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Show SUICIDE NOT HIS MOTlVc. An Odd Proposition That Fulled to Arouse uu Attorney's Sympathy. "Huh!" Everybody seated at Edwin Corbin's table iu the cafe instantly nave his whole attention to that talented young attorney from whom the ejaculation hiul come. It was bis signal for informing those about hiui that he had a story to tell. Corbin is noted for his originality. "Hud an odd proposition made to me a few afternoons ago," he began. "1 aui I used lo listening to seheuies. A consider-i consider-i able part of my business is putting such ' as may possess any worth upon a legal ' fooling and giving them a start. Many a wild eyed one has Iteeii presented to me. This one would travel in the wild eyed class. 1 had received a uote iu the morning morn-ing from the proposer. He was an old acquaintance ac-quaintance of mine and the son of a prominent, prom-inent, ex governor. When lie came at the appointed time he sat down and for several sev-eral moments didn't speak. ; " "The truth is.' he said aftr a while, 'I j don't exai-tly know how to begin. I feel a j gnat deal like t he Irishman who, to get a good start, mn three miles to jump over a hill anil then walked over it.' "1 hade him collect, his thoughts," said Corbin, "He t hanked tne and did so. I " I have a scheme,' he finally began, : 'and if you are willing to go into it yon ! can make Sa,000 upon a small outlay and run absolutely no risk.' i "1 told him the proposition soeruedprom-fsing. soeruedprom-fsing. and asked him to proceed. "'Well,' he said, "l am just sick of living. liv-ing. I've got absolutely no use for this earth.' I i "1 could understand by the bitterness of his tones that he was suffering from u severe se-vere case of the blues, but, 1 motioned him to proceed. " 'Two nights ago I took what I had been . told was a fatal dose of morphine,' he said. 1 j 'And let me tell you, Corbin, never have I i i Iwen so surprised in my life as when on I tlie next morning I woke up and found j myself alive. When I recovered from my j j astonishment I was so mad I swore. There , I had gone all through the hard part of suhide and failed after all. But I might , have expected it, for I have always had the . worst luck that ever fell to the lot of a mortal.' " 'I learned this morningthat I had made , a mistake in the dose and I procured an-i an-i other, a correct one this time, to take again,' he went on. Must then a thought occurred to me' that possibly I might do a ! good deed while shuffling off the mortal coil and this is it: I haven't any money, i But you have. Now I want you to pay the ' premium on a ten thousand dollar life iu-i iu-i suiaiice policy which I shall take out. The policy will be taken out in your benelit and you will receive the whole amount. I But I want you to give $.1,000 to my sister. You can keep tho other five. Will you do I itf' " 'How do I know you will carry out I your part of the contract?' I asked, not a lit! le nonplussed by the scheme. "I le looked hurt to think I should doubt, ! him, but he imsured me solemnly that lie i would certainly succeed this time. I tried to argue him out of the idea by showing I him tiiat no insurance company would pay I a policy under such circumstances. But I he was obdurate. Then I began to ridicule him by laying stress on the risk I ran in my not being assured that he would kill himself after I had paid the premium. " 'I will prove it to you that I shall,' he exclaimed. I " 'How?' I asked. ! " 'Any way you like,' he replied. I "" 'Well, I'll tell you what you do,' I said. I He jumped to his feet ready to give me I proof. 'Go out into the hall, and when I no elevator starts to go up you slip under : it before the door is closed nnd drop to the ; lotLom of the shaft. If you do that I'll be-! be-! lieve you are in earnest.' i "Immediately ho saw that I was making I fun of him, and with an oath ho grabbed i his hat and rushed out of the office." "Did you run after himF" some one osked. I "Not a step," replied Corbin. ' "Why, he might have done as yon said." ! "No, lie wouldn't." said Corbin. "He was blue. No doubt about that. But he was blue because he was busted. It wasn't suicide he had in mind. He simply wanted 1 to work my sympathies for a tenner." Chicago Post. |