horpe, and there is just as much
difference between the inspired soldier and the uninspired doctor, or
between impulse and decision."

"I believe that Mr. Thorpe would welcome death," said she.

Dr. Bates shook his head. "My dear, if that were true he could obtain
relief from his suffering to-day,--this very hour."

"What do you mean?" she cried, with a swift shudder, as one suddenly
assailed by foreboding.

"There is a very sharp razor blade on his dressing-table," said Dr. Bates
with curious deliberation. "Besides that, there is sufficient poison in
four of those little--But there, I must say no more. You are alarmed,--and
needlessly. He will not take his own life, you may be sure of that. By
reaching out his hand he can grasp death, and he knows it. A month ago I
said this to him: 'Mr. Thorpe, I must ask you to be very careful. If you
do not sleep well to-night, take one of these tablets. If one does not
give you relief, you may take another, but no more. Four of them would
mean certain, almost instant death.' For more than a month that little box
of tablets has lain at his elbow, so to speak. Death has been within reach
all this time. Those tablets are still there, Mrs. Thorpe, so now you
understand."

"Yes," she said, staring at him as if fascinated; "they are still there. I
understand."

The thick envelope that Mr. Hollenback handed to Anne on the day of her
wedding contained a properly executed assignment of securities amounting
to two million dollars, together with an order to the executors under his
will to pay in gold to her immediately after his death an amount
sufficient to cover any shrinkage that may have occurred in the value of
the bonds by reason of market fluctuations. In plain words, she was to
have her full two millions. There was also an instrument authorising a
certain Trust Company to act as depository for these securities, all of
which were carefully enumerated and classified, with instructions to
collect and pay to her during his lifetime the interest on said bonds. At
his death the securities were to be delivered to her without recourse to
the courts, and were to be free of the death tax, which was to be paid
from the residue of the estate. There was a provision, however, that she
was to pay the state, city and county taxes on the full assessed value of
these bonds during his lifetime, and doubtless by premeditation on his
part all of them were subject to taxation. This unsuspected "joker