Page:Zangwill-King of schnorrers.djvu/286

272 272 AN ODD LIFE.

year — the agony of a condemned criminal who does not know on what day he is to be execu — "

His voice failed suddenly. He had slightly raised him- self on his pillow in his excitement, but now his head fell back, revealing the fatal white patches on the baby throat. I seized his hand quickly to feel his pulse. The little palm lay cold in mine. I started violently and sat up rigidly in my chair.

The child was dead. Downton was sobbing at my side.

As I was writing out the certificate, an odd thought came into my head. I scribbled what I thought an appropriate epitaph and showed it to Downton, but he glared at me furiously. I hastened home to bed.

My epitaph ran :

HERE LIES

WILLIAM ("WILLY") STREETSIDE,

WHO LED A DOUBLE LIFE,

AND DIED IN BLAMELESS REPUTE,

AT THE AVERAGE AGE

OF 39 YEARS.

c * 4nd in their death they were not divided"