The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-12

ed by a little white disc that might be
taken for a child's face
/ looked in establishment for a moment,
then, dropping my feet from the desk, start
"Heilo"' I exclaimed. What do you
At this challenge the figure advanced tim
idly, and I recognized in the small, pinched
features those of Bentleys grandchild.
Please, sir she said, in piping little
voice lis this the sistant editor?"
1T is, my child replied: What brings
you to me at this time of night?"
She extracted with much difficulty roll
of paper and an envelope from beneath her
shawl, but held back uncertainty
father. He told me to be sure and give it
only to the sistant editor. You're the 'sist-
ant editor?"
AS I fingered the envelope a moment be-
fore opening it the child's eyes wandered
about the ROOM then, coming back, she
cried: please, sir, he said it was in
hurry"
Then tore open the letter 1t was writ
ten in his usual precise and careful manner.
have it before me now. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
The Assistant News Editor the Journal
Dear Sir-The accompanying MS. will ex-
plain more fully than | can possibly do,
with the space and time at my command.
exactly what I desire to convey. I have
gone over it carefully, and l hope it will
not need much editing. In case you care
to use 1t | beg to state that this will be
exclusive to the Herald. 1 have so timed it
that none Of the other papers can get the
AAAO4 SAOA4' LOul Sl0tCL0A ollu OOCutClAl
servant. RALPH BENTLEY,
''23 Hogarth Place.
Nonplussed, I opened the roll, of manu-
script, when my eye caught the first line.
AT 1870 this morning Ralph Bentley, an
old journalist M
l paused to smile at the pride with which
But what was this? Surely
In an instant had read the two follow
ing lines and grasped the situation
l seized the small girl and seated her in
my chair. Then 1 ran out of the office.
In ten minutes | reached p Hogarth
place. 1t was a tenement, dark, dirty,
squalid. The door was OPEN j rushed in
and CROPPED up the marrow stairway, Won
dering If | was too late.
Flight after flight | mounted, not know
ing where to stop. But suddenly caught
sight Of a crack of light beneath a door.
| turned the knob and entered
The room was lighted by a single sput-
tering lamp. All was wretchedness and mis-
cry. By dilapidated table an old man was
sitting in an arm chair His face was ema-
ciated and drawn; his chin rested upon his
breast, and his white hair hung straight.
One thin hand lay upon the edge of the
table and in it was held the stump of
pencil; beside him were cheap, open-faced
watch and an over turned empty VOL. Sew
eral loose scraps Of paper, filled with close
writing were scattered about.
drew near and touched the man upon
the wrist. The flesh was warm, but the
pulse had stopped
I gathered the sheets of paper. Each was
marked with the time of writing; they
noted every quarter hour since midnight.
The two latest were these
Il a. m.-Strange to say, the action of the
drug is, painless; l suffer nothing. But
note drowsiness.
lis a. m-There seems to be a decided
tendency to induce sleep; I can with diff
| Guilty keep my eyes open. This seems to
be the sole action, the exclusive"
The last word ended abruptly; the con-
Guiding letters sprawled.
looked at the watch; it was twenty min
utes to two. We printed poor Bentleys
stuff for the first time unedited We
made no splash with it, merely put it in
among the news just as he had written it.
1t was in reality the story of a man, writ
ten by his own hand, upon the brink of
eternity.
Other newspapers commented upon it
good deal, regarding it as the item Of the
day, and as / have said the Gazette init
mated that we were accessory to the deed.
The story itself touched many hearts,
believe. but it affected no one more than
the managing editor in fact he adopted
the old mans granddaughter.-Lond
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