Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-17
A FLOWER OF DEATH.

peculiar Will and the sickness and deaI1 ID t!s
Legal adviser still leaves affairs In al Unsettled
condition II you vii come 20 UpiRgton AID
ses that things are Strengthened oaI as taey
should be- | will make IL well worth your time
Your, a. Of old, CLAUDE MORTIMER
This note was received soon after my
graduation from college by me, Frederick
Manson, struggling lawyer, from my old
college chum, Mortimer.
A few months after launching myself upon
n legal career had picked up a newspaper
one day TO see an account Of the death u
Enos Mortimer. who had been one Of the
prominent men Of the state. Not more tnea
three weeks after reading Of the death Of nay
old friends father. | came across, in the same
newspaper, an account Of a mysterious muir
der was startled and Mortified wien
read the name OF the murdered man. II was
Victor Mortimer, Claudes brother Tie per
son who committed the deed was unknown.
In response TO the note went.
There were tears In Claude's eyes ghen lie
took my hand, and his voice shook - be
said:
II am glad 10 see you, Mansol. but sorry
that our meeting is at a time 80 fraught with
sorrow TO me-"
He looked twenty years older than When
saw him last Dissipation had left It's marks
on his handsome face, and th@re was a very
perceptible sprinkling Of white in his hair
Under the hand Of affection. the oil Jolly
light had died cut Il his eyes, which, 70 me
seemed to be strangely aversive and r.stisss.
That evening as sat in Claude's favorlte
room he told me the story Of the murder
did not ask him to do so, but Of his own free
will he told me OF the terrible decd HI.
brother Victor Had been alone in the man
sion at the time that he fell the victim OF an
assassin Claude had been with him that day,
but had ridden away late in the afternoon
and had put up for the night at a sinal! vii
lage, twelve miles away. In the morning he
had continued on his journey, to be recalled
by message stating that his brother had
been murdered.
He came back and found Victor dead, hay
ing been killed in the hall Of his own house
by blow on the head with some heavy III
strumeut, that had crushed his skull Ike an
egg shell. The object Of the murder was ev
IDENTIFY robbery, for the dead mans pockets
had been rihed. Detectives had been EN-
ployed, and within week time some Of the
stolen valuables were found upon the body
OF an unknown man, who was discovered
floating in small pond twenty miles fron
the scene Of the crime
listened TO Claude's story in silence, re
framing from asking any questions that
might cause him greater suffering He seemed
disappointed by this, and for a long time
dwelt upon the popularity of the murder, his
absence from the place at the time Of It's
currence and the final discovery OF the va
grant who undoubtedly committed tn cri A..
He appeared very nervous, as ii repr,ssInS
an excitement that he did not wish observed
After a time succeeded in drawing his
thoughts from the murder. pnd for au hour
We talked Of other things. During all the
time that we had been in the room Clardes
eyes had every now and then sought a dis
tant corner Finally Looked in that dircc-
ton and perceived an immense flower pot full
of earth, from which grew the stock Of
large lily, The lily in bloom. and at once
attracted my attention
What a strange appearing flower" ex-
claimed. as arose to examine it.
Claude sprang up and rushed past me
YES. it is strange he replied with III
concealed excitement. Don't touch It. |
believe the thing is poisont'
''Wh nat makes you think sot' asked.
"Idont know, h. answered. little wildly.
"a week ago it was almost snowy white;
since then it has changed till it has become
what you now see. At first thought IL was
| could not Danish all Thought Of the
strange flower from my mind ut once, and
that night fell asleep thinking of 1t All
night long was tortured by horrible dreams
of murder and bloodshed, and in al! my Wis
ions the lily figured prominently was
very & lad when morning came.
Enos Mortimer had left will which cut
of his son Claude with dollar All his
property had been bequeathed to Victor, but
he had stated in the viii that at Nictor's
death the property should go to the next Of
kin As Victor had died unmarried the
next Of kim must be his only brother, Ciauie,
| could see but little trouble in settling the
affair quickly and easily, and could hardly
comprehend why Claude had sent 50 far for
me when legal service could have been oh
tanned much nearer home
Meantime had moved my practice to Up
ington. | had discovered that there was
better field there and at once ayailed myself
of what seemed to be "a good opening Strange
to say, Claude did not seem to approve of the
step He did not openly express his disap-
proval, still his manner spoke fully as plain
as words Nevertheless. still remained
friends.
Claude was utterly changed from his former
jovial self He had lost all his old Jolly ways
and seemed like man haunted by a fearful
memory. He was nervous and unsociable.
and his former twinklng eyes seemed filed
with shifting, unsteady light. The lines
upon his face grew deeper, and the white that
tinged his hair grew more perceptible.
Strangely enough, after my removal to Up
ington my old friend did not ask me to call
upon him. but | did not wait for an invita-
ton. One day called | found him in his
favorite room, and instinctively looked for
the lily. A cry burst from my lips as did so.
There in the corner stood the Grewsome
flower, looking stranger and more unnatural
than when | first saw it. From mixed
black and white the cup Of the flower had
turned to dull. dead black. and the tongue,
which had been a dull red. was crimson. as if
colored by pure life blood. Months had pass
ed since saw it last, still this was the same
flower that had seen before
peculiar feeling of fascination and hor-
ror seizel me- and | advanced toward the
lily Claude Mortimer was there before me
He stood between the flower and me, his whole
frame a-tremhle.
Don't touch itt' he gasped hoarsely. st
is accursed.'
Let me look at it, Claudc, said, endeav-
oring to choke down the feeling Of horror in
my breast. 1T is strange
With reluctance he stepped aside and allow
ell me to again inspect the flower, but all the
while he cautioned me not TO touch it or to
inhale too mush odor from tine flower The
same sweet yet sicSeL.1s O.. c-.ne from the
flower. but now it was many times stronger
than before Indeed, this odor was 50 strong
that was soon compelled to seek a chair
feeling faint and dizzy
II should think you would die, shut in
here with that thing" cried The odor is
terriblel'
Mot very bad after you get accus-
toned to it." he replied. hesitatingly In
deed if you are not directly above it you will
not notice the odor at all after a time
ut is the strangest thing | ever saw or
heard off, | declared 1T actually fills me
with horror Why. l should dump the thing
out doors"
He shook hts head look of alarm on his
face.
mo, no." he cried Il would not part
with it for anything
That day when parted with Claude Nor
timer did 50 fully convinced that there was
. terrible secret locked fast in the mans
breast, and that in some way the black lily
was connected with the secret How this
could be could not imagine: yet something
seemed to tell me that il was SO.
From that day | Stunned Claude Morti-
mer, for felt that there was dreadful stain
upon his hands. OF this | had no proof; yet
In an unexplained manner | was convinced
that it was true.
Two months passed, and one night terri
BILE thunder storm uassasi over I-r,;na-trn