Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

The lampllght blurred and dlmmed. A
whispering, buzzing, filled his ears. To
him, as from vast distance, came the ster-
torous breathing of the man in the fur coat.
To steady himself he gripped the tabletop.
In one instant to be transported from inevi-
table ruin, from disgrace and death, to
visions of such paradise! 1t stunned and
stihed him, left him cropping, Keeling like a
man born blind, to whom the light of day
should suddenly by some miracle be given
back.
He pulled himself together after awhile
Twitchell was still sitting there, huddled up,
watching him keenly with singular ex-
preston.
What's your answero" asked the invalid.
Answer" echoed Darlington, unnerved.
You want it here and now?"
Here and now. It's not hard thing to
decide. There's only one condition. Only
one thing want in exchange for everything"
What is it? For Gods sake WHAT"
Il want to die"
THE doctor, with a gasp. started to his
feet and stood there by the table, star
ing. aghast. Toto die?" he choked.
Just that, the other answered. Moth
ing simpler. So would you if you'd fought
the fight l have, suffered as I've done, and
thought things out the way I've thought.
To die! Why not? Doesn't tired man
want to sleep? Nothing more natural. I've
got to 60, anyhow. Why hang on for weeks
or months longer, in this intolerable pain?
I'd have done the thing long ago. only that
I'm unscientific; I'd probably have made
botch of it, failure, and have got nothing
but more suffering. Now, you could"
"Merciful Heaven, man, do you realize
what you're saying?'
"Perfectly Why?"
"But-but this is horrible!"
mot at all. simply ask you, as one old
friend may another, to ease me out, as NOR
tally wounded soldier might ask his comrade
on the battlefield; to rescue me from agony;
to make things safe and sure before they
track me down-the vampires!-and try to
force me into the madhouse so as to invali-
date my will. After I'm gone, can't ever be
sure the moneyll be used as l want it used.
This thing has got to be fixed right now, and
then I've got to drop out. That's all. Help
me, old fellow, over the Big Divided"
Twitchell's head sank on his bosom. The
doctor felt pang of pity even through the
oldtime rancor, even through the new, black
thoughts that now obsessed him. He shiv-
cred and drew back.
Its race, tell you," the sick man went
on at last, "a race between them and Death!
The prize? You know Merciful Heaven!
Is it possible you can't appreciate what this
will mean to you, Tiff you help me?"
The doctor did not answer. Twitchell
raised his head again. The two men sat
looking at each other in silence, there under
the dim light of the lamp. Outside, the cold
wind set the trees creaking in the night.
Inside, cheap tin alarm clock on the mantel
busily licked away the moments, each of
which was bearing every living thing on
earth nearer to its end.
Twitchell spoke first. I'm tell you what
want" said he slowly, distinctly. I'm no
doctor. | don't know much about such
things; but somewhere l once read that
there was certain gas that could be manu-
featured out of chemicals-out of potassium
cyanide, was it?-which could be stored in a
bottle, just little ordinary bottle that
man could carry in his pocket; gas so
poisonous that just one Whit of it would kill
a whole roomful of people; gas that leaves
no traces, no after effects upon the body.
Am right?"
You're right" answered Darlington, in
an almost inaudble voice. Quite right.
Hydrocyanic acid gas is what you're think
ing of. You mean that-that L"
Shall produce for me a vial of that gas.
Give it to me. That's all. Then | disap-
pear What happens afterward is no con-