The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-08

shapeless something which the river
had swept TO the bottom step, and
which. as the tide receded, had lef.
lying there. He Went closer to it
and examined it.
1t was the dead body of a man.
He turned quickly and retraced his
steps, and then stopped.
Hes had the pluck to do it," he
muttered. "he must have thrown
himself in farther up the river. The
tide has washed him there and left
him stranded. Poor beggar, won
der who he is?"
He went down again and looked at
the gruesome thing lying there. He
lay in the shadow Of the bridge
and the moons rays did not reach
him.
Il wonder who he is" repeated
/ Leicester.
Almost mechanically, and with a
steady hand, he struck a match and
] examined the body.
1T might have been me" he NUT
tered About my own age and build
/ His clothes are good too. ! sup
pose this thing was what is called a
/ gentleman" He laughed quietly and
grimly. \ sort of gruesome curiosity
/ possessed him, and a wild fancy
! flashed into his mind 81 wonder
| if he's left any mark of his IDENTIFY
| he said, whereupon he lit another
match ana' made a close eXamina-
ton. Yes, the things hands belong
| ed to what was once a man of leis-
ure. 1t is true they were discolorel
| and swollen, but they had been care
/ fully manicured. Without a shudder
! he examined the pockets There was
nothing, absolutely nothing in them
/ mot even pOcket-handkerChief
/ The shirt was fastened at the wrists
| by a pair of gold sleeve-links, but
they bore no marks of any sort.
| He unfastened the links and looked
a the inside of the cuffs, but there
was no name written on them. He
fastened them again. He examined
the deaf mans collar. Again it was
without name. Evidently the suicide
had taken trouble to leave no trace
OF his identity behind.
He took another look at the face
Yes. it might have been himself il
he had been in the water lone
time. 1t was the face of young
man, as far as he could judge, be
tween thirty and forty. 1t was clean
shaven, too, just as his own was
1t was true it was much distorted
evidently the poor wretch had been
in the water for days.
Almost mechanically he took ont
his handkerchief and wiped his
bands. The light was bright enough
to show him that his own name was
III the corner
1T might be me, it might be me,
he repeated again and again.
There was sort of fascination
in the thought.
IF twenty-four hours ago, or forty
eight hours ago | had thrown my
self into the river, and ever since
had been rolled about by the muddy
waters. | should be like that, just
like that. Only he is nameless
there are no means of identifying
him. Well, what's the odds"
He started as though someone had
struck him.
why shouldn't it be-"
In moment he saw the posi-
bilities of the thought.
Yes, why shouldn't it? Tomorrow
morning someone will come down
these steps, anl' then the police
| Will ldht lut pun Nltl'h " a
mortuary, after which there will
be the usual fiasco OF an inquest.
As there are no marks by which
to identify him, hosts OF stupid
questions will be asked. After that
he will be forgotten, unless someone
comes to claim him. But why
shouldn't | become
His eyes flashed with a new light.
He was no longer cold aud calm.
He was eager, excited.
He listened eagerly All was 81
lent, save for a rumlblng noise which
he heard some distance away. He
felt his pockets carefully. Yes, here
was an old letter; it would do per.
fectly. He soaked it in the muddy
waters Of the river, and crumpled
it. 1t had the appearance of being in
the river for Gays. He put the let
ter in the dead mans pocket.