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Speaker 1: He scoffed at the signs in his horoscope, an arc

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of direction by Junius B. Smith. The young man cast

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the stub of his cigarette from the open window and laughed,

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Your theories are absurd, my dear Elton. If a man

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could always tell when to sew and when to reap,

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his fortune would be assured exactly. Elton agreed, fingering the

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pages of the book on astrology, which he evidently had

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been perusing when the other came in. After a moment,

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he continued, Naturally, you don't believe one may look into

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the future. If you want my candid opinion, I do not.

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I may say I will have a coffee for breakfast,

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but I am not certain of it. I may be

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dead when breakfast time comes. He rolled another cigarette and

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set it alight. I may not even finish the in

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my mouth, he added, as he tossed the still blazing

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match out the window. Elton viewed the act with a

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little frown upon his face. I'm afraid, friend, Hall, that

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to you fate will be fate. Indeed, for you act

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without due thinking. For instance, how do you know where

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that cigarette stub went or the match which followed it?

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For all you know it may have struck tender, and

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I may be seeking accommodations tonight, Tot tot. There's nothing

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outside but some vines running up the wall, as they

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do over at my place, and some flowers and grass

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on the other side of the cement walk. I saw

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all that the last time you showed me your horticultural skills.

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You assume there has been no change. You do not

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really know. The one who trusts in chance has his

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destiny fixed by the stars. Just when and where were

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you born? Haul took the cigarette from his lips as

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Elton reached for a sheet of paper on which to

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make the notation. You're not really serious, old dear. Surely

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you don't take any stock in that exploded thing. Let

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us talk about something worthwhile we are doing just that.

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I am curious as to the date of your demise.

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Haul shrugged his shoulders poppycock. If I didn't know you

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as a successful businessman, i'd think something was wrong with

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your head. I don't know, but there is anyway. A

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doctor once told me that everybody was crazy on at

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least one subject. Nobody ever told me what subject I'm

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bugs on, and I suppose no one knows his pet failing,

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nor believes anyone who tells him. So you think you

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can tell when I'm going to die? That's rich. I

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don't know myself. You will if you get me the

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information I asked by cracky. I believe you believe you

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can tell. I'll bet you a quart of pink lemonade

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against that one lunged flivver of yours that I outwearh

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your dilapidated tires. Maybe so, maybe so, I can't tell

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when you're going to die if you don't tell me

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where and when you were born. In the end, Hall

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gave the information, asked, and now what, asked the younger man.

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Shall I wait until you diagnose my case? Or shall

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I return at some later date just if you like?

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Elton replied, it involves considerable work, so perhaps you'd better

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call around in a week from now. It was a

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month before Hall again visited his friend. When he did,

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it was with no intention of learning his fate as

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foretold by the stars, but rather upon another matter. Nor

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was the subject brought up by him, though what he

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said directly opened the question. I'm going to be married

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in September. Elton considered the statement for a moment, but

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said nothing, sweetest girl you ever saw. Hull amplified, still

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no comment. You are to stand up with me if

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you will. It was that that brought me here today.

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I'm glad you came. Elton at last broke his silence.

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I was about to set forth and find you. Your

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announcement does not come as a surprise to me, for

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such an attachment is shown in your horoscope for this time.

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But and he weighed his words carefully. If you really

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want the girl, you had better marry her immediately. Of course,

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she might object to being left a widow. So soon

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shall I call a doctor for you? Elton? You talk

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as if you're sick. I'm not sick, and I don't

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need a doctor. But in all seriousness, friend Hall, you

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need a nurse or at least a bodyguard in the

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very near future, for according to my calculations, on the

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tenth of next month, unless you do something to prevent it,

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you will most assuredly be hanged. Hall looked at Elton

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for a full minute, then spoke, you surely don't believe that, bunk.

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If you are joshing, I think you have gone far enough.

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I was never more serious in my life. According to

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my calculated arcs of direction, arks of what Hall involuntarily

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exclaimed arcs of direction planetary angulations we astrologer to calculate

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to tell when the designated result will materialize. Oh, I see,

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first you tell what is going to happen to a fellow,

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and then when. So I'm going to be hanged on

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the tenth of next month. Quick work. I haven't killed

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anybody yet, and they don't hang them that soon. Even

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if I should go out and kill somebody between now

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and then, Oh, there are lots of ways in which

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you might get hanged. Some over enthusiastic citizens, for instance,

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might string you up to the nearest telegraph poll or

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convenient limb. You wouldn't be the first man who had

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suffered of vicarious death. Quit it, Elton, you're making my

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nerves jumpy. He moved toward the window and looked out.

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I'll miss you greatly, Elton replied. Let me tell the

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girl all about it. Maybe she'll marry you at once.

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To take care of you, Get a bodyguard or do something.

