Pocahontas star herald., 1914-01-30

experiences when lHttfH several INNh,
Gut. while be just escaped the uniform
OF the Salvation Army. he did not nnd
work and wandered back 20 broadway.
the apartment aud more debt.
He had no profession. knew no
trade. Halt erased with the obsesslon
that he must no longer run IN debt,
he decided 20 sell out the iiat. dis.
charge the servants aud do mental
labor. Running through the list OF
his abilities he decided. with frank
selfcontempi, that about the best
which he could do was help IN hotel
as bellboy. lie knew too little about
mathematics to keep books: he never
would succeed as desk.clerk. But he
could not bring himself 10 try 10 get
a fob OF that sort-it would too often
bring him into contact with the folk
he knew.
One afternoon, while wandering In
an almless funk upon a side street, he
saw n card In front OF an apartment
house announcing that an elevator boy
was wanted. He rushed IN with alac.
rlty and determination-and at the
very threshold met Mrs. Gerard. who
had been calling on 4 friend there. In
stead OF asking for the Job he took
a drive with her.
II was while this drive progressed
that the sordid. vicious tcmpter den.
nitoly seized him in bis tolls. The an
Client but yivaeious dame was very
affable-most agreeable indeed. She
was net motherly: she was filrtatious
And she accompanied her coquetry by
a shrewd exposition OF the magnitude
OF her unquestionably enormous
wealth. II staggered him.
II he had not at the moment had a
simple little Josie Richards letter In
his pocket he might have been swept
under A thousand times he had dis
covered the necessity OF assuring him
self. as he travelled up and down
Broadway. that he did not care for
Josie Richards. She was not the sort
OF glrl who captlvatod one who knew
life as he knew Il: she was dear. but
she was simple. unsophisticated and
what he most admired was wide So
phlstlcation; be thought as little OF
her as he could. but now she popped
into his mind and made him edge away
from the aged. wealthy widow.
When he went back to the fat he
found awaiting him new sheafs OF
bills. none pressing him-mere state.
ments. The rumor had not started
that he was not goed pay. Broadway
still delighted in him. still endeavored
TO induce him 20 accept fits credit. This
gave him new distress; he knew him
self-he knew he would go out that
night and run more debts.
Suddenly he knew what to do. II
came to him without an effort OF the
brain. II was a tragic inspiration.
Without word TO Rankin. stealthily
and secretly. he went forth into the
afternoon In his smart runabout, stiil
driven by the taxi-cabman, who now
regarded him with something akin to
worship, and sought a gunshop and a
chemists.
In the former he made purchase OF a
large. grim. blued-steel automatic pis.
tol OF the largest caliber they had In
stock, and secured one box OF cart
ridges. II seemed n waste OF money.
which by rights was definitely the
property OF creditors. TO buy so many
cartridges. for he should need but onel
However. he feared that to ask for one
would pin attention to him and frus-
trate what he had In mind, so he put
the heavy box into his pocket. II
made II sag o0trageously. which very
much annoyed him. No man on
broadway was moro careful Of his
clothes. But what. after all. lid
sagged pocket matter nowg
At the chemists he secured an ounce
OF bichloride OF mercury. which had
been fashionable OF late among smart
suicides. He had no difhculty in OBJ
taining II. This eased him and fur
ther satisfaction grew out OF the fact
that though It held potentialIties as
deadly as the automatic gun and cart.
ridges could hold II made little pack
age, not heavy in the least, and so
did not sag the other pocket. where he
| piaceu IL very carefully.
AS he whirled uptown in the run
about he frequently felt OF the deadly
things.
He liked the feel OF neither of them.
The revolver was so hard and bust
ness-like, the pill bottle was so slip
perry, so cold and heartlessi What an
end was this for Broadway Jonesl
Again seated in the little study he
solemnly reviewed his life. He saw no
points at which he had made very
great mistakes. save the important one
OF thinking that quarter of million
IS lot OF money in New York.
I've been nothing but a piker," he
reflected, "and I've acted like the
trade-marked article. ought TO get
It In the neck and am going to get II
in the neck"
This unpleasantly reminded him and
he caressed the heck wherein he was
to get IT, Never, in the past, when
he had used that slang expression had
II really suggested his own neck to
him or any other actual neck. Now
It made his flesh creep and his blood
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