The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-27
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY o. 1895

gave instructions a. to the meeting place
the last door on the left of The corridor by
the oriel window"
The speaker hesitated. and turning her
race for the first time away from US,
peered into the glowing embers in the
sinking ire Then she resumed. appearing
10 gain inspiration from her revIie
had thought that I had learned the
oepth Of this mans villainy-for of course
the note could have been written by no
one else. l paced my room in an agony of
heIpIessness. What could do? Leave the
pace? My doing so would appear suspi-
esous ana get Ether talked about. Warn
lhe villain? II would surely be useless.
Conhde IN our hostess? To create a scan
dal and perhaps break up the party. No,
1t was better for me to do nothing. Bur
hthel-I had surely the right to protect
my childw
flung myself on the bed I faucied
could hear the throbbing of my tenn
pres. thought such thoughts as 1 dare
not recall. 1 coniured up expedients such
as are only possible to a desperate wo-
man cannot tell how long | lay thus.
hut when | looked at my watch it poin5-
e. nali-Past one. l read the note again.
1t named O'Clock,
Then had new idea. And as it ma
tured In my brain, I felt I should act on
~ MY mind was made up, I would end
lhe tension, and protect my child
L rose and quietly unlocked the door
peered out along the corridor All was
sun went out and closed the door with
out making sound. 1 turned towards
the great oriel window, through which the
.iiooooeams fell in brilliant opalescent
ulnts upon the oaken floor. | paused in
voluntarily, reused by the peacefuI heautv
OF the vista closed in many yards away
Dy that wonderful window
lheh crept along on tiptoe, until I
hau reached the end. l noticed by glim-
Hler under the last door that there was
sun light burning in the room. paused
moment. nerved myself for the effort !
was ABOUT to make. Cautiously / crashed
the handle tightly, and slowly turned 1t.
SO SLOWLY as not to make the slightest
SOUND. Ana then l opened the door and
peeped in
1t was his room. The murderer stood
with his back to me before a swing glass:
ne was dressed in his dinner things. lie
held d pair of scissors in his hand. with
"hIch ne was trimming his beard
1t was the opportunity of a lmetiIne
MY opportunity! And l took it! | ran at
MIN, and before he knew that he was rot
alone, had seized him by the throat. He
nldn call out. He hadn't time. With ell
the strength of madwoman, stuck my
49, lis AiCCh u1iti l Ieit the mus
cles give. And then l pulled him down
until ne came on his back, my knees On
MS chest and my nails dug deep into his
flesh.
Slowly his features became more and
more distorted. His eyes opened wider
and wider. His face turned paler even
than ever. Then suddenly it began to
sven. His eyes became prominent, and
mis- tongue found its way through his
nd hr t,l
TO struggle. Still clutching at his throat
| glanced around. We were quite alone.
he and |, and his reckoning had come.
Then l saw the scissors he had held,
lying by his side. 1t appeared providen-
tial. l renowned the hold of one hand.
watching him carefully the while. But he
didn't move and his face grew more livid
more swollen, and more hideous every
second. Without removing my gaze felt
Tor the scissors and found them. / grasp
ed them firmly. / passed them under the
long, white beard. But l could not affect
my purpose with one hand So carefully,
grudginSly, | withdrew the other from his
throat. Still he didn't move, but | no
uced the imprint of my fingers on his
neck. Then l touched the horrid thing
that has caused me disgust so often. But
1t didn't shock me now. / had a mission
to perform and was busy l held the
thing in my left hand, and then stuck the
pointed blade of the scissors through il
with my right. As 1 did so the BODY
tWltched. Then l closed the scissors
quickyr'
The Countess drew her breath convul-
sive,y, and l felt the back Of her chair
shake as she shuddered. The journalist
covered his face with his hands. But the
little lady with the grey continued to gaze
at the embers and went on in her silvery
voice
Il rose and looked at my work I felt
light-hearted, for my husband was aveng-
ed and my daughter protected. And I was
quite joyous as l watched a little wavv
line of red creep down the embroidered
shirt, tinting the diamond stud on its wav
until it began to add new hue to the
faded carpet
. Il approved my work and felt relieved
And then l turned to go. And as / did so
l recognized that my Nemesis had over
taken me.
Il was about to leave the ROOM and was
already at The door. l half-involuntariIv
turned to take one last look at nv work
and struck by the hideousness of the
bloated features, for they had swelled al
most Immediately 1 returned and, taking
a towel from the horse, / covered the face
up. Then / saw his features peering al
me from out the looking-glass by which he
had stood when l seized him.
My heart stood still. I looked again.
There all agog, with look of horror on
his face, there, as though in the act of
falling backwards, was the counterfeit OF
the thing which now lay on the floor
rubbed my eyes and looked again. / dug
my nails into my flesh, and yet it peered.
| took my handkerchief and rubbed the
mirror. But the CHASTITY features still
fixed me with their gaze.
Then l became desperate. On the
dressing table were pair of heavy silver
candlesticks. l staggered across the room
and Selling one, with all my might dash
ed 1t al the mirrored head.
There was crash. The glass cracked
from its center in all directions, and the
great plate flew in thousand fragments,
covering the thing which lay at its base;
and l noticed that every little splinter lad
its portion of counterfeit presentment upon
it.
Then lost consciousness. Nor do 1
remember anything more until / found
myself in bed, with Ethel, fully-dressed,
bending over me.
II was puzzled to find her appearing anx-
ious about me, and her answers only sur
prised me the more. l learned from her
that she had been awakened shortly after
l o'clock by my talking in my sleep. She
had come to me, but could not rouse me-
She remained bY nv side and she raia red