The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-09-09
A Hand In the Dark.
[Original.l

lCAAbAie
When my father, who had been a
very wealthy man, Died insolvent his
children were like persons thrown into
deep water without having learned to
swim.
Had 1t not been for my mother and
sisters l would have got on well
enough. l was young and strong and
perfectly willing to work. But they
must live. Mother was too old to do
anything for herself, and, as to my sis
tiers, it was before the admission to
the various fields which are now open
to women. secured an agency for
the sale of sewing machines One day
| 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. had sold that day
machine for which had collected
the money. | paid the rent with it.
There are cases where the penalty
for dishonesty seems very harsh. That
had appropriated the sewing ma
chine funds soon became known to my
employers. | was given twentyfour
hours to make good the deficiency or
submit to arrest. There was no way
in the world to save myself. OF
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
few cents necessary to buy cartridges.
Following a plan usual to suicides for
the purpose of lessening as much as
possible the shock to those who love
them, | went to a hotel, registered and
asked for room. The hour was for
o'clock in the evening, but it was
in December and as dark as midnight.
The clerk assigned me to a room, and
was in a wing of the hotel at the end
Of dimly lighted hall. My conductor
found the door unlocked and opened it. /
entered and shut the door behind me.
| was in absolute darkness, which was
what | preferred-that is, If a man
about to die has any preferences.
My knee rubbed against a chair. /
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 | not been
suffering from a partial temporary in
sanity l might have seen the folly of
my course. 1t would have been better
for me to disappear. Then | might
still be of use to my mother and sis
tiers. This did not occur to me. My
mind had become saturated with one
subject-arrest. handouts, prison bars
| am believer in the power of purely
temporary physical conditions to force
one into crime. and such condition !
suffered from.
Presently Strengthened up, put my
hand TO Il hip pocket and took out my
revolver. There was no necessity for
light | could do what | intended
through the sense of touch. Indeed, |
did not care, as some suicides have
done, to shoot myself standing before
a mirror. | dreaded to see the hor-
rible expression that was on my face.
| slowly raised the revolver, my finger
on the trigger, intending to place the
muzzle against my temple. Just as l
felt the cold steel a hand grasped my
wrist.
Doubtless nothing could have &C.
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-
ton, curiosity the second. Neither had
anything to do with the monomania
that had possessed me. | had sud
denly been transferred into a free
thinking man. | noticed first that the
hand about my wrist was small and
soft. 1t must be a woman's. But
what was a woman doing in that room,
and how did she know that | 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 | fancy that some one from
the dead had come to save me. The
hand was warm, human. and l felt
human currents passing from its
owner 10 me. What has required a
whole paragraph to tell flashed
through me in an instant.
"Who are your | asked.
zone whom God has doubtless sent
to save you from a crime" came the
reply in low musical voice.
Il will strike a light"
please don't. | am under the care
of an oculist. He has placed me in
darkness preparatory to an operation.
| have been here all day without ray
of light entering my eyes. for, in addi-
tion to the room being darkened, my
eyes have been bandaged. Hearing
some one enter, lifted the bandage
Having been so long in perfect dark
ness, my sight is very strong have
seen you, though dimly, from the first
and can see you now. Hadn't ! better
ring for some one to take you away?'