Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-12

DiaCK anu WU1lS VIC cup Va tAS AN"Ns A~SS
turned to dull, dead black, and the tongue.
which had been dull red, WIS crimson, as II
colored by pure life blood Months had pass
ed since saw it last, still this was the same
flower that had seen before.
A peculiar feeling of fascination and hor-
ror seized me, and l advanced toward the
lily. Claude Mortimer was there before me-
He stood between the flower and me, his whole
frame a-tremble.
Don't touch It'll" he gasped hoarsely- ut
is accursedl"
''Iet me look at it, Claude" said, endeav-
oring to choke down the feeling OF horror in
my breast ut is stranger
With reluctance he stepped aside and allow
ed me to again inspect the flower, but all the
while he cautioned me not to touch it or to
inhale too much odor from the flower The
same sweet yet sickening odor came from the
flower, but now it was many times stronger
than before Indeed. this odor was so strong
that was soon compelled to seek chair,
feeling faint and dizzy.
Il should think you would die, shut In
here with that thing" cried THE odor is
terrible!n
mot SO 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"
lit is the strangest thing | ever saw or
heard Of" | declared 1T actually fills me
with horror Why, should dump the thing
out doors"
He shook his head, look of alarm on his
face.
''No, no." he cried. 81 would not part
with it for anything"
That day when l parted with Claude Nor
timer l did SO 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 it was SO.
From that day l 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 1t was true.
Two months passed, and one night terri
BILE thunder storm passed over Z 'ington.
The morning came, bright and beautiful, and
at an early hour Claude Mortimer's negro
servant brought sealed envelope to my door
and delivered it into my hands He said that
bis master had aroused him In the night and
given him the envelope, with the request
that he bring it to me the first thing in the
morning.
With shaking hands and strange PRESENT..
naent that some terrible event had happened,
/ tore open the envelope. This Is what read
81 am a murderer have resolved to
lake this confession to the world, and to
MORROW / will be found dead In the room
where l am now writing, while the thunder
bellows In the heavens and the jagged light
ring rends the darkness asunder. The brand
Of Cain is on my brow, for 1 slew my own
brother ! will make the confession as brief
as possible, and then comes-deathl On the
Gay preceding. the fatal night when Victor
Mortimer was murdered he and quarreled
concerning our fathers will. In a rage
LIFT the house and departed, mounted on the
horse which was given me by my father
some years ago. Twelve miles away
stopped for the night, putting up at sleepy
little hotel
"When l retired to my room that night
cat at my window until all was still about
the house. Then a terrible impulse seized
me. Beneath my window was low, sloping
shed With but little trouble l climbed out
upon it and reached the ground had seen
horse feeding in neighboring pasture, and
by the aid Of an occasional CLEAN of moon
light which stole through the clouds sue
ceeded in finding and capturing that horse.
AS led him out Of the PASTURE noticed a
long iron pin by which the gate was fastened.
This took with me. Within the hour !
rung at the door of Mortimer Hail. There
were no servants In the house at the time, and
Victor came to the door He asked who was
there and l answered.
"Unsuspecting, he opened the door and
stepped in. He was holding a light in hi;
hand. As he turned to close the door struck
him with the iron pin fairly on the back OF
the head, putting all the force i could into
the blow. He fell dead at my feeti Then,
ii order to make it appear that the crime
was committed by robber, l took his jewelry
and money. | hid the iron pin In safe
place, and on the horses back fed away
through the night ike the crime stained thing
that was.
What followed is well known was re-
called to the scene OF my terrible crime.
played my part we'll and no one suspected me,
The iron pin with which | committed the
murder troubled me the most. feared that
it would be found, and finally buried it in the
very bottom Of large pot in which stood q
lily in full bloom. Then had the lily placed
In my room, so that | might always stand
guard over it. Two days later I noticed 8
change ia the appearance of the flower.
thought it was dying, buy it was not. Slowly
It turned black, and the small tongue in the
center became blood red j watched the
change with a feeling of horror that cannot
be described. 1t seemed to me that the thing
was trying to tell of my terrible crime. Hun
dredS of times have been tempted to destroy
It, but something always kept me from doing
60. hoped that it would die but week after
week, month after month, it stood there &C.
cusingly before my eyes.
The odor which CONES from the lily when
inhaled from q distance is pleasant, but
makes one deathly sick when breathed from
Just above it. believe that enough of this
will cause death, and tonight | shall test my
belief If this fails, | have a little vial of
poison which viii do the work. l am tired
of life. murdered my brother that l might
obtain this grand estate, which l fancied had
been untustly given to him, and since then
the curse of God has been upon me- Ny will
viii be found leaving the property to chart
table institutions, and with a final petition
TO God TO have mercy on my guilty soul,
write my name for the last time on earth
CLAUDE MORTIMER"
He was found quite dead on the floor be-
side the black lily, an untasted vial Of poison
grasped in his hand The strange flower
that had always stood erect dropped until it
almost touched his white cheek, and from
the crimson tongue a few scarlet drops,
which looked like blood, had fallen upon bis
face The iron pin was found In the pot,