The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-22

toned that he had never been seen
alive after retiring for the night.
Yet ii waAa bad conjecture of what
might have occurred to a man who was
slowly sutfOcated 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 IN his
mind to something. A course seemed
omen before him, Il course which had
some drawbacks. but u multitude OF
good points. For one thing. it would
ease him forever of his wife. who had
tormented his love into something akin
to hatred; for another
The doctor came and broke into his
reverie:
Say, friend, I want to know your
name. The hotel registers are burned,
and the paDers wish to print IL list of
survivors, so that we may tot up with
more accuracy how many poor wretches
are missing. It's been a sad business
this, all around; Il mighty sad business.
Many deaths. and-what did you say
your name was. sir?'
1t was now or never. The choice had
to he made or the chance missed.
Carey"
The doctor noted il down on his cuff.
initials. please
Henry G.''
Where Of? You're English, I guess
isn't that so"
Yes. II I.ondoner.''
Thanks. | won't ask YOU how do
you like our city, because perhaps
you've got rather n bad first impress
sion. But thatll wear off. sir. You II
like ii before you've done"
81 hope So" said the patient dream
lily. Tin here in America to stay. I
hope shall get on
Hope So. I'm sure" said the doctor
briskly. wish you every kind of luck"
An outcast. ragged. bent. and pre-
maturely aged. stopped along beside Il
high park wall. The slushy snow of an
English spring ebbed and flowed across
the soles of his bursting boots: the chill
of the wind bit savagely through his
rage of clothes. Presently the wall gave
place to sunk fence, and the tramp
stopped and SaZed at the view. over
an expanse of park. and lawn. and
gables OF an Iclizabethan country house
trim. solid. graceful As he watched, a
fallow deer came out into the open.
gazed at him for u moment in naughty
impudence. and then trotted into covert
lily on his way. 1T seems even grarder
than ] was told Of" he murmured to
himself. Wealth. comfort. happiness
everywhere. And il might all have
been mine. Every stick and every
shrub left to the wife and me between
us. 1t fell to us by will the day before
II died: the day before I was burnt to
ashes i'm the Chicago fire. Fancy the
irony of that, The day before, Why
.l..ts 1f.l S,,.
fund of selfshness about me then.
"And then Louise was right after all.
1t was her duty to urge me to business.
! was as lazy as the day was long then:
and she told me Of 1t. and | hated her
for speaking. I've thought since over
that letter. and the pain it must have
caused her to write.
"Eh. well. that's all past and done
with. I died. I was full of conceit in
myself. and thought an American for
tune was easily made. even if it was
sometimes lost with suddenesses. Pah!
I never reached the first rung of the
ladder. | never rose above laboring
with my hands at unskilled trades: and
il was being constantly shown me how
1 was an Indifferent laborer at that.
mo. I've missed it. badly. and all
through my own shOrtsighted fault.
might have had wife. children and a
stately home. What I do have is my
share of the queens wet highway, and
weary aches to lie down upon. Of my
self / shall never now be more than
what ana broken waster. But there
is one thing I won't do. and that's ask
help from her. Shed give 1t. II sought
for It: she'd call me back as her hus-
band If she knew me to be alive: she'd
share with me willingly what is. per-
haps, after all, legally mine to share.