The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-11-28

Sot LIS tAlSltlltt.
"One morning. however. abous two
years later. when | was sitting over Il
late breakfast. my servant came in and
told me a rough. d~irty-looking man
wanted to see me.
~ told him you were at breakfast.
sir West said. but he said that didn't
matter, he was sure you'd see him all
the same
what name did he give" | asked,
could be.
"'Barham. l think he said. sir my
servant replied.
II jumped up and ran into the hall.
and there l found jim sitting.
"'Come in, old man. l said, and
shook him warmly by the hand.
Jim followed me into the dining
room, and when l shut the door sat
down at the table and cut off a great
chunk of bread.
iii speak when I've eaten a Bit
he said, and broke into a laugh. Funny
thing. a MAJ with f100. 900 being nearly
starved!
II looked at the poor chap anXiously.
thinking his head had been turned will
the trouble he had gone through. but
though he was in an even dirtier AMI
more ragged condition than when | last
saw him. he had no look of the mad
man.
when he had crammed the last piece
of bread into his mouth he jumped up
and seized me by the shoulders.
81 am not mad. old chap, or dream
ing, though O now you think l am.
Look at this letter, and hen tell me #
you don't think this is a d2vilish funny
world
Il read the letter quickly.
"'Good heavens, it's true.' was all l
could say.
Yes said Jim, I'm the proud pos
SCISSOR of 100000. left me by an old
uncle who refused to give me a cent
six months ago. By it is Il devilisil
funny world
He fell into a chair and burst into a
roar of laughter, and | couldn't help
joining HIN.
"'But look here, old boy Jim said,
suddenly growing serious again. this
is IOt ill L came lSF. i CAME 10 TEL you
that you've got to share this with me.
Wen have a real good time with this
moicy. It's nc use shaking your head,
you must join me. And I'll tell you
what I'm going to dc with it. I'm not
going to invest it or Speculate with it
or do any of that nonsense. 1'm going
to spend it. I've had a ghastly, awful
:~,o - - e., a.. Jo,4 r:- .,o,u.. IT,.
lived among people you'd scarcely care
to touch; I've been an Outcast. a scum
Of the earth. a rat. And it's all
because of the lack of this confounded
money. Now I've got it I'm going to
make it pay me back for some of the
ills its want has caused me. I'm going
to live for five years. l shall have
100000 a year and you'll share it with
me; and on this day five years hence.
when the moneys all gone-as it will
be-I'm going to blow my brains out..'
HE stopped for a moment and be-
gan to pace up and down the room.
Don't talk like that l said; you
know you don't mean it, He came up
10 me. put his hands on my shoulders
and looked me straight in the face.
"'Old chap he said %so.emnly. 4 do
meal it. / am going to live for five
years, and l swear before God that on
, this day five years hence l shall put
, a bullet into my brain. 1 swear it,"
Vernon broke off and looked at the
{ clock.
: II say, it's getting very Late he
said: III finish this yarn mother day
NO. no; go on" | said.
We'll, jim got his money all right
, banked it and started to live. He wen
, in for every kind of luxury. yachted
raced, shot-did everything a man Will
: 100000 Il year can do. l wa with hin
q a great deal, and tried to put a CHECK
on some of his eXcesses, but all to NJ
: purpose. He lived a very devil of /;
lie, was never in bed before I in tn,
, morning, smoked like a chimney. dranl
like a fish and played old Harry witt
his constitution generally. 1t was NJ
good trying to argue with him; if on
s did his answer always was, I'm onl.
going to live for five years, old boy, ant
8 | mean to enjoy those years. | can tel
YOU
@ For four years this life went on. an
f he then woke up one morning to fin
he had only got t1O,OOO and one year o
# life left, and-he was madly in 10y
Y with a woman. She was a widow, at
I solutely penniless, but as handsome Il
= paint, and as attractive into the ban
% gain. Poor Did Jim became her abjec
a slave. He was always about with he
"a loaded her with presents, and | graC
I ually saw less and less of him. On
day. however. he wrote to me and ash
q ed me to come around to his roOms. Il
d he had something special he wanted t
. say to me. | went and found him i
4. a very excited state, pacing up an
n down his room like a mailman.
# 1--we beer a fool he said almost q
soon as l had closed h door. a col
r. founded idiot. l nave been living lk