The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-02

dozen instead OF but one evening detail
stared NE In tie face. My visit was nCc~
essarily abbreviated by that single detail.
but when | left / was asked and gladly
promised to look in again the next evening
just to keep her advised as TO the progress
OF my search.
If the truth be told. had given up the
search as useless, and had forgotten the
mystery shrouding the Yelled Lady. |
thought only of two things, and both of
them were spelled with four letters, the
first two of each being alike. | admit that |
was foolish, but writing now true history
OF that event, must set down all of the
facts.
The next morning the postman brought
me sealed note. recognized the hand
writing on the envelope at once as being
that of the person who wrote the note that
tolG of Lois visit TO San Quentin.
Eagerly | read the contents. You will
be surprised at something that is soon to
happen. You shielded the woman You we're
sent TO San Quentin to write of, bat it will
DO no good, and the consequence will be
upon your own head"
Like the mysterious note, 1t bore no
Signature. To this day | have been unable
to fathom the mystery of the writer and
the awful influence he must have had on
Lois.
At tile time | thought lightly enough of
the note. had been a newspaper reporter
long enough, al least, to know how many
cranks and harmless fools there were in the
world, ana an hour afterward 1 had forgot
ten the note, and thought only OF those two
words, which, to me, were synonymous.
There were dark rings under Lois beau
tllul eyes that evening. In vain [ ques-
toned their meaning She had been nervous
and depressed all day, she told me.
u have been afraid that. in spite of your
goodness, my secret visit to the prison may
be made public" she said. but | could
hardly take that as valid reason for the
hal cd ha
greater part of the day.
But evidently the thing preyed upon her
mind, for though we passed an evening that
to me was enhancing and to her at least
pleasing and distracting from the heavy
thoughts OF the day, her last words to me
in parting that night we're:
1t would be so awful-it would kill me
to nave all that printed in the paper, and my
own name, tOOp'
l pressed her tiny white hand warmly in
mine. as assured her that such thing
was Impossible. Then [ dared to raise
the hand to my lips, dared even to kiss it
again and again, and went out into the
night air Keeling as one intoxicated.
In the early edition of the Evening Rumor
the following day was a scare-head article
| read it.
There in cold type, in the most brutal and
heartIess manner, was the whole story told
oil the visit OF Lois to San Quentin. 1t was
only the cold and heartless recital of the
actual facts in the case, without a particle
OF colorlng or tinge Of romance about H.
Inc article pnrported to clear up the
mystery of the yelled Lady" who went to
San Quentin to see Convict -. Even his
name was given, and the name and address
together with considerable of the personal
history OF the poor girl as l knew 1t from
her own lips, was printed, not only in the
text OF the article, but in the black and
glazing headlines.
Possibly the Evening Rumor would have
been minus one OF its re onrters il | could
nave stood face TO face with the writer of
that villalnous story that afternoon.
L thought Of the note | had received the
previous day aud then | knew the meaning
OF those words when said that upon my
mead would be the consequences.
IL would surely PROSTATE Lois, thought,
and l longed TO hasten to her and try to com
fort her In some way. But ii was impossi-
Die TO go there now, and perhaps she had
not seen the paper. Perhaps she would
never see It, But, no, saw the folly of
that nope. The enemy who inspired the
dreadful publication could have but one pur-
pose In view. he would make sure that the
paper would reach her eyes. l thought of
wild plan TO bear her off on tile ocean at
once where she could not see the shameful
thing Then | went on with my work VOW
iDg To visit Lois Immediately after dinner.
There was Grape on the door when l
reached the house, and l had to push my
way in past three or four men and women
strangers to me, to reach the rece ption-
room.
Miss Lois died an hour ago, sir" said
the French maid. "She was reading the
paper when fainting spell came upon her.
She never regained consciousness. The
doctor says it was heart failure"
had hardly strength enough left to ask
what paper she was reading.
The Evening Rumor." said the maid.
LUKE NORTH