The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05


pulse over hundred"
Il knew you would be incredul0us,
father and the thing is so monstrous that,
if it we've possible, | should diSbelieve the
evidence OF my own senses. But come with
me ana you shall judge for yourself. George
will he back by this time; | will charge him
before You with these crimes, and ii he
does not freely admit his guilt or you do
not read it in his face, | will admit that |
am laboring under an Illusion, and beg your
pardon and his"
Il accept the test, Myra; and / hope,
though | am by no means sure, that 1t VIII
cure you of this dreadful illusion. l shall
be ready to accompany you in few min
utes."
Half an hour later we were at my hus-
bands door. DR.. Herbert had just come in,
said the butleri we should find him in the
| library.
We found him sitting in the chair in which
| had been sitting, reading the newspaper.
As we entered the room he rose to greet my
father.
This is an unexpected pleasure, DR..
Murton," he said. II am glad you are so
| much better, Myra, as to be able to go out.
| But if | were not your husband. as well as
your physician, | should blame you for your
imprudence. Won't you sit DOWN.
"No, George, i shall never sit down in
this house again. l am going to quit it for
ever.
"Myra! Are you mad?"
Il
derer. Last night yon committed your fifth
murder in London. How many you have
committed elsewhere, God oply knows. l
followed you step by Step-went in the same
omnibus down Iottenham Court road to the
bank, Swallowed you up Lombard street,
watched you go with your victim into that
dark passage, and waited till you came out
alone. Oh, my husband my husbanll
would to heaven you had killed me in her
stead!"
George turned deadly pale, and staggered
as if he had received a blow; then he
bowed his head and covered his face with
hands,
George! George Speak, man. cannot
You? For Gods sake, say something"
cried my father. now trembling like leaf,
and paler than George himself
George uncovered his face, and looked at
us with glittering eyes.
You followed me, Myra, and you say l
am murderer" he said slowly and re-
proachfully. "Well, whatever else / may
| be, am neither liar nor coward. What
| you say is true | killed that woman last
| night, and she was the fifth
81 cannot believe it, broke in my father,
81 cannot believe it, 1t would be too horri-
| bic. This is sheer ,uDacy.'
NO. am no lunatic, DIR. MurtUn. know
| quite well what am about and the conse-
! quences of my actions. My mind is clear,
and Just now am more rational than you
| are"
"Ihirst for blood-an impulse which be-
| comes at times absolutely irresistible.
| Listen! You know that L was King in
| Mousaland. Well, those people were canni-
| slaughlers of prisoners aud slaves-such as
| you have heard of. l broke them off their
| cannibalism, but | was obliged to tolerate
| their customs. AT first l found them I'M
| speakably hateful, then grew used to them,
| and in the end took positive pleasure
Tho m psit
which / had inherited from my
savage ancestors were re awakened
| in me, and l became savage myself 1t
| was the same with several of the Roman
Emperors, and history, especially the his
| tory OF the French revolution, aboundS with
| similar instances. | killed men with as lit
! tie oompunctons as you, DR.. MnrtOn, Kill
| hares and rabbits. Nevertheless, L was full
| ~ conscious OF my degradation, and there
| were times when my better nature got the
upper hand. 1t was at one OF these times
| that | left Mousaland, as | told you, by
| stealth, for the people would have killed me
| rather than leave me go. L hoped that civil
| lied society and occupation, aud, above all,
the love of a good woman, would eradicate
| the morbid pr0penStleS which my life in
| Mousaand had developed. For time they
| did, but soon they revived in such force that
| ! had to choose between killing somebody
| secretly and running amok in the streets"
| "Aud you chose to kill helpless women!"
| lives were a burden to them; the world is
| better without Them
'.oh, but this is utter madness! You will
| do it again?'
Very likely, and get caught red-handed
if l stay here,
But you must not be at large. l Twill
have you locked up as a lunatic. l will de-
nounce you to the police
| "To what endP You have no evidence.
| Myra cannot testify against me; and you
| l. ,lxr ri a
| are not two doctors in London who, after
examining me, would sign an order for my
| incarceration III any asylum"
"What shall we do then? For Myra's
| sake and my own, if not for yours, you must
be placed beyond the possibility OF commit
| ting more murders"
Il quite agree with you, and / leave it to
| you and Myra to decide which of two alter
natives l shall adopt Will either kill my
| self or go back to Africa"
| could hear no more.
| Back to Afrieal Back to Africa!"
| cried, and then fell fainting into my fathers
arms.
When | came TO myself was in bed, and
| at my old home, but so weak that l could
| noe raise my hand to my head. They told
me that had been very III; and it was
months before 1 could be taken downstairs.
| When L was strong enough to travel they
| brought me to this quiet Alpine valley, and
| l can now 60 about little. and there are
| times when am well enough to read and
| write. But am very weak and feeble and
| know that shall never be myself again.
| George, as my father tells me, went away
| a few days after the terrible scene in the
| library; whittier, nobody knows. / hope
| Of hearing that he has returned to London
and has been caught red-handed- yet
| yearn to see him again, for, God help me,
| love him still.