.y queer, but I don't think that his minds altogether out O whack. Him an me agrees putty well here O late, fur I've mighty nigh made spiritualist outen him. 'Tuther day when he 'peered to be SO dead sot on suicide, said to him, says I, With CTS, don't do it. If you do, your grade will be low. Live on, even if you do suffer, an your grade will be high.'"
 The next morning, as was going to the office, l overlook the squire near the place where had met him the day be- fore. "Bleve I'll go with you," said he, "an' have few moments chat with the old feller."
 There was no lock on the office door, and lifting the latch, we entered. Great GodI The old mans body lay on the floor. His head, with the face turned toward us, lay on the imposing stone. A bloody-an awful scene On the stone, near the head, lay sheet of paper cov- cred with the old mans peculiar writing. Almost breathlessly, read these words:
 "You will be surprised to find my head up here and my body on the floor. You do not see how it is possible for man to cut off his head and place it where he chooses and then throw his body on the floor. It is singular, but you see for yourself. How would you 20 about such performancep Ten to one you would fail"
 CHAPTER III.
 Never before or since have seen such excitement in town. It was useless to deny that the note had been written by the curious scribe, but the old man could not have entirely severed his own head from his body, and, even could he have done 90, he could not have placed it on the stone. Why any one should have mur- dered him no one could conceive. Ex- pert detectives came and spent days in looking for clue, but went away puz- zled. Squire Duval declared that the old man had been aided by bad spirits.