Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-27


turning up the gas and lighting the asbestos
fire. sit down with book. Half an hour later
the door opens and George comes in. bright
and cheerful, as he always is after one of his
long walks.
Why are you not in bed?" he asks roproach
fully. These long vigils will make you i'll"
How coud go without YOU? Tits both nv
pleasure and my duty to sit up for yon." /
answer. putting my arms round his neck aud
kissing him; for ] feel that in being Jealous aud
suspicious without cause l have done him
wrong which requires great deal Of atone
ment
After restless night, due TO faticue and over
excitement waken with SO violent a headache
that am unable TO rise.
You will have to SO to the British Museum
alone" Owe had agreed to 60 together), tell
George. Il shall, perhaps. be able to Join You
later in the day."
mo, you must stay where you are" he saws
kindly, land will give You something that
VIII do you good. You want sleep. II lie all
my fault for keeping you up so late. But it
shall not happen again. For the future / shall
with me-"
q! am so glad to hear you say 20. dear. Kiss
me-"
He laid his cool hand on my head and kissed
me, and he said he would be back from the
museum not later than o clock. Then he gave
me some medicine, and shortly afterwnrd / fell
asleep. Whom awoke the second time it was
past noon, and felt SO much better that after
drinking cup Of tea and eating some dry
toast went down stairs. and seating myself in
an easy chair by the firesidc took up morn
ing paper, the second edition of which had just
arrived.
Good heavens! What is this2 Dreadful muir
der In Crozier street-a woman with her throat
cut-hat with a scarlet feather-yelow bodice
foul deed must have been done three or four
minutes before midnight.
Inc paper swlms before my eyes, and though
the persplratlon is falling from my face like
rain feel as ii were freezing to death. Then.
taking courage from very desperation. read
again. slowly and deliberately, dwelling on
every word and studying every sentence.
No, am not mistaken. Would to God that
l were. My husband murdered that woman.
all but saw him do IL. He went into the dark
passage with her. He came out without her.
as the clock went II. and ten minutes later his
victims body was found lying in heap at the
further end OF the passage. And then I re-
member, with an unspoakable sense OF horror
and dread, that each of the other murders
was taking one of his nocturnal walks-and
the death of poor Fido-and that portentous
saying of his, killing ID nothing when you get
used TO it.'
He is used to it! My husband is used to kill
Ing helpless women. NY God! what shall do?
must go-go--go. Not another night will I
spend under this accursed roof. The paper
swiIns again. Courage, courage, With 4 des-
perate effort rise from MY chair, go to the
chiffoner. take out the brandy and drink off
half tumblerful at draught.
This steadies my nerves and gives me
strength. ring the bell and tell the servant
to send for hanson. Then run upstairs and
put on my things, and as l get into the cab tell
the driver to take me to Harley street.
My father is at home, and without preface or
circumlocuton l tell him all that has hnp-
pened and what have discovered.
You are mad, Mvra," he says .sor sufferipC
from hysteria. George Herbert is no murderer
This is pure hallucination. Sit down and let
us have quiet talk. You are not WE'LL your
face is flushed and your pulse over hundred"
II knew you. would lie incredulous, father
ana the thing Is SO monstrous that, if il were
possible, should dsbelieve the evidence OF
my own senses. But come with me and YOU
shall judge for yourself George will be back
by this time; will charge him before you with
these crimes, and if he does not freely admit
bis 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 it will cure you of
this dreadful illusion. / shall be ready to ac-
company you i'll a few minutes"
Hall an hour later we were at nv husbands
door. DR.. Herbert had just come in said the
butler; We should find him in the library.
We found him sitting i'll 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, DIR. MUIR
ton" he said. Il am glad you are 30 much
better, Myra, as to be able to go out. But if
were not your husband. as well as your physi-
clan, should blame you for your imprudencc.
Won't you sit down." .44--.-.-
NO, George. shall never sit down in this
house again. am going to quit it forever"
''Myra! Are you mad?"
mo. am not mad. But you are a murderer.
Voa a MI h tod GTXL
London. How many you have committed else
where God only knows. followed you step
by step-went In the same omnibus down TOT
tcnham 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, nv
husband! would to heaven you had killed me
in her stead!'
George turned deadly pale and staggered as
II he had received blow, then he bowed his
head and covered his face with his hands
George! George. Speak, man. cannot you?
For Gods sake say somethingr cried my
father. now trembling like leaf, and paler
than George himself.
George uncovered his face and looked at us
with glitterng eyes.
You followed me, Myra, and you say am a
murderer" he said slowly and reproachfully.
well, whatever else may be, l am neither a
liar nor coward. What you say is true;
killed that woman last night, and she was the
fifth"
II cannot believe it." broke in my father. Il
cannot believe it. 1t would be too horrible.
This is sheer lunacy."
No, am no lnnatic DR.. Murton. I know
quite well what am about and the oonse-
quences OF my actions. Ny mind is clear. and
just now am more rational than you are"
but why, them What i'd your motive?'
"Thirst for blood-an impulse which becomes
at times absolutely irresistible. Listen! You
know that l was king in Mousaland. Well.
those people wore cannibals and they had
customs -wholesale slaugh of prisoners and
slaves-such as you have heard Of. broke
them Of their cannibalism, but l Was obliged
to tolerate their customs. At first l found
them unspeakably hateful, then grew used to
them and i'll the end took positiv. pleasure
in them. The murderous propensities which
had inherited from my savage ancestors were
reawakeEed in me and became O savage my
self. l; was the same with several Of the
Roman emperors, and history. especially the
history OF the French revolution, abounds with
similar instances. / killed men with as little
conjunction as you, Dr. Murton. kill hares and
rabbits. Nevertheless, was fully conscious OF
my degradation, and there were times when
my better nature got the upper hand. 1t was
ct one Of these times that lett Mousaland. az
told you, by stealth, for tho people would
have killed me rather than let me go. hoped
that civilized society and occupation, and above
all the love Of a good woman, would eradicate
the morbid propensities which my life in
Mousaland had developed. For time they
did. but soon they revived in such force that
had to choose between killing somebody
secretly or running amuck i'll the streets"