The Cairo bulletin., 1909-07-05
= MY DOUBLE SUICIDE

My father slowly put down the
Horace" took off his spectacles.
stopped smoking for a moment and
said Il am sure / am pleased to hear
that my boy. and ! have not the
slightest objection. but how do you
expect to support a wife,"
Il don't see why you should offend
me With "a question like that" re-
piled, very much hurt Il just won
prize of ten marks in the athletic
club and | am correspondent for a
small paper, and besides | receive a
dollar week from you"
'0h, that is quite sufficient" papa
said, very friendly, "and / willingly
give my consent under one condi-
ton"
oh" | thought, that objection
will get over. | will tear II down,
will destroy it."
Do you hear?--on one condition"
"oh, l know already, am still TOO
young
oh, no. not at all Our coachman
was no older when he became en-
gagged to the kitchen girl"
The comparison didn't suit me at
all, but one has to forgive a father
| something.
Then you doubt the sincerity OF my
love" | said to him, my eyes shoot
ing fire
"Oh, no, you stupid boy, only
spoke of one condition, You must next
! time pass in mathematics and pass
| better than you did the last time.
when you narrowly escaped being left
| back"
Oh, If he had only known what tor
ture this was to me! | kissed my
fathers hand and ran away 40 school.
1t happened that our first lesson was
in mathematics and used II to write
glowing letter TO my beloved I'm which
| told her that had just received my
fathers consent TO our wedding. or
course | told her nothing about the
conditions. The professor discovered
my mathematical occupation. lie
called me and asked me to give a com
plete definition of logarithms OF
course made a mess Of IL and my
prospects Of passing mathematics be-
came very slim. ! swore vengeance
against the professor and ! felt so
beautifully unhappy that | went home
and drank three cups of coffee, then
walked out into the woods where |
threw stones into the waterfall and
compared their jumps through space
with my own life.
When | passed by the house OF my
sweetheart (she was In the second
class of the public schools, she made
a sign to me to come 10 the door ]
told her once more Of my love for her.
of my misfortune In school. OF the
lmposslbility to fulhll the cruel words
imposed upon me by my heartless
father. and persuaded her that there
was nothing for us to do than to die
together
She was very much pleased with
the idea and declared that she was
ready to die with me az any time,
though not before commencement and
the following school picnic. for her
mother had made her beautifcl
white dress wth pink ribbons
! said good-by to her and kissed
her forehead, then went home think
ing of what miserable place this
world is, after all When had
reached my room sat down and
wrote poems by the dozen: "To Her"
"The Only Girl" Thoughts of
Death" "On the Golden Stair" "The
Life Hereafter" The Funeral
The next day read all my poems
to Anna
How wonderfully she understands
TO master her feelings" / munbled TO
myself; what an actress she is to
make il appear as II her heart were
nled with joy, while knowing that
in few short hours cruel fate viii
have snuffed ont the candle of her
life"
! went up TO her.
you are in very good humor today.
Anna - | said, looking very glum.
why, Of course | am! I'm enjoying
myself immensely"
May | have another dance with
you?" | whispered with an icy smile.
That will be the fourth one"
81 know #. but please don't think
OF that
Come, then. and LET us dance"
mo don't let MS dance. let us die"
The last words she didn't hear at
all, for somebody else had already
carried her off and she was dancing
again.
Ny turn came next. laid my arm
around my sweetheart's waist aud
rushed into the center of the floor.
Somebody gave me a push and | fell,
making her fall too. Everybody
laughed. but Anna cried.
oh how could You he so clumsv?"