Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-02-08

| know it to be, is UNIVERSAL? ] am nv.
self not conscious of it.
"Oh. hut it is in your system for
all that" replied Helberson; lit needs
only the right conditions-what
Shakespeare calls the con fedeate sea
son'-to manifest itself in some very
disagreeable way that will open your
eyes Physicians and soldiers are, OF
course, more nearly free from it than
others"
physicians and soldiers! Why
don't you add hangmen and heads
men? Let US have in all the assassin
classes"
No, my dear Mancher; the juries
will not let the public executioners
acquire sufficient familiarity with
death to be altogether unmoved by 1t
under ordinary circumstances"
Young Harper. who had been help
ing himself to fresh cigar at the side
board resumed his seat What
would you consider conditions under
which any man or woman born would
become insupportablyc conscious of his
share of our common weakness in this
regard?" he asked, rather yer bosely.
well, ! should say that If man
were locked up all Night with a corpse
-alone-in dark room-of vacant
house-with no bed-covers to pull over
his head-and lived through it without
going altogether mad-he might justly
boast himself not of woman born, nor
yet, like Macduff, a product of the
Casarean operation"
Il thought you never would finish
piling up conditions" said Harper;
but | know a man who is neither Il
ply nor soldier who will ac-
cept them all for any stake you like to
name"
''Who is hep"
His name is Jarette-a stranger il,
California; comes from my town in
New York l haven't any money to
back him, but he will back himself
with dead loads of it"
How do you know that?"
He would rather bet than eat As
for fear l dare say he thinks it some
cutaneous disorder, or possibly p par
ticuIar kind of religious heresy''
wv hat does he look lilSe?' Helber-
son was evidently becoming greatly in
terested.
Like Mancher, here-might be his
twin brother
II accept the challenge" said Hell
terson, promptly.
'Awfully obliged to you for the com-
pliment, I'm sure" drawled Man cher,
who was growing sleepy. Can get
into this?"
Not against me" Helterson said.
Il don't want your money"
"All right" said Mancher "rll be
The corpse"
The others laughed.
The outcome of this crazy conversa-
ton we have seen.
in exiting hing its meagre allow
ance of candle Mr. Jarette's was to
preserve it against some unforeseen
neei, He may have thought too, or
haf-thought that the darkness would
be no worse at one time than another,
and if the situation became insupport-
able it would he better to have means
of relief, or even release. At any rate,
it was wise to have little reserve Of
light oven If only to enable him to
'ool1 at his watch.
No sooner had he blown out the can
die and set it on the floor at his side
than he settled himself comforta bly, in
the armchair, leaned back and closed
his eyes, hoping and expecting tosieep
In this he was disappointed; he had
never id his life felt less sleepy and in
few minutes he gave up the attempt
But what could he do? He could not
go cropping bout in the bsolute dark
ness at the risk of bruising himself
at the risk, too, of laundering against
the table and rudely disturbing the
dead We all recognize their right to
lie at rest with immunity from all
that is harsh and violent Jarette al
most succeeded in making himself be-
lieve that consid erations of that kind
lision and fixed him to the chair
While thinking of this matter he
fancied that he heard faint sound in
the direction of the table-what kind
of sound he could hardly have ex-
planned. He did not turn bis head
Why should he-in the darkness? But
he listened-why should he not? And
listening, he grew giddy and grasped
the arms of the chair for support
There was strange ringing in his
ears; his head seemed bursting; his
chest was oppressed by the construction
of his clothing He wondered why it
was so. and whether these were symp-
toms of fear. Suddenly, with long and
strong expiration his chest appeared
to collapse, and with the great gasp
with which he refilfed his exhausted
lungs the vertigo lie # him, and he knew
that so intently had he listened that
he had held his treath almost to su flo
cation. The revelation was vexatious;
he rose, pushed away the chair with
his foot and strobe to the centre of the
room. But one does not stride far IN
darkness; he began to grope, and fnd-
ing the wall followed it to an angle,
turned, followed it past the two win
dows, and there in another corner
came into. violent contact with the
reading-stand, returning il. 1t made
clatter which startled him. He was
annoyed. How the devil could / have
forgotten where it WASP he murmured,
and CROPPED his way along the third
wall to the fireplace 81 must put
things to rights" said Mr.. Jarette,