Speaker 1: He scoffed at the signs in his horoscope, an arc
of direction by Junius B. Smith. The young man cast
the stub of his cigarette from the open window and laughed,
Your theories are absurd, my dear Elton. If a man
could always tell when to sew and when to reap,
his fortune would be assured exactly. Elton agreed, fingering the
pages of the book on astrology, which he evidently had
been perusing when the other came in. After a moment,
he continued, Naturally, you don't believe one may look into
the future. If you want my candid opinion, I do not.
I may say I will have a coffee for breakfast,
but I am not certain of it. I may be
dead when breakfast time comes. He rolled another cigarette and
set it alight. I may not even finish the in
my mouth, he added, as he tossed the still blazing
match out the window. Elton viewed the act with a
little frown upon his face. I'm afraid, friend, Hall, that
to you fate will be fate. Indeed, for you act
without due thinking. For instance, how do you know where
that cigarette stub went or the match which followed it?
For all you know it may have struck tender, and
I may be seeking accommodations tonight, Tot tot. There's nothing
outside but some vines running up the wall, as they
do over at my place, and some flowers and grass
on the other side of the cement walk. I saw
all that the last time you showed me your horticultural skills.
You assume there has been no change. You do not
really know. The one who trusts in chance has his
destiny fixed by the stars. Just when and where were
you born? Haul took the cigarette from his lips as
Elton reached for a sheet of paper on which to
make the notation. You're not really serious, old dear. Surely
you don't take any stock in that exploded thing. Let
us talk about something worthwhile we are doing just that.
I am curious as to the date of your demise.
Haul shrugged his shoulders poppycock. If I didn't know you
as a successful businessman, i'd think something was wrong with
your head. I don't know, but there is anyway. A
doctor once told me that everybody was crazy on at
least one subject. Nobody ever told me what subject I'm
bugs on, and I suppose no one knows his pet failing,
nor believes anyone who tells him. So you think you
can tell when I'm going to die? That's rich. I
don't know myself. You will if you get me the
information I asked by cracky. I believe you believe you
can tell. I'll bet you a quart of pink lemonade
against that one lunged flivver of yours that I outwearh
your dilapidated tires. Maybe so, maybe so, I can't tell
when you're going to die if you don't tell me
where and when you were born. In the end, Hall
gave the information, asked, and now what, asked the younger man.
Shall I wait until you diagnose my case? Or shall
I return at some later date just if you like?
Elton replied, it involves considerable work, so perhaps you'd better
call around in a week from now. It was a
month before Hall again visited his friend. When he did,
it was with no intention of learning his fate as
foretold by the stars, but rather upon another matter. Nor
was the subject brought up by him, though what he
said directly opened the question. I'm going to be married
in September. Elton considered the statement for a moment, but
said nothing, sweetest girl you ever saw. Hull amplified, still
no comment. You are to stand up with me if
you will. It was that that brought me here today.
I'm glad you came. Elton at last broke his silence.
I was about to set forth and find you. Your
announcement does not come as a surprise to me, for
such an attachment is shown in your horoscope for this time.
But and he weighed his words carefully. If you really
want the girl, you had better marry her immediately. Of course,
she might object to being left a widow. So soon
shall I call a doctor for you? Elton? You talk
as if you're sick. I'm not sick, and I don't
need a doctor. But in all seriousness, friend Hall, you
need a nurse or at least a bodyguard in the
very near future, for according to my calculations, on the
tenth of next month, unless you do something to prevent it,
you will most assuredly be hanged. Hall looked at Elton
for a full minute, then spoke, you surely don't believe that, bunk.
If you are joshing, I think you have gone far enough.
I was never more serious in my life. According to
my calculated arcs of direction, arks of what Hall involuntarily
exclaimed arcs of direction planetary angulations we astrologer to calculate
to tell when the designated result will materialize. Oh, I see,
first you tell what is going to happen to a fellow,
and then when. So I'm going to be hanged on
the tenth of next month. Quick work. I haven't killed
anybody yet, and they don't hang them that soon. Even
if I should go out and kill somebody between now
and then, Oh, there are lots of ways in which
you might get hanged. Some over enthusiastic citizens, for instance,
might string you up to the nearest telegraph poll or
convenient limb. You wouldn't be the first man who had
suffered of vicarious death. Quit it, Elton, you're making my
nerves jumpy. He moved toward the window and looked out.
I'll miss you greatly, Elton replied. Let me tell the
girl all about it. Maybe she'll marry you at once.
To take care of you, Get a bodyguard or do something.
