The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08
A REVELATION FROM THE
DEMON OF GOAT ISLAND,
Rx w. Q. MORROW.

and mountebank that you seem to be, pro-
coed with your business"
The effect of this speech astounded me.
The figure visibly shrank and trembled,
and for moment / thought that it was
cowed. But not so. 1t threw up its arm s
despairingly and in the saddest voice that
I had ever heard spoke thus:
81 am grieved beyond measure to dis
cover that have mistaken you. had
hoped that you, whom / have studied so
closely and into whose heart put every
impulse that has worked to bring
you here tonight had the charac-
ter and wisdom to desire knowl-
edge of mysteries which few mortais can
penetrate. But l have erred. You will
think that even this sudden change in my
demeanor is new trap set for
you. Do not interrupt me! I will
not tell you now the many things
which, had you been of different tenn
permanent, would have brought you wis
dom. But as you have been faithful and
courageous in coming to me | will carry
out one part of my plan. That is to give
you an experience tonight which may or
may not crafty the lower nature that
find to dominate you. Let us wait here in
silence little while.'
l can say of the effect which this speech
had on me that it filed me with soreness
of spirit of a strange and hurting kind.
1t was not the rash, petulant and numb
despair which had driven me to the rail of
the boat, nor yet the fierce agony which
had brought on the rigor. 1t was simply a
sinking into unfathomable depths.
The tall figure was again huddled on the
sand, but now looking steadily out over
the water. l could not speak, but stood in
something like a painful trance.
"You may go now,' the figure presently
said, with a strangely sweet and tender
mournfulness which seemed to issue from
a heart whose most precious hope had
been dashed to the ground. AS l was
seating myself in the boat and grasping
the oars, the figure added: Row straight
for the course of the Oaklard-bou
boat. You will intercept the last one 10
cross tonight. Near it you will see some
thing that will be of interest to you. You
will remember me then and afterward
Goodnight"
Mechanically lin spite of 8 powerful i'm
pulse which Sged me to remain and if
possible TO retrieve myself in the estima.
ton of this strange creature, | threw my
strength into the oars and my boat
bounded forward. The figure on the sand
rose to its full height and watched me,
and across the water sent this wailing
message to me:
you will remem Der me when you see it,
and then you will reflect that Death may
be the best friend that q mortal being can
find"
And then the figure crouched again upon
the yellow sand and watched the silent
water.
l pulled straight for the course of the
Oakland-bound boat, looking neither to
might have come from this lack of caution
was averted by shouting ahead which
took all vottion out of my arms. Rest
ing my oars / looked round and
saw the long lines of light on
the Oakland-bound boat broken by sour
rying crowds, and observed the steamer
laboring heavily under reversed engines
A boat dropped from its davits into the
water and oars squeaked in their rowlocks
Ana so tor the thousandth time it had
happened = e1Gctly opposite the island !
Too far away now to see what might still
have been crouched on the sand of the
blight, l realized that one more call had
issued thence. For whom this time?
In that great roaring city, whose mystical
lines OF lights mounted its towering
hills and sent their sheen dane
ing over the waves, had there been
another man, as 1. driven to seek
death by the perfidy of woman?
Was there another woman in all the
world so cruel, SO heartless, so con-
scienceless as she? Was there another
with brown eyes so soft, with voice so al
Turing, with glorious brown hair so rich in
coloring, with lips bearing such a wealth
OF poisoned honey, and with a soul colder
than the ice-caverns of Shasta? And il
there were such another, had she thrown
herself so deeply into a strong mans life
that when she had ruthlessly, cruelty,
heartlessly torn herself out it left him
riven and an eager seeker for repose
in death2 Ii SO, curses on her-a thousand
curses on her! And may she, as well as
he whom she has driven to his death, be
driven similarly, if God has been so benefi-
cent as to have given her conscience
able to suffer fercer torturings than life
can bearl
Should 1 help to save him? A thousand
times-nol Would that / were in his
place and that the specter of the island
had not laid check upon my purp ose.
But wherefore this itching of the arms to
row2 Was l not already exhausted and
ailing? Why hands so rebelli Gus that
they seized the oars, why arms filled with
strength so fierce that they sent my drift
ing boat bounding furiouslY forward?
There was something writhing and gasp
ing in the water. was nearer to it than
we're the sailors who were pulling so
strongly from the steamer. With eager
leaps from wave to wave, my boat pursued
its course, and presently a sharp, backward
thrust of the oars stopped me near
Not man, but woman. Then the
most wonderful OF tragedies required but
the smallest fraction of second
for its enactment. In that moment
[ saw pair of soft brown
eyes staring horribly into the open
jaws of death, glorious brown hair
that had been rich in coloring and
abundance now streaming in bedrag-
IaI 1a NJ