Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-07-23
|Before They We're Married.;
} By HENRY c. PARKER.
By HENRY c. PARKER.


Il believe there are authenticated
cases of men whose yoition eXteaded
more or less to the hearts action"
Il can't help thinking that stark
weather may have been such man,
1 take it for granted that tner> was
some secret in his life that brought aim
to the awful step Of suicide. His very
talk with me just before the end was
characteristic of some suicides, YOU
lnow. They often indulge in fan"!Eul
speculatcns about long life. even to the
extent of hilarity while they are con
tcmpl0ting IN end to everything within
an hour Wen. granting this, and IL :
essential to the theory of suicide, | sup
pose that Starkweather did not wish
any of us to suspect that he had taken
his own life. So he exercised that eX-
traordinary faculty of checking tho aC
ton of the heart This he may have
done only at the moments when | was
examining HIM. When had gone down
stairs he may have recovered in spite of
himself, and in desperation, rushed to
one of the side windows and thrown
himself into the river. What do YOU
think?'
I'm afraid people generally would
regard the theory as rather fanciEul
professor
II was asking you fol your opinion
The doctor hesitated not daring 10
lok the Quostioncr in the eyes, ana at
last replied
Il an, not prepared to accept the
theory, and have none as compln'c to
advance in its stead can say frankly
that ii is no moro strange than what
las happcnod In short the STAGED
facts appear to be mora impossible 'han
your theory to accouTt for them"
THE stated facts doctor" returacd
Professor Drummond. sravely, ARE YOU
using words with a careful appreciation
of their meaHing?'
No" hastily answered the doctor
feeling the color rushing to his checks
Il mean the accepted the known facts.
ooh" was all the professor replied,
and silence cnsucd. Professor Drum
mond turned again to the window Dr.
Williams felt all at war with himself
He was acting out of character. Where
was that blunt fearless independence
that led him oftCner 10 the verge Of Il
quarrel with men, than to be beating
about the bush, juggling with words
and avoiding square issue? lie
really regarded the professors theory
as prorostoroua and he wondered why
the man vCnturcd to advance it, He
logged to cry out against such shallow
reasoning and demand that the whole
truth he told, for he coulG not believe
that the professor had told the truth,
but when he thought Of Louise, he
found his Independence gone, his con-
ViCtion& as &c right and wrong waV"r-
StalkWeathers remains and when he
heard the professor account of the
tragedy the day before
as that somebody fl hing down ,hora
on the little point Of land beyond my
property? :" asked the professor, press
ing his face against HE pane to soc
mere clearly.
Yes Mr., Philbrick went down
there just as ! came in"
"Phibr.ch? Who is be-"
"A city man who is nunmcrug al
Belmont, lie is the one who drogn up
yesterday With DcIos Hawkins
"Oh, Yes, ! remember, Pleasant frE
low, isn't he
"Ncry."
ARC you going 70 The funeral, doc
tori"
Il dom; know replied the doc
tor, hesitlpingIy.
Professor DrunmonG might nave
asked some furth r. questions but
Louise came in at the moment 10 say
that her cousin would like to So ID.
Williams. Glad to escape from coz
yersation in which he felt that he Wa
degrading himself by ,usinccrity cyHy
moment, the doctor went out ana pr
ceded Louise upstairs It was a rnlcf
10 be lear her and lie almost wished
that Amelia would have sick tu.a in
orGeI that he might call frequent. and
consult Louise about her condition, r.
his disappc Louise shove Tim
10 the door Of room AMI hurried avs
Miss Wills opened the door wacr
the doctor knocked Her face was
drawn AMI haezard, put her moyeman5j
had none ol the lislless ness that sencr-
ally accompanies q he1i&che.
"Where Is Lou she &sked
She Want downstairs"
Then come in."
She threw he door oIcu widar and
The doctor entered ! was the young
ladies sirting- room
I'm not Ill. Dr. Williams said
AmeIia as she closed the door and face
him 4 wish l were, ! wish were
dead En- not ana I've got to live. /
s9rrcse"
she htsitatcd and faint glow Of
color appeared upon her cheek,
You base been 1uueRed, " began -l4
doctor ,ympathetically
Yes know, she interrupted. "bu.
don't wan medicine hadn't naart
to Sc y0u 5u, nj you called couIlu Il
tell Lon never have told her much.