Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-07-26

the allowance to Bessie. Mrs. Abbott.
when he ran away he had changed
his name to Packard and she had new
or traced him. though his Invaluable
legal man had once carclcssly con-
vcycd to him the impression that n
vind!ctive and spasmodie search for
her strangely missing husband was
now and then made by his clients ben
crciary. Mrs. Abbott. Packard had
thanked his legal man grnvciy with
out youehsafinS any information con-
ecrnins the rccaic!;rant husband to
his expcctant legal man. and had gone
to his club TO offer up thanks tina, his
trail wak covered.
DIR. Packard. the scientist. the n.
vorcd. the admired by the lovely and
gracious women OF society and by
men OF aSairs-what had this man In
common with the hot-hcadcd boy o. a
quarter of n century before. whose
name was Abbot; and who had been
q fool. She could never ind him.
With short sish DIR. Packard s.,
down the rciort he held and reached
for tho glass OF water h. had drawn
some moments before. The day was
warm and he was thirsty. lie drank
every drop before he emerged from
his mental wandcrinTs and stood
blinking as one whose sicpins eyes
have opened suddenly on a glare of
light. Then he stumbled. 81, down.
and stared stupidity At the empty
glass. Two feet away from where Il,
had stood was another glass simiIar
in shape. fiilcd with coioricHs i!au!i.
One Of those glasses had held water.
the other had been filled with a soiu.
ton he had made Of a peculiar. color
less. tastcicss poison. And he had
drunk one OF them.
There was a dampness on his fore
head. II Il was the poison he haa
swallowed he was a dead man. inside
an hour. Then of sudden he squared
his shoulders and laughed harahiy
with relief. Hastily he reached for the
other Elass-hc could test its contents
and the suspense would be over. As he
graspcd Il his trembling hand shifted.
the glass slipped into the sink and the
contents disappeared down the drain.
The man Eroancd. IL had come on
him so suddenly. he had awakened to
the everyday world SO abruptly he had
not had time to get his balance. lie
was no, in normal condition to face
such catastrophe and he sat clutch
ing the table edge with starting eyes
and a CHASTITY face. He did not want
to die--he would not! a blind panic
had him fast as he realized there was
no use calling for help. No one could
save him. With nerves tingling he sat
waiting for the first twinge of pain. his
Imagination lending hldcous aid to
reality. In a few minutes everything
would be ended for him II II was the
poison he had swallowed and some
thing of his old. dominating Will came
back as he rapidly adjusted his point
OF view. Stubbornly his thoughts re-
turned to Bessie Abbott but not with
contemplative leisure this time. She
loomed n solemn fact in the life he
had suddenly become separated from
and the idea of full cxpiation seized
him and was insistent. With the odd
notion growing he rose and wavcred
toward his desk in the next room and
wrote hurriedly. There was really no
one else with so good n claim on his
wealth and the child. young man by
this time-he still thought OF him IA
an alien. disinterestedly-might pos
sibly make some use OF prosperity even
as he had done. With livid face he
glanced over the unblotted letter.
You could never have found me
living" 1t ran. but It is my whim
you should profit by my death. 1t
will give New York something to talk
about and wonder over. do not OBJ
ject adding to the gayety of nations
for know the devil of ennui. Come
to the address at the top of this sheet
and tate possession. Everything is
yours. I must confess rarely remem.
bered you .ill today when strangely
enough you have been much in my
thoughts. They say the mind of the
aged reverts to scenes Of youth-pos.
sibly in my case forty is old. It is
evidently sufficient IN fate'u judgmen;
for in half An hour l sLail BE- daef.