stories by modern american authors-第17节

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back　part　and　nobody　ain't　never　going　to　know　how　long　it　has　been

in　dar。〃



The　old　negro　went　back　into　the　kitchen　and　the　little　man　began

to　unload　the　dray。　　He　carried　in　five　wine　cases　and　stowed　them

away　in　the　back　part　of　the　cellar　as　the　old　woman　had　directed。

Then；　after　having　satisfied　himself　that　no　one　was　watching；　he

took　from　the　dray　two　heavy　paper　sacks；　presumably　filled　with

flour；　and　a　little　bundle　wrapped　in　an　old　newspaper；　these　he

carefully　hid　behind　the　wine　cases　in　the　cellar。　　After　awhile　he

closed　the　door；　climbed　on　his　dray；　and　drove　off　down　the　alley。



About　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening　of　the　same　day；　a　Mexican

sailor　dodged　in　the　front　gate　and　slipped　down　to　the　side　of　the

house。　　He　stopped　by　the　window　and　tapped　on　it　with　his　finger。

In　a　moment　a　woman　opened　the　door。　　She　was　tall；　lithe；　and

splendidly　proportioned；　with　a　dark　Spanish　face　and　straight

hair。　　The　man　stepped　inside。　　The　woman　bolted　the　door　and

turned　round。



〃Ah；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃it　is　you；　Senor？　　How　good　of　you！〃



