The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-14
TWO WIFE-KILLERS.
[CoNCLUDED.J

Krieff's bitter laugh broke off the SEN
fence. 1t was not merry laugh, but one
that described agony better than words.
you can't come any such lodges in this
day." he retorted. You are what you are,
what you have been, now-not what you
have passed for among your fellow-men. A
man who has abused his wife as you have
man who in cold blood has killed the
mother of his children; haGgin' ain enough
for him; il amt enough, said hrlelf, mock
ipgly. Come on here with NE, then, an
take yer deserts, like the ghost Of man
should. Krieff and Townsley, Nife-killers,
Ell? Yes, Eve been loiterin' around here
all day. Had ne VS. I'd have companion in
misery if I'd wait little. I've died once Of
suspense; an now I'm likely to suffer from
il a. ain if you don't kick The bucket pretty
Townships face became purple with pas
sion while this loQuaciuus sOnl delivered
his speech; but inst as he was about 10 cry
ont with rage he was brought back to Il
realizing seuSe of his own condition by his
soul which was now making desperate eff
forts to free itself. White succeeded the
purple in Townships face, blood oozed from
his mouth and dead faint made his head
rest heavily on old mother earth.
A pretty clever dodge, this dead faint of
yours" continued krcf, coming down
from The fence and seating himself tailor
fashion beside the stu, white, bruised body
of Iownsley. But Pm bound to wait Tor
YOU and Pm bound TO have my say. our
BODY is as cold this minute rs that shell OF
mine Ia the medical college but here's your
soul, turned listener, and here's what Eve
got 10 say:
u died like man, you've heard" said
Kricff, gently, dropping his voice aud throw
ing aside his rough manner III his intense
earneStness. do you know why? Be
cause | was dead 10 begin with. 1t wasn't
the galluws that killed krietf, though that
institution freed his soul Krieff died of a
broken heart, and died years ago. Who
took his life? a woman. Who broke my
heart? My wife.
DO you think didn't love that little arm
ful of Lucy when l married her? | loved
her from tie ribbon in her hair TO the bow
on her slipper. wor,hiped her
Il used 10 know SOmethIn' of God in those
days. Used TO think | could feel him near,
holdin' an keepn' Lucy an me in the hol-
away from him | let GO, too, and chung 10
her. When a man loves a woman as loved
her she can lead him anywhere. He Will
fOllew her TO heaven or she may drag him to
he'll if she pleases. That is where Lucy
dragged me. She didn't mean to, suppose.
She didn't know it, most likely. But there
amt nOthin' else for man when woman
he loves an would die for stops giYin' love
back.
You see, I lost my money, an Lucy went
NE for L at little property of mine till she
twitted me OF deceiyin' her and buyin' her
love NTH counterfeit bills. This from that
little armful that l loved SOL But it didn't
crush NE: Wen have gold in their place.
Lucy, says l, you shall be rich man S
wife yet, darling, only love me. hain't got
the heart to WORK without that But work
grew scarce instead Of plenty, an | was in
such n rush to make mouey for her lost all
gained in hurryin' from one promisln'
chance to another.
"'Other men make money, why can't
you? she would say. And l would say il
over an over 10 myself: Other men make
money, why can't you? After that, when
got little sums | specGlated with 'em in a
poor mans small way. | gambled at the
nearest srog-shop to win fortune for Lucy.
But she sneered at me when lost, an when
l got ahead would forget the look of love an
encouragement l crayed.
i had no peace at home-no comfort.
Size taught the little 'un TO make fun Of me,
its father. 'Oh, Lucy! said l one day,
you're a-kllin' mean l love you SOP
You can't die any too sOOn,' said she; an
your loves all wasted But couldn't be-
Heye She meant it, cause twas Lucy as said
it. Folks called me henpecked, because in
my love threw myself down for her to
walk upon to make the lIfe-journoy easier.
MY heat didu't break, though, till she
got 10 !oYn' Tonl-a good-for-nothin',
worthless scamp-au' then ali hope died
within me. l took TO drinkin' then. | used
to come home pretty drunk sometimes, but
l never lad a finger on Lucy. | always
erept Il alone till | was myself again.
"All except that one night, when had
crepI away an come back again sudden, my
brain all on tre-ail except that one night,
when comm back | found her sittin' close
to Tom; saw her giyin' him handsful of
touches on face and throat Il would have
died years before that TO have had one
lOyn' touch from Lucy's finger-tips); saw
nor xix sim and kissed hoard hpr I'll ~ r.
him III tones which woke up all the memo
lies Of my happy long ago, an croonip' to
him OF tile bright future comm when a
drunkard's grave should have swallowed up
be in their own cosy home. Tom kissed
her after that an called her his angel.
''Iney didn't see me till come out to the
light with the pistol
Tom, says l, crazed with liquor and
passion, your angel III heaven perhaps, but
never here
Il fired then, an Lucy fell dead.
"All this was indIstinct while in the body,
but 1t comes back fresh and clear to me now.
| could have saved my life by dishonorin'
Lucy's name; but even If | hadn't cared to
keep her white to the world, yet would |
have kept still. ! had no desire to plead my
eose. was dead. | was heart-broken, an
longed 10 get cut Of the world.
There's some one else that's heart-broke en-
In he world. There's little woman down
IN dark cellar sproutin' potatoes this min.
ute. whose husband has killed her Her souI
isn't free yet-but she's dead just the same.
That woman is Townships wife. Your soul
is a-hearin' of me, if you amt" pursued
Krieff, touching tue cold, white face, and
Strengthening townships fingers You
didn't shoot your wife with pistol, but you
let her die slow, lingerin', terrible death
You killed her IN a CRUEL, heartless manner
Yon starved her. Do you think that if I'd
had wife like yours, Townsley, I'd have
been the man i wasp
Tears filled Krieff's eyes.
gu were poor man when your JAMIE
married you-poorer than l ever was. Your
social position was beneath hers. You were
an awkward, homely, verdant youth in those
days. Folks said that if ever there was a
woman as married for love, it was jamie
Jordan.
You began life humbIy. jamie was DELI
Sats reared an dainty, but to do without for
cess she kissed you When YOU missed ls 5uH Il
she kissed you just the same. You had a
little heaven of 1t for three or four years.
Then continued prosperity made you selfish.
You got so far ahead you couldn't stop IN
come back for the love an kisses of jamie.
Sometimes she followed you, tryin' to walk
abreast with you, an try in to keep up the
dear old times. But she wasn't welcome
she was in the way. You couldn't bother
TO be fooln' an kissin' all the time. She
must settle down and be sensible. DOM
for Philip had been her sweet delight in
the dark days; but now, when the golden
light shone around, your mean spirit kept
her dom without, just the same, that you
might win more lands an stock to put be-
tween your heart an hers.
Then more money came. Money repre-
seBts power. You began to lord it over
your fellow-men, an at home YOU made 4
slave OF the woman who adored you. You
ordered her about as you would your mean
EST servant, an gradually forced her 10 take
that position.
You never saved her step or burdens
weight. You let her tug away. toll away.
Si 'n away, from mornin' till night An you
Killed her. But, Overworked though she
was, that wasn't what killed her. She lost
her round, red cheeks an her pretty round
arms, an her dainty shaped hands, drudgin'
for you. She lost her gold, her bright gold
hair, toiiin', an CROWN old for you. But
that aint what killed her. 1t was neglect
that broke her heart. A husbands neglect
You starved her to death. Townships wife
died from lack of appreciation, lack OF love
In the man who promised to love, honor an