The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-02-14
was 70 look after him. But with all

il was to look after him. But with Gil
this common -ense view of the matter, /
found myself stupidity excited and nerv-
Gus as drew near the house next morn
ing. Well. sir-I mean, your honor
the fellow must have been watching for
me, for as came opposite the windows
again. a thin. white hand parted the
curtains and the vacant face was turned
once more upon ire. This time, l
thought that the eyes, though fixed and
wide open. had the light of nasty
smile in them and that the dropping
lower lip was shot out in n grimace OF
contempt. / had stout walking came
in my hand" said the witness, jumping
up, card threatened the fclloy with it
in this way" Here he shook out the
red-silk handkerchief and waved it rap
idly toward the jury-boX as though it
were danger-signal One of the jury
men drew back, with n little nervous
start. and the Judge looked cur;Ously at
the defendant witness.
Control yourself, Mr.. Love, said he.
land tell your story as calmly as pos
sible."
II will, your honor" he replied, with
meekness and IA instant change OF de-
meanor, although it was noticed that
great beads of perspiration had broken
out on his forehead, and that, now and
then. these merged themselves one in the
other and than ran trickling down his
face like an ovcrchargcd raindrOp on
window-pane.
For two or three days ] changed my
@La ha
took another street, so as to escape the
sight of this oppressive face. 1t was
useless precaution, however, for what
had been a day horror now became
nightmare. For the first time
in my life, / became the victim of
insomnia. The horrible blank features
covered the walls like a patterned paper;
they were as visible in the darkness as In
the light; they kept my eyes open and
stared into them; and they covered me
like waves rolling over my bed. The
void meaningless face was with me IN
hundred fantastic and distressing shapes,
| and ! felt that l could have strangled
the beast of a possessor had he come
within my grasp"
The little mans voice rose into .
screech, the dull blue eyes flashed like q
moving mirror. and his chest hcaved,
while he twisted the red-silk handker-
chief into scarlet rope.
..On the morning of the third sleep
less night" he went on, sinking his
voice into a hoarse whisper, while the
crowd in the court room leaned forward
rs one man to hear what was being said
ION the third morning got up and
determined to put an end to it all.
took out razor, threw back my collar,
in this way, and was going to cut my
throat, when the idea entered my head
that / would first go and squeeze the
life ont of my tormenting devil, and
then come back and make away with
myself Dressing hurricdly, ran
down stairs and into the street. was
in front of SGa. like flash of double
creased lightning. Quick rs | was, the
monstrous villain was just as quick.
Back went the curtains, as though
jerked by red Zamiel himself, and out
snot the face-a scarecrow that would
brighten the very blue-birds of heaven.
No doubt about it, the ghost-like thing
was mocking me now-mocking my mis-.
cry, hooking poor old me, who had been
cursed by it for forty million years. l
don't know what l said Call them
black, bad words. All the blood rushed
to my head, until my ears rang like the
seven bells of Kingdom Come. With u
one, two, three, was in the house; and
with four, five, sin, was squeezing his
wind pipe-likc this"
Look out. Judge" yelled Mr.. Lang,
! while cry Of horror rose from the peO-
pie.
! The Judge had been gently swinging
! himself around in quarter circle on his
chair, looking kecnly now at the curious
witness, and now inquiringly at the
! prosecuting attorney. As he swung
around the last time, the prisoner leaped
out from his place. as though moved by
steel spring, and flung himself upon
the Judge like a cat. The shock threw
the Judge out of the chair, and both
went down together. There were snarls
and screams from behind the desk, and
when the bailiT leapcd in, the prise
had wound the red silk handkerchief
around the Judges neck, and was tug
ging at it like demon. a dozen other
rcScuers were on hand the next minute,
but it took nearly the whole of their
INSTRUCTED strength to tear away the
shricLing, frothing maniac and carry
him downstairs to the safer accommodate
ton of the tanks - San Fran cisco