Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-05

unseen by me, was menacing us both.
Don't-don't ask me any questions she
said brenthcssly. lie will tell you all you
want.-But do, oh do hasten-good God he
may be dead by this tinlel'
made no reply, but allowed her TO grasp
my hand, which she did with bony, nerv-
GUS clutch, and cndcavored with some diff
Guilty to keep pace with the long strides-I
might well call them bounds, for they seemed
the springs Of wild animal rather than the
pace Of young girl-with which she covered
the ground: Not word more was uttered
until VIC stopped before n shabby old-fashion-
cd tenement house in the Seventh Avenue,
not far above Twcnty.thiid Il street. She push.
cd the door open with convulsivc pressure
aud still retaining hold Of my hand, literally
dragged me up stairs to what seemed to be a
back OttShO0t to the main building, as high
pcrhnp7, as the fourth story. In moment
more ! found myself in moderately sized
chamber, lit by single lamp. In one corner.
stretched mOtiOnleSs OF wretchcd pallet bed
| behcld what supposed to be the figure of
my patient.
lie is there said tho girl, go to him. See
il he is dcal-I dare not look
made my way rs we'll as I could through
the RumbeFleEs dilapidated chemical -iHstFu-
mcnts with which the room was crowded.
French chatting dish, supported on an iron
tripod, had been overturned and was living
across the floor, while the charcoal still warm,
was scattered around in various directions
Crucbles, alclnbics, and rctorts were con.
fusedly piled in various corners, and on small
table saw distributed in separate bottles
number of mineral and metallic substances,
which | recognized rs antmony, mercury,
pumbNgo, arsenic, bOrax, etc, 1t was vcri-
tably the apartment Of poor chemist. All
the apparatus had the air of being bought
secondhand. There was none of that lustrc
Of exquisitcly annealcd glass. and highly pol
ishcd metals, which dazzle one in the lab0ra-
tory Of the prosperous analyst. The make
shifts Of poverty were every where visible.
The cruciblcs were broken, or gallipots were
used instead Of crncibles. The colorcd tests
were not in the usual Transparent vials, but
were placed i'll ordinary black bottles. There
is nothing more melancholy than to behold
Science or Art in distress. A thrcadbarc
scholar, n tattcrcd book, or n battered violin,
are mute appeals to our sympathics.
approached the wrctchcd pallet bed on
which the victim Of chemistry was lying. lie
brcathcd heavily, and had his head turned to.
ward the wall. lifted his arm gently to
arouse his attention.
How goes it, my poor friend?' l asked
him, Where are you hurt:'
In moiTIcnt as If startled by the sound Of
my voice, he sprang up in his bed, and COVER
ed up against the wall like q wild animal
driven to bay.
Who are You? don't know you. Who
brought you here! You are stranger How
dare y0m come into my private rooms to spy
upon Inc:
Aud as he uttered this rapidly with fright
ful nervous energy, bchcld pale distorted
face, drnpcd with long gray hair, glaring ut
me with mingled expression Of fury and ter
ror.
am no spy | answered mildly. Il heard
that you had met with an accident, and have
come to cure you, 0m Doctor Luxor, and
and here is my card
The old man took the card and scanned it
eagerly.
You. are a physician?' he inquired dis,
trnstfully.
And surgeon also
You are bound by oath not to reveal the
secrets of your PATIENTS
Undoubtedly
am afraid that am hurt he continued
family, half sinking hack in the bed
l seized the opportunity to make brief cx-
animation Of his body, found that the arms,
portion Of the chest, and some of The face
were terribly scorched; hut it seemed to me
that there was nothing to be apprchended but
pain.
You will not reveal anything that you may
learn here 2 said the old man, fecbly fixing
his eyes on my face whilc l was applying
some soothing ointment to the burns. You
will promise mey'
l nodded assent.
Then l will trust you. Cure mc-I will
pay you WE'LL
| could scarce help smiling. IfLorenzo dc.
Mcdici, conscious of millions of ducats in his
Golfers had been addressing some lccch of the
period, he could not have spoken with lofticr
air than this inhabitant OF the fourth story of
tenement house in the Seventh Avenue.
You must keep quiet answered. Let
nothing irritatc you. ! will leave compos-
ing draught with your daughter, which she
will give you Immediately. will sec you in
the morning. You will be we'll in week
Thank Cody came in a murmur from
dusky corner near the door. | turned and
behCld the dim outline Of the girl standing
with cIaspcd hands in the gloom, and project
ing eager eyes through the dim chamber.
My daughter! screamed tho old man,
once moro leaping up in the bed with renewed
vitality. You have seen her thcnV when !
whcrcy Oh! may thousand cur
Father! father! Anything-anything but
that. Don't, don't curse me = and the poor
girl, rushing in, flung herself sobbing on her
knees beside his pallet
'Ahi Brigand! you arc there arc YOU
Sir, said he, turning to me, I am the most
unhappy man in the world Talk of Sysiphus
rolling the ever recoiing stonc-of Prone.
thcus, gnawed by thc vulturc since the birth
of Time. The fables yet live. There is my
rock forever crushing inc back There is my
eternal vulture feeding upon my heart! There
-thcre-thcrcP and with an awful gesture
Of maledictiOn and hatred. he pointed with
his wounded hand, Swatlled and shapelcss
with bandoges, ut the covering Sobbing word
less woman BY his side.
| was too much hOrror-strickcn to attcmpt
even to sooth him. The anger Of blood against
blood has an electric power which paralyses
byStanderS
Listen to me, SIR he continued while
skin this painted viper. have your oath.
You will not reveal. am an alchomist, sir.
Since | was twenty-five years old, have pur.
sued the wonderful and subtle secret. Yes |
to unfold the mysterious Rose guarded with
such terrible thornS, to dccipher the wondrous
Table Of Emerald, to accomplish the mystic