The Monmouth inquirer., 1896-11-05


pace up and down the room.
g Don't talk like that, / said, You
know you don't mean it. He came up to
me, put his hands on my shoulders and
looked me straight in the face.
Old chap, he said solemnly, I do
mean it. / am going to live for five years,
and l swear before God that on this day
five years hence l shall put bullet into
my brain. / swear it.
Vernon broke off and looked at the clock.
81 say, it's getting very late, he said,
III finish this yarn another day.
no, no. Go on, . I said.
We'll, Jim got his money all right,
banked it and started to live. He went in
for every kind of luxury-yachted, raced,
shot-did everything a man with 920 000
year can do. 1 was with him great
deal and tried to put a check on some OF
his exeesses, but all to no purpose. He
lived very devil Of life, was never in
bed before 4 in the morning, smoked like
a chimney, drank like a fish, and played
old Harry with his constitution generally.
1t was no good trying to argue with him.
If one did, his answer always was, I'm
only going to live for five years, old boy,
and l mean to enjoy those years. can tell
you
g For four years this life vent on, and he
then woke up one morning to find he had
only got e1O, 900 and one year Of life left
and--he was madly in love with a woman.
She was a widow, absolutely penniless,
but as handsome as paint and as attractive
into the bargain. Poor old Jim became
her abject slave. He was always about
with her, loaded her with presents, and
gradually saw less and less Of him. One
day, however, he wrote to me and asked
me to come around to his rooms, as he had
something special he wanted to say to me.
went and found him in a very excited
state pacing up and down his room like
madman.
q I've been a fool, he said almost as
soon as 1 had closed the door, a confounded
idiot. 1 have been living like beast for
four years and half, and thought was
enjoying myself made an idiotic VOW,
and my moneys all gone bar O,o00.
Curse it, what fool I've beenl"
You know the proyerb about split
milk Jim, said.
"He sank into chair with kind Of
groan.
9 Yes, know, he said, but, hang it, l
can't help crying over it'll For I'm in love
with the best and loyeliest woman in the
world, and she'd marry me tomorrow
only / have wasted most of my money.
All, old boy, as l told you four years ago,
it's a funny world. 1 have made con-
founded mess of my life, and / suppose
deserve what I've got, but it's hard, devil
ish hard.
Poor old boyf was all / could say.
Jim squeezed my hand hard and sat silent,
staring into the glowing fire as if there he
might find some way out Of his perplexity.
l shall never in my life forget that hour
in his rooms. L can see the whole scene
quite plainly at this moment-the coy,
well furnished room, the pictures on the
walls, and Jim's sad face showing up dis
tinctly with the red glow Of the freight
on it. l tell you that scenes photographed
on my memory
II should think we sat like that for
close ON half an hour, and then Jim sud
denly sprang up.
q I have it, he shouted. / know what
III do. Look here. I've got e10, 900 left.
Well, I'm going to try my luck on the
Stock Exchange. If things turn up
trumps, I'll marry and try and live de-
cent life If they don't, we'll, hang it,
I'll keep my VOW and have done with i'll
They tell me revolver bullet doesn't
IuIb IL , 81 HOOAt iva
.sBy the time left him Jim and had
agreed to go and see very clever stock
broEer-a friend of mine-the next day
and ask him to do his best.
g It's such a funny world Jim said as
he shook my hand Perhaps I may be
lucky, and then my VOW can go to the
devil and my revolver into the gutter.
well, you know what a queer jade
Dame Fortune is said to be, and in Jim's
case she lived up to her reputation. My
friend made money for him hand over fist.
Every company he put money into seemed
as if it couldn't go wrong, and as things
were booming Jim made about $50, 900 or
$40, 600 in three or four months. But he
wouldn't be satisfied with that.
:. SIN go on, he said, till the day be-
fore that on which was to fulfill my vow,
and on that day, no matter what the con-
ditions of the market, I'll sell every blessed
share I've got, and then, if all goes well,
I'll be married the next week.
81 didn't see him much during the sue
ceeding two months as l was very busy at
the time, but he kept sending me notes
telling me all was going well, and know
ing what shares he held / could see on
reference to the papers that he must have
made a pot of money.
AT last the day came on which he was
to sell every share he held. He came into
the club-this very club, by the way
about in the afternoon, and could see
by his face that things had gone all right
with him.
g Congratulate me, old chap, he said,
that's all y I wrung his hand hard.
When you've done squashing my hand,
old boy, he said, i want you TO come
round to my place.
.'We took a cab and were soon there.
q Now said Jim, I'm going to chuck
this revolver away, and then shall feel
as free as a lark.
He took the pistol from drawer, opened
one of the windows and threw it far away
into the park below.
. And there goes the last OF my bad
luck, please heavenp he shouted gayly
And tonight you and l and the future
Mrs. Barham shall have dinner together
to celebrate the event. and on this day
week / IN going in ter matrimony.
g And bliss, l hope added laughing
ly.
81 don't hope, old boy, know Jim
said
We three dined together that night
and Jim was in the best Of spirits de
seemed to have taken a Few lease of lie
and | could see that tie woman he was go
;,.cs L.. nod for him hp