The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-07
Short Story OF
tbe Day. NJ as z1Sa7
San Francisco Argonaut.
Yes I killed him

But, why? you ask All, that is the
| question The judge, the lawyers, and
the jury can not TIL. They have ascribed
all manner of motives to me. They have
said that 1 was brutal and cold-blooded
from my birth-a moral monster Wrong
! am gentle almost to timdity They
| have said that there was a woman in the
case Wrong-I scarcely knew the man,
and knew no womaC whom he knew. My
| advocate has said that [ am mad, and
| that the waXen head reminded me of
some woman whom 1 had loved. Wrong
! never loved but one, and she was
dark
The head, you will notice, is that of
blonde.
Yes, I killed him, and for what you
will think a trifle-because he refused to
remove waxen image from the window
of his hair-dressing shop.
Odd was it not?
Let me tell you my story. was poor
-miserably, wretchedly poor l had come
to the great city, as come so many men,
in search Of employment Anything,
whether handwork or FRAMEWORK,
would I willingly have done. But work
1 could not get. The first day I went to
seventeen places. They were. sorry there
was no opening, possibly there might be;
would / call again? and I was politely
! ushered out.
| 1 waited. I called again. was again
rebuffed-a little less politely than be-
fore. l went to other places The same
| experience. In all the great city there
seemed no work for me to do
was gradually spending the small
! stock Of money I had brought with me
! all I had in the world Finally it was
! gone. L pawned what few articles of
! jewelry [ had, and continued my quest
| for work. At last 1 received some. 1t
was copying, at miserable pittance, but
| it was work.
My humble lodging was in a dingy
! street, and directly opposite was a hair
dresser's shop. In the window was an
| object the sight of which annoyed me.
! In this life you meet persons who are re-
| pugnant to you, as we'll as those whom
! you like. To one of sensitive nature,
! like myself, the same rule applies to in
animate objects. Even for tables and
chairs I have my likes and dislikes.
Things, says the Latin poet, have tears;
so, too, have they irony. And this OBJ
| ject in the hair-dresser's window pro-
| duced upon me a disagreeable sensation
! of irony. The impression was all the
| more disagreeable because l was asham-
ed Of myself for feeling it.
| crossed the street and examined the
| object of my dislike. 1t was nothing
| nothing but a WaXen Head. But it was
| head cut from body. 1t was not a
| bust, such as hair-dressers ordinarily
| have but a simple head cut off at the
| neck, and placed on shelf, with back
| ground of coarse red cloth. A flowing
blonde wig was upon it, and its CLASSY
| blue eyes had a metallic lustre. There
was a mechanical smile upon its painted
| lips-a disagreeable smile. Almost con-
| temptuous smile. And I could not help
thinking that the Thing looked supercil-
! iously at me.
I finished the copying I had and went
for more. None to be had. Again
went my weary round. No work. Dis
! pirited and melancholy 1 went to my
| lonely room 1t was after dark The
hair-dresser's window was family illum-
| mated by sickly, sputtering lamp. But
| in the darkness there shone out two
brilliant points of light.
They were the eyes of the Waxen Head
I began to grow alarmed despite my
self. Could the cursed Thing be acting
on my brain? Was I in danger of mad,
ness? But no; what folly! I would not
look upon it. I would avoid gazing out
| of the window For a week I would not
let my eyes fall upon it But 1t was not
without an effort experienced verit-
able tugs at times, pulling me around
to look at the WaXen Head. But 1 re-
sisted.
At last one night was returning home
just after dark. The window was not
lighted; I was safe. Just as I reached
the front of the shop a lamp-lighter
touched a street lamp near by. The
flame shot from the jet, the light fell
upon the window Starting out of the
darkness 1 saw the hooking Head.
1 could not restrain myself. 1 entered
the shop, determined to make the owner
remove the hdeous Thing. AS crossed
the Threshold a SNUG fellow advanced,
| bowling, Sinking, and rubbing his hands.
What can 1 do for you. sir?''
Nothing" said ]; that is, nothing
in the-what a very singular head you
have there in the window
DO you think so, sr?"
Eyes. Can it be possible that 1t is of
any use to your
"Oh, yes; it serves to attract customers,
and to display wigs. And then you
| know, it is one of the accessories of our
business"
But" said I, holly, why do you not
| have a bust? You certainly should have
a bust" He was staring at me- went
on more calmly: Besides with bust,
a handsome pair of shoulders, a neck
! lace, or something of the kind, your wiz
dow would look much more attractive
Very true, sir" he replied, but such
| things cost money, and money, sir, is
something not very plentiful In this
shop
I grew excited again. could not help
! 1t. II do not care said I; that object
there looks like a genuine head-a
human head. There are people whom
such things affect. A nervous shock
might be cause
He burst into a roar of laughter
changed my tone. became humble
/ admitted that the head produced sin
| lister impression ON me, and begged him
| to remove 1t.
What said he, eff you are so nerv-
Gus, you had better change your lodgings.
1t is easy to do that. I do not see why
! I should injure my business on account
| of your whims.''
He was right I could not rightfully
ask him to do 1t. But change my lodg-
| ings-what bitter jest! 1 could not paw
| for those had, much less secure new
| ones, with payment in advance required
l went out dejectedly, my head bent
| and left the Thing still in the window.
| And yet they call me ferocious!
But my torture was only begun. The
| cursed barber told hts neighbors of nv
visit. became a show for the giggIing
shopkeepers They would watch for nv
goings and comings, and when I passed
! the window with averted face, they
would chuckle and sneer Even the little