The　man　started。　　〃Whom　else　did　you　expect？〃　he　said　quickly。



〃Oh！〃　laughed　the　woman；　〃perhaps　the　Archbishop。〃



〃Nina！〃　said　the　man；　in　a　broken　voice　that　expressed　love；

humility；　and　reproach。　　His　face　was　white　under　the　black

sunburn。



For　a　moment　the　woman　wavered。　　A　shadow　flitted　over　her　eyes；

then　she　stepped　back。　　〃No；〃　she　said；　〃not　yet。〃



The　man　walked　across　to　the　fire；　sank　down　in　a　chair；　and

covered　his　face　with　his　hands。　　The　woman　stepped　up　noiselessly

behind　him　and　leaned　over　the　chair。　　The　man　was　either　in　great

agony　or　else　he　was　a　superb　actor；　for　the　muscles　of　his　neck

twitched　violently　and　his　shoulders　trembled。



〃Oh；〃　he　muttered；　as　though　echoing　his　thoughts；　〃I　can't　do　it；

I　can't！〃



The　woman　caught　the　words　and　leaped　up　as　though　some　one　had

struck　her　in　the　face。　　She　threw　back　her　head。　　Her　nostrils

dilated　and　her　eyes　flashed。



〃You　can't　do　it！〃　she　cried。　　〃Then　you　do　love　her！　　You　shall　do

it！　　Do　you　hear　me？　　You　shall　do　it！　　You　killed　him！　　You　got

rid　of　him！　but　you　shall　not　get　rid　of　me。　　I　have　the　evidence；

all　of　it。　　The　Archbishop　will　have　it　to…morrow。　　They　shall　hang

you！　　Do　you　hear　me？　　They　shall　hang　you！〃



The　woman's　voice　rose；　it　was　loud　and　shrill。　　The　man　turned

slowly　round　without　looking　up；　and　stretched　out　his　arms　toward

the　woman。　　She　stopped　and　looked　down　at　him。　　The　fire　glittered

for　a　moment　and　then　died　out　of　her　eyes；　her　bosom　heaved　and

her　lips　began　to　tremble。　　With　a　cry　she　flung　herself　into　his

arms；　caught　him　around　the　neck；　and　pressed　his　face　up　close

against　her　cheek。



〃Oh！　Dick；　Dick；〃　she　sobbed；　〃I　do　love　you　so！　　I　can't　live

without　you！　　Not　another　hour；　Dick！　　I　do　want　you　so　much；　so

much；　Dick！〃



The　man　shifted　his　right　arm　quickly；　slipped　a　great　Mexican

knife　out　of　his　sleeve；　and　passed　his　fingers　slowly　up　the

woman's　side　until　he　felt　the　heart　beat　under　his　hand；　then　he

raised　the　knife；　gripped　the　handle　tight；　and　drove　the　keen

blade　into　the　woman's　bosom。　　The　hot　blood　gushed　out　over　his

arm；　and　down　on　his　leg。　　The　body；　warm　and　limp；　slipped　down　in

his　arms。　　The　man　got　up；　pulled　out　the　knife；　and　thrust　it　into

a　sheath　at　his　belt；　unbuttoned　the　dress；　and　slipped　it　off　of

the　body。　　As　he　did　this　a　bundle　of　papers　dropped　upon　the

floor；　these　he　glanced　at　hastily　and　put　into　his　pocket。　　Then

he　took　the　dead　woman　up　in　his　arms；　went　out　into　the　hall；　and

started　to　go　up　the　stairway。　　The　body　was　relaxed　and　heavy；　and

for　that　reason　difficult　to　carry。　　He　doubled　it　up　into　an　awful

heap；　with　the　knees　against　the　chin；　and　walked　slowly　and

heavily　up　the　stairs　and　out　into　the　bathroom。　　There　he　laid　the

corpse　down　on　the　tiled　floor。　　Then　he　opened　the　window；　closed

the　shutters；　and　lighted　the　gas。　　The　bathroom　was　small　and

contained　an　ordinary　steel　tub；　porcelain　lined；　standing　near　the

window　and　raised　about　six　inches　above　the　floor。　　The　sailor

went　over　to　the　tub；　pried　up　the　metal　rim　of　the　outlet　with　his

knife；　removed　it；　and　fitted　into　its　place　a　porcelain　disk　which

he　took　from　his　pocket；　to　this　disk　was　attached　a　long　platinum

wire；　the　end　of　which　he　fastened　on　the　outside　of　the　tub。

After　he　had　done　this　he　went　back　to　the　body；　stripped　off　its

clothing；　put　it　down　in　the　tub　and　began　to　dismember　it　with　the

great　Mexican　knife。　　The　blade　was　strong　and　sharp　as　a　razor。

The　man　worked　rapidly　and　with　the　greatest　care。



When　he　had　finally　cut　the　body　into　as　small　pieces　as　possible；

he　replaced　the　knife　in　its　sheath；　washed　his　hands；　and　went　out

of　the　bathroom　and　downstairs　to　the　lower　hall。　　The　sailor

seemed　perfectly　familiar　with　the　house。　　By　a　side　door　he　passed

into　the　cellar。　　There　he　lighted　the　gas；　opened　one　of　the　wine

cases；　and；　taking　up　all　the　bottles　that　he　could　conveniently

carry；　returned　to　the　bathroom。　　There　he　poured　the　contents　into

the　tub　on　the　dismembered　body；　and　then　returned　to　the　cellar

with　the　empty　bottles；　which　he　replaced　in　the　wine　cases。　　This

he　continued　to　do　until　all　the　cases　but　one　were　emptied　and　the

bath　tub　was　more　than　half　full　of　liquid。　　This　liquid　was

sulphuric　acid。



When　the　sailor　returned　to　the　cellar　with　the　last　empty　wine

bottles；　he　opened　the　fifth　case；　which　really　contained　wine；

took　some　of　it　out；　and　poured　a　little　into　each　of　the　empty

bottles　in　order　to　remove　any　possible　odor　of　the　sulphuric　acid。

Then　he　turned　out　the　gas　and　brought　up　to　the　bathroom　with　him

the　two　paper　flour　sacks　and　the　little　heavy　bundle。　　These　sacks

were　filled　with　nitrate　of　soda。　　He　set　them　down　by　the　door；

opened　the　little　bundle；　and　took　out　two　long　rubber　tubes；　each

attached　to　a　heavy　gas　burner；　not　unlike　the　ordinary　burners　of

a　small　gas　stove。　　He　fastened　the　tubes　to　two　of　the　gas　jets；

put　the　burners　under　the　tub；　turned　the　gas　on　full；　and　lighted

it。　　Then　he　threw　into　the　tub　the　woman's　clothing　and　the　papers

which　he　had　found　on　her　body；　after　which　he　took　up　the　two

heavy　sacks　of　nitrate　of　soda　and　dropped　them　carefully　into　the

sulphuric　acid。　　When　he　had　done　this　he　went　quickly　out　of　the

bathroom　and　closed　the　door。



The　deadly　acids　at　once　attacked　the　body　and　began　to　destroy　it；

as　the　heat　increased；　the　acids　boiled　and　the　destructive　process

was　rapid　and　awful。　　From　time　to　time　the　sailor　opened　the　door

of　the　bathroom　cautiously；　and；　holding　a　wet　towel　over　his　mouth

and　nose；　looked　in　at　his　horrible　work。　　At　the　end　of　a　few

hours　there　was　only　a　swimming　mass　in　the　tub。　　When　the　man

looked　at　four　o'clock；　it　was　all　a　thick　murky　liquid。　　He　turned

off　the　gas　quickly　and　stepped　back　out　of　the　room。　　For　perhaps

half　an　hour　he　waited　in　the　hall；　finally；　when　the　acids　had

cooled　so　that　they　no　longer　gave　off　fumes；　he　opened　the　door

and　went　in；　took　hold　of　the　platinum　wire　and；　pulling　the

porcelain　disk　from　the　stopcock；　allowed　the　awful　contents　of　the

tub　to　run　out。　　Then　he　turned　on　the　hot　water；　rinsed　the　tub

clean；　and　replaced　the　metal　outlet。　　Removing　the　rubber　tubes；

he　cut　them　into　pieces；　broke　the　porcelain　disk；　and；　rolling　up

the　platinum　wire；　washed　it　all　down　the　sewer　pipe。



The　fumes　had　escaped　through　the　open　window；　this　he　now　closed

and　set　himself　to　putting　the　bathroom　in　order；　and　effectually

removing　every　trace　of　his　night's　work。　　The　sailor　moved　around

with　the　very　greatest　degree　of　care。　　Finally；　when　he　had

arranged　everything　to　his　complete　satisfaction；　he　picked　up　the

two　burners；　turned　out　the　gas；　and　left　the　bathroom；　closing　the

door　after　him。　　From　the　bathroom　he　went　directly　to　the　attic；

concealed　the　two　rusty　burners　under　a　heap　of　rubbish；　and　then

walked　carefully　and　noiselessly　down　the　stairs　and　through　the

lower　hall。　　As　he　opened　the　door　and　stepped　into　the　room　where

he　had　killed　the　woman；　two　police　officers　sprang　out　and　seized

him。　　The　man　screamed　like　a　wild　beast　taken　in　a　trap　and　sank

down。



〃Oh！　oh！〃　he　cried；　〃it　was　no　use！　it　was　no　use　to　do　it！〃　　Then

he　recovered　himself　in　a　manner　and　was　silent。　　The　officers

handcuffed　him；　summoned　the　patrol；　and　took　him　at　once　to　the

station　house。　　There　he　said　he　was　a　Mexican　sailor　and　that　his

name　was　Victor　Ancona；　but　he　would　say　nothing　further。　　The

following　morning　he　sent　for　Randolph　Mason　and　the　two　were　long

together。





IV





The　obscure　defendant　charged　with　murder　has　little　reason　to

complain　of　the　law's　delays。　　The　morning　following　the　arrest　of

Victor　Ancona；　the　newspapers　published　long　sensation