The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-01-24

N A horrible affair, which even now makes
my blood run cold to think Of 1t, was de-
scribed to me recently by medical man
of my acquaintance. The woman who was
the Victim was OF French extraction. She
was fine, handsome woman Of between
IS and 40 years Of age. Her name was
Valerie Lestran sc, and she was one OF that
wretched class of beings who live by the
leyying of blackmail and other evil prac-
tices. a 81 S55,.
She made DR. KS acquaintance as an
ordinary patient and had occasion to call
upon him at his consulting room several
times, SO that he came to know her pretty
we'll. He had no idea Of what or who his
handsome patient was, and no suspicion
of her evil character ever suggested itself
to him. Therefore he was quite unpre-
pared for the terrible danger with which
be suddenly found himself confronted
when she threw of the mask. "a
The charge she brought against him was
that he had made O serious mistake In her
medicine by putting In poison in such
proportion as to have endangered her life
if she had taken 1t. She alleged that she
had indeed taken one dose and had only
escaped It's fatal effects by the assistance
of a chemist, who had administered to her
an antidote. %..
TWAS late at night when she had called,
and DIR. x. had met her in his consulting
room.
do understand" he asked. rising to
his feet as he realized the nature of her
scheme, THAT you expect to extort money
from me under threat Of bringing against
me this charge and SO injuring me In my
professional SS.% 35$ t ..~s .$-
Doctor, (" she urged, II don't want
much. It's mere nothing to you, while
to me it's q matter Of life and death.
must have R5 by tomorrow morning, or
shall be turned out of house and home.
It's nothing to you, but to me it's every
thing" l.
Don't talk to me like that, !" he replied
anRrily. II would sooner lose the money
ten times over than be poltroon enough to
pay it to you as you have asked it. F."
"Then look to yourself, DR.. K, look to
yourself, for what I say can do. Twill
expose you, and, what is more the chemist
will corroborate what say" ,. i.
What do you mean9 What horrible
plot Is this against mef
You will see. I tell you have the
bottle Of poisonous medicine as evidence,
and the chemist will bear me out In all l
say"
DR.. x. was desperate Never for one
moment did be entertain the idea OF buy
ing her off, for he held, and held rightly,
that tho man who submits to an imposi-
ton of this kind is traitor to society and
public enemy scarcely less worthy con-
domination than the blackmailer herself.
And yet something must be done, for the
danger was imminent.
~ a
the window, and looking up Valerie Le-
strange saw looking in Mt her face like
that of q demon. 1t disappeared almost
Immediately, but she saw it distinctly.
The creature was of dwarfish build, had
reddish brown hair about its face and
eyeswhich shone in the darkness At the
sight she shrank back in terror and de-
manded of the doctor:
"What is it, Who is it, and what does
he wantp"
Never you mind who it is. 1t might
be Jack the Ripper, or the Old Man of the
Sea, or an imp of satan come to fetch. you
before your time'
Jack the Ripper''
At the word the wretched woman turned
pale to the lips and leaned against the ia
Bile for support. She had read the CHASTITY
details of that strange series of murders
. till they had become a kind OF nightmare
! to her. 53s 3fs s5s* 3 "a
Seeing the terror his words had aroused,
DR.. x. conceived an Idea for his deliver
ance H.
Stepping forward, he seized Valerie by
the wrist, and bringing his lips close to
her ear he Kissed between his teeth:
.sWoman, have told you the trutl
but don t drive me to do 1t. That uncle
creature whom you saw Is really whf
called him in Jest. It IL indeed Jack
Ripper, and if you do what you Il;
threatened he shall go like bloodhoul
on your track and hunt you down, thoug.
you shelter in the darkest corner of The
earth
For q moment the bold eyes of the wom-
an quailed before tho fierce, threatening
glance of DR.. x. Then, with laugh, she
turned to the door, saying:
bah! You can't frighten me with a
bogy. Unless you pay me in the morning
your. reputation is gone forever"
So saying she banged the door behind
her and went out into the night.
That was the last time DR.. K. ever saw
> her alive. 49,"
What really happened to her after she
left his house was this: ...'
n spite of herself she could not alto
aether shake of the sensation of fear which
the uncanny appearance and the Doctors
words had reused within her. Ever and
again she glanced backward over her
shoulder to see that she was not followed
and assured herself In an 'undertone that
it was some bogy with which the doctor
had endeavored to alarm her:
She had reached the corner Of the by
street in which she lived and had almost
got the better of her nervous fears, when,
suddenly looking back along the road she
had just traversed, she saw that which
froze her blood with sudden fear.
She was being followed by the dwarflsh
creature she had seen on the window sill
OF the DOCTORS consulting room.
With cry Of terror the wretched WON
an sank down beneath the shadow of .
projecting doorway and for moment be-
came unconscious. e@ y zl.ss s@os
When she opened her eyes, her pursuer
was standing over her, and with q shrek
Of frenzied terror she flung herself fiat
down upon the paving stones. Along arm
reached out to seize her, and with the ter
ror OF It she again lost her reason. E
The following morning she was found