Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-06-26
THE BIGGER FOOL.
ICopyright, 1895. l

So this was the end Virginia would not be his wife. She loved another so she said But he knew better. How could she love any one else when he loved her wild ly, madly? What was thcrr left now to him? The past-evcry glance backward would be as q dash of salt on an open wound. Every smilc of Virginin's $ that he recalled would be a fresh tear in his blecd- ing heart.
 The futurc-what was there in itg He had built up world for himself around Virginia and now that the center was gone the whole was great blank void.
 What was tho uSc in striving if he had no goal in view?
 When the driving wheel of a great en- zine stops, all the wheels connected with it stand still. A pulley shaft may turn idly for second or two after, but in the end there is silCncc-rcst.
 That was the word-rCst. But whcrcE He knew where but his mind refused to rccognize it by its proper name. Suicide! Oh, no, not that. Yet he walked toward the river.
 The above is but frrhly effort to indi cate the workings vf Mr.,'dilh's mind on this evCntful night. Thsr' iS no modcSty in saying that it k hr' feeble attempt. It was inpudcncr tn l:.:a...' thr trial at all. For Meredith wLs younE. He was very young, not only in yv.srS, but in cXpri encc. And this w;,S his first love. It is well enough to admit that il was love Meredith had sworn that it was, and he was very much in earnest when he said it. Virginia was bcautiful too. Meredith had sworn that also.
 But she had refused to marry him. He l had left the houso with wild thoughts surging through his brain. On the crest of every thought surge was borne the one idea-SuiCidC!
 Meredith reached the river almost before he knew it. He had taken no heed of time or place. Now, as he stood on tho wharf l in the shadow of a building, Inc heard the | city clocks strike the hour of midnight. When dayli,h hrukc, Il" would have es- | capped into another world. He took off his CuIt and vest, then his | hat and then his shoes. He did this with out purpose. His only thought was to sink himself with his great sorrow in that black | water which gurglrd and swirlcd around | the piles under tho pier. Then he took the plunge. Tho first dash into the water was a shock which, for tho | moment, stillcd the tempest in his mind. | As hc came to the surface and shook the water from his hair and brushed it from his eyes he decided to float with the tidc for moment before sinking.
 Meredith was good swimmer, and as he lay on his back in the water gazing up into the star strcwn heavens he tried to turn his mind back into the channels of his grief The effort failed, and hc con | tinued to float. Should he, after all, die? Meredith was still hcSitating when he was startled by a splash in tho water close to him. He turned and swan to tho spot. In an instant a mans head appeared, A moments aimless splashing with the arms, and the head began to sink again. Meredith reached the stranger by a stroke and put one arm under him. | Easy, now, easy! Don't get excited I'll save you all right! :" said Meredith.
 "Git out! I don't want nnnc of your saving! Let mo alone. CurSv ynu!"
 "Oho, that's your game, k il: We'll, il won't work!'
 "Gct out" snarlcd tho stranger.
 Don't bc a fool! Why, man, you don't want to drown yourself"
 "Ycs, do ''
 "Well. you arc fool" | Meredith had now strengthened his hold, and in spite of tho strangers protest Wa, swimming toward n slip with him. | II will drown, 1 tell you" said tho stranger, struggling violently. | "You'll do nothing of the sort" l "YcS, l will" And with another strug gle the stranger almost freed himself.
 Excuse me, but I sro I've got to q, this" And Meredith planted blow squarcly behind the strangers ear.
 This had tho desired effect. IL was | clean knockout, as the sporting writer, term it. Meredith had learned how to q, 1t at tho gymnasium. Tho stranger nov hung Imply on his arm, and in three min utes moro he had him on a raft which wa moorcd to the wharf at tho shore end O Il hn Sli Tho atr raX-iI-a6 fin fOu
 moments.
 Well, said Meredith, what in thun
 der werc you trying to do?''
 "Drown myself, said the stranger in
 sulky tone.
 That's very evident; but what for?''
 What for! Because I'm sick of Twin.
 Rather indefinite. Any particula
 caussr'
 "I should say so. Boon out of work fo
 three months. Ain't that cnOughY'
 Hardly"
 Well, then, every day of them thre
 months the old woman has done nothil
 but jaw, jaw, jaw. I got sick of it all. '
 Meredith, once master of tho situation
 used all his arts of reason, of persuasion
 and of eloquence and he used them not il
 vain.
 "Go home now" he said, "and com
 around to my office in the morning. IT
 get you job"
 "I'n do it.
 "No more jumping of the wharf," "No, sir"
 : "Good!"
 The two men shook hands. It was nc ! until Meredith was alono that he rcmen bered how he had happened to be in tn , water when the stranger took his plunge . Ho climbed up on the wharf and wake | around to the place where he had left hi clothes.
 . It was hardly o'clock when Meredit reached his own rooms. As he hung u 2 his wet clothes, preparatory to taking
 hot bath, he remarked. Meredith, ol | .,..n oF &ko tx-, T SbfDI- xo11 xs-oyo ha bif