The morning call., 1894-07-08
A STRANGE FANCY.
Confession of a Chemist
and Student.
Crazed About a Woman Who Never
Existed-RemorSe for Crime
Never Committed.

This is the story OF q madman. 1t was told
by Geoffrey CoOmbs, an insane chemist who
lives In a houseboat in Little Oklahoma" He
is so old that his pulse beats only forty times a
minute. His skin is shrveled, and his voice
Is tIemulOus. The cloud which hangs over his
mind is the memory of woman who never ex-
listed and remorSe for 4 deed That was never
committed. Notwithstanding this, his tale is
not all the mere fantasies of a disordered brain.
1t is parable more apt in Illustration than
many Of the vaporings of morast Here is
his stOry lust as he told il, without the addi-
tion of one word to contribute TO its weirdness
nor the subtraction of anything 10 make 1t
more plausible.
"My name is Godfrey CoOmbs. l am de.
scendant of a race OF people who were civilized
before other races were horn. The ignorant,
confident OF their own knowledge, unhestat-
ngy assert that which does not exDlst and bas
not existed-cannot exist. My people have
known strange secrets. which have been trans
mitted from generation TO generation am
gypsy. The stars IN the heavens or the lines
upon the palm OF your hands are open DOCKS 10
me- Only once have called upon the Spirit
OF the Nile to assist me without meeting a
prompt response.
I'VE are called vagabonds because we do no
manual labor We do not work in order that
we may study. Books teach us nothing that
some one else does not know. but IN the scrolls
of parchment learn the secret OF human life.
the vital principle, which Is the same in all
forms of animal life. What cared l where
my nouseboat floated. so long as had the
precious treasure of knowledge before me? |
travel up and down the Mississippi. SO
familiar did become with LII, parts OF human
body that could analyZe them and separate
the ingredients Finally L resolved TO create a
woman. 1t seemed 10 me that having dlscOv-
cred the vital spark, and being able TO con-
strnc the body, / would have no difficulty in
making a human being. The idea at first
mr. | lrreSlStlDiV T.
tracted by II. l determined to attempt the eX-
pertinent. 1t would be useless 10 detail how
long worked before obtained my material.
The number OF graves desecrated and the
parts OF dead bodies that took from them at
night time and carried Of 10 my boat are OF no
relevancy in this plain narrative AT the end
OF two years l had secured the various compo-
nent parts which 60 TO make up human being.
"Day after day worked at my task / won.
der now that Gud Almighty did nol, with bolt
from heaven. palsy the ann that was trying TO
urofane his bandiwOrk. We gypsies believe In
a God, Notwithstanding the many assertions 10
The contrary. l learned TO love the object on
which l was working. After The lapse of an
other year there lay before me one OF the most
beautiful creatures that tn mortal eye ever
gaZed upon. Aurora bathing in the morning
sunlight was not fairer than this inanimate
form which lay on the cot OF my houseboat.
Her brown bar was tinged with glossy soft
ness that emitted delice more subtle aud fra
grant Than the rarest perfume. The eyes, half
closed, seemed like those OF a picture watching
me constantly, awaiting the time when should
ado the potion that would animate lhis human
clay with The bres Ill OF lfe and willing slave
would awaken to my bidding. Impatiently |
awaited Tie time when The cOctlon Eeer Ssary
10 complete The process would be ready. For
days aud nights did no sleep, but sat gazing
on the peauif iful vision of loveliness. The love
which a faith + cGetishes for his child and the
affection OF lover for his mistress were COM
bDed in one. 1t was no longer Il question of
the triumph OF science with me, but 1t was a
problem OF life and death.
"At last all was ready The signs were pro-
pitious and the potion was prepared. l trem-
bled with The awful reSponsIbiIi Y which was
| about to incur. My hands shook like those of
| a man afflicted by the asue and my brain