The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-08-19
A Hand In the Dark.


were like persona thrown int |
4eap water without having learned to
smem.
Had 1t not been for my mother and
SISTERS I would have got on well
enough. was young and strong and
perfectly willing to work. But they
mnst live. Mother was too old to do
anything for herself, and. as to my sis
aezs, It WAC before the admission to
Ire 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 i
being turned out OF the little cottage to
witch we had been reduced for nom
payment of rent. / had sold that day
4 machine for which had collected
the money. paid the rent with it.
There are cases where the penalty
for dishonesty seems very harsh. That
II had appropriated the sewing ma
chine funds soon became known to my
employers. was given twenty-four
1hours to make good the deficiency or
sasbmit 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-.
-0ure. resolved on suicide.
owned revolver which had pur
chased in the halcyon days. I had
few cents necessary to buy cartridges.
Following plan usual to suicides FOR
the purpose Of lessening as much as
possible the shock to those who love
them, went to q hotel, registered and
asked for room. The hour was for
0 o'clock In the evening, but It was
In December and as dark as midnight.
Tgae clerk assigned me to a room, and
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 1t.
entered and shut the door behind me.
iM was in absolute darkness, which was
what / preferred-that Is, IL man
about to die has any preferences.
My knee rubbed against chair.
hook hold OF 1t and sat down with my
face to Its back, and dropped my head
On nay hands. My mind of course was
! On my mjsfortunes. Had / not been
scattering from partial temporary in
sanity I might have seen the folly OF
nay course. It would have been better
for me to disappear. Then might
seill 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.
L am believer In the power of purely
temporary physical conditions to force
enc into crime, and such condition
suffered from,
Presently l Strengthened up, put my
hand to hip pocket and took out my
revolver. There was no necessity fol-
a light. l could do what intended
through the sense Of touch. Indeed,
did not care, as some suicides have
done, to shoot myself standing before
q mirror. I dreaded to see the hor
rible expression that was ON my face
slowly raised the revolver, my finger
oA the trigger, intending to place the
mnzzle against my temple. Just as
Eelt the cold steel a hand grasped my
wrist.
Doubtless nothing could have oc
cured better calculated to bring m'
to my senses. The spell in which N,
mind had been caught was suddenl,
broken. Surprise was the first sensa
lion, curiosity the second. Neither hat
anything to do with the monomanis
that had possessed me. / had sud
denly been transferred into FREE
thinking man. noticed first that tn,
hand about my wrist was small ant
soft. 1t must be a Woman's. Blu
what was woman doing in that room
and how did she know that ! has
raised pistol to my head? She Nigh
have heard me come In and sit down
but 1t 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. TIL
hand was warm, human, and l fel
human currents passing from 1t
owner to me. What has required
whole paragraph to tell hashe'
through me In an instant.
"Who are you?" asked.
to save you from crime" came tn
reply In low musical voice.
Il will strike light ...-
"PIease don't. I am under the car
OF an oculist He has placed me /
darkness preparatory to an operation
I have been here all day without ra
Of light entering my eyes, for. In add
ton to the room being darkened, N
eyes have been bandaged. Hearin
some one enter, / lifted the bandagt
Having been so long In perfect darl
ness, my sight is very strong. I hav
seen you, though dimly, from the frs
and can see you now. Hadn't bette
ring for some one to take you away:
mo: will 90 alone. There Is no fea
that will act as intended You hay
relieved the mental strain under whic
suffered"
gave her brief account Of til
causes that had led up to INV intande