Believe me a fool if you like, but don't take
a chance. Fate has an unkind way of pulling mean
little tricks. You gloomy, old cuss. You're scaring me out
of a year's growth. You look as if you were
attending my funeral already. The tenth of the following month
came and Hull had taken no precautionary measures. Every time
he thought of what Elton told him, he felt sorry
for Elton. His mind was undoubtedly slipping pity too. Genius
and insanity are very close together. He lay in a
bed and looked up at the ceiling and pondered about
what his friend had told him. This was the day
he was to be hanged. He never felt any further
from death than he did that very minute. Of course,
he might walk out on the street and something unforeseen
befall him. All in all, perhaps it were better to
remain in his home all day in bed, even only
that seemed plumb foolish. On second thought, he would remain indoors.
There was no use taking chances. As Elton had pointed out,
there was nothing he had to do, so he might
as well do it at home as elsewhere. Of course,
Elton had wanted him to provide a bodyguard, some sort
of companion who would cut him down perhaps, but that
was beside the question. What need did he have for
a bodyguard? The bodyguard might hang him. His mind began
all sorts of queer gymnastics. He was nervous in spite
of himself. He crawled out of bed when the sun
shining through the open window drove him to it. After
a shower, he slowly dressed. Suddenly an idea hit him, Elton,
So cock, sure I'm going to die today? I believe
I'll phone him and tell him to come over. That's
killing two birds with one stone. He'd make an excellent bodyguard,
that is, if he isn't crazy, and we can play chess,
which will while the hours away. Yeah, I'll get him
on the phone immediately, and he did. Was just coming
over anyway, Elton told him. Haul made some toast and
poached an egg. His appetite wasn't very keen. Living alone
in a two story house and doing his own cooking
when not eating in a cafeteria was getting monotonous, to
say the least. He was glad he was to be
married in September. It would be different when he had
a wife to take charge of the home, which had
been left him by his parents. His frugal meal finished,
he ran upstairs to get his chessboard and men. The
sunlight was pouring through the window. In added volume, it
was too beautiful a day to be cooped up, But
he'd forget all about that when he and Elton got
to playing chess. He decided he might as well make
his bed while waiting for Elton, and busied himself in
that occupation. Then he went to the open window and
looked out. Elton should be coming any minute now. Speeding
autos flashed to and fro. The hank of an occasional
horn sounded warning. An old horse pulling a still older
express wagon rattled past. The driver hunched on his seat.
A bicycle or two added variety, and men, women and
children sauntered, hurried, or ran along the walks according to
what each was intent upon doing. Hall wondered if any
of those down upon whom he was looking would turn
aside long enough to hang him. His face lighted with
a rather amused smile. He'd have to talk to the
doctor about Elton. It wasn't good for a man to
get such crazy notions into his head. His eyes drifted
to his immediate yard. A bird cooed and scolded its
fledglings in an evergreen tree not a dozen feet away.
He watched it feed its young. A humming bird whizzed
past his face, its invisible wings fanning the air with
great rapidity. Frown flower to flower, it darted on the
creeping vines beside the house. He watched it lazily, fascinated
by its beauty, its daintiness, the music of its flight.
Was it possible that he, in the midst of life,
was on the threshold of death? Into his reverie broke
the hum of a motor strangely familiar to his ears.
It was Elton's car, He had no doubt. He strained
his eyes to catch sight of it and confirmed his guests.
Then he turned to go downstairs and let Elton in.
On the morning of the tenth Elton became very uneasy.
He was sincere in what he told his friend Hall.
He feared, however, that Hall would disregard the warning and
come to disaster. Since in most likelihood Hall would not
provide himself with a bodyguard, why not be that bodyguard himself,
so Elton reasoned. It was precisely at the time when
he made up his mind to attend Hall, all that
day that Hall telephoned him, he got his car from
the garage and inspected the right front tire, concerning which
Hall had been kidding him on more than one occasion.
It was about ready to go out, but this was
no time to change it. He could do that when
he got to Hall's place or later, or let it
go until it did blow out. He was just slowing
as he drew close to Hall's residence to make the
turn into the driveway on the north side of the
house when the tire went out with a loud bang.
He turned into the driveway on the rim, stopped and
quickly changed the tire. He might as well get it
over over with before going into the house so he
could wash up. When he did go in, the tire changed.
He went to the front door and pushed the bell.
No answer came. He knocked long and loud, still no answer.
Worried at the silence, he started along the cement path
that led to the rear around the south side of
the house and paused to stand aghast at what he
saw when he turned the corner. As Hall turned with
intention of leaving the open window to admit his friend,
the latter's tire had exploded. Hall, whose nerves were jumpy
as a result of his friend's dire foreboding, started, lost
his balance and fell backward out the window. He clutched
at the vines held to the side of the wall
by metal netting, but they gave and tore away and
let him continue to fall. And then one more tenacious
than the rest, held, but it raped its sinuous length
around his neck. He fought and clutched the wire like fiber,
but the noose slipped only tighter. He was almost dead
when Elton cut him down. The end of an arc
of direction by Junius B. Smith