The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-08-02
vas yet pearable had he but sought to

| was yet bearable had he but sought 10
accustom himself to the new condi-
lions of life There was chance that
his wild broodlngs would have yielded
| to the necessity to earn a living, and
that when next situation was offered
| to him he would keep it, but the &C.
| currences Of this stormy night had
| utterly shaken him for the houy. 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 lit 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 10.
Although wet to the skin, he was
warm now on account Of his long and
rapid walk. When he unlocked the
door another flash of lightning re-
vealed 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 a light. On other
occasions his next task was to light a
fire. 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 he
would not have the strength LETT TO
carry out his dread purpose.
He sprang erect with knocking lit
tie laugh. picked up the candle and the
piece of rope and climbed the stairs.
He paused irresolutely at the top, but,
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 q smile on her wane face and
unspoken words of welcome on her
lips.
A flood of tears came and he trem-
bled violently.
81 am coming to you, mother" he
} murmured. "You told me to trust in
} God. but l think God has forgotten
me. 1 don't want to live. l want to
join you, and then perhaps God Will
remember me-"
He stopped and kissed the pillow,
J nesting his face against it, as he was
J wont to fondle the dear face that rest
ed there so many weary days. Then
he resolutely turned away, descended
l four steps of the ladder-like stairs and
tied the clothesline firmly to a hook
which had been driven into the ceiling
: during the harness room period of the
room beneath. With equal delibera-
7 ton he knotted the other end of the
cord round his neck, and he calculated
, that by springing from the stairs he
| | would receive sufficient shock to be-
! come insensible very quickly, while his
} feet would dangle several inches above
the floor.
I There was q terrible GOODNESS, set
4 tied fixity of purpose far beyond MS
years, in the manner Of these fina
e preparations. At last they were com
pleted. He blew out the candle and
l. stood erect.
At that instant the room became alb
@ solutely flooded with lightning, not il
z single vivid fash but In trembling
l. continuous glare that suggested the ef
feet of some luminous constellation
g fierce with electric energy. Before hi
y eyes was exhibited a startling PIANO
:, rama OF the familiar objects Of hi
: lonely abode. The brightness, so sus
n tanned and tremulous, startled hin
q back from the very brink Of death.
II 81 will wait" he said. when TIT
y thunder comes, then / will jump"
# Even as the thought formed In hi
:. mind ball of fire so glowing, 81
- iridescent, In Its flaming heat that
:. dominated the electric waves fiutterin
n In the overburdened air darted pas
70 the little window that looked out owe
,eI the tiny yard In the rear of the hous
II and crashed through the hagstone
with the din of ten inch shell.
=, Philip, elevated on the stairway, dis
;, tlnctly saw the molten splash whic
- accompanied It's impact He saw tn
- heavy stones riven asunder as If the
70 were tissue paper, and from the hol
h caused by the thunderbolt or meteo
= came radiance that sent spreadin
,n shaft of light upward like the beam G
= a searchlight The warmth, too, of til
~ object was almost oyerpowering. Wei
~, not the surrounding walls constructe
- of stone and brick there must hay
81 been an immediate outbreak of fir
~ AS 1t was the glass in the window
~ cracked and the woodwork began
~ scorch. In the same instant dreadf'
~ roll of thunder swept over the localit
- and a deluge Of rain. without any flu
~, Their warming descended.
~ All this seemed to the wondering be
-, to be very long time in passing.
49, reality 1t occupied but very few Sc
no. onds People In the distant street cou
., not distinguish the crash of the fall'
=, meteor from the accompanying ihu
~ der, and the downpour of rain came