The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-13


of amy Of the ways which would have
suggested themselves 20 me in my normal
condition. There was a newspaper on
my desk. NV ewes rested upon il without
intent, but as least one word seemed 70
detach itself frcm the page. II was the
dav OF the week IN the date line Of the
paper, and that day was Friday, then it
was already too late
There was % pistol in drawer Of my
desk, and. somehow. though my hands
trembled so that I could hardly hold a
key, ! managed 20 open the lock and a Z
last 10 secure the weapon. Yet IL seemed
an idle and cowardly thing 70 do, to die
without a struggle, TO accept the COuse-
quences Of my fall as final put the
pistol in my pocket and fastened from
the office. But one thought was in my
mind, TO learn the worst at once. She
would forgive me certainly. Even a
brother can claim seventy times seven,
and | with far more potent right would
plead again. This fail should be my last.
at seemed was at home as if by
magic The key turned in the street
door. l climbed the dark stairs and
came to the third landing GREATNESS with
my haste The small key turned in the
lock, but the door did not open There
was nothing alarming about that; Alice
often used The second lock to make her
self more secure.
"Alice!'' I called, and shook the door.
There was no response. I listened. Sud
denly there was a confused sound within,
a murmur as of the weeping of one who
is exhausted with the shedding of tears.
1t was almost relief TO find that she was
there We had no friends to whom she
could 20 in an emergency, but if the rooms
were bare she might have taken refuge
even with comparative strangers. 1 spoke
her name again 1t seemed as if the
noise within ceased. I thought that she
was coming to the door, but she did not.
Certainly she had heard me.
Did she deliberately exclude me
Had she learned Of my debauch2 Had
been guilty of something more disgrace
full than drunkennessi In the darkness
which concealed the last three days what
madness and folly lay, forgotten but ire
vocably written in my past? But per
haps she was asleep. made a loud noise
at the door, as loud as I dared, fearing
to let the other inmates in the house
know Of my disgrace. There was no ans
wer.
Confused, alarmed and utterly sick at
heart. / sank down upon the floor and sat
there leaning against the wall. | do not
know how long. At times I felt resent
ment against her, an d then I excused my
own fault with weak arguments; again,
fell into abject pleading, with my lips al
most against the door. And then in des-
peration, I thought Of the WEAPON in my
pocket, and was on the brink of death.
Yet through it all one idea grew stronger
as the others faded; l longed to see her
again. Pledges rose TO my lips which no
man could utter and then violate; which
no woman could hear unmoved, from one
she loved
1T came into my mind to burst the
door, and L had got upon my feet to make
the effort when | was aware of the sound
of some person ascending the stairs below
me- l had no wish to be discovered in
such plight, and so put my back against
the door and kept quite still The hall
was as dark as q coffin. l did not see the
man who passed me nor did he have q sus-
picion of my presence. He went mp the
stairs to the next landing and there
paused ] waited for the noise of the
doors closing, but it did not come. In
stead, heard light, peculiar sound
which even IN my miserieS aroused
faint curiosity. l remembered suddenly
that the Lawrences who occupied the fat
above were away from the city What
was this man doing at their doorl
II assembled the stairs noiselessly.
There was a ray, of light above. 1t came
from dark lantern in the hand of man
who kneeled before the door examining
the lock. In an instant wild and alb
surd thought came to me. I drew my re-
volver 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 courage
suited his profession.
" Don't be alarmed said l. If you do
what tell you and do it promptly, / will
let you go
"Helooked at the revolver, and then he
uttered sort of growl which resolved
itself at last into the words what do you
want2'
with my left hand struck match
and lit the gas in the hall in order to have
light enough to shoot by Come with
me- l said, and made him go down the
fight of stairs carrying his tools with
him
Snow" said ], "you have 'nippers in
that little bag Turn the key in this
lock- He did it for he had no choice. l
assured myself that the door could be
opened with the small latch key. My
heart beat like a trap hammer ] had no
voice to tell the burglar he might go.
waved my hand ana he vanished in 4
second. Then I entered.
The hail was bare; no curtains hung
before the parlOr door The windows
stared at me. Enough light shoue in
from the street to show room absolutely
empty. My wife's name came from my
lips in tone such as d man may use when
he pleads for mercy in the face of death
and has no hope
Il raised the pistol which was still in
my hand and then ! whispered TO myself
not here Even the bare walls, I
thought, retained some sacred memory of
her which stayed my hand. In that
room, ! said. had come to me the one
chance of my life, and l had thrown it
away; but would not die there. / would
Ut least hide my disgrace from the eye of
mercenary curiosity l wished no such
epitaph as the papers would be likely 10
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 l could ever make amends to her |
would have lived in torment if necessary
to do it. But l had utterly despaired of
myself.
Il tell you, Harry, was dead when I
left that room The function Of locomo-
tion was all that distinguished me from
one who has passed through the great
change uMy mind had ceased TO exist and
my heart to suffer Doubtless the
muscular energy of my frame
would have carried me to the actual
physical consummltion of suicide; but
mentally l had died of despair, of degra-
0atiOn