Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-25

Bah, what a coward am" he cried.
fearing TO leap into necessary death
with my face toward il. suppose |
have a woman's nerve just now; 1 mus;
humor myself like woman"
He turned about breasting the sill
and lowering himself steadily down till
all his body hung down against the
wooden wall suspended only by the
finger tips. And. then he saw some
thing which caused such revuls:On OF
feeling that he was within an ace OF
relaxing his old and being dashed TO
rags in the street below.
Gradually, however, his muscles stiff
fened again. and he drew himself up
and fell faint and trembling on the
board floor of his bedroom. Screwed
to the jamb of the window was stout
eyebolt; fastened to this was long coil
of rope. These things are the ordinary
accompaniment of American hotel bed
| rooms anywhere above the first floor.
and Carr had seen them scores OF times
| before Still feeling sick and dizzy,
| Carr gathered himself up from the
floor and with trembling fingers set
about casting the rope from its coil.
| The stuff tangled. and in his nasty
! clumsiness he tied il into hard knots.
| Time was wasted.
At last. however. the long. snaky
| length of rope was tCng out OF the
| window: and gripping it with his hands
and legs. the fugitive started his de-
! scent He was no practiced climber.
| and the rough hemp ate the skin from
| his hands as it passed through them
! but such an Inconvenience was only
! ger encOmpassed him. During his
/ delay the ire had gained in strength
and fiercenesS. and torrents of yellow
blaze were pouring from dozens OF the
windows.
He had to pass through two Of these.
and emerged a each lower end stified
ard blackened. But the rope remained,
hanging like thin. black snake in the
| heart Of the licking tongues OF fire, get
ting deeper and deeper charred every
moment How long would II continue
to hold him?
Fully conscious of his new peril. he
let the cord slip past HIM still more rap
idly. till it felt as though his hands
were being cut through to the very
bone by Il red-hot saw; and then-it
broke.
He felt a numbing lush through the
air. Earring thud rs OF ten thousand
eartiiauakeS. suns shooting before his
eyes-and that was all. Oblivion held
him entirely.
Later on the doctor presented the
patient, over whom there had been
some controversy, with 4 paper which
contained 4 lengthy account of the fire,
and the patient marveled 1T the inven-
tive powers of Chicago journalists.
| When. however. lie came to the list OF
the killed, about which there could not
well be any sentimental romancing. he
put the paper down with start. For
awhile he lay still with his eyes on
the ceiling Then his glance descended
again and rOved round the ward rather
guilty. Finding that no one was no
ticinG him. he once more picked up the
paper. Yes. there 1t was, in uncOm-
promising black and white, described
with grues0me adjectives and Carr OF
Wingford. England. Curiosity made
him search further among the columns,
and he found the method of his death
described with gruesome adjectives and
startling headlines. This last owned
to being imaginative. as it mentioned
that he had never been seen alive after
retiring for the night.
Yet it was a bad conjecture Of what
might have occurred 10 man who was
slowly suffocated to death.
Again the paper huttered to the floor,
and again Cars eyes sought the cell
ing. He was thinking very hard in
deed. and couldn't quite make up his
mind to something. y course seemed
open before him, Il course which had
some drawb backs but multitude OF
good points. For one thing, it would
ease him forever of his wife, who has
tDrmenteQ his rove lutO SOulelHlUS dhlD
to hatred; for another
The doctor came and broke into his
revcrie.
Say, friend l want to know your
name. The hotel registers are burned
and the papers wish TO print list OF
survivors, so that we may tot up will
more accuracy how many poor wretches
are missing. It's been sad business
this, all around; a mighty sad business
Many deaths, and-what did you say
YOUR lame was, SIR
1t was now or never The choice hai
to be made or the chance missed.
"Carey."
The doctor noted It down on his cuff
"Initials, please?"
"Henry CT
"Where of? You're English, l cues:
isn't that so:''
"Yes, Londoner."
"Thanks. l won't ask you how yOl
like our city, because, perhaps, YOU'VE
got rather bad first impression. Blu