River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-06-04
WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD.
Bx LEONARD nERRIcK.

n PHRASE" q verbal extrayagance; he
wished IL. The only time he was free
from anxiety was when he was asleep.
His days were filed with worries and
disappointments, and the ceaseless eff
fort to make civil words do the duty of
money; and IL often occurred TO George
Collier, when he lay his head on the
pillow, that IL no tomorrow morning
came 70 disturb him il would be very
restful state of thirgs.
He was a literary man. When he mar
i;ed Eva Kingston he thought ne had
ARRIVED" He was nine and twenty,
and had already won his spurs. His re-
views were splendid; he was called
powerful. UNCONVENTIONAL" scholar
ly," fine" the press cuttings his pub
fishers sent him made his heart glow.
But. unfortunately, the book did not
sell, and he was unable to command
any higher price for his next one.
1t seemed an anomalous condition of
Bffairs. His work commended itself 20
the most exacting critics. and yet did
not please the public. OF course he
hoped and Eva was sympathetic, and he
went on writing patiently. But by de-
Srees he saw that his confidence had
been premature; and then he saw that
ais marriage had been premature; and
then a child was born, and he gave up
his ideals and sank to pot-boiling, and
the pot-boiling did not make tie pot
boil very violently. either.
A baby addeG TO his embarrassments
a good deal. The long clothes seemed
no sooner bought than il needed short
clothes. and he had hardly recovered
from the cost OF these than it had grown
out of them. The nurse appeared to lie
awake all night thinking what she
could ask for next, and she was a SUI
Icrior person, with imagination.
To-day there were school fees 20 be
paid, and Eva was no longer symPa-
thetic, and their address was Pandora
load, BALKAN. The house to the right
was called "Fotheringay" and the one
G. the left rejoscsd in the name of ''St.
OIaph's." and when they moved IN Col
lier, in a fit of moroseEess, had labeled
their own abode BOX Cottage" and in
CURED the luminosity of the street for
ever.
Yes. Eva's sympathy had WORE out,
like the cheap drawing-room carpet
which had been so pretty when il was
rev. Pandora road had got or heI
nerves. perhaps. or George, the failure
was different man from the brilliant
novelist with whom she had pictured
herself receiving the notabilities of art
rIrd literature at musical lat homes,
where she would be attired in liberty
frocks. Anyhow. when he reflected that
there had been a time when he wrote
poetry about her he turned hot.
She was pale. slight woman with
gray eyes and fluffy hair, and q red
flannel drCssing-gown in the morning
After lunch, when she made her toilet
the gray eyes acquired depth of soul
fulness which was due to black cos
metique. and nobody would have sus-
Pected the tart and vulgar reproaches
that could fail from her lips. Had she
been what she looked, he sometimes
thought, contemplating her wondering.
~ when an acquaintance was present,
his courage would not have deserted
him so soon. But IL he had confessed
she weighed on him the acquaintance
would have considered him an unappre-
ciative brute; she looked too wistfuI
and delicate. and fragile to weigh on
anyone.
lie was 40 years of age, and soberly
and deliberately he wished he were
dead. Only one thing deferred him
from making away with himself in g
painless fashion, and that was the knowl
edge that ne would leave her and the
"chick" unProvided for.
This was his frame of mind when he
came to project what can only be de.
scrihed 'as a fraud. lie saw his way &c
dying comfortably and still taking care
that the Chick" and Eva did not want
That is TO say. he would have seen his
way IL he could have raised the money
necessary TO pay the premium. He pro
posed tO'assure his life and then com
init suicide.
The curious part of il was that he
had always been a singularly scrupu
lous man, and las honest as the day
that oft-quoted day which nobody re.
members. People had often asserted NJ
was too conscientious TO get on" III,
had never wronged anyone by so much
as sixpence in all his straits, and hi
could have stood in a witness-box to b.
cross-exaInined without n tremor. Hi.
record was blameless and his integrity
notorious. Yet now he was meditatinl
robbery on an extensive scale and bare
ly perceiving his detection.
A man he knew very well. and who
frequently dropped in of an evening
was Mr.. Horace Orkney. a solicitor
George was not sensible Of any strong
degree of esteem for him. but-perheps
for that very reason-Orkney looked the
lskeliest person for what he wanted
aud one afternoon he betool himself Il
the gentleman's Office.
II have" he said. when greetings had
been exchanged. come on rather deli
cate business. / needn't tell you that
what am going to say is in confidence
''Quite so" said Orkney. drawing out
the ends of his mustache.
The fact is. things aren't going vel
with me. am deadly tired of IL all
am anxious TO make away with my
self"
The lawyer was only 81, and he start.
ed. Professional calm reasSerted Il.
self q moment later, however. and he
echoetd Georges last words in meas
ured tones:
TO make away with yourselfP o
nonsense!"
Il am" replied Golfer. but my III,
isn't assured. You see the difficulty,
i am bound TO think of my wife and
child. and they would be practically
penniless."
assure it" suggested Mr.. Horacs
Orkney, with shrug. IF you are de
termined. But my dear Collier. dc
let me oissuade you from entertaining
such a-such a-really. You knowi- ii,
withdrew his monogramed handker
chief and shook il out daintily, diffus
ing an agreeable odor OF white rose
you distress me much"
Il won't trouble you with my argu
ments," responded Collier; 81 baven'
come 20 discuss the pros and cons, OF
70 waste your time. Ny mind is mad,
up. and know my owr mind better
than anybody else can tell il to me
Yoa say: Assure it, the point is thai