The morning times., 1895-12-26
THE FINGER OF FATE.

her Only ErleI was not serious tHlIlES Ol
life, but tLat She could not take them as
seriously as she should.
For, withal, MauCe had great regard
70 for Gf63nyentionaIities f6 I Shen she married M all
proper age, in a nest uroIer and conyen'
tionai way, ana her husband wis the most
proper ana oonyentlai man ever met. He
was considerably older than his wife and
allowed her TO be happy rather than made
her so. a quiet, pfosalc iiie as MIS-. Full
some dld not ann the sunshine in her nature
She sometimes sighed Tor mere matronly
ways, but Eeyerlheless kept her girlishness
In time Mr.. Fuisome Gied. His death
was a great blow to Maude. think, and she
felt IL 10 tie full depth OF her nature. But
IN 1t there was little space for sorrow.
When ! called TO conuoie with her she
greeted me sadly. but soon we We're chat
ting with animation Suddenly a palned
lock came into her face.
Il do feel my SORROW" she said, "but
why can't show II? Why was l born sc
thougtnirsS?" / comforted Her as best i
could.
few days later ] received letter with
heavy black border. Ii was from Maude.
Il wish 10 visit some hospitals" it ran.
Would you mind going with me? j VIII
call for you tomorrow at =
There were no explanations but thought
at once that Maude wished TO seek de,
preston. OF herself she could not be suf'
ficently downhearted.
That very day there was a terrible acci-
dent on a suburban railway. Most OF the
injured, | read, were taken To ST. Johns
hospital.
Maude came promptly the next afternoon.
(which hospital do you wish to Nist!'
asked.
''St. Johns" she replied. Her choice did
not surprise Inc, and said nothing. nor did
We converse on the way down town. There
was a good deal OF Stir about the hospital.
People were coming and going. Some
showed the marks of present anxiety or
fresh sorrow, but the malorlty seemed cheer
ful almost happy. The hospital was much
more pleasant than the morgue. where
others were seeking friends or relatives.
Going in with the stream, we found our
selves in one of the main wards The big
room round-cornered. flanked on either
side by windows, through which the air and
sunlight entered, seemed the reverse OF de-
pressing. Many of the poor fellows in their
cots were smiling in spite OF being PROSTATE
and bandaSed. Some OF the SURVIVORS OF
the accident were in the room talking with
one another or with those who had been
less fortunate. The accident was the one
topic of conversation. II was discussed in
ali its miDutest details. Their spirits rose
with the reaction from the horror and with
the sense that they were safe.
We had passed but little way through
the room when Maude was stopped by a
tall, administered man, who addressed
her as q matter of course, and was soon
pouring into her ears glowing, and in parts
humorous, account OF his experience of the
day before.
i was lett somewhat apart and walked
over to n window between two cots. In
one OF them a man with a bandaged fore
head was lying with his chin pointing
upward ard MS lcdu lOrCeI We'll baCk INTO
the pillows. Standing almost over him, |
CHANGED to look down. In an instant his
expression was printed so iGdelibly in NV
memory as never to be effaced. Such a
look OF frozen horror | never saw upon a
human counteuance. With the marks OF
some past mental agony, there seemed to
be new and present terror 1 gazed upon
him as one fascinated.
Soon | saw that he observed me.
Am | to tell il to you?' l heard him
say, although his eyes scarcely moved.
Yet you come here and are Interested
he continued, his words, though scarcely
louder. becoming more audible. 1T might
take longer in the going over. Words are
slow. This constant recurrence this has
tened repetition. leading ME on, leading me
up again to that
The horror came to him anew and he
forced lis head vet farther back into the
pillow. Il must tell you. 1t puts it off. it
puts ii off" and he picked nervously at the
bedClothes.
He paused moment, while stood spell
bound.
For three years. he began again. II
have come to business on that train-the one
that was wrecked yesterday-andyesterd
l sat in the same seat with the man whose
wife / loved. He married her a short time
ago, taking my hope and leaving NV passion,
which remained to me- dishonOrable.
And coming in on tie tram he talked of
her, of how he loved her, of his happiness
in possessing her, until my hate toward him
became as black as my love for her had once
$50 back, indeed, became this hate. so
all-possessing, that after all the jar and
prolonged turmoil of the crash, when mans
greatest strength was IS utter helpiessness,
i saw him lying stunned and wounded and
hated him still.
His head lay between two beams one
above and one below. SO close was he that
/ could feel his breath upon my face. His
right hand was caught above my head I'm
something and blood flowed down his arm.
/ felt myself unhurt, but because of the
press of timber / could not move. He
seemed unconscious but daZed with pain.
'Soon we could hear from without the
work of rescue. Near by and above other
noises heard the blows of sledCe. saw
a renor in the beam above his head. 1t
was becoming dislodged and would fall and
crush him. One arm was free. / could
have reached out and saved him from the
peril. but did not. The hate for him, the
longing for her, were in my heart and I
Withheld my aid.
The blows of the sledge continued. more
slowly now, but with greater force. The
beam shook, ii slipped. it fell His head
cracked before my eyes and became un-
conscious.
when | regained my senses the wreck
age had been pulled apart and l was being
lifted out. l struggled to my feet and told
them | was not hurt, though one foot felt
down one cheek. / asked a doctor who was
working near for a bandagc for my head.
telling him | could put it on. He glanced
at me and gave me what / wished.
Il noticed piece of mirror upon broken
panel and limped toward it. that / might
see my hurt and bandage it properly. NY
face was grimed with dirt and strea ked with
blood. Clotted in my hair above my fore
head was" The man paused. his head
went back into the pillow and he seemed to
struggle with something that shook him in
the overcoming.
He soon recovered himself and continued:
Il looked closer II was''-another pause
his finger wedged and clotted with my
hair upon my forehead. Gazing at il. it
seemed TO burn into my brain and trace
there in livid fire the full horror of my
deed.
Il did not swoon. All human feeling
all human interest, all hope, even weakness,
seemed TO go.
Il put the bandage about my head. bind
ing in the flnger-his finger-torn from the
hand held above me when lei him perish.
II sat down upon some of the wreckage.
Two doctors came TO me. They said my
foot was crushed and | must go TO the hos
pital. j would not let them remove the
bandage from my head and as IL was well
put on and they were busy they let it stay
made known TO me my hands clasped con-
vulsyey and started back.
You cannot see it, be continued, OBJ
serving my increased agitation. ..It Is for
me, and me alone. 1t is his Judgment. 1t is
burning INTO my brain. II is pressing all
else out Something must WELD before it.
Death? The death of intellect, the death
of thought. His finger? More! II is the
finger of fater'
he raised his head from the pillow, as
he did SO observing Maude,. who had turned
TO LOOK for me. Perhaps, in his excite
mcnt, she reminded him OF the Innocent
cause Of all his misery and crime, for his
eyes appeared to leap in their sockets and
in a frenzy he cast Ills head back into the
pillow. saying, with an intensity that
warmed the blood which his tale had frozen
in my veins, Cor and | turned and left
him.
'.What dreadful delirium," said Maud.
who had seen his last agony. And how
pale you look. We would best be going"
As We were passing through the door l.