Wichita daily eagle., 1886-04-17
UNDER THE MOON.

sitting here alone, looking over the moon
lit waters Of Lake Pontchartrain tonight
can not help recalling the poor fellows pal
face and sunken eyes. / have tried again
and again to shake off the sad impressions thi
memory creates, but without avail For hal
an hour have watched those two schooner
come slowly into view from out the purpl,
darkness of the distance and ghost-like Il
sailing by until now they are mere patches o
haze far of to the westward. 1t may be ths
wave voices as the water FLASHES against tht
piles of the wharf, or the faint drumming OF
that guitar in one of the fishermen's cabin.
inshore that has so vividly reawakened thi,
sad recollection That night, too, a ripping
sea made derisive music amongst the wharf
timbers and somebody was playing guitar
in the distance
We had been boys together, had graduated
from the university in the same class, and
separated only when he went TO France to
study medicine. This was our first meeting
for many years and had been brought about
by letter asking some advice in CONNER
cial matter, and inviting me to dine with him
at the lake.
l knew the crime he had committed,
though absence from the city had prevented
me from learning the details of the sad affair
knew also that he had been acquitted upon
weil-substantiated plea of insanity, to which
his moody temperament, his strong affections
and bitter antipathies lent an air of proba-
bility in the minds of those who knew him as
l did
did not ask his confession that night mol
remember, he it was who said he had some
thing to tell me, and as the night was pleasant
we could walk out to the end of the wharf,
where we would be alone We had finished a
Inner at Boudros, one of these rare CASTRO
nomic compositions the cooks of those days
Knew so well how 10 prepare, and / can even
now sniff the flavor of those Bouquet de
Aroma cigars. They seemed TO he better
han those of to-day. He had been oven
ooisterous in his mirth during the repast,
something remarkable for him, and had
.alked so yolubly that had / not known he had
partaken of but little wine, might have
thought his spirits were enlivened b; the
choice yintages.
Then we walked out and sat down here-I
believe this is the very spot The moon was
lp then about where il is now, and by its
light noticed that remarkable change had
,ome over his countenance. The genial
nnile had disappeared and his eyes had lost
heir merry twinkle Whether it was the
moonlight, or my imagination. could never
ell but his face assumed bloodless pallor
hat was most unearthly, and his voice be-
anne deep and husky.
He looked inquiringly about TO see that no
one was near and sat on the edge Of the
wharf, his feet hanging over the water. Be
'ore commencing he played nervously with
lis watch charm | could see in the moon
light it was an amethyst heart. 1 also no.
iced that he had united his cravat and un-
outtoned his collar in order to breath more
freely. IL was au amber silk cravat and its
ends fiuttered restlessly in the wind.
Il am telling you this" said he, because |
AN not live without telling it TO somebody
[ know | can trust you, and it viii relieve me
If burden that is killing me to confess ALL
[ know that no Judicial action can be taken
low, but it will Toe a satisfaction TO know that
o one person at least have told the whole
ruth, not saving myself in the slightest de
gree. You understand that
He knocked the ashes from his cigar and
hey dropped into the lake.
When 1 returned from France and began
,he practice of medicine here, you know was
.ery well of Ny mothers place on Bayou
Lafourche which She left me had netted me
handsome sum during my absence. and sugar
hen brought good prices: | was never ex-
ravagant, as you know, and never INDUCED
n strong drink None of our family ever did.
But that has nothing to do with what | want
- say. To tell you the truth, the nearer l
approach the subject the more timid be-
.ome Please keep me from wandering away
from it. Hold me down to it, Understand
Light another cigar,
We'll, began practice and devoted all my
lime to my studies. BY some peculiar affin-
" became enaInored of the symptology Of
leryous diseases. | drifted that way natur-
Ally, and gave 10 the nerves and brain every
spare moment | had no thought then what
his would lead me TO. Understand! My
friendships were few-perhaps too few. A
nan with limited acquaintance is apt TO be-
;ome introspectIve and given TO analyzng
lis own sentiments and impressions too
much"
He turned his big black eyes in the direc-
ion of n passing sail, and was silent for
aearly minute. could see from the mo-
ion of the muscles of his neck that he
sndeavoring to swallow. To use an old ex-
preston, his heart had come up in his
throat
Il met and loved Natalie Latourneau;"
another long silence. He lit another cigar.
As he tried to go on his lip trembled and he
clinched his hands as if i'll great pain.
MY God, how | loved her; but we will not
talk of that Understand / worshiped her
and thought she loved me. Then he came
between us. He set up his paltry sentiment
- against my alteration. Tie fool, Don't
lose patience Follow me. please. He the
vain, boasting iiattering gallant of the sa-
Ions thought to take from me the one thing
that was dearer than an con of lives, 10 win
her Yes, he brought 1t ON himself. Under
standi He brought it on himself"
He arose and paced up and down the wharf
for few minutes and then took his former
place, apparently somewhat quoted by the
exercise He went on. less excitedly now. Il
felt that il was impossible that both of US
could live in this world together You know
how small it is. In Berlin you jostle the man
You thought in America, IN Paris YOU get
into the same omnibus with the individual
YOU imagined in Rio Janeiro. Railroads and
steamships have reduced the earths circum-
ference 10 a mere hands span. We're too
crowded | thought over the matter deeply
and long Thought of nothing else. To get
rid of him, tina: was what would have TO bc
done" A tremor passed over him. But
how. That was it. The days of secret mur-
ders have long since passed. Chemistry and
other sciences have made the chances for
escape from detection difficult. very difficult
One night made up my mind. All, that
night She had never appeared 50 lovely.
That white dress and the pomegranate bios
som al her breast | can see now We were
walking in the garden under the orange trees.
How the scent of those orange buds comes
hack II was then she told ME he had already
asked her to be his wife. II was her fathers
wish she should marry him, and her fathers
wish was law. She would not say she loved
me- That she whispered. no one would
ever know, ave or nay.
Il left her resolved. IL l could not get her,
at least he never should.
Then | set myself TO work formulating
my plan"
He glanced inquiringly at me TO see the ef
feet OF his words YES, gave TO it nights
and DAYS: the result you see here striking
his breast. "A man who has accomplished his
purpose and is now free, free as yourself.
Il uust confess it, | feared the punishment
of tho law. The dread Of an ignominious
death at the hands Of an eXecGtioner was a
nightmare TO me To avoid this all my IN
telect was concentrated. The thought came
to me s.s a flash llumines the darkness. l
with Il zeal a desperate man only
can know. the study Of insanity. its causes,
It's pathology. | digested Virchow, Pinol and
Esauirol DR. Heinrich Schule's Handluch
der rGersi.skranki,eiten devuursi and Won
Zeimssen's works were my daily pabGlum-
With Bucknill and Tuke entered the r~y-
Geological depths, and Mandsley made my
way clear | read in Pritchard that one of