, 1902-12-08

killing myself. / sent out on ttr stree'
and instinctively my feet carried me
past the office. There was a bright
light in the old mans private room.
When | passed again at ten 1t was
burning still. At eleven it was as
bright as ever. Fear, cold, shuddering
fear, tormented Inc until suddenly in
spiration came. | lighted a cigar,
opened the door with my private key,
and walked quietly into the office.
The dear old saint was livld. So
~preoccupied was he that he did not
notice me until l was close to him.
Then he started back, his white hair
very damp. | noticed a paper upon
which he had been making notes from
my ledgers, and quietly took it up. He
made a dive for it, fairly shouting, I'll
not trouble you to touch that! But
the desk was between US, and in a
suggestive silence | examined his item
lied list of my discrepancies. My
word, he was no fool of a bookkeeper.
He had already covered a long period
of my work.
"'You have overlooked some items,
SIR | said. and actually smiled in
his face. 1t Is rather late to begin
tonight, but if you wish, in the morn
ing. | will make you up a careful &C
count of the whole matter
His jaw dropped. his eye stared
wide as they could stretch; he
seemed t. feel himself an angel right
from heaven face to face with a devi
out of hell.
I'm the morning he roared at last.
in the morning you will be behind
prison oars He actually shook his
fist at me. Have you no shame, no
conscience, no fear OF justice here or
God and hell hereafter? Don't you
know that you have committed a state
prison offense? How dare o stand
there smoking your cigar in my facet
81 threw The cigar into the crate.
rcmarking most politely that 1t was
out of business hours. and as he used
the weed constantly himself | did not
dream of Its annoying. much less OF
offending him; and with that he
brought his fist down on my dear dear
ledger, yelling:
Drop your insoleuce, you dog of a
thief. This book, sir, shall place you
in the prison cell where you belong
That seemed his trump card, SO
then | opened fire. But | was cour-
teous, I was not rude, | did it politely.
and, oh, you should have seen him
change and change color and counte-
nance as l went on, until at last he
was sitting down in his armchair limp
as a rag, and looking at me with sad
and longing eyes, and yet all that !
told him amounted simply to this, that
| had no fear of his using that ledger
against me, for If it once got into
court it would disclose more than one
dog of a thief, besides costing the firm
a good half million dollars which it
had stolen from the government alone.
and give the world such an awful
shock to find that a pet hero was only
an unmitigated rascal like the rest Of
US.
I'VE parted forever when | left him
that night. it Is true. but l took with
me my salary iii full to the end Of the
year, and q check, his check, for q
thousand dollars bonus to bridge me
over III CdSC VI HSICSSltS, hbu Il "
menda.ion and endorsement signed by
the head Of the firm guaranteeing my
skill and integrity, as finely worded
as our two brains could concoct 1t,
while I left him in exchange only my
verba! promise to betake myself to dis
tant parts, never to return, and never
to mention certain delicate incidents
in our mutual knowledge.
THAT promise is outlawed now for
the dear old maj is dead, and the firm
dissolved. and besides I have not really
told you anything. He was transferred
toward heaven. followed by sorrowing
multitudes down the street, the very
day that a jury Of my peers rendered
1t incumbent upon he judge to sem
tence me, as an intermediate transfer
on M way to the other place.
Until she died was careful to
keep only silver wash in sight, but
after that l didn't care. l just wanted
excitement. l did SILVER when the jury
said guilty and | shivered again
when the judge laid State Prison, but
it was Just the last little flecks of sill
yer chipping off. Next time it will be
different.
There, old boy, l am better now.
Got a whole volcano off my mind, but
on your life don't ever attempt t o &C.
knowledge this letter. l shall not open
1t If you do, and not heaven. earth nor
hell will ever tempt me to write again.
| had to do 1t once. That's all. So
here's to you in a farewell glass-a
rusty prison tin cup half full OF stale
w~ater-here's &c YOU. wishing you all
good and no evil, from yours,
Jack Underwood"