Daily globe., 1879-02-09
THE CONFESSIONS OF A CORPSE

IHE CONf ESOlONS UF A CORPSE
e "1es-it is just the old story, as you and
fOretOld, you remember, when we heard that
Bertha had married old Gage. Don't you
know you said that if she wanted to be happy,
she had best keep as far away from Eugene as
possible?"
"Yes-I recollect that I had misgivings
then. The truth s,that she always, loved
Eugene, and all the maria ge ceremonies in
the world could not have made her one with
John Gage.
True enough. Women are the most ex-
traOrdinary beings on the face Of the earth
Engene is we'll enough to do in the pecuniary
way, to have married Bertha, and made her
happy. Their families liked each other all
around, and could never see any reason for
her accepting old Gage, except that he is as
rich as Crpsus."
"Well, there is no accounting for woman's
nature. OF such is the kinfdom of crino-
lnem
Eugene Lisle had been one of my few true
friends. We were boys together-had grown
up side by side-shared everything between
us for many, years, and were TAR more brother
fails in love- and is loved in return, it separates
him from his masculine companions as newt
ably as death. Eugene was no exception to
the rule. He met Bertha Linton, got ac-
quainted with her. and loved her. For while
they were considered to be betrothed; but
erelong John Gage-a retired broker, cold of
eye, harsh of voice and slow of action-laid
his money-bags at her feet, and bought her
with their glittering contents.
With culpable weakness for one who had
the strength to make such bargain, Bertha
persuaded her husband to take lodgings in a
house where she knew Eugene intended to
nothing of Eugene's love for Bertha, and con-
sented without fear or suspicion. The young
man came shortly to the house. met Bertha
and, as might have been expected, mutual un-
happiness was the result.
AS sat gloomily thinking of the bright old
days before Bertha had ever pierced the poor
fellows heart with her darkly-splendid glance
or entangled it in thesable meshes of her long,
graceful ringlets-comparing those days to
the present. with it's scattered friends, it's with
cred blossoms of hope and it's lowering pre-
sentiments of an evil hour yet to come-I was
"Come in"
The plump and buxom housemaid entered
"A boy is waiting, sir, at the door. He
MY dear boy: Come in and see me- /, am
sick, frightened. Can you come Immediate
~? EUGENE''
"Tell the boy I will come, Joanna" said to
the girl. and began dressing myself to go out
on the instant. A brisk walk of a half mile
brought me to the quiet little house-half
hotel, half boarding -house-where my old
friend lived.
found him lying on the sofa before the fire,
in dressing gown, smoking-cap, and slippers
the guady figures of which made his face
look quite ghastly. His sharpened features
and the blue black crescent underneath his
eyes told Of sleepless night and his languid
action, as he arose and came forward to greet
me, indicated the exhaustion that follows
mental storm.
whats the matter now, old fellow ~
asked, with an assumption Of gayety.
ut is I'LL up with me, Pm afraid. have
been fool, an egregious fool, and now comes
the consequences"
Don't be mysterious"
wen, must tell some one, and you are
the best man l know for confidant; so had
best give you the whole story. Sit down
There are cigars on the mantelpiece."
lit cigar, drew a capacious, softly -cush-
loned armchair up to the head Of the lounge,
and prepared myself TO listen to his version
of story, the outline of which had already
anticipated.
1t touched me to see how he shielded Bertha
from all blame in telling this sad history.
I'VE are all human, you know, George"
said Eugene; land am equally blamabie
with her; indeed, am the most in FAULT
Then he told the terrible sequel to the
romance 1t had only happened the night
before. John Gage had heard something
that had aroused his worst suspicious, and
there had been fearful scene between him
and his wife. He swore that he would leave
no stone unturned to get proofs ofhe incon-
tinence; and when he got them he would
ruin Eugene if it cost him his entire fortuue.
He had even gone so far as to strike Bertha
heavy blow on the face, and then had stalked
away, muttering horrid oaths, while the poor
girl, terrified beyond measure-a little for
herself and great deal for her lover-ran to
Eugene's rooms and sought refuge in his
wis had hac h hat
refuge before the altar.
This made Eugene fearfully angry; and his
feeling of impotence-of being on the unpop-
ular side-made him i'll. The woman he lov-
ed more than his life was suffering, and liza
BILE to violence at any minute, yet he could
not interfere without making matters worse.
He talked, foollshly enough, about suicide.
and asked me, with great naivete, whether I
thought prussic acid or laudanum was prefer
able!
use tobacco, by all MEANS" said I. "Pro-
fessor Youmans once demonstrated in my
smoked in the ordinary way, would kill a
man. l advise you to try it, and dismiss
all nonsensical ideas of any other kind of poi
son, now and forever"
cheered him up as best I could, and gave
him open assurance that, comic what might,
Charley Hale and myself were ready to be-
friend him.
Plainly, the best service Charley Hale and
Icould render our friend was to send him off
to the antipodes or anywhere else as soon as
possible. He was in continual sort of low
nervous fever that bid fair to bring him down
unless something were done to change the
tide of his life. Gage openly avowed his in
tention to be revenged on the poor fellow.
He would not kill Eugene, he said, but would
follow him up with his malice, and never al
low him moments peace again
He was just the man to do it, too. Rich and
cruel-a golden-hearted mamie had the
means, as well as the desire, to ruin his
enemy.
Eugene was fully alive now to the necessity
of going away somewhere-anyw out Of
scandal. He was satisfied that Bertha would
be treated more harshly while he was near:
SO, after an impassioned leave-taking with
her, he went off, away into the wilds Of Min
nesota, with heavy heart and a blank future
We tried to keep it a secret where he had
gone, but it was impossible. Gage found it
out, and sent police officer to arrest him for
having stolen diamond ring belonging to
Bertha. So Eugene was brought back; and
Bertha was compelled to swear in court that
she gave him the ring herself!
This double humiliation nearly killed him,
and for long time he was confined to his
bed by severe illness. As soon as he recov-
cred sufficiently Charlie and l sent him off
again, incognito, to far Southern city.