The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03

figure with the cane.
DAMN he said under his breath.
he's tainted
And throwing the cane away. he ap-
preached the man and bent over him
There was no sound Of breathing or
pulse OF life ABOUT the sodden inquire
with its hidden lace. Drops formed on
Essex : forehead he turned It over
Then. as il confronted him. livid with
fallen jaw and gieam of white between
the wrinkled eyelld, the drops ran down
ms lace
With hand that shook as Harvey s
had q few moments before he felt the
pulse ard then tore the shirt open and
tried the heart. His face was white as
the mans on the floor as lie poured whis-
ky down the throat tnat refused TO swal-
low inally. tearing off his coat, he
knelt beside his victim and tried every
means III his power to bring back life
into the misera Bile body in which ne had
only recognized a tool of his own, But
there was no response. The minutes
licked or. and there WAS no glimmer of
intelligence IN the cold indifference OF
the eyes no warmth round the stilled
heart. no fiuttcr ct breath at the slack,
gray lips.
The night was still dark. the rain in
his ears. when he rose to his feet A
horror unlike anything he had ever
imagined was on him. All the things in
life he had struggled for seemed snriv-
eled TO nothing. The whole worth of his
existence was contained in the unlovely
: body OH the floor. TO bring life back TO
il he would have given his dearest ambi-
tion-sacrificed love, money. happiness
all for which he had held life valuable
and thought himself blessed. What u few
hours before were ends to struggle and
sin for seemed now of no moment to
him Mariposa had faded to a dim, un
desired shadow; the millions she stood
for to dross he would have passed with
out a thought How readily would he
have given il all TO bring back the
breath TO the creature he had held as d
worm beneath his foot,
Ef.h EhTr 4.alal alnf Gf1d
over the face whose solemn, tragic calm
filled him with n sick dread Then with
GREATNESS haste he flung some clothes
into Nalise and made the fire burn high
with the letters and papers he threw on
It at intervals. The first carts of the
morning had begun their rafting course
through the stirred darkness when he
crept out, a haggard. hunted man.
He had to hide himself in untrequented
corners. cover beneath the shadow of
trees on park benches till the light
strengthened and morning shook the city
into life. Then. as its reawakening tides
began to surge round him, he made a
furtiVe way-for the first time in his life
fearful of his fellow men-tO the rail-
way station. and there took the earliest
southbound train for the Mexican border.
The fire had died down. the leaden light
Of coming day was tiltering in through
the crack between the half-drawn cur
tains. when the shrouded shape on the
floor moved and deep groan broke upon
the stiffness. Another followed it,
SroafS OF pnySlcdl anguish DedllnS On
awakening consciousness. An early riser
from the floor above heard them as he
stole downward, stopped, listened.
knocked. then receiving no reply, opened
the door and peered fearfully in. In the
dim room, cut with a sword of faint
light. he saw the covered shape. and as
he stood terrified. heard the groan re-
peated and saw the drapery twitched.
Shouting his fears over the balustrade.
he rushed in. flung the curtains wide,
tore of the table cloth. and in the rush
of pallid light. saw Harvey, leaden eyed.
withered to a waXen pallor. smeared
with the blood of the cut wrist which
he feebly moved, struggling back to ex-
istence.