The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-26

car At Forty $, >ond street. A man eI-
bowed him in the narrow vesibule- He
looked up and gasped aloud in sudden
terror An instant later he laughed at
his fears. The man was not James
Bansemer. \ cold perspiration started
out over his body. however. Through
his brain there went racing the ever
revolving cry:
He'll come straight 10 me-straight
TO me-
The hour was not late. but the biz
zard had driven the crowds from the
streets. Eighth avenue sidewalks were
deserted except for the people who
were obliged TO brave the storm. As
broom hurried south TO his lodgings he
became possessed of 4 racking belief
that some one was following close upon
his heels-some one who was rushing
M TO deal him a murderOus blow In the
back. The old man actually broke into
n frantic run in covering the last half
block.
II was not until he was in his rooms.
with the door bolted. that he could rid
himself of the dread. The fire had
gone out, and the light was low. His
teeth chartered and his hand shook as
he raised the wick in the lamp. The
palsy of inexplicable fear was upon
him kneeling before the stove. he be-
gan to rebuild the fire. His back was
toward the door. and he turned an
anxious face in that direction from
time to time Footsteps on the stair
way sent a chill through his gaunt
frame. They passed on up the next
flight. but he waited breathlessly until
he heard the door of the apartment
above slam noisily.
For half an hour he sat huddled In
front of the stove without removing
his hat and ulster.
Curse the luck" he was saying over
and over again to himself. sometime s
J. aloud. why should he have a par
don? What are the laws for? Curse
that meddling old fool Clegg. They'll
set him free, and he'll hunt me out; l
know he will He won't forgive me
for that days work. He may be free
now. 1t may have been he who fol
| lowed me. But, no. That's a silly
! thing to think. 1t takes weeks and
months to get pardon. Maybe-may.
be they won't get it, after all"
He tried to throw off his desperate
| feeling of apprehension, chattering al
| sorts of comforting reasons and ex
! cuses to himself as he scurried about
I the rooms with aimless haste. Try as
/ he would, however. when the time
| came he could not read-not even of hi:
/ courage inspiring Napoleon The how
4 of the wind annoyed and appalled, him
He caught himself listening intently
for sounds above and not of the storm
A nervous, intermittent laugh broke
from his lips as he went on cursine
himself for a fool to be so disturbed
by Graydon's report.
What have l to fear from him
Why should l let that look of his un
nerve me so? Why can't forget 1t? 1
it didn't mean anything. I'm foo
to think of it. Nearly two years ago
that was Why. he may be- A new
thought chased the cid one out before
1t was formed His eyes caught sigh
of one of his completed models stand
ing in the corner. 1t was the mode
for the guillotine.
For a long time he sat staring a
the thing. a hundred impressions form
Ing and reforming in his brain.
Il wonder if I'll really die before h'
is liberated" he was saying dumbly t
himself. II wonder il | will. There
no sign of it now. I'm strong anC
we'll enough to live for years. Sup
pose he is freed inside of month o.
two. What then? By heaven. I'd b.
losing the dearest hope of my whole
life. My last sight of him-that beau
tiful vision behind the bars-woult
be spoiled. undone, wiped out. He'C
be as free as l. l won't die inside o
month. I'm sure. He'd come her
and laugh at me. and he'd kill me ii
the end. God! know he would. He't
have the joy of seeing my pain ant
terror and defeat-he'd see me last
Id be bloody and crushed and
He checked himself in the midst o
these dire forebodings to rise SUDDEN.
and cross to the CHASTITY looking fran
with the cords. the hinges and til
. great broadax that lay harmlessly
the grooves at the top. For man
minutes he stood and gazed at the a.
tested the cords. The Ak droppe
heavily to the block below
The odor OF geranium leaves assaile
his nostrils. With an ugly impulse b
turned and swept the pots from Ii
, window box, scattering them over tn
floor
He lifted the broadax to its plac
, tenderly almost lovingly by N
soul, it's a beautiful piece of wor
Its as sure as the grave itse,f."
Again he stood of and LOOKED at ii
Internal bit Of his own handiworl
mis- eyes gIistening with dread Of ii
thing He turned and fed to the o.
posite side Of the room, keeping h
back toward the silent guillotine whiC
seemed to be calling to him. He glance
slyly, fearfuIly, over his shoulder al
then faced the thing deliberately, h
jaws set, his eyes staring.
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