The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1903-12-24

hiN't hhu he tApetteu W live, VI tiS
funeral director" into fits had that
sadly elaborate functlonary dreamed
mat he was selling goods to would-be
corpse slightly ahead of the usual date.
AT last. the time having arrived when
he felt that he could shake on this
mortal coil" with an after effect that
would simply drive Agnes wild. and the
hypnotic beard possibly into being
shaved out oS sight as well as mind,
Smidt got out his morphine capsules
one fine, warm night. intending when
morning dawned that though his body
might he caught inside the bed, his soul,
ns far MS he might have any say SO about
1t, should be lowering inyisibly about
to see what would happen. lowering in
VlS.l!J! The phrase SO tlckled his
fancy that he lay down to chuckle PEN
sively over various but vivid imaEln-
ings, and presently reached for the NOR
phinc, or thought he did. Then-thcn--
When he woke up the gas was out
and thro"Eh an open window the moon
'@hi was streaming Evidently he was
table were gone Could he have taken
Them In ii of somnabulism vague,
tctr!b'"" tHI.i c."fcd him to jump up.
breathe deeply, then dcJectodly light
me Ems to hrnt for more morphine. lie
lett pcrp.'Scd. niys,ifcd. then
2-a.a-h.h-h!N
Tho cIiflG-nc. burial casliCt. II was
also GONE. Likewise the shroud Like.
wise Tie gloves. Grape. orders Tor flow
ers. and everything clsc he had for
NeenS patiently starved and stintod
EImseli 10 secure and half pay for, IN
order 10 afford the one grand. chastity
luxury. he tottCrcd to the open win.
DOW and found siCElnGdcr and paint.
soariii,d wiudow-sill. with nothing be.
yund but silence. vacancy and the moon.
Burglars! The truth sichened him.
And to steal, of all things his burial out
At Well, II was valuable enough. And
now, all was ronc-cven TO the NOR
phro. Dare he call out, make himself
l9 ridiculous In life ns lie had hoped TO
be- glorious In death? Hardly. Dare
he die and be huddlcd anyhow into
cheap Coilla and common dirt grave.
followed by debts and curSings inst, ad
q. The rCInursGiul tears of-he staggered
haci: and fell on the bed lie dared
neither call out nor die He must con-
tinue to live. And SO he did
Trcmbiingly he sought out the
"iure,al director" with infinite prom
isos of gradual payment on his lips. but
was met smiIingly by that imposing
parsonage who held forth bill re-
cciptcd in full of all demands against
Hamlet Smidt, OR HIS HEIRS, and
signed by
20. X Seymour, NJ. D."
The successful rival! Smidt felt
worse than ever Was the hypnotic
beard to pursue him in COMMUNICATION
az well as triumph through life in the
place Gi Agnes rcmorsc in death?
The madGcninr mystery was less I'M
cndurablr than the fanciod humiliation.
| But even unexpected solvency has GER
| tain vcnal consultations. Hamlet took
| his summer vacation. sought To hide his
misery ia Ncpiunr.s arms and found,
| lust a littiC too far out--AGncs. She
vas tryinr Ndinly, it would seem, to rs.
| cape from that salty old LOttario's
| clutch and regain the life lines SmIdt
saw his revenge IN sight at last: mortal
| 5irht at that. After n strenuous struG-
| .,C with q fierce undcrtUw he succeeded
| IN bling.ng her into water where one
! rcccding wave lett them. momentarily,
| just enough breath for uttCrancc,
"Pnrdon"th the liberty. MN Mrs SIS
| seymour" he painted. Had any one
else been near, would not have In
lruded--'
Young man" interrupted Agnes. &C.
yeroiy. you certainly 90 need guar
dian Cousin Dolly Seymour says you
! !u-ah! there they come now"
Isn't that Folly harrison and y-your
| husband" slamncrrd poor Smidt. his
mental sclf-hcruiCs oozing away
"Minc!" screamed Agnes. as the cou-
| pie IN question waved IRON the sand
dunes on their way back from the links.
| "You poor. dear, silly thing! Dolly and
| The doctor were married yesterday;
vas bridesmaid. 1t was very private.
almost an clopcmcnt, owing to Uncle
| Barr isun's opposition. II you had not
| stay ed so pcrsislentIy away; with such
| horribly morbid notions. too you would
| have understood, and you might have
! been the doctors best man l-we--he
| wanted you, and a"
] . Ipf Lao L.
reach from Neptune splashed over them.
Smidt seized his opportunity to save
Agnes again. Ii In the excitement he
! kissed and held her closely for mo-
ment. surely much may be forgiven
when Love, having At last Kicked Folly
out Of the way, comes TO HIS own,
even in n heart SO simple rs that of
! Hamlet Smidt.
Later on they sought the doctor for
masculine enlightenment
Il say. Seymour; those burglars. you
know How the deuce came you to-"
THAT was your flancee's Idea en-
| lirely. In helping Dolly and myself,
| she had to do so secretly. owing to old
| Mr. Barrison's opposition. The mys-
terry proved too much for you; but Miss
| Agnes, with the precedence Of love. said
| 10 me: Tale away those horrible
burial filings. even If You have to steal
Them We burglcd to cure. Lnd-er-I
rust we arc In way to succeed"
licre he Of the hypnotic beard smiled.
| winked slyly at Smidt. then cleared has
throat with rortontous gravity as the
ladies' drew near.