The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-27

go and try I can manage to steal them for
you" He snorted impatiently. "Pshaw ~
he exclaimed. "tha's not good idea. [
stole them myself in the first place. though
/ did promise to let the owners ride free.
as sort of an offset for them. but never
meant to keep that up. and now I've lost
the headlights myself. No, stealing won't
do The people are prejudiced against
that idea. Now. I've got better scheme"
~ es 90 l said, ''what is it?" 'tOh, it's
a capital plan and very simple-iust This.
You give me deed, in fee-simple absolute
of the headlights and l will build fence
around them and maintain them as my ex-
| elusive property"
getting for moment the danger of cross
| ing a iunatie, II am not the owner of the
property" Instantly his brow contracted
and he stamped his foot impatently. 81
would like to know what you think that
has TO do with it, he said savagpIy. ~
did not ask you whether you own it. T do
not wish to know whether you own il,
All / ask Of you is to give me the deed.
Once !I,get it trust me to protect my own
rights"
certainly" 1 said 81 will give You the
deed at once. What shall the considera-
tion be?"
reconsideration" he unused. inquiringly.
| reconsideration? L do not know that [
understand you. l do not recall that I
ever had any such thing as consideration,
though remember hearing silly people say,
from time to time, that l ought to have
| consideration"
L began to explain that consideration
was an amount given for value received
payment for property, in fact and the ex-
pressive slang phrase occurring to me,
said, In an unlucky attem pt to be facetiouS
and put the lunatic in a pleasant humor,
'the damages. you know"
He gave wild shrek, startlingly similar
in tone to the danger signal of a locomo-
tive engine, and his elbows worked vio-
lently, like piston-rods. "Damagesp' he
Kissed violently. "How dare you speak
to me of damages? There were no
damages. You came to your death by
your own carelessEess. 1t was an act of
nature. sir-of the elements No action
for damages could possibly lie, besides
you have signed a paper ex4nerating me
from all blame. Moreover. | was stand
Ing still when the accident occurred.
Accident! There was no accident You
deliberately stepped in front of the engine
and met your death by your own hand.
Damages Whoop! Clear the track" and
had l not stepped quickly to one side he
would have borne me to the ground.
Turning quickly he faced me. kissing
wildly.
You have played me false Y' he gasped.
You are in league with the people to
never shall. No power on earth can do
that. L am supreme-supreme! l know
what you are thinking of; can see it in
your lying, calculating eyes. You think to
assert right of your own in this matter,
but you have no right. Listen. Don't
you know that eminent domain is dead?
1t is. killed it-crushed it beneath my
wheels. cut off its head, and it is dead
dead, dead! And listen again. do you
know what did with the body ?"
He was pacing up and down the room
now, with a soft, cat-like tread, hi4 arms
working, his head low and his breath
kissing sharply between his teeth. Back
aud forth, back and forth he rushed, now
in the shadowy corners, now coming
across the bar of light that the electric
floor. DO you know what 1 did witfthe
body p" he asked again in a piercing w6kSs
per. "Pll tell yon what / did with iaAss
hid it-hid 1t in the waste basket. Ha!
find it, but you never will. 1t j
hidden deep, deep under kile
of gold. There is nothing like 1Eold
for covering up tracks. The earth tells
lies. but gold-gold says nothing, only
chinks. l never shall understand" and
his voice took musing tone, why gold
don't bring me back my headlights l
told it to. Oh" and he gave another of
his high, locomotive shrieks. Il know,
know, you are the arch-enemy who has
tempered with my truSty servant. But
have you now, and l shall crush you'll
shall cut you beneath my wheels and cast
you away to die. You shall never leave
this place alive" Selling an iron bar that
lay in a corner he rushed toward me with
murder cleaning in his wild eyes and
written all over his savagely working face.
am small man and L was unarmed,
so l am not ashamed to confess that | fed
before the maniac and his crowbar.
Round and round the great barn-lke room
we chased. lodging, now eluding, now
outrunning him, now escaping by sheer
good luck as he lunged at me Savagely
whenever he came within possible reach
of me. | thought of breaking the sash and
springing through the window; but it WAS
securely guar0ed on the outside by iron
bars. There were three windows at
the back end of the room, but as
CLEAN of water in the faint moonlight and
knew the river must run below. | could
not swim stroke, and would have stood
no chance of escape in that direction.
Besides, plan was forming itself in my
mind meant 10 make one bold stroke
for life as soon as opportunity presented.
1t came very soon. The lunatlc paused for
breath, and then began creeping toward
me along the sbadowy shelter of one side
wall. l took my stand In the patch OF
light from the electric lamp ana called the
creeping figure TO halt.
Look here" said l. You don't seem
to understand who am. You cannot kill
me. though you try all summer. l am not
tn be killed I've come tere to stay, and
Pm going to sit right down here and at
tend to my own affairs" and suiting the
action to the word pulled a stool toward
me and sat down. The Kissing shape in
the shadow had ceased creeping. and was
Watching me in silence. Finally, with a
shade of anxiety in his voice. he whis-
pered:
"My name," said l. boldly, sis oppos-
ton. Pve come down here to settle your
business for you and Pm going to do it,"
With a horrible cry, such as hope never
to hear again, the luuatic sprang for
ward and then fell upon the floor, foam
ing at the mouth, writing ard strik-
ing out in agony. I had never before
seen IN epileptic seizure, bat l recognized
at once the nature of the attack, and, all
fear of the unfortunate fellow gore, |
fastened to his aid. As l struggled with
him to keep him from injuring himself
something fell from one OF his pockets 1t
was the key to the outer door. and l has
tened to secure it,
rQ w hoo n