The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-03-10


" picked himself up and made
~ his way to the street. He had
now reached the extreme Of hopeless
ness and desperation. Everybody. the
whole world. was against him. except
Jimsy Smith. and be could do nothing
for him The only being who had
loved him had shrunk from him with
dread. refused him the sacrament Of
last kiss. besought In charity.
He hardly knew how he got there.
but he reached home without molesta-
tion and mounted by the stairway un-
perceived to his room. Once inside he
locked the door and turned on the
light II was at least gratefully warm
there. and he was at last safe from
the clutches Of the law. Escape lay at
his hand. In a moment all would be
over.
Nothing had been disturbed during
his absence. The revolver was still In
the drawer where be had left It. He
took II and gazing at himself in the
bureau glass. raised the firearm TO his
right temple. He was appalled, as be
looked at the CHASTITY, haggnrd face
before him and the eyes. fear haunt
ed. that stared out Of their dark and
deeply sunken rims like the optics Of
an owl The revolver shook In bis
numbed hand. and he could scarce
bend bis finger on the trigger.
What was his hurry Why not wait
until be had warmed his hand and
make the deed surer? IL the police
came for him death was at his beck
and would heat them at an instanf's
notice. His craven spirit inspired him
with the desire 20 live a little longer.
He laid the revolver on the table
and rubbed his hands 10 set the blood
circulating. Then be held them over
the heat radiator. lie remembered
that In the clothes closet was a full
bottle OF whlsky. The stuff would
soon warm him. He took OF his over.
coat 10 hang II up In the closet and
felt In a pocket for his handkerchief
His hand encountered the roll OF bills
Smith had slipped in there. For a mo-
ment n CLEAN Of hope dashed It's cheer
ing ray as he contemplated the money
Here was enough TO enable him TO get
away.
But bis dependency refused the
comfort. What was the user To at.
tempt escape now would be to fall into
the hands Of the police sleuths who
must be on the lookout for him lie
surmIsed that the weather had driven
the watchers 70 take shelter and had
enabled him to slip into the house un'
noticed or unrecognized. No. be had
done with life and all It's worries and
dIsappointments. Better death than
the consequences OF living. He would
have TO die al some time or other any.
how.
He poured out a large glass Of
whisky and swallowed II. The 6ery
stuff warmed him all over. He sat
down 20 think. and bis thoughts took
the shape Of review Of bis life. lie
had never been any good TO himself
or anybody else--never. Brought NJ
By \ maiden aunt. who had taken him
IN when as a young boy be had lost
his widowed mother. be had repaid
her with waywardness and indlner
ence. In the declining years Of her
life when she needed aid and be was
a young man be had kept bis earnings
seIfshly for himself. doing out 90 her
a few dollars nt irregular intervals
and he was glad when she had rea-ed
to be burden by dying In hosnital
He had played his cards well. in.ra.
tiated himself Into tie favor o. i.r
Harris. bis employer. ard ny good act
Ing bad won the love of Emma. This
bad been the great coup ~ bis career
but II had awaited him little Fortune
after smiling at him. had turned her
bark. and life had been failure ever
since.
A he gummed Il al up and confem.
plated himself ~ n pariah. hunted
man Nc Day amid the wreck Of hope
love. life ifself. driven 20 the alterna.
live Of a criminals cell or self destruc
fion. NJ BE- lToodad river the way IN
which he had been spugued ard cast
ouf ~ tliusr who might have loved
ard honorcd him. tears rolled from
his eyes again
sYps.. he gronned. repeating Kmma's