The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-03-17
A STRANGE TRICK on FATE
SAVES ME- FROM SELF.
DESTRUCTION
capwssda~a Dio A' tio

The white vision In the glass held
mo for long time. Finally tho
click OF closing door brought me
home unexpectedly Seeing meas
] saw myself In the mirror--there
was no question OF what would hap.
PEN Once upon "A time. certeis had
appeared suddenly and had saved
my life. That was In the episode OF
the u-boat. I stood aa motionicrn as
statue and looked not unlike one
at the sound OF the closing door.
hoping 10 catch a glimpse
OF ccrteiH over my shoulder.
Hut--nothing happened A ser.
want must have slammed the door.
The people Of the household were all
In hurry that day. one OF their
number was 10 he married. and I
had let nil Of them 20 10 tho wed.
ding. explaining to the protesting
butler that | was absolutely un-
afraid Thus ! managed 10 be alone.
But the noise Of tho door had
shaken my nerves drcadfuiiy. II
WAS only by an effort OF the will
that ! r-goincd my polse and forced
myself to walk slowly toward the
office wing Of the establishment. on
the ground floor were the offices. on
the second floor the laboratories. on
the third floor the small hospital
wher. had spent few days.
The lower part OF tho office wing
was detached from the mouse by tho
motor drive. but the second story
was connected with the residences by
n glass arcade Thru IL could
roach the chemists closets. ! could
put my hand ON the poison In the
dark for I had already taken pains
to locate IL on tho shelves.
paused before ono OF the win
dows OF tho arcade. paused TO look
once more upon Mother Earth. and
to bid Nature a silent goodbye. even
~ ! had said goodbye to myself in
the mirror.
The moonlight shons on the snow
clad pines. l was glad that the
trees l loved above all other. wer.
10 closc 90 me at the last. A lovely
group Of them stood In the rear Of
the offices held out my ciaspcd
hands 10 them as a white rob~d
dryad might pray To her projecting
trees.
And as I looked. I saw heavy
shower Of snow shake loose from
the branches and leave tho tree dark
on tho side toward the house. IL
seemed very odd. because the night
was absolutely stili. IL looked as II
IN. tree were trying to signal an an.
nwcr TO my prayer
suddenly q human hand shot out
from the branches, Wha; looked
llk. black hall whirl.d In the
moonlight and crashed thru tho Of.
flee window. A figure fled swiftly
away. lcaplng from shadow 20
shadow II the tree trunks on the
lawn. then IL disappeared over the
top Of tn. alley wall
knew that retrcating form at q
glance. II was the smart thief who
had talked % much IN Tofnmy's
grocery. the man whom Certeis had
cowcd with a word Plainly. certeis
had an impiacabis enemyi
| I retrca,ssi inyoluntsrtiy the way
I had come. l didn't stop 20 rcficc,
that I had gone forth to seek :
means 10 die. and that Il ought not
TO matter TO me whether ! died ons
way or another. and that " I were
logical I would hurry toward that
bomb. and let my death seem an &C
ciden; TO all the world
No. indeed, was controlled by
human habit Of mind. I r~coiied
from sudden death. instinctivciy.
fled back TO the hall Of the main res.
idcnce. There I picked up tho near
est phone-but at the moment. an