The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-25

n.tl. =
DoVn were comely, but as thev sat sto,,n.
kioomiiy at the ugly thresdhara o.,.-,
~ i'nips sprawling in utter dejectedness
| some '"haua-
1 Ae CLOCK on the mantei had inst snan.
! peh out twelve. jerky, unmusical tomas do.
lioelhg the end of another day. This r.a,,.
Na'ion caused one OF the men. the one an
the chair to glance I'm at his c,r,n,n,on
10 see II he, too, had noticed IL
its no use!' he finally exclaimed In a
'oneFof unmitigated' weayiiness. I'VE Gam,
go on in this way any longer, The thtnv,s
sot to be decidet some way before that
! INFAMOUS clock strikes again.
4 ms mans name was manifestations
A;-and There had been time long aro
| fact. W 'ns
10 you hear?' he queried more sharoly.
were stranded without glirnmerlng Of
| nope. NOW. what do you propose? oh,
| saw something for Gods sake, he added
impatiently, after moments silence.
| The mass OF inert humanity on the he'd
| slowly raised its head until On level
Wlth the younger one facing him.
| are we once more to indulge in our de-
/ tailed TRADE against existence?'' he asked
| quistly, Why not sit here until we die
Of disuse?"
Just what l expected" Lownies burst
out, contemptuously. And its precisely
the MOOD / want YOU in. I've thought Inc
whole thing out when you've sat there like
| log OF wood, Listen now, DO YOU still
care anything for Alice? | thought I'd get
| your attention by that he went on. as his
| companion looked up with start, We'll,
so do |. And instead of going of some-
where and cutting our threats as decently
unworthy people would do. we hang around
in threadbare trousers. and dearth Of
them, even, in the hope of inducing a
woman to accept a miserable existence
with us. You're my cousin, but I've
reached stage where blood runs evjniy
with water, and one OF us has got to leave.
When ! say that don't mean to go around
the corner after matches. but pack up and
leave the earth. Commit suicide! / can
see the whole world tying crepe on it's
poles for us" he finished with a nasty
laugh.
During the whole of this the lethargy
Of the bed occupant had continued and ne
neither moved nor signified in any way
that he had heard After minutes ST.
lence Lowndes began again:
i've got plan that / think is unusual
enough 10 attract even mummy ike
you. AIT uuy rate I've spent more mental
effort in evolving it than you have on any
thing for five years. 1t means death for
one OF us and condensed prosperity for the
other
A slight nod of the mans head encour-
aged him to go on.
1--WE jus, got q dollar and a half 20 my
name" he continued, land I doubt II you
have half of that When III is gone Wen
sit here and starve And side by side, with
bread as a desirable and necessary quality,
we place Alice Oh. it's time TO drop senti-
ment," he exclaimed, noticing another
START of his cousins shoulders. Il love the
girl as much as you do-perhaps more; but
We've got to face facts, not ideals, you're
30 and I'm 2S' he went on, land were
both failures. You know perfectly we'll
that neither of us will ever amount 10
anything. or be in a position to marry
Alice unless some big wlndfall strikes
u.s."
DO you see these papers?" he asked
suddenly, pointing to little heap OF mag
eZnes and newspapers ha mad thrown on
the table on comNig in that night. I've
b b.,e weak getting those things" h.
arose and took one of them from the table.
.arhey are all different" he explained. and
each one contains a coupon which reads
similarly to this: THE ---- insurance
coppany will pay to that person who shall
be determined by the editors OF the "
Ma gaZtne ITO be the. nearest living reiati'e
OF any person found dead as result OF
accident with this coupon about his person,
properly fllled out, the sum OF siVVo.
There is some more OF IT, sa'a ho"nues'
"but that's enough.
There was dead silence for moment
The man on the bed had Hooked up az oho
beginning OF the reading with q ilttie more
interest in his eyes, aud nov the two were
grimly regarding each other
81 suppose you are beginning 10 oe
threatened With intelligence cshceih,ns
my plan" at last observed Lownaes. iVu
are my cousin--my nearest reiatl'e' III
rae, NV only one save for some dodo uicae
in the West whom | have never even seen
The rule works both ways The one dies,
;nherits neace, YOU see. The other. re"
tbor,s snds-enough 10 buy visiting CARDS
anyhow--and happiness with Alce, s y,
the way, you haven't spoken to ner yet
he asked eXcitedly leaning iorwafu W n.s
chair toward the bed. Remember our
a greement." he added more quietly as MS
cousin quickly shook his head wen
What do YOU think Of the idea!
"You SEEM as you intimated, 10 nave
devoted ou4te a little of ycur valuable men
tality to the arranging of our respeslNe
futures hogan tho other man; VITA
sllght sreer in his tore. But why pothsr
tbe Moor girl? Suppose both of US leave III
tba rav vo,, suggest without having any,
thing to do with your vulgar coupons IL
wnuid be quite simple to settle every
thing ,rt,t On
extremely unpleasant smile on ms pa''
face. r,o,+
Lowndes looked bach az him moment.
II don't know whetherlyou are in earnest
or not" he said. you are, you re a
bigger fool than i an. But come on.
Oct yourself together and Wen settle
things right here and now"
He went to drawer N the bureau and
col well handled pack OF cards y
no,,ght I'd give you your fayorite occn-
nation." he said SUCCESSFULLY, to usher
vn, eilber out of the wold or into pros
,.a,.i,, There was tiibe when was
sntf. hfa rted and would have bes.tated he
yore speaking 10 my nearest relative IN |
,b,t way" he added drawing up table
Tween them. II haven't any sensations
now though DO You agref TO abide by
re result of this game' he asked, LOOKING |
anxiously across the table,
~ su,lnose So" WIS the answer, with |
calnabe attempt at carolcsiness, HOW \
we get' was added nery- |
,uslv. what do you piayf"
I'VE can play poker hands pf you like.
,r ,Ay cut. High man out; or any luck
game you say
',Oh. ven cut for the best two in three
'rbat'll give US both fair show and short
On th3 agony. Go ahead and thu.ae."
I.owndsg slowly took the ctrds, HIS
,ands trernbled slightly and he anickenei'
Ne movements TO disgui.e it. "Nait.H he I
- o,,5ss, throvinp thAul d1AuI