San Andreas independent., 1857-10-03

himself to work to build another. But
she did not know me. She did not know
that love such as mine, spins but one
thread in lifetime, and that destroyed,
SPINS no more.
Clinton Knowles had been class-mate
of mine at college. He was fine, joy
Gus fellow-the very antithesis of my
gloomy and secretive nature. At the
university we had been excellent friends,
and in the world, when we afterwards met,
our meetings were cordial ones He was
entirely unsuspicious of my having been
his rival. Anita was one of those rarely
honorable women, who would die sooner
than disclose her conquests to any one ;
and my love had been so undemonstra-
tive in public, that no one save Anita
knew of its existence.
suddenly renewed my old intimacy
with Clinton. He came often to my
chambers, and smoked and chatted over
old times. Sometimes he spoke to me of
his approaching marriage; painted to me
all the happiness to which he looked for
ward in the future; dreamed audible
dreams to me of love and welded joys,
and all those golden anticipations which,
never could realize. | have often won
dered since, at my self-control. I have
often wondered, while he has thus uncon-
sciously rent my heart, day after day, that
nature did not trample on philosophy and
urge me to his instant destruction. More
than once Ffound my fingers convulsively
clasping knives that lay near me, OF my
eyes seeking the weapons that hung over
. the mantle-piece. wonder now at my
, self-control, but feel convinced that moth
ing would have restrained me if it were
not the conviction that at last he would
surely be mine.
| soon got Clinton in the habit of COM
ing frequently to my chambers. This
was not difficult, for he was essentially
gregarious in his habits; and, next to
talking of Anita, it was his greatest plea
, sure to watch the progress of my expert
ments. My rooms were a laboratory, full
7 of strange acknowledgements bate
7 ries, common electrical machines, voltaiC
Y piles, in short, all those varied instru
e ments for which the experimental electri
S clan finds use. Clinton remembered
!, just enough of his college course of ply
: sizes to follow my experiments with inter
; est. was just then pursuing some re
t searches upon the applicability of electro
n magnetism as a motive-power, and Gin
ton was almost daily with me. The tim'
b approached.
Every thing was arranged. My plal
was complete, and nothing now remained
: but to put it in execution. | have spo
ken before of the powerful electro-mag
, netic battery which l had constructed oil
, principle entirely my own. This bat
: terry, although of comparatively small
size, was of intense power, and its ordi-
nary force could be further increased by
the application of zinc cylinder on a
principle invented by myself This bat
terry, when at the height of its power was
capable of the most astonishing effects
A shock from it, directed through the
vertebra of an elephant, would have kill
ed the animal as instantaneously as tho't.
1t was by this battery that [ determined
that Clinton Knowles should die; but,
true to my theory of murder, [ determin-
ed that the fact of his death being pre-
meditated, should remain secret to all
save myself and that ever-open Eye which
there is no binding. How short-sighted
was |, with all my devilish penetration,
compared with that Divine glance which
so infallibly pierces the future While
| blindly planned, God was looking on the
end-an end that to me was wholly terri
, bic and unexpected.
My plan was simply this: | made an
appointment with Carlton Knowles to
meet me at my rooms at certain hour, to
witness a new experiment which | was
to repeat on the action of the electrical
fluid on the nervous system of animals =
Half an hour before the time came, set
my battery in motion. One of the wires
attached SO the battery had conducted
along the floor, insulating it by coating it
with gutta percha, leaving, however, it's
naked end coiled on certain spot close to
the table. This naked end was insulated
from the floor by means of thin sheet of
Sueoa PCIOud plcdu dlI over UnaG portion
on which the table stood The other wire
was likewise coated with gutta percha al
most to Its tip, and this | had conducted
through the table in such manner that
It's point came out close to the edge of the
leaf. To this point [ attached, by means
of finer wire-so fine as to be almost in
vlsible-a letter, which / addressed in
large characters, to Anita Brent. All that
was now wanting to complete the circuit
between the polls and the battery, was
that some one, standing on the wire coiled
under the table, should touch this letter
That done, shock powerful enough to
killa hundred men would traverse his body,
and instantly paralyze life. Now, it was
so arranged that no one touching the letter
could avoid standing on the line which
was coiled underneath the table, aud
knew enough of human nature to know
that the instant Clinton Knowles came M
to my room, not finding me there, he
/ L ~