Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-12


think of something, he told himself,
which would make the last act easier
for him. He was determined on sui
eide and had committed himself by in
forming Deborah Of his intentions, but
when the single movement of finger
was in moment to make all the
difference between life and death his
physical courage deserted him and his
finger became powerless. He must
prepare some plan for killing himself
in which tie exact moment of his
death would be decided by chance or
the action of machinery.
The idea pleased him by suggesting
the need Of invention, need which hi
mind was always ready to meet, and
he set himself with melancholy pleas
ure to think out the details of a killing
| machine which should fulfill all his re-
| quirements. Death must be painless
and instantaneous, of course, but must
act at different moment from that at
| which the victim took the decisive ac-
ton which would make his fate certain
and Interchangeable. He drew out plan
rapidly, making rough sketches of the
mechanical details on the back Of De
| borah Dene's fatal letter.
Then he went down to his forge on
the floor below and worked hard at the
manufacture of the instrument he had
invented. 1t was finished by midnight,
and In grim sort Of way Ralph Gar
| don was proud of his work.
The invention was in the form of
| dynamite bomb which would explode
| by the slow action of an acid eating
through a barrier Of cement One of
his past failures had left him with the
dynamite on his hands. 1t was inclos-
ed In carefully welded iron case join
ed strongly, SO that once the case was
closed it could only be opened by tho
exercise Of considerable force. 1t was
connected as strongly to an iron chain
which the inventor fastened around
his waist, Joining the two ends with
] Yale paddock. When he had locked it,
he laid the key on his anvil and with
stroke Of his hammer beat it out of
shape.
i To get away from his anvil and tools,
with the chance they still offered him
Of changing his mind and breaking the
chain round his waist, as well as to
save the empty house from needless in
jury, the inventor put on his hat and
| walked out into the country road that
stretched in front Of his lonely dwell
ing.
He walked along rapidly, anxious
while his determination remained firm
10 place MS great distance as possible
between himself and any chance Of un-
doing his handiwork. There was not
soul abroad, of course, ut such an hour,
\ and Carbon had no fear Of injur:ng
anybody but himself by the explosion
that now he was expecting every mo-
ment. When the road took him near
any habitatlon, he made wide circuit
| to keep 1t outside the range of the dy-
Mantle bomb round his waist. With
the same thoughtfulness for others he
stopped when after about half an
hours walk he caught sight Of the fig
ure Of a woman approaching him. He
was like man with the plague, whom
1t was dangerous to approach, and
Ralph was about to turn precipitately
and get out Of the woman's way when
something In her figure struck him as
familiar. The night was moonlight
one, and In the middle of the road
where she was walking 1t was as clear
as MONDAY. A second glance told him
that his suspicion was right. 1t was
Deborah Dene hurrying along the road.
In the complete surprise of seeing her
in such a spot at such an hour the
I. 40 :. L., 0v~x ~.
Of his head. 1t was due to go of at
any moment now, but Ralph was SO as
tonished that he actually forgot It's ex-
istence.
He hurried forward.
"Deb," he said, what are you doing
here"
| For answer the girl flung her arms
round his neck and burst into tears.
She had hurried as fast as the train
could bring her to him Immediately on
receiving his letter with its hint Of SUI
eide and had walked from the nearest
station. three miles farther up the road,
expecting to reach his house only In
time to find him corpse. She sobbed
for five minutes on his breast without
being able to speak a word in the relief
Of finding him alive.
I The letter which he had received and
which she was supposed to have writ
ten she had never heard of except
through his reproaches. It was O for
gerry, no doubt, concocted by some
spiteful acquaintance of his or hers to
ruin their happiness. She loved him
with her whole heart and soul, she
sobbed. and could never dream Of CIV
ing him up.
1t seemed to poor Ralph Carbon, who
loved her more than his life, that the
gates Of paradise had opened. To find
that all the mental agony through
which he had passed had been without
cause or basis made him feel the hap
piest man In the world.
1t was actually not until he clasped
his sweetheart in his arms with every
doubt and suspicion removed that the
consequent pressure of the bomb
| against his flesh reminded him how in