Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-08-08
A Hand In the Dark.
lOrigiual.l


 very wealthy man. ded insovent his children were like persons thrown into deep water without having learned to swim
 Had it 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 terS, it was before the admission to the various fields which are now open the sale Of sewing machines. One day I 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 machine for which I had collected the money. l paid the rent with it.
 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. I was given twenty four hours to make good tue 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 I could en- dure. I resolved on suicide.
 I owned a revolver which had pur- chased in the halcyon days. I had a 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, I went to hotel, registered and asked for a room. The hour was for 6 o'clock in the evening, but it was in December and as dark as midnight The clerk assigned me to a room, and l was shown to it by a bell boy. It was in 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 I was in absolute darkness, which was what I 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 it's back, and dropped my head on my hands, My mind of course was on my misfortunes. Had I not been suffering from partial temporary in sanity l might have seen the folly of my course. It would have been better for ma to disappear. Then l might still be of use to my mother and sis ters. ThiS did not occur to me. My mind had become saturated With one subiect-arreSt. handcuffs prison bars am a believer in the power of purely temporary physical conditions to force one into crime. and such condition suffered from.
 Presently I strengthened up, put my hand to a hip pocket and took out my revolver. There was no necessity for light. I could do what l intended through the sense of touch. Indeed, l did not care, as some suicides have done. to shoot myself standing before q mirror 1 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 felt the cold steel d hand grasped my wrist
 Doubtless nothing could have oc cured better calculated to bring me to my senses The spell ill 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 monomHnla that had possessed me. had sud denly been transferred into a free thinking man. 1 noticed first that the hand about my wrist was small and soft It must be a Noman's. EEt what was d woman doing in that room, an6 how did she know that had raised a pistol to my head? She might have heard me come in and sit t'aE,H, but il Would have required light to de, test noiseleSS motion. Not for mo ment did fancy that some one faoaa the dead had come to &;vc mo. l Il, hand was warm, human. and fel; human currents passing from it's owner to me- What has required whole paragraph to tell flashed through ne in an instant.
 Who are you:" l asked.
 "One whom God has doubtless sent to save you from q crime" came the reply in low musical voice.
 "I will strike d light"
 Please don't I am under the care of an oculst. He has placed me in darkness preparatory to an operation. l have been here all day without ray of light entering my eyes, for, in addi- ton to the room being darkened, my eyes have been bandaged. Hearing some one enter, I lifted the bandage. Having been so long in perfect dark ness, my sight is very strong. l have seen you. though dimly, from the first