The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-07

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IS and 40 years II age. Her name w.
Valerie Lesrran &c, and she was one OF that
wretched class Of beings who live by the
levying Of blacsnsu and other evil prss
does
She made DR.. Y. s acquaintance a N
ordinary patient and bad occasion TO call
upon him at his consulting room several
times, so that re came 20 know her pretty
well. He had no idea of what or who his
handsome patien. was, and no suspicion
OF her evil character ever suggested itself
to him. Therefore he was quite unpre-
pared for the terrible danger with wEics
be suddenly found himself confronted
when she threw of the mask
The charge she brought against him WA
that be had nsde a serious mistake In Der
medicine by putting in poison In such
proportion as 20 have endangered her life
II she had taken it. She alleged that shs
had indeed taken one dose and had only
escaped its fatal effects by the assistance
Of q chemist, who lad administered 10 her,
an antidote.
Itwas late at night when she had called,
and DIR. Y. had met her in bis consulting
room.
DO / understand" be asked. rising to
bis 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
profession'"
Doctor" she urged, II don't want
much It's mere nothing TO you. whiis
to me it's matter of life and death. ]
must have 50 by tomorrow morning, orI
shall be turned out Of house and home
It's nothing to you, but to me It's every.
thing"
Don't talk 10 me like that" he replied
angrily Il would sooner lose the money
ten times over than be poltroon enough "a
pay 1t to you as you have asked it,
Then lock 20 yourself. DR.. ", look 20
yourself, for what / say can do. will
expose you, and, what Is more, the chemist
will corroborate what / say"
What do you means What horrible
plot Is this against mel"
You will see. / tell you I have the
bottle Of poisonous medicine as evidence,
and the chemist Will bear me out In al
say"
DR.. X. was desperate. Never for one
moment did he entertain the idea OF buy
Ing her off, for be held, and held rightly.
that the man who submits to an ignposi-
ton Of this kind Is traitor to society and
public enemy scarcely less worthy con-
demnation than the blackmailcr herself
And yet something must BE- done, for the
danger was imminent
At this moment there was a sound at
the window. and locking up Valerie Le
strange saw locking In az her n face Ike
that of a demon. Ii disappeared almost
Immediately, but she saw IL distinctly.
The creature was Of dwarfsh build, had
reddish brown hair about It's face and
eyeswhich shone in the darkness. At the
h. kar Tn nd d.
manded of the doctor:
"What is itf Who is 1t, and what docs
be want"
Never you mind who 10 Is. 1t might
be Jack the Ripper, or the Old Man Of thu
Sea, or an imp Of satan como to fetch you
before your time"
Jack the Ripperi''
At the word the wretched woman turned
pale To the lips and leaned against tho Ia
BILE for support. She had read the ghastly
details Of that strange series OF murders
Ill they had become a kind Of nightmare
10 her.
Seeing the terror his words had aroused,
I Ur. =. conceived an idea for his deliver
ance.
I Stepping forward, be seized Valerie by
the wrist, and bringing his lips close TO
her ear he Kissed between his teeth:
Woman, have told you the truth,
but don't drive me 90 do 10. That unclcsn
Z creature whom you saw is really what I
called him in Jest L, 10 indeed Jack the
Ripper, and II you do what you have
threatened no shall go like bloodhound
on your track and hunt you down, though
you shelter in the darkest corner Of the
earth"
For a moment the bold eyes Of tho wom-
an quailed before the fierce. threatening
glance Of DR. X. Then. with q laugh, she
turned TO the door, saying:
BAIL You can't brighten me with
bogy. Unless you pay me In the morning
your reputation Is gone forever"
So saying she banged the door behind
Der and went out Into the night
That was the last time DIR. y ever saw
Der alive.
What really happened TO her after shs
left his house was this:
In spite Of herself she could not alto
gether shake OF the sensation Of fear which
the uncsnny 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 Ia al undcrtons that
1t was some bosy with which the doctor
had eBdeavored 70 alarm her.
street in which she lived and had almost
got the better Of her nervous fears, when,
suddenly looking hack along the road she
bad Just trsyersed, she saw that which
froze her blood with sudden fear.
She was being followed BY the dvsrash
creature she had seen on the window sill
Of the DOCTORS consulting room.
With cry Of terror the wrs;ebed WON
an sank down beneath the shAeow %
projecting doorway and for . moment bo-
came unconscious.
When she opened Der eyes. her pursusr
was standing over her. and with a shrek
OF frcnzied terror she flung herxsif nat
down upon the pawn stones A long arm
reached cut 20 seize Der, and with the ter
yCr of IL she again lost her reason.
The following morning abe vss found
BY police constable lying In the sam<
spot. and above Der, croucbed upon tbs
threshold Of The doorway, vss = large In
dian monkey. This IL was that bsd arous1d
her fears when 10 climbed up % The doc
tors window siIl from its kennel IN TIE
ysrd beneath bis window. AID this 10
vas which ~ some chance had foilo~ea
her when shs LEFT tie bozse-EAesleIl
Telegraph
Tlryf-S sbe ccfd fsvr, Ia A ,-..~-ss. t.