The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-17
a HAN ID
IN
THE ID a II X

into deep water without having
learned to swim.
Had 1t not been for my mother
and sisters | would have got on well
perfectly willing to work But they
must live. Mother was too old to do
anything for herself, and, as to my
sisters, 1t was before the admission
to the various fields which are now
open to women. | secured an agen-
cy for the sale of sewing machines.
One day l went home and found the
family all being turned out of the
little cottage to which we had been
reduced for nonpayment of rent.
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 | had appropriated the sewing
machine funds soon became known
to my employers. / was given twen-
ty-four hours to make good the de-
iiciency or submit to arrest. There
was no way in the world to save my
self. OF a naturally sensitive dispo-
sition, to go behind bars was more
than | could endure. ! resolved on
suicide.
| owned a revolver which / had
purchased in the halcyon days.
had a few cents necessary to buy
cartridges. Following a plan usual
to suicides for the purpose of lessen
ing 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 Decem-
ber and as dark as midnight. The
clerk assigned me to a room and
was shown to it by bell boy 1t
was in wing of the hotel at the end
of dimly lighted hall. My con-
ductor found the door unlocked and
opened 1t. / entered and shut the
door behind me. | was in absolute
darkness, which was what l prefer
red-that is, IL 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, and dropped my
head on my hands. My mind of
course was on my misfortune. Had
not been suffering from partial
temporary insanity l might have
seen the folly of my course. 1t
would have been better for me to
disappear. Then | might settle be
of use to my mother and sisters.
This did not occure to me. My mind
had become saturated with one sub
iect-arrest, handouts, prison bars.
| am believer in the power of pure
ly temporary physical conditions to
force one into crime, and such con-
dition | suffered from,
Presently | Strengthened up, put
my hand to hip pocket and took
out my revolver. There was no ne
cessity for a light. | could do what
| intended through the sense of touch.
Indeed, | did not care. as some sui
cides have done, TO shoot myself
standing before a mirror. dreaded
to see the horrible expression that
was on my face. | slowly raised the
revolver, my finger on the trigger,
intending to place the mudzle against
my temple Just as | felt the cold
steel hand grasped my wrist.
Doubtless nothing could have oc-
Cured better calculated to bring me
to my senses. The spell in which
my mind had been caught was sud
denly broken. Surprise was the
Neither had anything to do with the
Neither had anything to do wltr the
monomania that had possessed me.
| had suddenly been transferred in
to free thinking man. | noticed
first that the hand about my wrist
was small and soft. II must be
wOmans But what was a woman
doing in that room, and how did she
know that | had raised pistol to
my head? She might have heard me
come in and sit down. but 1t would
have required light to detect Noise
less motion. Not for a moment did
| fancy that some one from the dead
had come TO save me. The hand
, was warm, human. and felt human
currents passing from its owner to
me. What has required a whole
paragraph to tell flashed through me
in an instant.
"Who are you?" asked,
"One whom God has doubtless
sent to save you from a crime"
came the reply in a low musical
voice.
IL will strike 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 addition to the room
being darkened, my eyes have been
bandaged. Hearing some one enter,
lifted the bandage. Having been so
long in perfect darkness, my sight
is very strong | have seen you,
though dimly, from the first and
even see you now. Hadn't | better
ring for some one TO take you