Wichita eagle., 1889-08-18

the CIeIlnlsm Cl lInperCurD innocence!
How clever I must be" thought to
myself, ito appear callousl" For the
moment my vanity was tickIed. What
wonderful resources I must possess!
What sang froid! Here had l been
stretched on mental rack, and yet with
such control over my twittering nerves
that 1 actually came up smiling. II
must SMILE said to myself; sit be-
longs to the part" l did try to smile,
and particular as to the putting in of
the least shading Of mockery. l might
outwit him yet, If seemed perfectly at
my ease, and yet no squirming wretch in
the dark chamber of the Inquisition, lean
ing forward to catch the whispered num-
bling of the judge, could have given more
attention.
He was going to lay before me, in a
gradual way, all the sickening details of
my murders. 1t might have been not
the last one, but some one before the last.
How many had I committed? Who knew
better than l that the preparation Of
crime varies according to circumstances,
the accidents of the surroundings: con
Boled myself with the idea that there was
no fixed scheme for numbering.
Had ], though, been actuated by greed
or revenge? What black record had
been lninel Which trait had been pre-
dominant-the cruelty of the tiger or
the righteousness Of the ape? Had 1
been dull, inattentive as to the efacing
of my tracks?
Could they e-fished-out-of-
East river the-black handled-knife?
Was it black or white? We had eleven
kitchen kniYes-so nv wife had told
me. Would that knife, of the precise
shape and form, make up the dozen?
But then salt water rusts steel so rapidly.
Yes, there had been corrosive sublimate
in the house, used for domestic purposes.
My wife might say that much to save
me; but would she stick to it under the
ordeal of a rigid cross-examination?
There was motion Oh the part of the
man. He drew black, greasy note
book out of his pocket, and applied the
end of stubby pencil to his lips He
was prepared to take down my deposi-
ton.
"Si!ence is my only escape" I said.
f'He never can extort a syllable from
me-" II [ open my mouth, was posi-
tive that | must criminate myself. Duff
was precious villain and deserved
hanging, but Duff was no fool. ''Dead
men tell no tales" and live ones would
not be dead ones had they the gift of
reticence.
Il never give any more trouble than
1 can help, Mr. Duff" said the man.
He wanted to wheedle me- 1t was an
insidious attempt on his part to be spe-
cious. [ caught my tongue between my
teeth and bit it. [ bit it harder than |
intended, until it hurt me- [ felt men,
tally abased at my inability to suffer SO
little pain without wincing. If 1 was
a villain, | was a poltroon. Twas losing
even my self respect, that heroism which
any decent criminal should possess.
Not wanting to give trouble, Higgins
& Eaggins must have their money, and
we expect you to pay it. The items are:
three-quarters Of q dozen of shirts, and
half dozen pairs Of hose for Mrs. Duff.
with other things. Bill sold in 1885, and
you have been putting off the account for
some years"
l knew it. In my wild career of crime
had the habit of rushing to fashionable
''gents furnishing goods establishments.
and in magnificent style purchasing at
one time a shop windowful. With the
recklessness Of Brummel, | would buy
an assortment of ties, and never wear
the same ''four-in-hand' twice. What
on earth had urged me TO indulge in gor-
geous dressing gowns, smoking polo caps,
and eccentric tennis suits? What could
l have ever done with a gross of shirt
studs and cuff buttons? Had | been pos
sessed Of as many necks as Hydra, were
there not in my bureau drawers hun
dreds on hundreds Of dozens of collars
sufficient to strangle that monster? And
my wife? She had followed me headlong
in my reckless course. Could [ ever re-
call having seen a hole In her stocking?
Evidently her extravaganza had been
fostered by me. l had carried her with
me over the precipice.
understood it now. The worst had
come. / had been arrested on the eve of
my sudden flight TO Canada But an
hour more and / would have foiled them.
Where had | secreted the carpet bag so
gorged with bank notes that it was diff
cult to lock it? l had bruised my fingers
in trying to force in the hasp. l had
cooked the accounts and dabbled in Wall
street. Oh, the orphans and widows I
had beggared! OF what avail to have
steered a boom, to have breasted a panic?
And still, had | but single week before
me, by means of our syndicate or q trust
l should have sucked the whole street
into my pool.
Duff, you acknowledge the debt. You
viii pay it." He had the same tone of
This day month there
shall be a settlement. See the figure. |
You know it," Re did not ask me to
look at the total ltwas taken for grant |
ed that knew it. .'You know it to |
cent, he concluded. He built up his SEN
tence ngranite blocks.
l felt convinced that l did know the |
total, Cor when he snapped a rubber band |
about the book the elastic closed 10 like |
a steel trap around my throbbing tenn
pies, and within my head there circled !
now an interminable line OF figures.
must have nodded, or he took my ex- /
preston Of mental collapse, my falling
jaw, to intimate assent.
he toyed with the book again. slob-
bered with the pencil. ratified It between /