The story of Mr. Gould’s last night on earth is one easily told. It was as simple as any tale could be. He was prepared, and so were all the members of his family. His going off was merely a question of time. All understood how it would be. He had laid his earthly house in order, had explained to his older sons exactly what his property was, how he had made it, and what he should do to develop it if he lived. He had passed the distressing stage of his disease and he coughed but little, and that weakly. The beard upon his face hid to some extent the terrible emaciation, but the chalky pallor of the swarthy skin was sharp and startling. He dozed at times, but never seemed to lose consciousness. He did not suffer physically. There was nothing to fight against now but the lassitude of utter exhaustion, and this the doctors--Munn and Janeway--did with the most powerful stimulants, thus prolonging life by a few hours, but doing no good that could be measured. Several times during the night it was thought that he was going, and the family were hastily summoned to the bedside. But he rallied each time with wonderful vitality, and his will remained strong and under control to the last. Those in the house besides the medical attendants and nurses were the children--George J. Gould, who is already enthroned as his father’s successor in business; Edwin, the second son; Helen Miller Gould, the young heiress, who was the apple of her father’s eye; Howard, who is just coming into manhood; the schoolgirl daughter Anna and the youthful Frank, with Mrs. George Gould, Mrs. Edwin Gould and a lady intimately connected with the family. Daylight brought an apparent renewal of the lease of life. It was not much of a rally, but it was enough to give hope that the invalid would struggle along through a great part of the day. Windows were raised and curtains drawn in parts of the house, giving it an animated and lively look which it had not worn when all the shades were down. Shortly after the night-watch of newspaper men had gone away young Mrs. Gould appeared and drove away, in her carriage for a brief stay. She said that her father-in-law was much the same as he had been and perfectly conscious. An early caller was General Manager Hain, of the “L” road system. He stayed but a moment, and when he resumed his trip down town he little realized that the message of death, which was to be followed by the draping of all the “L” road engines, would reach the office almost as soon as he.