St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-23
zULA TRAvERs, The RED DEVIL.
81 Have an Idea of Murder--That 1t Is Often the
Last Resort of Person Seeking
New Sensation
Her Lips We're Kissing the Mark Of Cain Upon His
Forehead; "You Shall Spend the Night
Under My Roof

over them. ana now they smile on MY
face and speak in fruitlesS whispers
behind my back"
''HOw did your triumph come abont?''
How did the sun come to ride over
the earth? Ask him that question, and
when he answers will"
Col. Harrington lay back in his chair,
and in silence studied the perpleXing
creature before him. The half-light in
which he saw her, bodily and spiritual
ly, irritated him. "ConTount it! Zula,"
he said at length. haven't you any
thing as Christian as gas, electricity
kerosene, even, to burn here that may
at least see you with my eyes clearly"
II believe SO, though we never use 1t.
You will find bell at your right there"
To the servant who responded to the
call she said, Give us more light, Sam,
and then ask Miss Merton and the gen
tlemen to come down. Addressing Col.
Harrington, she continued: ''You must
know my housebold-a pure abstraction
of intellect. Passion has no life in our
midst"
This is no place for me then, Zula"
his eyes had not moved from her
since the food of bright light defined
her glory. What are men made of who
can see you daily and not ache over
you?"
They may answer for themselves.
Col. Harrington, let me introduce to you
Mr.. TilmOnt, Mr.. Schumann and Mr..
Merton. Where is Virginia? All, |
thought you had not come. This, Col.
harrington, IS Miss Merton" "MignOn
was like this" was his instant verdict.
She seemed being in whom all the eX-
ceptions of Gods law had struggled for
existence, and the ugly reptile that
came measuring its length after her and
coiled up to lie at her feet, as cat
might lie at the feet of another woman,
when she was seated, did not operate
against the impression she conveyed.
Col. Harrington has asked me of
what you are made, TO see me daily and
not to love me-" said Zula, including
the three men in her address. Tell
him, Francis Merton"
"ASheS."
''No, no, Francis" quickly spoke
Virginia, absently lifting the the snake
from the floor and winding it about her
bare throat; THAT is mean survival
of the test. Say, rather, you are gold
tried in the furnace, asbestos that has
been through the fire and is cleaned"
well spoken. little one" said ZuIa,
strOking the girls head in human, al
most fOnd fashion. Pure ascetcism
grows out of the fercest fire, Col. Far
ringtOn. Francis and Virginia sucked
at the same mothers breast and prayed
at the same mothers knee. One day
God plays such pranks upon mems
heart and scared their eyes
balls with the seeing. Nay, do not turn
revolving from the thought, colonel. A
crime lived down makes saints and
heaven. This girl came through the
ordeal the clean. white. bloodless thing
you see her now, and Francis--"
'PhWnix-like rose from his own
ashes" finished Jules TilmOnt.
you ieer at the truth, Jules, as if we
never watched your own soul in the
flames. You who once had no need of
fortune, family, country, honor, for
want Of me, now need me no more, for
want of nothing. Heinrich alone is diff
fercnt. His soul was cleansed of pas
sion in his ancestors. He is one man
who sat always face to face with eter-
nHy, seeing the unSeeable. knowing the
unknoWable." Col. Harrington believed
it of Heinrich Schumann as he looked
at him more closely. His face was
translucent, and the lips and cheeks
were tinted like the dantiest
porcelain an artists brush ever
wrought upon. a golden brown
beard did not spoil the cameo-like cut
of his profile; he wore his hair cOmbed
up from his forehead, leaving its fine
outline revealed, and beneath his deli
cately penciled brOWS was pair of
eyes that had caught the infinite in
! them. Mystery beyond mystery lay in
the depths of the large pupil, and the
bordering iris was hazel of peculiar
/ yelloWish tinge that seemed TO throw
back the light while admitting 1t. He
paid no heed to what was said of him;
| and Francis Merton, the amused smile
that had been playing upon his face
broadening, said, ''Zula, you are quite
the grand dame tonight. You have
hippOdromed lis for your friend after
the style of fashionable lion show. |
fear you may become of the world,
worldly again."
And fear the same" said Jules.
"Our WEAKNESS of the world is such
Col. harrington. it has long been our
practice to take the journals but once
month. and that with the same re-
luctance a child takes dose of physic.
But yesterday learned lula has orders
at the city news depot to furnish her
with all the journals whenever an
atrocious murder occurs"
"a traitor in our queens exclaimed
Francis Merton, in mock dismay.
''Can there be treason without cause
for loyalty?' ventured lula, undis-
turbed. Are we amid the sworn de-
fender of any faith?"
"Unfaith. suggested Francis.
Net So" responded Kula. "Who
makes creed of unbelief is bigoted as
any devotee at the foot Of the cross. We
are Skeptical of SkepticiSm. diSbelievers
of unbelief, convinced of nothing but
our own fearlesSneSS and strength"
She Sprang to her feet with the last
word and, moving back and forth with
restless energy. she continued: II have
an idea of murder that has come 10 me
lately. | fancy that it is often the last
resort of a person seeking new sensa-
ton. Suppose a person conditioned as
we are, for Observation-Disclosures to man,
the world, God and the devil alike,
weary of life and cOntemptGous of
death; in murder lies the only soup
con of zest, existence can furnish him.
There is grand display OF
is more, there is an approach to
ourselves without the clutch of the
civil law. The civil law" turning TO
Col. harrington, (which is last in the
eyes of so-called good men, stands first
with persons of our intellectual status,
and is the only law that restraints us,
for we are quite agreed that prisons are
tireSome, and hanging dIsagreeable
trifie not at all necessary to life or to
DEATH"
"A woman's logic" commented
Francis Merton. lone might as pleas
antly commit matrimony-there lie the
commingled sensations of bravery and
of fear"
"rhen, too, it's such nasty work."
added Jules Tilmont
mo more so than the vivisection of a
dog Virginia invited US TO Join this