Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-13

might De caught inside the bed, his soul 1 as far as he might have any say so about lit, should be lowering invisibly about to see what would happen. Towering in- bvisiblyi 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 mor- 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, mystified. then 'a-a-a-h-h-h!!!
 The coffin-no, burial casket, it was also CONE! Likewise the shroud. Like. wise the gloves, crape, orders for flow CTS, 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, ghastly 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 lit Well. it was valuable enough. And now, all was gone-even to the mor- 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 cheap coffin and 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- tinue to live. And so he did.
 Tremblingly he sought out the funeral director" with infinite prom ,fses, of gradual payment on his lips, but was met smilingly by that imposing parsonage, who held forth bill re- ceipted "in full of all demands against Hamlet Smidt, OR HIS HEIRS, and signed by o-.s n..-.
 co K. Seymour, M. D."
 The successful rival! Smidt felt worse than ever. Was the hypnotic beard to pursue him in com,niseration as we'll 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 cer- tain venal consolations. Hamlet took his summer vacation, sought to hide his misery in Neptune's arms, and found, fnc tnn p,rn NChm was trying vainly, 1t would seem, to es- cape from that salty old Lothario's clutch and regain the life lines. Smidt saw his 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, Mm-Mrs. S-s- Seymour" he panted. Had any one else been near, would not have in- uruded-"
 Young man." interrupted Agnes, se- Verely, you certainly do need a guar dian. Cousin Dolly Seymour says you do--ah!-there they come now"
 Isn't that Dolly Harrison 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; I was bridesmaid. It was very private, almost an elopement, owing to Uncle Barrison's opposition. If you had not stayed so consistently 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 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 heart so simple as that of Hamlet Smidt.
 Later on they sought the doctor for masculine enlightenment. ,a
 'T 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, she had to do so secretly! owing to old MT. Barrison's opposition. The mys- tery proved too much for you; but Miss Agnes, with the prescience of love, said to me: Take away those horrible burial fixings, even if you have to steal them We burgled to cure, and--er-I trust we are in way to succeed"
 Here he of the hypnotic beard smiled, winked slyly at Smidt, then cleared his throat with portentous gravity as the ladies drew near 
 Gnrdon Mckay.