The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-01-29
A NATTER OF INSTINCT.
ny EVERETT HOLBROOK.
copyright. 1871

Ia
~ snsapd times he had fancied that
us going to escape. But always
.hs velvet paws with the long sharp
.la,ys springing out of them had caught
,tn, inst in time. So ut last he lay stiii'
TING. not knowing which way to
turn. -, Tho
nla who rushed by him were like the
iroughts that whired through his
,r,fn. they were shadows and the ever
,s.,ng train OF them had no beginning
ma. lie could not distinguish the
III men and women whom he saw rom
nese whom he merely remembered
~o,, and again there appeared IN the
.hrono the faces of the dead, he dldh I
;nd those. but there were others that
he shranlS from.
lie stood with his back against the
ton fence in front OF Trinity church.
There was just light enough IN the
EASTERN sky to give the pile OF stone
sSeaow which fell upon hurrying thou
sapds who did not notice 1T.
Herrick's hands were in his pockets.
pserumpled cracking piece of paper
,,hich meant that he could live several
aovs longer. il he cared to do so. As
u more extended future, he could
not picture it. All the lines OF his lie
seemed to end in a knot which couiu
Nv no means be united, but must
merely be dropped. He remembered
that there were miracles, but ne couiu
not think Of one to wish Tor
From three o'clock till four the crowd
in that part of Broadway is rich anu
prosperous; from four till five it boasts
OF wealthy connections and takes
strong interest in life; after five II loses
caste rapidly, and by six il is lot OF
weary people going home to supper
Herricl< felt the degeneracy OF th0
throng without really seeing IT. II Il
,,hole street full of people could get
shabby in an hour, was it any wonder
that he had done it in five years?
lie crossed Broadway and walked
dawn wall street. slowly and with hes
ita,ion. Cor he had no erranG. Avoice
cried: "Cah. sir." almost in his ear
lie turned and looked up at the man Oh
the box. =,
.ls il possible he said TO himself
..that | still look like gentleman
lie felt toward the cabman as TOWARD
one who had given him helping manu-
WHY not pay the debt? To do so woui'
cost him only a day of his lie. lie ~"
a five-dollar bill in his pocket.
Eyes" he said; take me up 10 TN
Fifth Avenue hotel
II was the first place that had conn
into his mind. He got into the eau
and snapped the door. The cush'one'
coat and the comfortable support 10
his head we're very refreshing.
foncv came to him that he woulo ON
decently and then go TO thea'er, :,
extravaganza would be trifiing' 10,
was really Of small Importance whe,ne
ne starved to death on SUNDAY OF u
following Wednesday. He was In
mood to make n jest of it all.
A strong glare from an electric i'g'
s,ruck down into the carriage an
made visible to him package
brown paper. that looked as II 1t mig
he n sandwich. The object protruu'
from under the seat. He thought
must be the cabman's supper WIN
had been hidden in some sinai ioch
and had fallen upon the floor. Inc ln
,ha, the food should he spoiled was u
agr.eable TO Herrick, and so he pick
up the little brown bundle.
II was smaller than he had suppose
md II did not feel like bread. But II
1, been food and he at the last pang
starvation, the touch OF IL wouiu
have sent such thrill through all
frame.
He knew that the contents of Vi
package was money. 1t felt like mi
of bills folded, awkwardly wrapped
and fastened with elastic pan
Through the brown covering Herr
could feel the crispness of the COVE
ment paper. The amount might
poor mans monthly wages or =
mans profit on great TRANSACTION.
As to his own conduct in this matt
Herricl had no doubt whatever. +
had thrown the money into his han
and fate might take it away, but no
ne could hold on tightly enough
fingers trembled as he picked at
elastic bands. Suddenly and with
MS knowing why, thc i"o"'' ~
vanished with a loud snap that start
him, and the package sprang open
his knees. He caught flash of or
color, and then the cab rolled ou'
light into shadow.
1t seemed long time before ano'
light struck in upon him. AZ the
ment when il did so he saw face g
TO the cab door and he lodged ID
covering the bills with his hands.
the chance passenger on the street
nothing; he was thinking OF his I
affairs. no doubt, and had no inklin
the strange thing that passed 20 G
10 his eyes.
Hcrrck was himself again In
moment, and he bent forward. Gag
scanning the bills in his hands.
counting them feverishly. There
40 of them, and each was Of the dem
nation Of $1,000.
Throughout the latter period of
young mans misfortunes, he had