The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-09-20

petitions, the ugly face OF my IN
iquity stared into my soul. As the
of this remorse began to .
die away, it was succeeded by
sense of joy. The problem of my
was solved. Hyde was
impossible; whether |
would or not, ! was now confined
to the better part of my existence;
and oh, how l rejoiced to think of
it! with what willing humility l
embraced anew the restrictions of
natural lifel with what sincere re
nunciation I locked the door by
which l had so often gone and
come, and ground the key under
my heel!
The next day came the news that
the murder had been overlooked,
that the guilt of Hyde was patent
to the world, and that the victim
was a man high in public estima-
ton. 1t was not only a crime, it
had been a tragic folly. think |
was glad to know it; | think l was
glad to have my better impulses
thus buttressed and guarded by the
terrors of the scaffold. Jekyll was
now my city of refuge; let but
Hyde peep out an instant, and the
hands of all men would be raised
to take and slay him.
l resolved in my future conduct
to redeem the past; and l can say
with honesty that my resolve was
fruitful of some good. You know
yourself how earnestly, in the last
months of last year, | labOred to
relieve sufferings; you know that
much was done for others, and that
the days passed quietly, almost
happily, for myself. Nor can |
truly say that l wearied of this
benef;cient and innocent life; /
think instead that daily enjoyed
it more completely; but l was still
cursed with my duality of purpose;
and as the first edge of my peni-
tence wore off the lower side of
me, so long INDUCED, so recently
chained down, began to growl for
license. Not that l dreamed of
resuscitating Hyde; the bare idea
of that would startle me to frenzy;
no, it was in my own person that
l was once more tempted to trifle
with my conscience; and it was as
an ordinary, secret sinner that l
at last fell before the assaults of
temptation.
There comes an end to all
things; the most capacious meas
ure is filled at last; and this brief
condescension to my evil finally
destroyed the balance of my soul.
And yet l was not alarmed; the
fall seemed natural, like a return
to the old days before l had made
my discovery. 1t was a fine, clear,
January day, wet under foot where
the frost had melted, but cloudTess
overhead; and the Regents Park
was full of winter chirrupings and
sweet with spring odors. l sat in
the sun on a bench; the animal
within me licking the chaps OF
memory; the spiritual side little
drowsed, promising subsequent
penitence, but not yet moved to
begin. After all, reflected, l was
like my neighbors; and then ]
smiled, comparing myself with 9th,
er men, comparing my active
goodwill with the lazy cruelty Of
their neglect. And at the yer!
moment of that vainglorioui
thought a qualm came over me, &;
horrid nausea and the most dead
| ly shuddering. These passed away
and left me faint; and then as il
/ its turn the faintness subsidized,
began to be aware of a change il
the temper of my thoughts,
greater holiness, a contempt O.
danger, a solution of the bonds O.
obligation. | looked down; M
clothes hung formlessly on M
shrunken limbs; the hand that La
on my knee was corded and hairy
/ was once more Edward Hyde.
moment before / had been safe o
all mems respect, wealthy, believe,
the cloth laying for me in tn
dining room at home; and now
was the common quarry of man
kind, hunted, houseless, a know
murderer, thrall to the gallows.
!, My reason wavered, but it di
not fail me utterly. l have NOR
. than once observed that, in m
second character, my facultie
seemed sharpened to a point an
| my spirits more tensely elastic
/ thus it came about that, wher
Jekyl perhaps might have sue
cumbed, Hyde rose 10 the import
? ance of the moment. My drug
were in one of the presses of M
cabinet; how was / to reach them
2 That was the problem that (crusI
4 ing my temples in my hands,
a set myself to solve. The labors
' tory door / had closed. If l sough
to enter by the house my own SCI
E wants would consign me to the ga
D lows. | saw ] must employ anotl
2 er hand, and thought of Lanyol
e How was he to be reached? no,
D persuaded? Suposing that l es
capped capture in the streets, no,
was / to make my way into hi
presence? and how should |, a
unknown and displeasing visito.
prevail on the famous physician I
rifle the study of his colleagu,
! DIR. Jekyll? Then l remembers
, that of my original character on
part remained to me; could writ
: my own hand; and once l had COZ
: ceived that hndling spark, the wa
! that | must follow became lighte
up from end to end.
/ Thereupon, l arranged my cIotl
: ing as best | could, and sumonin