Year: 1879

i had resolved to kill myself; ther


was no longer any doubt that Ameli


was faithless to me.


Let me be sure about twas j


Amelia her name was? To think sh,
once held my life, as it we're, in hel


little hand, and 1 can't recollect, t.


save my soul, what her name was.


Anyhow, whoever she was, she hai


proved false to me, and, as was very


young at the time, I had promptly


come to the resolution to destroy my.


self.


My first intention was to go and


blow my brains all over the stair-car


pet, but then reflected that everyone


would know that Henrietta-come to
think of it, her name was Henrietta
had infatuated me and turned my head
NO.. said to myself, no scandal, nc
publicity Z Let me initiate the wound
ed stag, which, seeking to hide it's fatal
hurt, betakes himself to the most Sc
cret thickets, there to perish far from
all human eyes.


In this elegisc disposition took the
5 80 train to Melun, which set me
down just at dusk within few steps
OF the Golden Lion, q very well-kept
inn with clean beds and capital table.


What will monseur haye for cup
per ? said q charming little mistress.


Nothing-supper would be mock
cry, Show me, to my tomb-my
room, 1 mean,' r.s


retired to my couch. but not to
sleep. In my fevered dreams I beheld
Victoria-I am confident it was Vic.
toria after all-passing. leaning upon
the arm of my hated rival. I clutched
madly at his throat and seized-the
iron railing of the bedstead, or the
marble slab of 1.-THE little table by my
bedsides rose euurefreshed, but what
matters that was about to flie-hal
ha to die.
|a.zAsRings zdressedz myself I went In
search of a rope. You may think that
when aspsrson swants to hang himself
nothing is easier than to find rope,
bat / had to hunt the hotel high and
low before Icould find one.
g What on earth do you want of a
rope monssur p said the pretty mis-
tress whenzanally she found. me one.


With the precious bit of hemp in
my pocket, l took my way toward a
thicket not far from the hotel in a lit
tie wood whose paths were familiar to
me. There was one lonely and gloomy
copse there where / knew my lifeless
body would swing for weeks ere it
was discovered.


Upon the road thought of Bertha
Il was wrong before; come to think
of it It was Berths-and cursed her
with all the bitterness ofAwhich my
soul was capable. / then tested my
cord. It was not such an agent of
self destruction as would have chos-
en- had l had an assortment from
which to make q selection. It seemed
to me both short and not up to the
weight. was annoyed. You cannot
tell how trife like that will affect
persons temper at such moment.


A further disappointment was in
store for me. On arriving at the spot
1 had selected In advance l was disa-
greeably surprised to find somebody
else there. An individual whose back
only could see was occupied in fas-
tening q rope to the most eligible
branch of my tree.


'Hellol What are you doing there p
cried.


He turned round. what business
is that of yours, anyway p he said.


Bah; don't you think know what
you intend doing?


well, and supposing wanted to
hang myself-it is my own funeral
mean


regarded him narrowly. He was
a handsome and manly young fellow
of about my own age, with a frank
and winning countenance. He was
deadly pale.


This young man. said lifting my
hands to heaven, was going to take
his life-his own precious life-all for
the sake of worthless j;!t.'


'Sirp y he cried.


sPoor, silly FOOL I went on, COM
with myself aloud, he would
undertake to defend her. All lovers
are the same. Will you, 1 continued
take my advice-the advice of q we'll
wisher2 just leaye that cord there
Git was a stouter rope than mine, had
and 60 quietly home, like
good fellow. When you are yourself
you will thank me for giving you
such good advice.
He shook his head gloomily. sIde-
sire to die he muttered.


sDon't let yourself be gosded into
aking step that, if you were alive
you would regret Tomorrow 1 went
on, with q benevolent persistence
(You see, the fellow had pre-empted
the only really eligible bough in the
wood). when you are dead it will
be too late to change your mind.


'You speak to me without knowing
what Inisfortune has happened to me.


can guess II.


mo, you can not guess it. Sir,
woman that l loved; q woman for
whom


And he went on to tell me his story
which, singularly enough, was pre-
clsely like mine. The coincidence
made me pause a moment to collect
kh4,