The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1903-02-05
EIT I'll! HI. Hold on there,

same striding over the hardened snow
down the slope OF a dark and deserted
side street that led to the East River.
He had just caught sight OF another
nan passing through the yellow patch
Of light that marked squalid rumshop
In a basement, and some instinct had
prompted him to hail as partner this
man whom he then saw for the first
time.
The strange man checked an impulse
to look back. but only went on all the
more. doggedly. Norton also qulckened
bis pace. After a few more strides be
could sec, In the faint light which the
snow reflected from the last lonesome
gas lamp on the block. that there was
no need Of swiftness to catch up with
this man; the street ended right there
In a sort Of platform with an iron
railing at its edge, and Immediately
below this railing was the East River,
where cakes OF ice swlrled out OF the
darkness into stray beams OF light. and
N into darkness again. The stranger
a strongly built man In a thick pea
iacket-siood there. grasplng the head
Of an iron rail il either hand, staring
out beyond.
ITS no good, old man. said Norton,
crunching over the fresh snow on the
platform to reach the stranger. no
good. Thought Of doing it myself. If
youll hold on a minute III tell you
why"
The man in the peajacket turned and
glared at this intruder with the tall hat
and the air Of another class. "Who in
thunder are you?" And then, as II a
new thought had suddenly occurred TO
him, be leaned forward and peercd into
Norton's face.
That's all right" said Norton. stand
Ing up to the scrutiny as IL he had
quite expected 1t. I'm not Of my head
not altogether l only want to keep
you from a mistake l nearly made
myself. A few minutes ago l started
to come down here and-well, dlsap-
pear in that darkness out there. See
those chunks Of ice racing each other?
If you and 1 jumped this railing now,
we'd be racing like that next moment,
and with no more idea OF where we
were racing to. It's all like that, the
other world is. Chap named Hamlet
settled it all long ago"
well, say, II you amt crazy you've
got more gall than anybody's got n
right to and keep their senses. What
you got to do with my affairsT
Norton laughed aloud. Your az.
fairs! Don't you see we're in the same
boat, you and 1? You just listen to
NE"
mo, won't just listen to you" the
,ther man growled. "And II you know
what's good for you, youll get away
out Of here"
This threat to a man who had all but
resolved on suicide struck Norton 50
suddenly and sharply as comical that
be broke into a roar of laughter,
awakening the echoes of the winter
hight. His mirth instantly reused the
resentment Of the man in the pea,
Jacket, who, backing away from the
railing, struck violently at him right
and left.
By instinct and long habit Norton
put up his hands. He was the taller
man Of the two, active and more skill
tul in self-defense than the other; buI
long winter overcoat is an awkward
garment for boxing in, and the gloves
proper for gentleman's afternoon
calls are not at all the prize-ring type
Handicapped like this. be was less diff
iicult for the smaller man, whose furi
Gus drives and swings fell short of hi
face, but reached his chest and ribs.
The two clinched and stamped NJ
and down in the dry snow, their stepi
so muflled as TO be soundless, even II
the stiffness of that deserted nook
They fell, graphing Gereely, and tn
street lamp blinked down at them. lii
n solitary and impartial witness 70
both sides, while river steamer wen
putting and grooming past, as IL inten
only upon its own struggle with tn
tide and the floating ice. Over an
over they rolled together. the man 4
the peajacket fiercely struggling (
wreak his evaporation on Norton
face whenever a chance offered. ]
was a bizarre struggle, what with Il
comical aspects, and what with tn
" threat Of tragedy that Increased ever
moment. as Norton realized his Of
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