River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-06-04

all day, / shall say am going out for
breath of fresh air. / shall ask what
time they are going to have supper, and
set NV watch by their clock, So that !
NAV not be late back. shall beg my
wife TO remind me of an important let
ter l have to write in the morning and
step out through the window in the
gayest of spirits. Well, the canoe up
sets. II is known do not swim. Moth
ing could be simpler!"
"But your intentions may alter, my
friend. And. If they do, 1 have adj
vanced you 6 800, and where am L?
In the natural course of events you may
live for 30 or 40 years to come"
81 thought" said Collier. "of wait
ing to put an end TO my life till the
spring. so as to avert any possibility of
a suspicious complexion. III you think
IL judicious, the accident shall occur
next MONTH"
There was another silence.
81 will consider said Mr.. Orkney,
at length. "Now you must let me send
you away; I'm busy"
Having considered, he agreed. He
provided George Collier with the sum of
e ago pounds to take out a policy, and
George made will by which Mr.. Horace
Orkney was bequathed $1,000. The
rest went to Eva, who, to give her her
due, was an affectionate mother.
The weary man was now compare
lively contented. In April he was to
die, and IL was already November. To
make quite certain there should be no
hitch in the post norton proceedings,
it had been decided that he should wait
till April. He had had hopes that Ork-
ney would declare il was safe for him
to take the step earlier, but on reflection
the lawyer had pronounced il inadvis-
able. and said it would be wiser for him
to keep to the date he had originally
suggested.
II was a disappointment, but George
was too grateful to complain of a
crumpled roseleaf. lie had borne the
sings and arrows so hopelessly that it
was a pity If he could not contemplate
their continuance for five more monthsl
No, he was not unreasonable, and, as
first one week wore away and then an
other. his satisfaction increased. He
felt like an overworkcd man looking
forward to long holiday.
There was serious epidemic of in
fiuenza in London that year. Ever
body who could afford to do so WIS Zee
ing to the continent or to the English
places. and among those who
remained in town. ard were laid low.
was Mrs. Collier. 'rhis was at Christ
mas.
The doctor did not at the beginning
regard her case gravely. but she got
worse. despite his encouragement and
after fortnight in bed she sank and
died
George was inexpressibIy shocked.
Though he had long since outlived his
illusions about her, she had been his
wife, his daily companion. To realize
that she was gone dismayed him. He
remembered the girl he had loved, and
shed tears at the grave of the woman
who had developed from her. Not ana
lying. not drawing the distinction, but
Just grieving honestly.
And January came to an end. and
February broke. and then February
wnDed, and il was March.
Collier was surprised to find how rap
idly the time had passed since the
funeral. He put March 1" at the top
of a letter very slowly and sat looking
at il with startled eyes. A month more
and the contamination would be
reached. Poor little Chick" he would
have to leave heri
a. "a. an
near. he was conscious of feeling less
impotence than he had done. lie had
been sensible of late Of certain pleas
ure in life-a new pleasure. The fact
was that the conditions had altered!
He would have been a cheerful man to-
day. for AL his pecuniary worries, if he
had been allowed; nor did the worries
themselves look so formidable some
how! Eva had always made the worst
of everything. and-Heaven forgive him
had been a manager. II was amazing
what a difference her removal caused
in every way. He was satisfied with
life and-he knew he did not want TO
de.
At last he determined to go to Orkney
and ask him TO release him from his I'M
tiertaking. 1t was an unpleasant task,
but the alternative was more distasteful
still.
Mr.. Orkney looked at him in blank
disapproval when he had stamInered
to a conclusion.
This Is very unbusiness-like," he
said; very unbusiness-lilxe. indeedl
You put me in a very awkward situa-
ton, Collier. l don't want to see you
die, of course-I-I hope l have heart
but an agreement is an agreement,
and l have great occasion for $1,000.
AS il happens. have bill"
in other Words said Collier. rising,
you won't consent?"
81 regret" said Orkney. II regret very
much that you should have put such a
suggestion forward, because / am I'M
able to consent to il, and it is a par
t.cularly painful one to refuse. do not
think IL was delicate. Collier
Finally. you insist or your pound of
fesh?"
FINALLY" responded the lawyer. 81
repeat that il YOU are a man of honor
only one course can be adopted. Good
day"
He touched the bell on his table and
Collier passed out.
ITO BE or Not TO Be" The Pound of
Flesh''-what a number of titles srg-
gested themselves for the story thas
might be writteni lie could not put
the thought of il away from him. and
ere evening he actually found himself
sitting at his desk commencing it. 1t
was foolish proceeding. but IL occu-
pie1-more. interested him. and his per
flew rapidly. lie treated the subjec- IN
serious narrative.
At one o'clock he came TO tn. point
where the end must be led up To- But
how was IL 70 end2 lie rose, anil began
TO pace the room. mechanically charg-
ing his pipe afresh. II wouf not draw
where were che wires? = sould not
think IL he did not smoke. ant he thing
was stopped up.
The wires could not be founa; per
Laps he had used the last. ForrserIy
lie had annexed his wife's hairpns in
such emergencies. and. as = ~ re-
source. il occurred 10 him that II be
lcoked in the wardrobe where Yer b.