The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-02

sound which even In my miseries aroused
faint curiosity remembered sudden
ly that the Lawrences who occupied the
fiat above were away from the city.
What was the man doing at that door7
81 ascended the stairs noiselessly.
There was ray Of light above. 1t came
from a dark lantern in the hand Of q man
who kneeled before the door examining
the lock. In an instand wild and abb
surd thought came 10 me. ] drew my
my revolver and advanced upon this
man. He heard me and turned. Enough
OF the light from his lantern struck upon
his face TO show me picture Of fright.
This burglar evidently had not the cour-
age suited to his profession.
49, Don't be alarmed" said /. "If
you do what tell you and do it promptly,
| will let you CO.
"He looked at the revolver, and then
he uttered sort OF growl which resolved
itself at last into the words What do
you want?'
"With my left hand struck a match
and lit the gas in the hall in order to
have light enough to shoot by. "Come
with me" said, and made him go down
the flight Of stairs carrying his tools with
him.
"Now," said I, "you have nippers in
that little bag. Turn the key in this
lock-" He did 1t, for he had no choice.
| assured myself that the door could be
opened with the small latch key. My
heart beat like trip hammer. l had no
voice to tell the burglar he might go. l
waved my hand and he vanished in a
second Then entered.
"The hall was bare; no curtains hung
before the parlor door. The windows
stared at me. Enough light shown in
from the street to show room absolutely
empty. My wife's name came from my
! lips in tone such as man may use when
he pleads for mercy in the face OF death
and has no hope.
"I raised the pistol, which was still in
my hand and then whispered to myself,
Not here Even the bare walls, l
thought, retained some sacred memory
of her which stayed my hand. That
room, said, had to me the one chance
Of my life; and | had thrown it away
but would not die there. ] would at
least hide my disgrace from the eye OF
mecenary curiosity. / wished no such
epitaph as the papers would be likely to
give me.
"As for death itself it had already
come. When | turned to leave that
room there was upon me the peace which
is the reward OF the good man and the
! pardon of the evil doer-the common lot
of us all. If there had been any hope in
my soul that could ever make amends
to her would have lived in torment if
necessary to do it. But l had utterly
despaircd Of myself.
al tell you, Harry, was dead when l
left that room. The function of loco
motion was all that distinguished me
from one who had passed through the
great change. My mind had ceased to
exist and my heart to suffer. Doubtless
muscular energy of my frame would have
carried me to the actual physical con
summation of suicide; but mentally l
had died OF despair and degradation.
81 passed down the stairs, opened and
closed the outside door and stood upon
the step. In the sky was the glimmer
of dawn. The physical sense which yet
survived in me perceived il and was
more weary of living at the sign OF re-
viving life and tumult and struggling.
The soul was gone and the body was i'm
patient for dissolution.
"And yet the habits of this life per-
sist strangely in the body. What do
you suppose, Harry, that this present
shell of my spirit did when ceased to
direct itl"
shook my head.
"Well, sir, it walked fifty-six feet to
the left-the width of two city lots
turned to the left again and entered a
house. IL mounted two flights of stairs,
opened door, and walked into a pretty
little parlor. Then it passed into room
where a dim lgh, burned and woman
lay asleep with one white arm stretched
ont rs if it to greet man whom she
loved. My bodily eyes saw that, and
then my soul came back. fell upon my
knees beside that bed and covered the
white hand with kisses.
THAT'S the story, Harry. The soul
when it came back to me was better than
before. 1t can resist temptation; it can
do its own will, being no more the slave
of that witch who poisoned my blood
centuries ago, perhaps; and above oil, 1t
can love without fear, being now suff-
ciently in harmony with what it loves to
! feel secure"
"Of course you don't need ~ be told
that it wasn't Saturday morning." he
continued. THAT paper in my office was
almost week old. | had been uncon-
scious from drink not more than six
hours. AS for my getting into the wrong
house, discovered the next day that the
man who built that block of flats got his
locks and keys cheaper 10y having them
all alike. One of the reasons why we
moved out; and yet l forgive him for his
parsimony. Indeed, bless him for 1t.
Otherwise l might not have died. aud if
| had not died could not have lived the
new life. Charles w. Hooke, in Brook
lyn Times.