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Believe me a fool if you like, but don't take

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a chance. Fate has an unkind way of pulling mean

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little tricks. You gloomy, old cuss. You're scaring me out

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of a year's growth. You look as if you were

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attending my funeral already. The tenth of the following month

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came and Hull had taken no precautionary measures. Every time

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he thought of what Elton told him, he felt sorry

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for Elton. His mind was undoubtedly slipping pity too. Genius

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and insanity are very close together. He lay in a

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bed and looked up at the ceiling and pondered about

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what his friend had told him. This was the day

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he was to be hanged. He never felt any further

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from death than he did that very minute. Of course,

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he might walk out on the street and something unforeseen

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befall him. All in all, perhaps it were better to

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remain in his home all day in bed, even only

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that seemed plumb foolish. On second thought, he would remain indoors.

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There was no use taking chances. As Elton had pointed out,

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there was nothing he had to do, so he might

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as well do it at home as elsewhere. Of course,

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Elton had wanted him to provide a bodyguard, some sort

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of companion who would cut him down perhaps, but that

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was beside the question. What need did he have for

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a bodyguard? The bodyguard might hang him. His mind began

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all sorts of queer gymnastics. He was nervous in spite

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of himself. He crawled out of bed when the sun

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shining through the open window drove him to it. After

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a shower, he slowly dressed. Suddenly an idea hit him, Elton,

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So cock, sure I'm going to die today? I believe

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I'll phone him and tell him to come over. That's

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killing two birds with one stone. He'd make an excellent bodyguard,

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that is, if he isn't crazy, and we can play chess,

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which will while the hours away. Yeah, I'll get him

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on the phone immediately, and he did. Was just coming

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over anyway, Elton told him. Haul made some toast and

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poached an egg. His appetite wasn't very keen. Living alone

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in a two story house and doing his own cooking

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when not eating in a cafeteria was getting monotonous, to

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say the least. He was glad he was to be

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married in September. It would be different when he had

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a wife to take charge of the home, which had

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been left him by his parents. His frugal meal finished,

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he ran upstairs to get his chessboard and men. The

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sunlight was pouring through the window. In added volume, it

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was too beautiful a day to be cooped up, But

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he'd forget all about that when he and Elton got

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to playing chess. He decided he might as well make

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his bed while waiting for Elton, and busied himself in

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that occupation. Then he went to the open window and

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looked out. Elton should be coming any minute now. Speeding

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autos flashed to and fro. The hank of an occasional

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horn sounded warning. An old horse pulling a still older

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express wagon rattled past. The driver hunched on his seat.

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A bicycle or two added variety, and men, women and

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children sauntered, hurried, or ran along the walks according to

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what each was intent upon doing. Hall wondered if any

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of those down upon whom he was looking would turn

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aside long enough to hang him. His face lighted with

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a rather amused smile. He'd have to talk to the

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doctor about Elton. It wasn't good for a man to

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get such crazy notions into his head. His eyes drifted

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to his immediate yard. A bird cooed and scolded its

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fledglings in an evergreen tree not a dozen feet away.

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He watched it feed its young. A humming bird whizzed

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past his face, its invisible wings fanning the air with

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great rapidity. Frown flower to flower, it darted on the

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creeping vines beside the house. He watched it lazily, fascinated

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by its beauty, its daintiness, the music of its flight.

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Was it possible that he, in the midst of life,

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was on the threshold of death? Into his reverie broke

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the hum of a motor strangely familiar to his ears.

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It was Elton's car, He had no doubt. He strained

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his eyes to catch sight of it and confirmed his guests.

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Then he turned to go downstairs and let Elton in.

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On the morning of the tenth Elton became very uneasy.

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He was sincere in what he told his friend Hall.

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He feared, however, that Hall would disregard the warning and

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come to disaster. Since in most likelihood Hall would not

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provide himself with a bodyguard, why not be that bodyguard himself,

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so Elton reasoned. It was precisely at the time when

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he made up his mind to attend Hall, all that

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day that Hall telephoned him, he got his car from

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the garage and inspected the right front tire, concerning which

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Hall had been kidding him on more than one occasion.

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It was about ready to go out, but this was

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no time to change it. He could do that when

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he got to Hall's place or later, or let it

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go until it did blow out. He was just slowing

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as he drew close to Hall's residence to make the

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turn into the driveway on the north side of the

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house when the tire went out with a loud bang.

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He turned into the driveway on the rim, stopped and

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quickly changed the tire. He might as well get it

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over over with before going into the house so he

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could wash up. When he did go in, the tire changed.

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He went to the front door and pushed the bell.

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No answer came. He knocked long and loud, still no answer.

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Worried at the silence, he started along the cement path

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that led to the rear around the south side of

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the house and paused to stand aghast at what he

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saw when he turned the corner. As Hall turned with

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intention of leaving the open window to admit his friend,

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the latter's tire had exploded. Hall, whose nerves were jumpy

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as a result of his friend's dire foreboding, started, lost

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his balance and fell backward out the window. He clutched

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at the vines held to the side of the wall

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by metal netting, but they gave and tore away and

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let him continue to fall. And then one more tenacious

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than the rest, held, but it raped its sinuous length

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around his neck. He fought and clutched the wire like fiber,

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but the noose slipped only tighter. He was almost dead

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when Elton cut him down. The end of an arc

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of direction by Junius B. Smith