The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-27
them at cards"


! underwood listened in silence. He
! stood lnOtiOn'ees, watching her flushed
! !tce as she heaped reDrOo,haa on him
She was practically pronoJncipg hi7
'''f' 'CnttAte, ye. ho could rot helm
: how pretty she looked. When
| she had finished he said nothing, but,
going to his desk, he opened a small
drawer anj COX out a revolver.
Alicia rccci,ed, frightened.
What are you going to do?" she
cried
Underwood s:.iiad bitterly.
ca don't be afraid. | wouldn't DO
It WDi.e YOU are here. In spite of all
you've said to me, still think too
"s"C. o. you for that" Replacing tie
pistol IN the drawer. he added: Alicia,
II you desert ME now, you'll be sorry
to the day OF your death"
His visitor looked at him in silence.
Ihen, contemntuously, she said:
Il don't believe you intend to carry
out your threat | should have known
rom the first that your object was to
lrlghten me. The pistol display was
highly theatrical, but 1t was only
bluff. You've no more idea cf taking
your life than l have of taking mine.
| was foolish to come here. | might
nave spared myself the humiliation Of
this clandestine interview. Good.
night"
She went toward the door. Under.
wood made no attempt to follow her.
IN hard, strange voice, which he
scarcely recognized as his own, he
merely said:
rs that all you have to saw"
Yes" replied Alicia, as she turned
at the door. Let it be thoroughly un-
derSood that your presence at my
house is not desired. If you force
yourself upon me in any way, you
must take the consequences"
Underwood bowed, and was silent
She did not see the deathly pallor OF
MS face. Opening the door of the
apartment which led to the hall. sho
again turned.
Tell ne, before { go-you didn't
mean what you said in your letter. did
you?"
III tell you nothing" replied I'm.
derwood dOggedly.
She tossed her head scornfully.
Il don't believe that a man who fs
coward enough to write a letter like
this has the courage to carry out his
threat" Stuffing the letter back into
her bag, she added: II should have
thrown 1t in the waste-paper basket.
but on second thoughts, think I'll
keep 1t. Goodnight"
Goodnight" echoed Underwood
mechanically.
He watched her go down the long
hallway and disappear in the elevator.
Then, shutting the door, he came
slowly back into the room and sat
down at his desk. For ten minutes he
sat there motionless, his head bent
forward, every limb relaxed. There
was deep silence, broken only by How.
ards regular breathing and the loud
ticking of the clock.
It's all up" he muttered to himself.
Its no use battling against the tide.
The strongest swimmer must go under
some time. I've played my last card
and I've lost. Death is better than
going to jail. What good Is life any.
way without money? Just a moments
nerve and 1t VIII all be over"
Opening the drawer in the desk. he
took out the revolver again. He turned
1t over In his hand and regarded fear.
fully the polished surface of the IN.
suument that bridged life and death.
He had completely forgotten Howard's
presence in the room On the thvesh.
old Of terrible decd his thoughts
were leagues away. Like a man who
is drowning. and close TO death. ho
saw with surprising diStinctnoss a
ka eldOscoOic Jew o. his past lie. Ie
Sa" himself IN ihrocent, impulsiva
school boy, the pride of a devoted
mother the happy home where he
spent his childhood Then came the
e"clatiOn with bad companions. the
first step In wrongdoing, stealing out
OF comrades pocket in school. the
'th OF his mother, leaving home
WI downward progress until he grad.
~ dIited into his present dishon-
est way of liv'rg. What was the good
OF r. gr.fs? He could not recall his
mo''or - lie. " could never rehab.
i'tt;'.' ''~se'F among decent men and
Won,e- hv world had suddenly be.
core - all for him. He must 60.
ana IuicI!v.
Flngerhg the pistol nervously, he
sat before the mirror and placed it
fgainat us temple. The cold steel
gave him a sudden shock He Won
derod il it would hurt and ii there
would be instant oblivion The glare
of the elecric light in the room dis.
concerted him. 1t occurred to him
that it would be easier in the dark.
Reaching out his arm, he turned the