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

if there he might ind some way out OF
his perplexity. l shall never in my life
forget that YOUR in his rooms. | can
see the whole scene quite plainly n
thism moment The coy. we'll furnished
room. the pictures on the walls and
Jim's sad face showing up distinctly
with the red glow of the freight on il
i tell you that scenes photographed
on my memory.
Il should think we sat like that for
close on half an hour and then Jim sud.
denly sprang up.
81 have it, he shouted. 4 know what
I'll do. Look here. I've got 10000
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
a decent life. If they don't, we'll. hang
it. I'll keep my VOW and have lone
with it. They tell me a revolver bullet
doesn't hurt much. It's so soon over
by the time | left him jim and |
had agreed to 30 and see a very clever
stock broker-a friend of mine-the
next day. and ask him to Go his best.
cts such Il funny world Jim said
as he shook my hand. Perhaps may
be lucky. and then my vow can 20 TO
the devil and my revolver into the gut
ter
well. you know h a queer jad"
Dame Fortune is said to be, and in
Jim'S case she lived up to her reputa-
ton. 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 100000 or 100000 il
three or four months. But he Wouldn!
be satisfied with that.
"I1l go on he said, till the day be-
fore that on which l was to fulfill my
vow. and on that day, no matter what
the conditions 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
Il didn't see him much during the
succeeding two months, as was very
busy at the time. but he kept sending
me notes telling me all was going well.
and. knowing what shares he held. |
could see on reference to the papers
that he must have made a pot of money.
Al liSl tHt uuH tll VII NY liz
was to sell every share he held. He
came into the club-this very club. by
the way--about . in the afternoon, and,
l could see by his face that things had
gone all right with him.
"'Congratulate me, old chap he said.
that's all l wrung his hand hard
When you've done squashing my hand.
old boy he said, L al you to come
round to NY place
We took a cab and We're soon there
Now said Jim, I'm going to chuck
this revolver away, and h shall feel
as free as a lark.
"IIe took the pistol from a drawe",
opened one of the windows and threw
it far away into the park below.
land there goes the last OF my bad
, luck. please heaven he shouted gayly.
+. And tonight you and and the future
: Mrs. Barham shall have a dinner to-
gcther TO celebrate the event. and on
! this day week I'm going in for matri-
, mOny.'
| land bliss, l hope l added laugh
ingly.
~ don't hope, old boy, l know Jim
said.
j I'VE three dined together that night,
and jim was in the best Of spirits. He
seemed to have taken a new lease of
life. and l could see that the woman he
D was going to marry really cared for
o him, She seemed, too, as good as she
was lovely.
t Jim and l went on to the club after
ward and sat up late talking.
@ ".Do you remember this day five
wears ago he said as we parted on the
@ doorstep. | nodded.
-" "'Well. isn't it a devilish funny
worldT he answered, laughing.
"IIe was right, poor dear old chap
It And it was even funnier than he eX
pected. for that very night the Thret
h Sisters held a consultation over hin
II and before dawn broke .AntrOpOs ha'
k cut in two the thread of his life.
o 81 -
Il Il say. it is late" Vernon broke off
le and his voice was rather husky. 'Yo'
k go my way, don't YOU? Well, come or
n I'll drop you."-Pick-Me-Up.
10
!. Obeyed Instructions.
" Much is said in these days about tn
a want of obedience to parental author
II ity displayed by the rising generation
but an incident in which the contrar.