The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-22

tween the bones of duck and goose,
and became very much interested.
When I was through at last I went out,
but Florence had gone
Prof. Briggs told me that she had
gone to the forest and would await me
there. I ran to the forest expecting to
ind her in a spot called Lovers Dell,
but she was not there. I hunted high
and low. / called her dear name a
thousand times. I wandered for miles
and miles. 1t was no use. When night
came I had not found her. I went to
her home, but she had not been seen
there since noon.
"sYou must have been wild with
anxiety, poor man. said the farmers
wife.
1.-The wolves had devoured her, of
course remarked the husband.
or else she was hiding out Of pure
deyiltry,' observed the hired man.
I've known gals to do that same
thing
1.-The search went on through the
night@all next day=for a long week
continued, but not the slightest
trace of my beloved could we find.
More than a thousand people were
engaged in the search, but it was in
vain. Then we had to come to the
conclusion that she had either fallen
into some concealed sinkhole in the
woods or gone crazy and wandered
miles and miles away. 1 spent over
$4,000 advertising for her and send
ing men here and there, but she was
not to be heard of. She had disap-
peared off the face of the earth.
by gum. but that was tuff-tuff,
unused the farmer.
II suppose my trembling voice be-
trayed my deep emotion, said the
tramp. "for the farmers wife went in
and brought me out a glass of currant
wine. I thanked her and drank it and
then went on:
My friends feared that I would
go crazy, and none sought harder to
console me than Prof. Briggs. He
was more than a brother to me in my
grief One day, when Florence had
been missing for six weeks and was
thinking of committing suicide, I fell
asleep under an apple tree and had a
dream. 1 dreamed that I was cross
hing a meadow all covered with daisies
when a spotted bull came running and
tossed me over the fence 1 fell upon
Prof. Briggs hidden in the grass.
dreamed that all at once the thought
came to me that he was a wretch and
knew where Florence was, and that I
grabbed him by the throat and threat
ened to choke his life out If he did
not cough up
Z. Cough up what?' asked the farm
ers wife. as her eyes opened wider
- I mean that I was determined to
get information from him. ma'am.
something. Go on.
e awoke from my sleep with a
start and walked straight to the rooms
of Professor Briggs. He saw that some
thing was the matter, and turned to
fee, but in an instant I had him by
the neck Then he made a full confess
sion
Jest like I thought he would said
the hired man, as he nodded his head
five or six times.
G He confessed that he enticed Flor
enee into his laboratory and then killed
her. He afterwards put her body in
pickle and made a skeleton of her. and
he even showed me the skeleton I
recognized the bones at once as be
longing to my dear one. Fury leaped
into my soul. The desire to STAY bub-
bled up in my heart and I dragged
the professor into a room and killed
him by inches. My crime was discov-
cred and I fed, and since then have
been q wanderer Ger the face Of the
earth. Yes, I am the murderer Of Pro
lessor Briggs, and IL you want to give
me up to Justice. now is your time. I
viii welcome the hangman's moose with