The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-11-27
The way he

SduIy elaborate 1uncCOnafy dreamed
that he was selling goods to a 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 as mind,
Smfdt 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
it, should be lowering invisibly about
to see what would happen. lowering in
visibly! The phrase so tickled his
fancy that he lay down to chuckle PEN
s1vely over various but vivid imaein-
1ngs, and presently reached for the NOR
ph1ne. 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, mystified, then
a-a-a-h-h-h!!i
The cofin-no, burial casket. it was
also GONE! Likewise the shroud. Like.
wise the gloves, Grape, orders for fow-
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 paint.
scarif1ed 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. AID
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. Dar
he die and be huddled anyhow into q
cheap coffin and common dirt grave
followed by debts and cursings insteas
of the remorseful tears of-he staggered
back and fell on the bed. He darei
neither call out nor die. He must con
tinue to live. And so he did.
Tremblingly he sought out thu
funeral director" with infinite prom
Uses of gradual payment on his lips, bu,
was met smilingly by that imposin,
ceipted Gin full of all demands against
Hamlet Smidt, OR HIS HEIRS, and
signed by
20. K. Seymour, M. D."
The successful rival! Smidt fell
worse than ever. Was the hypnotic
beard to pursue him in COMMUNICATION
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 a little too far out-Agnes. She
was trying vainly, it would seem, to es-
cape from that salty old Lotharios
! clutch and regain the life lines. Smidt
saw his revenge in sight at last; mortal
sight at that. After a 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, Mm-Mrs. SIS
Seymour" he painted. Had any one
else been near, would not have in
truded-"
Young man." interrupted Agnes, Sc
verely, you certainly do need a 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-
pie in question waved from the sand
dunes on their way back from the links
''You poor, dear, silly thing! Dolly and
the doctor were married yesterday;
was bridesmaid. It was very private
almost an elopement, owing to Uncle
| Barrison's opposition. If you had moi
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 a"
She was blushing. Here 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 a mo-
ment, surely much may be forgiven
when Love, having at last kicked Folly
out of the way. comes to his own
even in heart so simple as that Of
| Hamlet Smidt.
Later on they sought the doctor fol-
masculine enlightenment.
ct say, Seymour; those burglars, you
know How the deuce came you to"
THAT was your fiancee's idea en-
tirely. In helping Dolly and myself,
| che had to do 81 secretly owing To old