The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1909-07-23
TheWhiteAnn
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub Coz
By Horatio Winslow

student such a thing as the death
Of Anje lies out of our province; we
deal only with things observed and
noted down and approved. So IL | tell
the events as | saw them that is all
that can be expected, for | am neither
a theory spinner nor a student of psy
chical research.
IL began in the laboratories when
Thompson called me in TO the end
room which we used for Typographical
anatomy and where sometimes the
cadavers lie for a day or so before
they are disturbed.
81 have an idea" said Thompson
for a practical joke on Anje. You
know how Anje has always set him
self up as a heart-breaker among the
ladies?"
Eyes"
And how Ice has told OF his conquests
until everyone of us is sick Of them
and him? Well, this is the joke"
He threw back a cloth from the
bench at his knees. For a good min
ute | stared at the body as if l had
never seen a NOl pSt DtlOl anu lOi
that matter had never seen one like
this.
In our dissecting rooms we get the
bodies black with preserving fluids
and looking less like modern beings
than Egyptian mummies. But this
was as white as a living body; whittier,
for il was rather like marble. IL was
girl, not such a bad looking girl
in her time, with regular fea-
lures and neither fat nor thin. And
she lay on that bench as If she were
a piece of statuary fresh from the
sculptor's hands.
Suicide" Thompson said, but they
took her out of the river soon after
she jumped in. What dc you think
of this new preserving pr cess?"
Lord" | said 1T makes you
think you are looking at a piece of
statuary and that right arm is espe-
eially perfect"
He broke in on my speech.
81 knew you would notice that right
arm. Isn't it beautifully turned and
chiseled? It is a masterpiece and
with it we shall play joke on Anje
that will be a masterpiece. You know
Anje has always Leen so internally
conceited about his love affairs and
his strong stomach. Now this is NY
idea We will take the white arm and
put it in An5es bed with the hand
sticking out from the bed clothes.
We will get AnJe drunk and then
we will let him go to bed and wake
up and find the arm there and then
while he is still dizzy reason things
out for himself Won't that hit him?"
There was no opposition from me,
for, like the rest, | was rather sick
Of Anje's love tales Moreover
thought since lie had been so melan-
choly and depressed for the past week
or two an uncanny shock like this
might wake him out of his brooding
and make him cheerful again. mer-
~ cad is very much more enjoyable
than a sad one. And then the idea
of Anje waking up in bed with the
arm appealed TO me.
So the practical joke gathered head
way and in due course of time it be
came known 20 everyone at the
boarding house-that is, to everyone
except Anje
On the night on which it was to be
perpetrated | took Anje up into my
room and talked TO him till eight
o'clock, when Thompson came up and
winked signifying that the arm was
IN place WheTeupon the three OF
us sailed forth into the night.
As the liquor rose in Anje he be
came communicative but he remained
unutterably sad and dreary. He was
no longer Boosting of his conquests;
instead he was reproaching himself
because he had played too fast and
loose with some woman.
Now it's no use" he kept repeat
ing. IT'S too late. It's no use. She
might have given me a chance"
And then as he got drunken: she
didn't have any reason to do what
she did I treated her right. | never
was any worse than anybody else"
And when he was still farther gone
he repeated ELLEN, Ellen, Ellen" as
though it were a charm.
Thompson became very much dis
gusted with him
What's the use?" he said, drawing
me aside I'VE can't get him decent
ly under. Let's take him home the
way he is"
So we shifted Anje into a cab and,
once more back at the house, We
watched outside his door while he I'M
dressed But there came no cry nor
word nor movement of surprise from
Anje's room.
After his light went out we heard
him creeping into bed.
We waited a little longer but since
Anje made no sound we climbed away
! TO our bedrooms.
AS to Anje's death, no doubt you
have read in the papers the details
of that very unsatisfactory affair;
how he was found the next morning;
how the detectives and the police
rummaged about the house and the
neighborhood looking for clews; how
all the suspects arrested proved their
innocence completely.
two Of