The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-17

looked me straight in the face.
"'Old chap, he said solemnly, Il do
mean H. I am going to live for five years,
and / swear before God that on this day
five years hence shall put bullet into
my brain. swear 1t.
Vernon broke off and looked at the clock.
~ say, it's getting very late, he said,
"I'l finish this yarn another day"
"No no. Go on" said.
swell, 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 man with $50 900
year can do. was with him great
deal and tried to put check on some Of
his excuses, but all to no purpose. He
lived very devil of a life, was never in
bed before In the morning. smoked like
a chimney, drank like 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, Pm
only going to live for five years, old boy,
and mean to enjoy those years. can tell
you
"For four years this life went on and he
then woke up one morning to find he had
only got 100000 and one year Of life left
and--he was madly In love with woman.
She was widow, absolutely penniless,
but as handsome as paint and as attractive
into the bargain. Poor old Jim became
her abjeet 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 very excited
state pacing up and down his room like
mailman.
I've, been fool, he said almost as
soon as had closed the door, "a COMPOUNDED
idiot 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 100000.
Curse it, what fool I've been"
"'You know the proverb about split
milk, JIM said.
HE sank into chair with a kind of
groan.
Yes, know, he said, but, hang it,
can't help crying over 1t! For Pm in love
with the best and loveliest woman in the
world, and she'd marry me tomorrow
only I have wasted most of my money
All, old boy, as l told you four years ago,
it's funny world 1 have made q con-
founded mess of my life, and suppose
deserve what I've got, but it's hard, devil
ish hard.
"'Poor old boyl' 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.
shall never in my life forget that hour
in his rooms. I 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
OIL it. 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.
81 have it, he shouted. 4 know what
I'll do. Look here. I've got g10, 900 left.
Well, Pm going to try my luck on the
Stock Exchange. If things turn up
trumps, I'll marry and try and live a de-
cent life. If they don't, well, hang 1t,
I'll keep my vow and have done with it!
They tell me a revolver bullet doesn't
hurt much. It's so soon overp
by the time left him Jim and had
agreed to go and see a very clever stock
broker-a friend of mine-the next day
and ask him to do his best.
I" It's such funny world, Jim said as
he shook my hand. Perhaps l may be
lucky, and then my VOW can go to the
devil and my revolver into the gutter.
"Well, you know what queer jade
Dame Fortune is said to be, and in Jim's
cbn To hon, taft NV
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 ESQ, 600 or
940, 600 in three or four months. But he
wouldn't be satisfied with that
"'I'll go on, he said till the day be-
fore that on which Twas to fulfill myvow,
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 was very busy ut
the time, but he kept sending me notes
telling me all was going well, and know
ing what shares he held l 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. Hc came into
the club-this very club, by the way
obont . in tbc oftsrnoon and could SOC
bv his foca that THINGS had zone ali rigbt
With him
q CONCENTRATES mo old chan ba co;d
that's al y 7 vvruro hia land hard
.Wber worry, DONE er,asbino NV b.nd
old how bo eoid IT want Won r. come
ronrJ ~ NV Mace
ave took n cab and were soop there
Now said lin pm going to chuck
,bis rornlror ,,yov and tben shall fool
ns Sroo ,S :, lart
IN tool tbo niSto, from, , d,,,ror o,,cnod
one of the windows and tbrevy if far AWAY
;r,t,, Nv, ,,,ul, hnIo,,,
utApd thnro ,,oes tbo Last Of NV bod
luck, please heavenr he shouted gayly.
And tonight you and I and the future
Mrs Barham shall have dinner together
10 ccInbr,to tho oyout and on tbi. d,y