Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-10-31
The Last Failure

OliC Wouiu nave pue iAiAAA - -
man bordering on 80; even his felioW
clerks always referred to him as 'Old
Emmett" He was one OF ines dere-
licts-worn by hope deferred, Illusions
shattered and early ambitions nlpped.
1t was natural enough that three
days after his wife fell i'll the head OF
the firm should summarily dismiss MIN
with months salary, and a hint That
his work was getting slovenly.
From his long connection with the
firm, he knew. and was known, at
many offices. He went the round OF
these and of many other strange ones.
At every one he received the same
answer, sometimes bluntly, sometimes
with show of consideration: Times
were bad-cutting expenses-not
enough work for their own staff, let
alone extra hands.
With SILVER, he turned to face the
five-mile trudge home. Home! lie
shivered again as he thought OF 1t
the stuffy house in the little street;
the slatternly girl who slept out; the
peevish woman who lay Ill upstairs
crying because they could not DO as
their neighbors did-constantly nag
| ging, constantly blaming.
He still loved her with a dog-hke
fidelity; yet he shrank from the shrlil
voice and the constant upbraldlng. she
accused him of want of proper pride,
of helplessness. Why didn't he get his
uncle to do something for them-he
had money. When he demonstrated
| that he had only seen his uncle twice
| in his life-and that years ago-she
relapsed into sullen tears
He was faint with hunger, but there
was something to do first, before touch
| ing the unappetizing meal lad Tor MN
| He went to a drawer in the writing
| table and drew out long envelope III
which was a life insurance policy Tor
| 5000. He had taken it out at the
| time of his marriage and had contrlVed
to keep the premiums paid up
Having read it over again, he gave
a sigh of relief; he had been right all
along, but he wished to make certain
He replaced the envelope, and counted
out the money in his pocket-there
were twelve sovereigns. One he kept
| for purposes of his own; the others ne
| took upstairs to the ailing wife, with
a forced smile and a brazen lie OF
| raise in salary and an important
post in the office.
"And-and so you see, dear" he
| 4
voice, I'VE shall be able to do as the
doctor said, after all. You shall &c
down TOTO Margate; they say the all
| is very good there, and you can gel
| strong and well again.
Mrs. Emmetts face frightened, and
she slipped an arm round his neck.
ooh, James, how lovely! You don't
know how terrible it has been lying
here. I've been horrid at times
James; but that's all over now, isn't
It? Kiss me, and then go and have
your supper. Why, you're crying!
"I-I-the sudden change has upset
me, dear. There, I'm all right now
and I'll see you off at the station to
morrow. They won't care-I mean
they'll excuse me being late"
Emmett stood on the platform and
watched She train glide out of the sta
ton. Then he. turned resolutely away
| He stopped at a pawnbroker's shoE
and got cheap German revolver.
CIutching his parcel, he made his
way home to the little house.
Emmett went to the drawer and
pulled out the life insurance policy
On the envelope he wrote, in his neat
clerky hand, For my wife-priVate,
and propped it up against candle
stick on the mantelpiece.. Then he
went slowly UP the narrow staircase
| to her bed room.
The blinds were drawn, but there
was ample light for his purpose. The
stale, verdigris covered cartridges
| TANNED in the chambers; his nands
were shaking, and he was naturally
clumsy and unaccustomed. At length
however, he managed to fill four cham
hers and snap the breech to- 1t was
wretchedly made single action thing
and he shuddered as the lock action
gave a double click.
Lord. have mercy-have mercy!
he muttered, dry-lipped, and pulled the
| trigger.
It fell with a sharp snap. Dazed and
| confused, but with a courage lew
would have suspected, he inspected the
chamber. Only four were loaded, ana
in his fumbling the hammer had fallen
on one of the empty ones.
He turned the cylinder carefully. A
second mistake, he know, would break
| his nerve.
At moments of extreme tension, the
most trivial detail frequently assumes
an undeserved Importance Emmett
was bv nature and training an orderly
man. AS he snapped the breech Tor
the second time-still kneeling-he
noticed an envelope tucked away IN
| der the looking glass stand
He glanced at it. On it was the
stamp of firm of solicitors. Ihe name
was unknown to him-but solicitors
letters had been painfully frequent OF
late. A freak of curiosity tempted him
TO know the worst. He opened it, and
the lines swan before his eyes.
Dear sir" he read, I'VE beg to IN
form you of the death of your uncle
our esteemed client, which took place
on the 14th ult. We should have ac-
ouainted you with the fact before, but
it has taken us a considerable time to
! discover your address. The late John
Emmett's will leaves you sole legatee'
as you know he
Emmett got no further for the sud
den revulsion of feeling was too much
for him-that and the lack Of food