The Falls City tribune., 1909-11-19
The White Ann
By Horatio Winslow
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Col

As for me | have no theories about
II whatever, for though | am a medical
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. 50 if | tell
the events as | saw them that is all
hat can be expected. for l am neither
a theory spinner nor a student of psy-
chieal research.
1t began in the laboratories when
Thompson called me in TO the end
room which we used for typographical
anatomy and where sometimes the
cadayers lie for a day or so before
they are disturbed.
Il have an idea said Thompson,
for a practical joke on Anje. You
know how Anje has always set him
SELF up as a he~art-breaker among the
ladies' q"
Yes"
And how he has told of his eonquests
until everyone of us is sick of them
and him? Well. this is the joke"
lie threw back a cloth from the
bench at his knees. For a good min
ute / stared at the body as if | had
never seen a corpse beforehand for
that matter | had never seen one like
this.
In our disseeting rooms we get the
bodies black with preserving fluids
n looking less like modern beings
than Egyptian mammies. But this
was as white as a living body; whfter,
for it was rather like marble. 1t was
a girl. not such a bad looking girl
in her time. with regular fea-
lures and neither fat nor thin. And
she lay OF that bench as if she were
a piece of statuary fresh from the
sculptor's hands.
Suicide" Thompson said. but they
ook her out of the river soon after
she jumped in. What do you think
of this new preserving process?"
Lord" | said. 1T makes you
think you are looking at a piece of
statuary and that right arm is espe-
cially perfect
He broke in on my speech.
Il knew you would notice that right
arm Isn't it beautifully turned and
chiseled? Ii is Il masterpiece and
with it we shall play a joke on Anje
that will be a masterpiece. You know
Anje has always beer SO internally
eonceited about his love affairs and
his strong stomach. Now this is my
idea. We will take the white arm and
put it in Anje's 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 he had been SO melan-
choly and depressed for the past week
or two an uneanny shock like this
might wake him ont of his brooding
and make him cheerful again. A mer-
ry 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 ii be-
came known to everyone at the
boarding house-that is. To everyone
except Anje.
On the night on which il was to be
perpetrated | took Anje UP into my
room and talked to him till eight
o'clock, when Thompson came up and
winked sienifying that the arm vas
In place. Whereupon 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 boasting of his conquests;
instead he was reproaching himself
because he had played too fast and
loose with some oma
Now It's no use" he kept repeat
ing. Its 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. | treated her right. I never
was any worse than anybody else"
And when he was still farther gone
he repeated: "Ellen. Ellen. Ellen" as
though it were n charm.
Thompson became very much dis
gusted with him.
whats 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 nc 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;