Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-16

H1lu 6u1u u ulIllSGIls
Everything in earth and heaven, if
may Use that word, favors my escape, and
points the road to freedom
CHAPTER VII
IN WHICH A SILENT PASSENGER IS DRIVER
INTO THE DARKNESS
Oddly enough, a. 9:3), jusE Il; Mr.. Joseph
Norbury was walking uD to tho door. of Mr..
Needham's house, tho door wa; open, and
the owner himself was taking off his coat
in the hall.
'.Ah!' he said, this is lucSy. | lett
word if you cat.e in my absence that there
was coffee, anil cigars, and wine, and soda,
AMI brandy, in tho library, and that /
hoped you would make yourself at home
tfelt sure l should be back in time, there
r %thsreabouts. l have been walking rs far
Is thu Bath hotel with an OLD friend from
Dublin, who is SO eccentric that ii, will
never trust himself in a cab or carriage III
London, and I had just let myself in with
ny latch key-bachelor fashion. Come in;
am very glad to Sc, YOU"
He shook Norbury's hand warmly and
;h,n, speaking US if addressing a servant
whom he p"ofessed to hear approaching, he
'a!d, :"lt is only l, Rogers. AMI Mr.. Nor
oury;' we can finl our way to the library,
and don lot us he disturbed"
The truth was he and Norbury were alone
in the house.
"Ilive very simply" he said, leading tho
way to the library; IAN old bachelor, and I
dislike giving trouble"
".hopo your servants appreciate your
consideration,' said Norbury.
sOh,i.yes, Think they do" lie answered.
snow sit in this chair; pray believe l am
sorry. not to have had the pleasure Of your
company at dinner. Asyou could not come,
tsimply, had a chop, md cleared up u little
business with my secretary. / hope you
will like these cigars"
H~abana*from tho box which his host pushed
toward him: 'sYou are very kind. The
disappointment is mine. My lawyer is an
old friend, and I could not well, on tho eve
OF leaving the country, obstruct his ar
rangements,. seeing that they We're chiefly
in my Interest,"
"Will you take coffeea I. have it here,
yon sec. No trouble"
He pointed to a silver cofre, urn, under
which was curling a thin blue fla me.
My butler had just placed it really as
we came ina little cafe noir."
THANK you" said Norbury.
The host assisted his guest and himself to
coffee. but Needham took no brandy.
"And what is your hotel in New YorA7'
1.-The New York. it is callel.n
'You have written them advising them
of your coming, of courses'
Eyes, l wrote about ten days Since"
always SO much pleasanter to he ex.
%pectel," said Needham. II have written
the letters I mentioned; l think they will
be of service toyou. You spoke of YOU.
sister last evening; is she likely to join
your.
'Oh, no. 1 do not expect to stay long;
moreover, she is engaged to be married,
and am rather a selfish fellow, 1 fear.
She has been my housckeeper ever since tho
death of my wife, and l hate parting with
her,"
just as a conjurer s~forces' a card upon
you, SO Needham by example seemed to
force the cafe noir OIL Norbury BIZ himself
drinking in q somewhat ostentatious way.
Then he led his guest into talking of his
illness, and the reasons why his doctor ad-
vised change, protesting to sympathize
with him, and at the same time telling hin,
OF the sudden death OF a friend who had
developed similar symptoms. Norbury was
thus" brought into a frame of mind that
might possibly prepare him to experience
Without surprise a sudden symptom of
illness.
for DEATH" he said, ''there was a
time when l had q horror OF it, but all that
passed.. away when / lost my wife. 1 am no
longer afraid of DEATH ave often wished
for it.. Don't you think our education upon
this matter is altogether wrong!'
I'm respect to the preparation for deathY'
asked 'Needham in reply, weighing his
words and pressing his feet upon the floor
as if to steady his nerves
Eyes. Many of the Oriental races have
no fear of death. The Chinese regard it as
nothing; tho Japanese will commit sthe
happy dispatch smilinsly. A Chinaman
doomed to the headsman finds a substitute
on payment of a sum Of money to his fam.
lily. Death being the only certain thing in
life, the penalty of life, we ought to accept
1t as q matter of course and not make a
horror of it. Children should be brought
up will these views"
dee l think you are right said
Needham; but 1 have never reflected
much upon death, and l can hardly realize
the conditions Of a man who could volun-
tarily take the place Of a condemned Grim
inal."
Some Door devil whose life was q fail
ure, and who really loved his family and
his death their release from poverty
and persecution, and particularly All Orien.
tal-could you not realiz, the idea of q
man counting death under such condi
tions!"
"Oh, yes, I think I could said Needbam.
but could better understand his fighting
to tbs last and then committing suicide.''
There l am not with you. Suicide is q
towards act We are here for veal or wo.
to run our course-''
But would not your Oriental friend who
gives himself up as a substitute for another
be practically guilty CT his WI death?n
All, to discuss that, Z" replied Norbury,
"would be to chop logic after the mannel
OF the grave diggers in Hamlet. After all
Mr.: Eeedham, the one great thing is to b
prepared. As Hamlet himself said, on hi
way to that fatal fencing bout, The readi
inesais ALL"
Al he. spoke Norbury sank slowly back ii
his chair.
Dear dearl" exclaimed Neeaham
"yon.are lila little brandy, the room i
Gloss, there is thunder in the air."
Taking. from the mantelshelf q silver Gu,
(Which contained a carefully ane
deadly dose OF oil Of almonds) he poured
Little brandy into 1t, shook it together, ant
pressing the emp to tina lips of his stupsfe:
guest forced the contents down his throat
And thea. ons hand clutchine the baak a
achair for support. be watched his victim