Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-03-07

are peculiarly placed. We both own es-
Iates which we shall probably never part
with during cur lifetimes. On either of
these there is family vault. The
chances of one of us being buried in each
of those vaults must be excessively
strong"
I'm the name of everything I'M
earthly" said Gerald, as his friend
paused what can you be driving atY'
"Simply this" replied Louis, whose
manner and tones were now as calm as II
he had been passing Judgment on some
very ordinary and prosaic question; lit
would give me great satisfaction If you
would make a compact with me, and
the compact to which allude has been
Dne whose most minute detail | have
carefully thought out" He went on
speaking for some little time after this,
and, as he finally paused, Gerald gave an
exclamation of acute surprise.
Twill Iagree" rang his words. why,
Lou, it's altogether too crazy kind of
schemel Just imagine my going alone
at midnight into the vault where you're
lying deadr
Il somehow haven't been Imagining
that" returned Louis, with quaint
little motion of the head 1--WE the
fancy, Gerald, that shall survive you
and perhaps by number of years. You
see, Tn not especially strong of consti-
tuition, yet live quiet life and put no
tax upon my forces of endurance. You,
however, who are as strong as an OK,
pay very little heed to your physical
powers. You're like man who draws
thoughtlessly on a large bank account,
and who may wake up some morning
to find his check politely returned by the
paying teller. l, ON the other hand, am
like man with small deposit, yet who
treats it in most economic spirit. and
hence makes no mistake about the sur
plus that he might rely upon in case of
any sudden embarrassment"
Gerald gave one of his loud, joyous
laughs, and got up from his chair, going
to window and staring out of it, with
both hands thrust into his pockets.
81 see, Lou he said, "you calculate
confidently on my dying before you do"
"Oh, not confidently. But
eyes, l understand. Well, this COM
pact could be carried out by the suryi-
vor, of course, and in absolute solitude,
as you say. You could receive from me
key to our vault. l from you key to
yours. Say that 1 died before you did.
On the first night following my death
you could steal to the vault, unlock it
and wait inside with a lighted candle
for the space of three hours, after hav-
ing removed the lid of my coffin, SO as
to make my face and part of my form
clearly visible. Then you could en-
deavor by every possible effort of will to
receive some sign from me that was
aware of your vigil. All this, as you
propose it, my boy, might be perfectly
cticable-that is, provided | were not
lost at sea, buried abroad, hanged for
murder and afterward claimed by the
physicians or
"Oh, now you're laughing at me-
struck in Louis, with hurt information.
"No, I'n not" protested Gerald. 81
merely want to remind you that, although
such extravagances as these can be
played in real life, discovery subjects
those concerned in them to good deal
of severe ridicule."
But he soon saw that any attempt at
arguing Louis out of his ''fad" would
be wholly futile. As far as feeling ter
CHASTITY compact, Gerald could regard
the prospect of doing SO with entire
calmness. Indeed, as an act that would
supposedly involve nerve and pluck, its
possible undertaking rather amused him
than otherwise. Still, he would perhaps
have discountenanced the entire project
as both frivolous and sensational but for
a thought that now came to him, born of
his loyal friendship. What if he should
humor this whim of Louis, in the hope
that by so doing the persistent mood of
melancholy might be dissipated?
1t was matter of modification to him,
several hours later, when he reflected
upon what he had done. The terms of
the compact into which he had now en-
tered with Louis pledged him to abso-
lutte secrecy, otherwise he might have
informed his mother of the strangely
acquiescent part that he had played, To
obtain a duplicate key of the family
vault was more difficult task for him
than for Louis, since in one case the
hactCi VI SAioIS ASCucu bub W Gill;
ploy locksmith, and in the otherit was
necessary for Gerald to hunt through
closets and odd corners, and always with
a sense of ultimate failure. But sud-
denly one morning he found the object
of his search, and to make the desired
exchange with Louis was thenceforth
easy enough.
There were now but few days left
Gerald before his return to college, and
during that time he failed to notice
much change in his friend. Perhaps,
however, the attention which he paid
Louis was in a manner molested and
thwarted by semi-farewell meetings and
talks with Brenda. Gerald found him.
self perpetually quarreling with the girl
he had now grown to adore. 1t some
times seemed to him that Brenda, in the