The Republican., 1889-11-30

and drank until the bar-keepef re-
fused to let me have any more liquor.
There were other places, though, where
the condition of the customers was
not so tenderly considered, and |
had no difficulty in finding them and
getting all the vile poison asked for.
/ remember staggering down to the
water front, and then all was a blank
until 1 opened my eyes and foundmyself
with a bandaged head and slashed
shoulder in the surgical ward of the city
and county hospital. had to lie on my
left side because of the cut, and. so
living. could see that in the bed next
to mine there was propped up boy with
the bed-clothes raised over frame-
work about his legs. learned after
ward that the framework coveredwhere
his legs should have been, for the little
chap had had them both cut Of, He
was a news-boy, he told me, and had
tried to get on car to sell his papers,
when he missed his footing and fell be-
meath the wheels. He did moi know
what he was going to do withnt his
legs, he said, but he guessed things
would turn out all right, especially as
he had survived the shock of theopera-
ton. He was very pale, but vry pa
tient; very helpless, but very hpeful;
and the doctor, in making his rouds in
the afternoon, said there was noeason
why he should not be using a goart in
another week or two. l swear oyop,
sir, that heard the doctor say A. b
unalloyed pleasure and Wins
that he spoke the truth, yet thatt4rt
night the boy died, and was tstru-
mental in his death.
sit must have been about threB O'Clock
in the morning when l awol, all In a
shiver. The little fellow wassitting up
and crying. 1 asked him tie matter,
and he said he did not know, but that
he was miserably afraid Of something
and asked me to take his hand. AS
reached out to do this, Ifelt the old
| awfulness come over me, Ind, knowing
what this meant, drew back my hand
with cry, and prepared 70 leap out Of
bed and run-anywhere. With my first
movement, however, thep glided into
view from behind me tn, pallid-faced
Angel of Death. Coming between the
beds with no sound in the sweep of its
shroud-like garments, ana with no re-
lenting in it's marble eyes it seized my
hand and laid it in that the wonder
ing boy. Even as l took he poor, thin
hand in mine, it grew nlmb, but the
weeping ceased, and with faint cry of
| ~ Col 1n1
passed"
Again he was silent, and was silent,
too. What, thought, does the fellow
mean? Is he taking me tor credulous
old man; is he in earnest, Or is he mur-
dering lunatic? The latter idea was i'm
pressively persistent, and l concluded
that it was wise to be as quiet as l could
and to get rid of him as speedily as pos
sible. So got up, threw the end of my
cigar away and yawned, as said: Every
remarkable story, but"
Then he rose, too Don't say any
thing further, sir" he said; Il under
stand exactly your sentiments, or, rather,
1 should say, your doubts. You doubt
my truthfulness, perhaps my innocence,
and possibly my sanity"
Now this was getting too close TO
mind-reading to be comfortable, so
tried another tack. A u
"Now, look here" said, plainly, "do
you mean to tell me that your stoT is
true one?"
Il began by telling you that, sir" he
said; lit is as sadly and unaffecedly
true as that nature is mans bittrest
enemy; or, if that is too argumentatve a
protest, then let me say that it is astrue
as that we stand here. lam miserable
man, possessed of the Angel of Death" "
"Then, for Heavens sake" | eX-
claimed, with some excitement, why
do you tell me your story when, atthe
same time, you know the dangers that
hang to the relation? Are you expert
menting in some devilish way on me-?
With that a strange thing occurred.
He leaped in peculiar way backwards
and then to the top of the piazza railing
steadying himself there by grasping
one of the uprights. Waving the dis
engaged hand toward my open window
he called aloud in his great booming
voice: Get in, sir, and bolt your window
and lock your door, too. Go quick, and
remember this: When nert yOu see me-
shuae me as you could the rider Of the pail
horse himself"
l may as we'll tell the truth; got into
my room in very short order, and Itook
especial pains to secure every means Of
ingress. The fact of the matter is had
bad case of nervous disorganizaticn-
funk we used to call it when was boy
1 did not even go to bed that night, but
sat up with the lights burning, waiting
! for did not know exactly what. l dc
| know, though, that when the morning
came had my things packed, and wen
quaking down the stairs and took the
early train for San Francisco.
By the time we had reached Los An
geles, had measurably recovered my
equanimity and was busily trying tt
convince myself that had business NJ
North which required my presence there
The train was by no means crowded and
had a section to myself, with no one tc
object to the rather selfish disposition
of my belongings on both seats. 1 felt
the necessity of company, however, and
| just before we reached San Fernando, ]
went into the smoker, wheD three
| lively drummers were making the air
IL al