The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-09-02

"Oh, he's in good hands, Perfesser."
"What's the matter with bim|
"Well," said the official, "some folks say
he's got so much knowledge into him that he
can't live under it,"
Cerebral disorder, eh?"
"What ?' asked the man.
"Brain disorder, l mean something wrong,
here"
| touched nay forehead, and so did he, as he
Ave; and thought I'd drop in and tell
YOU if YOU was going to the station tomorrow
to take look and see if it's post mOrten or
not Besides, wanted to see where 1 could
always find you in case of need"
| bowed and attributed his visit to feeling
of curiosity. He sat on the sink, one rubber
ed foot thrown over thesother, and wiped his
nose with dirty handkerchief several times,
while his eyes wandered about like Christie
pber Columbus after discoveries. Finally he
spoke, like one who thought himself called on
to say something.
'Perfessor, there has been an accident this
afternoon; terrible, too"
"Ah!" said 1.
"Awfulp' said he.
"What was it?"
"Nitro-glycerine explosion up in the iron
mills-a hundred fellow mortas busted~
"Sadr
affecting, very" Here he rubbed his
mouth with the back of his hand. professor,
what is that nitro-gly-cerine
at is very dangerous article" answered,
happy to display my knowledge. ct has
nearly twice the destructiveness of gunpow-
der, but unlike it, does not explode on the ap-
plication of heat. A red hot coal dropped in
to it will not explode it. 1t will not freeze !;
it is yellow and greasy. Its symbols in our
nomenclature are CO, H5, mo. 81 3, o."
"You don't mean to say sop said the Off
Ger, interrupting me in disagreeable tones in
the very middle of a choice extract from one
of my lectures. "Why, but YOU hain't told
me how it does go off. If fire won't bust it,
what in-(hem) -will?"
told him if it were pressed or anything
fell on it, it would explode"
"Place it under the crusher of cider mill,
strike it with hammer, let weight fall on
it from hight"
YES" SAID my man, "and that rouses its
volcaner, does it? How does it come, Perfes-
SCRIP
I'm little cans-why, like thesew said 1,
discovering that there was little can of it on
the marble sink, which l had carelessly neg
lected to fireplace in the cellar. 1 then took
little of the glycerine, spread it on an anvil
and struck it with hammer, A slight ex-
plosiOn and fame burst from the paper
mo, really" said the policeman, starting
back; 81 suppose, Perfesser, that there can
would make mighty noise if allowed to ex-
plode in here all at once?"
at would blow the entire building to
atoms" said l, resuming the analysis of Mrs.
Johnson's stomach.
deliberate Yankee tones; "You don't say
so~
The next moment lay on nv back, a gag
mouth tarrihlv friuhtonoA nd 81 81
heart. Over me stood the policeman, and the
first thing that functionary did wss-looking
me straight in the tace-to take off his nose
He then rid himself of his red eyebrows, hair,
cap, and became determined looking fellow,
with the eyes of fiend, and the nose of a Ro-
man.
$50 you think" said the metamorphosed in
the tones OF gentleman, shat nothing can
save Joe johnson from the roper Poor fell
low! it does like it. But, my dear Professor,
Joe johnson is fortunate enough to have in
me devoted friend, as well as brother. l
have undertaken TO save him, and he shall be
saved! In order to this end it will be neces-
sary to remove from the face of the earth, not
only the stomach of his miserable wife yon-
der, but also my dear Protessor-Im sorry to
be obliged to say it, for believe you were my
Dyothers teacher and friend-yourself as
wel''
saw ohoe liz W DIS III ucduly earliest.
Your death must apparently result from ac-
cident-at least, so it must seem to the au-
thorlties. My brother is in Jail, and they will
not suspect him, and certainly will not sus-
pect me-"
What terrible deed was on his brain hatch
in5f W"s ho going to naurdo- mop The
hard-earned knowledge of score of years
would have given for power to utter one sim
gle cry.
He took me in his arms and placed me in
chair, and bound me to it, and then from a
side pocket he produced another rope.
Was it myself who was to hang instead of
johnson?
No; yes. He placed the line puley-like ov-
er an arm of the hanging chandelier. This
was altogether too slight support even for
one OF my slender frame. 1t was not to be
hanging, then?
To one end of the rope he attached weight,
and raised it by pulling the other six or eight
feet from the floor. The loose end ne secur-
ed to the sink. Was he mad? Did he mean
to draw me under this weight, and send me
out of the world in novel way by letting it
fall, and dashing my brains out?
10 the sink-end he attached long yellow
string.
Under the weight on the floor he placed the
can of nitro-glycerine! 1 recognized the yell
low string; it was a fuse and would burn six
ty minutes. 1t would burn across the mar.
BILE slab-thers was no hope of its igniting any
substance that would warn my friends.
"Do you begin to see through IT," asked
Joe Johnson's brother
L believe cursed him with my eyes. l
could only breathe through my nostriis, and
great veins were swelling and growing hot in
my forehead.
Drawing match from his pocket, he light
ed and applied it to the fuse, that little tyrant
that gave man an hour to live, and killed
him at the end of it-that little irresponsible
terror that, less than merciful Providence.
told man the second he was to die, if fright
and horror spared him to itself!
Slowly the fmae crept snake-iike, around
the Irvine.
=. I'm one hour" said the prisoners brother,
you Will be in heaven or hell. l will watch
with you for half an hour, and the other half
you will spend alone"
He sat down some minutes in a chair
watching the fame. Then he arose and took
the piece of porcelain with the murderer's
mark thereon from the table aid shook his
head gloomly.
81 am chemist enough to know it is arsen-
g. ne sad. Yes, those bright, metallic eyes.
betrayer of the guilty.! Science, t6ou
vouldst kill my brother! Thou shalt save
lin. Let us see in whose hands thou art
most powerful. Here is man who, by thy
I'd, bids the poison sprite uprise and writes
d priillant characters foul confession on
MS piece OF porcelain. But behold, o SCI |
nee! IL is no sooner written than, by thy aid. |
ne whole confession and thy chosen servant |
ire annlhilated. Let the goud professor use |
lis chemicals, the bad brother only asks-a |
title can OF nitro-glyceiine."
heard this speech, indeed; but great beav.
ms! 1t was my eyes and not my ears that
7ere busiest then! For, beneath the table,
overed by the crimson cloth of which T have
efore spoken, and which faced. appeared
ne head of child. The hair was rumpled
nd the blue eyes were Just opening from
eep. The intelligent forehead was WrinkIed |
Iransely. 1t was my boy Billy. 1 was afraid
g would cry papa" If he did, the irnplaca-
lie man would add the murder of the child tn |
be murder of the father.
But my boy did none of this. He had
oppose, crept under the table unknown tn
ne, and fallen asleep there. tried to tell the
Tue fellow to hide again, and wait for the
nal half hour when my tormentor would he
one: Whether he understood me or not
ded by what he had heard, did not know.
Ut ne quickly withdrew his little curly head
rst kissing his hand lightly at me, and then
laklnS his fist at the schemer watching so
'lIgerently his dumb fire agents.
The half hour wore slowly awav. q beav-
IS! what agony did 1 suffer? not for NV,
II, but for my child. A light noise might
'cover his presence; the match might run
tether sooner than was expected. Hn
lght be murdered or blown to atoms.
The fuse burned cn-on. The balf-bo,r
up! 0 n"i-nour
l. he brother of tho