Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-05-24

the entrance across the way instinct
lively paused in the shadow to watch
it.
Its door swung open and ont onto |
the pavement there stepped great
man with a mas I've bulldog shaped |
head and neck. aid mustaches that
eowed from his lips like yellow four-
tains By the gaslight could see the
bear-Iike power of his arm as he
thrust out his hand to some one yet
within the car, and cold premonition
of something wretched to come swept
over me. To my ears there came
short. peculiar cough. and from this
mannerism of which | had heard, as
well as from pictures which | had
seen in the newspapers, l instantly
recognized him. The dragon had ar
rived in his juggernaut. Richard
Mackay. the Infamous. the moral lep-
err. who, corrupt Of soul and body, had
long leigned as autocrat of the under
world and prince of spoilsmen. doomed
across the way. Fearless and able,
powerful yet subtle, always domi-
l nant force for evil, he was one from
whom any man might recoil with Sc
cret fear.
And an instant later the wretched
thing came to pass. From out OF the
car and into his grasp there stepped
the woman whom loved with all my
soul. and my heart seemed to stop.
With his arm around her waist, bra
zenly Indifferent as to who might wit
ness he passed across the walk by
her side and threw the door wide by
a sweep of his free hand. For some
reason-I learned later 1t was because
of a weakened spring-the door failed
to close promptly, and distinctly saw
them In the subdued light OF the In
terror as they stood close together
awaiting the descent of the elevator
car. 1t was but a feeting glimpse,
, yet had it lasted longer l believe
should have cried outright in my az
ony. For as plainly as l ever saw
ANYTHING in my life / saw him draw
her close to him as impetuously as
, had done in my outburst as he lifted
her face and half buried It beneath
. his sweeping mustache. Then the
, door mercifully closed, shutting ou'
! the sight and leaving me with horror
! filling my breast and the GOODNESS o
! death creeping over me. For an In
. slant l was incapable Of movement
. then regaining partial control OF my
!, self. lurched away. Benumbed o
! brain, my knees turned to water. ant
: with jealousy tearing at my vital
. like a vulture, staggered homewarc
d Upon the night of horror that TO
" lowed l do not care to dwell. Lik
I one in a fever / tossed through tn
e hours sleepless save for the fitfu
v dream moments when / wandered ia
d into the evil haunts Of the nightmare
Y Morning creeping grayly into m
W room found me with head splittin
4. and set eyes that stared at the ceiling
m AS one who is crippled with rheumi
= tism in every joint. arose stifh,
bathed myself and crawled out int
m the air It was Sunday morning, an
,e already the chime of distant bells me
7 lowed in my ears. It was all plain
"A me now, her deceit and treachery
IN and had l been sentenced over nigl
ID to the gibbet / could not have bee
n more wretched. In the miserablenel
H. of 1t stood soul sick before the utt'
ID hollowness of all things. There cou
he be but one explanation of it. I'll
na hideous innuendoes that had hauntt
al my ears like the whisperings OF 81
7 shell had been less than the trut
AZ aud had been used as the false Zig
M to mislead the world; as a DUNN
av the fool, Oh, the treachery and Il
n. wickedness and the black shame
AZ It! And that this woman for whom
n would have given my hearts blo'
ne could be guilty of such cruelty to m
eft Fundamentally ! sobbed benea
us the oaks like a child.
ed Plainly there was but one thing
lts ef,,,lA de. must renornce her U
We qualifedly even though it well-ni
DO killed me, for l could never sha
ng her with anybody-as well might
Of man be asked to cut his heart