The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-30

| / have notion that it was my purpose to
20 and bury myself in its dim outrageous
ness, until / mi ht redeem my error and
win new home.
| How l expected to get there with the
meager sum at my disposal ! do moo know,
| but recall the TACT that weeks before had
! conceived the plan Of shipping before the
| mast on vessel bound to one of the ports
of the new country, and had learned at what
point and about what time such shipment
could be made
This mode of escape commended itself to
me the more readily because was not only
Of athletic build, but had that excess of
vitality which makes . sailors life agree
able. Besides that had some knowledge
of its duties and requirements. AS boy,
| / had sailed the Great Lakes, and as q young
man had spent a Summer MS one Of the crew
of f.hing-smack on the Newfoundland
Bank So had naturally thought of that
sec. usion, which is q little less than impen-
trable oblivion, that rests upon 'fo.emass
hand who ships for q long cruise. ! knew
that long before one of tho four-m asted
schooners, which now and then still makes
the trip around the Horn to our western
coast, could reach San Francisco the mis-.
fortunes Of Philip Devens would have
ceased to be OF serions moment TO anyone
except the faithful wife, who would wait for
years in unfatering hope of the redemption
OF his promise-the promise be would leave
with her the staff of her faith, which yet
would need no staff.
II may be that had started for the docks
of the company, which were we'll up town,
or may have been going TO the ferry, in
tending to take one more look at the home
loved and perhaps get one more look of
her whose trust ! had wr0nged. I low
not what may have been my purpose or des-
! tination save that / had fully determined
never 10 return to the office had left.
| This determination was Of little moment,
because just there in the corner of the
square Visible from The windows of noted
hostel, that happened which blotted out
both past and intnre. My head seemed
bursting. The sunshine was full of red
clOts. The very motions of the leaf-shadows
on the wall brought new agony walked
| with my head bent down; my mind full of
| one thought, seeing hut one thng-the
| figures of the ticker" which heralded to
all the world my fate. There was fearful
pain in the back OF my head, where bur-
| den like the weight of all the world seemed
resting on the nape. My limbs dragged
heavily my ears buZZed as if the blood
beat IN snrgeS against the thrObbing men,
branes. remembered something like it in
the old wardays when ! had dropped out
Of she line of march, staggered 10 tho road
side and fallen into Inconsistencies from
| sunstroke. But this was not sunstroke.
| The air was cool. 1t was the dog days, and
the earth sweet from o recent shower.
All Mt Once-while l was looking at the
familiar scenes--I died! The pain was
gone, the burden, the shame, the fear, the
past The home, the wife, the world, all, all
were blotted out.
/ lifted my head and laughed. How
bright the world was How cheery all
things seemed! A cabman standing beside
his horse laughed-becau.e did, suppose
] looked at him, laughed again, sprang into
his vehicle and told him to drive-some-
where, do not remember where.
"All right, Major" he said, slammed to
the door and leaped upon his box. He was
the last man who saw me alive. He had
hardly crossed the street among the crowd
of vehicles when opened tho door, jumped
out and ran another way. A great fear had
taken hold upon me. Someone was pursu-
ing, l thought. did not know why, but
felt that must escape.
Ito b eontinueal