The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-09-13

WAS u8AlEu uuuEA IL NnGIA9 VI
omnibus and narrowly escaped death
So he was driven into the side streets
and the quiet squares. in which. during
three or four days, be managed to
earn an average OF elghtpence daily.
+ which he spent on food.
Each night he crept back to the poor
tenement in Johnson's News. his bleak
| ''home" amid the solitude OF empty
stables and warehouses. The keeper OF
a coffee stall, touched one night by his
woebegone appearance, gave him some
half dried coffee grounds in a paper.
together with a handful OF crusts.
sPut 'arf that In a pint OF water,
he said, looking critically at the sod
dened mass Nof coffee, IAN when u
comes to a bile let It settle. TIN sur
prise you to find 'ow grateful an com
fortin' 1t tastes on a cold night, AS Tor
the crusts, If you bake 'em over the
Ore, they're Just as good rs the ruskS
you buy in tins" >
This good Samaritan had repeated
his gift on two occasions, and Philip
had a fairly large supply OF small COAL
DEuL I'd uIS U0OLuCA ny tAAG SOAAACAy
pany, so his position, desperate enough.
was yet bearable had be but sought 10
accustom himself to the new condi-
lions Of life. There was Q chance that
his wild broodings would have yielded
to the necessity to earn q living ana
that when next situation was offered
TO him he would keep 1t. but the oc-
currences Of this stormy night had
utterly shaken him for the hour. He
was on the verge of lunacy.
AS he passed through the dark arch
Way leading to his abode, the desolate
stable yard was ftfully 1T by lightning
and in the distance he heard the faint
rumble of thunder. The elemental
strife was beginning again. This was
the second and more disastrous out
break of the evening Of March ID.
Although wet to the skin, he was
warm now on account Of bis long and
rapid walk. Wnen ne unlocked the
door another flash of lightning re-
yealed the dismal interior. He closed
and locked the door behind him. On
the mantelpiece were farthing candle
and some matches. He CROPPED for
them and soon had light. On other
occasions his next task was 10 light a
Are. BY sheer force OF habit he gath
cred together some sticks and bits OF
paper and arranged them In the CRATE.
But the task was irksome to him. 1t
was absurd to seek any degree of COM
fort for the few minutes he had to
live. Better end 1t at once. Moreover,
the storm was sweeping up over the
East End with such marvellous speed
that the lightning now played through
the tiny room with dazzling brilliancy
and the wretched candle burned with
blue and ghostlike feebleness. The
cold OF the house, too, began to strike
chilly. He was SO exhausted from
hunger that If he did not eat soon ne
would not have the strength left to
carry out his dread purpose.
He sprang erect with a hooking lit
tie laugh, picked up the candle and the
piece of rope and climbed the stairs.
He paused irresolutely at the top, but,
1 yielding to overwhelming desire, went
on and stood at the side of the bed on
which his mother had died He fan
cied he could see her lying there still,
with a smile on her Wane face and
unspoken words of welcome on her
{lips.
A food of tears came and he trem-
bled violently.
II am coming TO you. mother" he
murmured. "You told me 10 trust In
God. but | think God has forgotten
me. | don't want to live. want to
ioin you, and then perhaps God will
remember me"
He stopped and kissed the pillow,
nestling his face against 1t. as he was
wont to fondle the dear face that rest
ID there 20 many weary days. Then
be resolutely turned away. descended
four steps of the ladder-like stairs AMI
tied the clothesiine firmly 10 HOOK
which had been driven into the cei'ls
idufSng the harness. room period Of 100
room beneath. With equal delilSeFa-
ton he knotted the other end of the
cord round his neck, and he calculated
ftNat by sspffng4ng from 1.-THE stairs ME
would receive sufficient shock to 10
come insensible very quickly. while his
feet would dangle several inches above
the floor.
There was terrible GOODNESS, set
tied fixity of purpose far beyond his
years. In the manner of these final
preparations At last they were COM
pleted. He blew out the candle AMI
stood erect.
| At that instant the room became alb
solutely flooded with lightning, not IN
. single vivid fash. but in tremblin%,
continuous glare that suggested the eff
feet OF some luminous constellation
fierce with electric energy. Before his
eyes was exhibited a startling pano-
rama OF the familiar objects OF his
lonely abode. The brightness, 80 SUI
tained and tremulous, startled HIN
back from the very brink of death.
81 will wait" he said When the
thunder comes, then viii jump
Even as the thought formed in his
mind a ball of fire 30 glowing, so