The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, 1899-11-09

t1 III ll' UNI w w " "'lllslh ~
least the feminine pronoun was used
throughout. The identity OF this second
person, even by physical features, was
obscure I'm the story, but there was
manifest II psychic familiarity with
her motives and passions.
Passing over the commonplaces of
such n meeting between intimate wo-
men, yet always showing rs by n subor-
dinatc consciousness the black hatred
and wild rage which gushed under the
smooth words of the visitor, the Eng
fish journalist hurried on his dialogue
to the point where the murder was
done, done with the consent of the vic
tim, gained by the trick Of some spc-
cious prctcNt. The weapon was but a
common hypodcrmic syringe, common
enough now among the toilet appli-
anccs of women on whom social du-
ties press heavily. The young girl
shrank II little ut sight of the weapon,
but her companion assured her that IL
was no more painful than the prick OF
n cambria needle and that a single ap-
plication would instantly cure the
headache from which she was suffer.
ing. The girl at once consented. A
very graphic touch in the narrative
was the simple way in which she was
represented as passing her hand across
her forehead while her companion took
the glittcring implement of glass and
silver from It's blue bed of velvet in the
leather pocket case, carefully with
drew the briStlc from the needle point
and screwed the latter into place, hnv-
ing first drawn the piston out to its
fullest reach. In the syringe was not a
drop of any fluid, nothing but the air
of the room. While she was explaining
that n charge of pure oxygen would be
better, yet that ordinary atmospheric
air would produce n satisfactory re
suit, the young girl childishly badc her
begin, for her courage was at the stick
ing point. A dcft hand pressed the hol-
low needle beneath the skin of the
girls left wrist and gently slid it on
ward into puncture of the most prom
incntly displayed blood vessel, n deli
cate blue vein in the clear white flesh.
A very slight pressure in the ring of
the piston forced II single bubble of air
oxygen would have been no better
for the purpose-into h cir. The
girl was dead, dead in that instant.
There the English journalists story
ended. Standish still held the last sheet
of copy in his hand and looked with
establishment at the double cross which
showed the finish. 1t was as though
some one who had seer and heard all
these incidents had been speaking and
had suddenly broken off.
This was n story which needed eau.
tious handling, for Standish At once ac'
ccptcd it as true. With n family of
such position rs that of the murdered
girl, herself already n figure in society
no paper could afford any blunder. A
reporter was sent to investigate, and
Standish cautiously locked the manu-
script in Il drawer of his desk. The re
porter's story was the account of such
Il career rs may come to a young wo
man in her first year in society, a rec
ord of social successes. She had dice
suddenly that afternoon in her room
She had received a visit from her mos
intimate friend. who said that she haC
''llII'iiIll'b VI IL SilSht i'sitd'ht. ~"
that it had passed away while they
were together. An hour later her mai,
had found her in her easy chair, linn
and dead. The family doctor certified
to heart failure, for the publicity of al
inquest ceases ut Il certain social level
Standish seemed puzzled and reat
the latter part of this copy n seconc
time. Then he unlocked n drawer in hi.
desk, tool out n mass of manuscript
turned up the last few pages and reaC
them with care. Finally he called NJ
a medical friend on the telephone, anC
this was his share of the conversation
after the preliminaries incident to tina
mechanical convenience:
Tell me, doctor, what would he III,
result of the injection of Il bubble OF
air into one of the veins of the wrist?
instantaneous, you say, and pain
less? Then what would an autopsy dis
close as To the cause of deathT'
We'll, then, If the heart should b,
found just as 1t is in certain wei
known pathological conditions Their,
might be n possibility of foul play
Would not the mark of the syringe b,
found?'
Not one chance in n million, yol
say? Then that may be left out of nc
count. Thank you kindly. Goodby
Ring Off"
The regular reporters story wal
printed the next morning, Possibl.
that discouraged Mr.. Wills Mayhem
for he lever came again.
Standish now speaks with great re
spect of the marvels of the Hindoos
He has not yet given up his search TO
n British journalist accompanied by
young Hindoo named Abdul. judging
from sample, a place could be foun,
for the pair.
His Way Dat.