Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-12-17

ganco became reckless. The way he
ran into debt for flowers, Grape and car
riages. on the installment plan. would
either have scared him into retrench-
ment had he expected to live, or the
funeral director" into fits had that
sadly elaborate functionary dreamed
that 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 of this
mortal coil" with an after effect that
would simply drive Agnes wild. and the
hypnotic beard possibly into being
shaved out Of sight as well ~ mind,
Smidt got out his morphine capsules
one fine, warm night. intending when
morning dawned that though his body
might be caught inside the bed, his soul,
as far as he might have any say SO about
1t, should be lowering invisibly about
to see what would happen. lowering in
v1sfbly! The phrase SO tickled his
fancy that he lay down to chuckle pen
sively over various but. vivid imagin-
ings, and presently reached for the NOR
phine, or thought he did. Then-then-
When he woke up the gas was out
and through an open window the moon
light was streaming. Evidently he was
not dead, and yet the capsules on the
table were gone. Could he have taken
! them in fit of somnabulism? A vague,
terrible thrill caused him to jump up;
breathe deeply, then dejectedly light
the gas to hunt for more morphine. He
felt perplexed, mystifed, then
a-a-a-h-h-h!!! .r..a-l
The cofan-no, burial casket, it was
also GONE! Likewise the shroud. Like
wise the gloves, Grape, orders for flow
ers, and everything else he had for
weeks patiently starved and stinted
himself to secure and half pay for. in
order to afford the one grand, CHASTITY
luxury. He tottered to the open win
dow. and found stepladder and a paint
scarified window-sill, with nothing be-
yond but silence, vacancy and the moon.
Burglars! The truth sickened him.
And to steal, of all things his burial out
fit. Well. it was valuable enough. And
now, all was gone-even to the NOR
phine. Dare he call out, make himself
as ridiculous in life as he had hoped to
be glorious in death? Hardly. Dare
he die and be huddled anyhow into a
cheap coffin and a common dirt grave,
followed by debts and cursings instead
of the remorseful tears of-he staggered
back and fell on the bed. He dared
neither call out nor die. He must con-
ftinue to live. And so he did.
Tremblingly he sought out the
funeral director" with infinite prom
ises of gradual payment on his lips, but
was met smilingly by that imposing
parsonage, who held forth bill re-
ceipted Gin full of all demands against
Hamlet Smidt, OR HIS HEIRS, and
signed by
20. X. Seymour, M. D."
The successful rival! Smidt felt
worse than ever. Was the hypnotic
beard to pursue him in com.niseration
as well as triumph through life in the
place of Agnes remorse in death?
The maddening mystery was less un-
endurable than the fancied humiliation
But even unexpected solvency has GER
tain venal consultations. Hamlet took
his summer vacation, sought to hide his
misery in Neptune's arms, and found,
just little too far out-Agnes. She
was trying vainly, 1t would seem, to es-
cape from that salty old Lothario's
clutch and regain the life lines. Smidt
saw mis- revenge in sight at last; mortal
sight at that. After strenuous strug-
gle with fierce undertow he succeeded
in bringing her into water where one
receding wave left them, momentarily
just enough breath for utterance.
pardon the liberty, M-m-Mrs. SIS
Seymour" he painted. Had any one
else been near, I would not have in
truded-"
young man." interrupted Agnes, Sc
verely, you certainly do need guar
dian. Cousin Dolly Seymour says you
do-ah!-there they come now"
isn't that Dolly Barrison and y-your
husband" stammered poor Smidt, his
mental self-heroics oozing away.
"Mine!" screamed Agnes, as the cou-
DIG III QuC6IAOA "dtCu A1Ou Lu0 6CtAu
dunes on their way back from the links.
"You poor, dear, silly thing! Dolly and
the doctor were married yesterday; l
was bridesmaid. It was very private,
almost an elopement, owing to Uncle
Barrison's opposition. If you had not
stayed so persistently away; with such
horribly morbid notions, too, you would
have understood, and you might have
been the doctors best man. I-we-he
wanted you, and 49, 5..~-
She was blushing. Here a last feeble
reach from Neptune splashed over them.
Smidt seized his opportunity to save
Agnes again. If 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 a heart so simple as that of
Hamlet Smidt.
Later on they sought the doctor for
,,eoulino onliphtenment