The Prescott daily news., 1908-08-06

I must live. Mother was too old to do anything for herself and. as to my sis ters, it was before the admission to the various fields which are now open to women. 1 secured an agency for the sale of sewing machines One day l went home and found the family all being turned out of the little cottage to which we had been reduced for non- payment of rent I had sold that day a machine for which T had collected the money. paid the rent with 1t. There are cases where the penalty for dishonesty seems very harsh. That I had appropriated the sewing ma chine funds soon became known to my employers. was given twenty-four hours to make good the deficiency or submit to arrest. There was no way in the world to save myself. Of a naturally sensitive disposition, to go behind bars was more than could en- dure resolved on suicide
 owned a revolver which had pur- chased in the halcyon days had a few cents necessary to buy cartridges. Following a plan usual to suicides for possible the shock to those who love them, l went to hotel, registered and asked for room, The hour was for o'clock in the evening but 1t was in December and as dark as midnight. The clerk assigned me to room, and .,bn l., 1,,, hal was in wing of the hotel at the end of a dimly lighted hall, My conductor found the door unlocked and opened it. entered and shut the door behind me. I was in absolute darkness. which was , what l preferred-that is, If man about to die has any preferences.
 My knee rubbed against a chair. l took hold of it and sat down with my face to its back, and dropped my head on my hands My mind of course was on my misfortunes. Had l not been suffering from a partial temporary in- my course. It would have been better | for me to disappear. Then might still be of use to my mother and sis ters. This did not occur to me. My mind had become saturated with one subject-arrest. handcuffs, prison bars l am believer in the power of purely temporary physical conditions to force one into crime and such condition l suffered from.
 Presently strengthened up, put my hand to q hip pocket and took out my revolver. There was no necessity for a light 1 could do what intended through the sense of touch. Indeed. l did not care, as some suicides have done to shoot myself standing before mirror. dreaded to see the hor- rible expression that was on my face. I slowly raised the revolver. my finger on the trigger, intending to place the muzzle against my temple Just as l felt the cold steel hand grasped my wrist.
 Doubtless nothing could have oc- cured better calculated to bring me to my senses. The spell in which my mind had been caught was suddenly broken. Surprise was the first sensa- tion, curiosity the second. Neither had anything to do with the monomania denly been transferred into a free thinking man. 1 noticed first that the hand about my wrist was small and soft It must be woman's. But what was woman doing in that room and how did she know that l had raised a pistol to my head: She might have heard me come in and sit down but it would have required light to de test noiseless motion. Not for a mo ment did 1 fancy that some one from the dead had come. 10 save me Tho hand was warm, human, and l fell human currents passing from its owner to me. What has required q whole paragraph to tell flashed through me In an instant.
 "Who are you?' l asked.
 "One whom God has doubtless sent to save you from crime" came the reply in low musical voice.
 'I will strike light
 Please don't. l am under the care of an oculist. He has placed me in l udi hhcSS PiSpdldtotS " uu OpeTdtloii l have been here all day without a ray of light entering my eyes. for. In addi. ton to the room being darkened, my eyes have been bandaged. Hearing some one enter, l lifted the bandage Having been so long in perfect dark. ness, my sight is very strong have seen you, though dlmly, from the first and can see you now Hadn't better ring for some one to take you awayY'