The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-01-21

"At last there came a day like that
when | borrowed the money from En-
mis-. only far more serious. 1t was
Wednesday, and the polite collector
had mentioned Friday-the day when
men are hanged-as the probable oc-
casion of d humiliating experience for
me. After many Misunderstanding dis
appointments l raised the necessary
amount. l had preserved my connec-
ton with Allen & Graves, and was
still in charge of their New York office,
but my position was in jeopardy be-
cause of my habits, and my salary was
overdrawn and squandered. | Dor
rOwed that money of II of our Gus
toners, Andy Gleason. You know hlm.
He said that he wanted to talk bust
ness Andy cannot talk business ON
fortably except in a liquor saloon. The
demon inside me welcomed him as a
friend. Here was certainly an excuse.
1t was a matter of business to pre-
! serve my friendly relations with Andy.
"trhe next thing | remember distinct
ly is opening my eyes in total dark
ness. / thought at first / was blind.
| How long it toOk me to discover
where l was I am unabl. to say, In
reality / was lying in the little vesti-
bule of my office. l got upon my feet,
, opened the inner door and turned on
) the electric light. My watch had
stopped, but from my window | could
see the illuminated dial in the tower
of the city hall. 1t was nearly mid
night.
But what midnight 1 had no idea
whether l had been unconscious three
DAYS or a month. My mind was so
stupefied that / could not ascertain
the date in any of the ways which
would have suggested themselves to
me in my normal condition.. There
was a newspaper on my desk. MY
v e rested upon it without intent; but
at last one word seemed to detach it.
self from the page. 1t was the day Of
the week in the date line of the paper,
and that day was Friday; then it was
already too late.
"There was a pistol in the drawer of
my desk, and, somehow, though my
hands trembled so that | could hardly
hold the key, | managed to open the
lock and at last to secure the weapon.
Yet it seemed an idle and cowardly
thing to do, to die without a struggle,
to accept the consequences of my fall
as final. | put the pistol into my
pocket and FASTENED from the office.
But one thought WAS III NY HulIiu "
learn the worst at once. She would
forgive me, certainly. Even a brother
can claim seventy times seven, and
with a far more potent right would
plead again. This fall Should be my
last.
at seemed 1 was at home as if by
magic. The key turned in the street
door. l climbed the dark stairs and
came to the third landing. breathlesS
with my haste. The small key turned
in the lock, but the door did not open
There was nothing alarming abour
that; Alice often used the second loci
| to make herself more secure.
J ".Alice-' l called, and shook the
door. There was no response. | list
I ened. Surely, there was a confused
, sound within, a murmur, as of thu
5 weeping of one who is exhausted witt
l the shedding of tears. 1t was almos
a relief to find that she was there
We had no friends to whom she coul'
2 go in an emergency, but if the room
l were bare she might have taken ref
uge with comparative strangers.
spoke her name again. 1t seemed "A
l if the noise within ceased. | though
! fiat she was coming to the door, bu
she did not. Certainly she had hear
me.
Did she deliberately exclude me
y Had she learned of my debauch? Ha
l been guilty of something more dis
graceful than drunkenness? In tn
IL darkness which concealed he las