The daily Alaskan., 1908-09-23
A Hand In the Dark.
forlginnl.l

When my fa:her, who had been q very wealthy man. i'el insolvent his children were like persons thrown Into deep water without having learned to swim.
 Had 1t not been for my mother and sisters I would have got on wei enough. 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. tcrs, 1t 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 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 a machine for which l had collected the money. 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 was given twenty-fOur hours to make good the deficiency or submit to arrest There was no way In the world tu save myself, or al 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 al few cents necessary to buy cartridges Following plan Usua 10 suicides for the purpose of lesScnlng as much as possible the shock 10 those who love them. l went 10 hotel, registered and asked for a room The hour was for 6 o'clock in the evening, but 1t was in December and as dark as midnight The clerk assigned me 10 a room, and I was shown to It by bell boy. IL was in wing of the hotel at the end of dlmly lighted hall My conductor found the door unlocked and opened 1t. entered and shut the door behind me, was in absolute darkness. which was what l preterred-that Is, if q man about to die has any preferences.
 My knee rubbed against a chair, took hold of 1t and sat down with my face to its back, aud dropped my head on my hands. My mind of course was on my miSfortunes Had l not been suffering from a partial temporary in. sanity might have seen the folly of I my course. It would have been better for me to disappear. Then I might still be of use to my mother and sis. ters. Tbls did not occur to me. My mind had become saturated with one subject-arrest, handcuffs, prison bars am believer in the power of purely temporary physical conditions to force one into crime, and such condition l suffered from.
 Presently I strengthened up, put my hand to q hip pocket and took out my revolver. There was no necessity for a light. could do what l intended through the sense of touch. Indeed, did not care, as some suicides have done, to shoot myself standing before a mirror. I 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 a hand grasped my wrist.
 Doubtless nothing could have oc cured better calculated to bring Re 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 It must be a 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 fin and sit down, but 1t would have required light to de- test nolseless motion. Not for mo. ment did l fancy that some one from tue uttu uuu GOLlt NO NbNN lAS' AH' hand was warm, human, and I felt human currents passing from It's owner to me. What has required whole paragraph to tell flashed through mc in an instant.
 "Who are you?" I asked,
 "One whom God has doubtless sent to save you from q crime" came the reply in low musical voice.
 q will strike a light"
 Please dCn't I am under the care of an oculist. He has placed me in darkness preparatory to an operation I 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 idark. ness, my sight Is very strong. l have seen you, though dlmly, from the first and can see you now. Hadn't better ring for some one to take you away?"
 ''No; will go alone. There Is no fear that l will act as intended. You have