for the suicide a motive other than the attentions of Maddox;
second, to make the suicide look like a real suicide; third, without
later creating suspicion, to draw enough money from the bank to keep
himself alive after he was dead. For his suicide Jeanne must not hold
herself to blame; she must not believe her conduct forced his end; above
every one else, she must be persuaded that in bringing about his death
she was completely innocent. What reasons then were accepted for
suicide?

As to this, Jimmie, refusing to consider the act justified for any
reason, was somewhat at a loss. He had read of men who, owing to loss of
honor, loss of fortune, loss of health, had "gone out." He was
determined he owed it to himself not to go out under a cloud, and he
could not lose his money, as then there would be none to leave Jeanne;
so he must lose his health. As except for broken arms and collar-bones
he never had known a sick-bed, this last was as difficult as the others,
but it must serve. After much consideration he decided he would go
blind. At least he would pretend he was going blind. To give a semblance
of truth to this he would that day consult distinguished oculists and,
in spite of their assurances, would tell them that slowly and surely
his eyesight was failing him. He would declare to them, in the dread of
such a catastrophe, he was of a mind to seek self-destruction. To others
he would confide the secret of his blindness and his resolution not to
survive it. And, later, all of these would remember and testify.

The question of money also was difficult. After his death he no longer
could sign a check or negotiate securities. He must have cash. But if
from the bank he drew large sums of actual money, if he converted stocks
and bonds into cash and a week later disappeared, apparently forever,
questions as to what became of the sums he had collected would arise,
and that his disappearance was genuine would be doubted. This difficulty
made Jimmie for a moment wonder if being murdered for his money, and
having his body concealed by the murderer, would not be better than
suicide. It would, at least, explain the disappearance of the money. But
he foresaw that for his murder some innocent one might be suspected and
hanged. This suggested leaving behind him evidence to show that the one
who murdered him was none other than Proctor Maddox. The idea appealed
to his sense of humor and justice. It made the punishment fit the
crime