The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-10-06

it off, and putting it Oft, till ut last got
punished for my hesitation, as you shall
hear.
One night had sent Johann
out to do some marketing, and
was expecting him back every
minute. As rule, whenever he went
abroad he took the house-key (of which
l had duplicated along with him; so
that nobody could get in till he came
back, unless ! chose to let them. He
was very punctual on the whole; but
this time ten-fifteen-twenty minutes
passed, ana there was no sign of him.
I began to fear that he might have taken
glass too much, as he sometimes did,
and was just thinking Of going to look
after him, when all at once, | heard, far
down below, a noise as if the house-door
had been suddenly opened and shut
again, and then step coming up the
stairs right toward my door. have q
quick ear of my own, and it struck
me directly that the step was heavier
and firmer than old Johanns. guessed
at once that there had been foul play
somewhere, and for moment thought
of locking my door and calling for help
through the window; but, on second
thoughts, ! decided that it might be
better to let the intruder whoever he
might be) come right up 10 me, and see
what he really wanted"
] looked at the professor with invol-
untary admiration. To hear this little,
delicate, benevolent.looking old gentle.
man talking so coolly of allowing rob
clo, 10 Il,
right into his room at night, without
stirring step to give the alarm, simply
because he "thought it better to see
what he wanted"-had really heroic
flavor about it; and eagerly bent for
ward TO hear the sequel Of the adven-
ture.
"The door opened, pursued my friend,
"and in came tall, burly fellow, with
a black mask on his face and pistol in
his hand. The moment he was in, he
locked the door behind him, put the
key in his pocket, and came forward to
the table where was sitting.
Now, my old 'un," said he, with a
chuckle, we've got the house all to our
selves. Your servant is lying fast asleep
at the club.room at the Thirsty Fox.
Dragged beer is fine thing to make a
man sleep sound, and he won't wake
much before tomorrow morning. In
the mean time, out with your money, or
you'r re dead man.
"He cooked the pistol as he spoke,
and leveled it at my forehead.
"You will think, mein Herr. that !
must have been frightened; but, strange
as it may seem, | was not. Had | met
this man on the street, on out in the
open country, he would have been on
his own ground but here, within the
walls of my laboratory, he was on mine.
He came in the guise of new expert.
ment, and felt him in my power. Be-
fore he had done speaking, | had tried
him in my own mind, condemned him,
and sentenced him to death"
Soft and pleasant as tle old mans
voice was, there was a hard metallic
ring in it Just then, and an ominous
compression of the small, delicate
mouth which showed me for the first
time, what this quiet, sood-humored
scholar might be capable of doing. In
truth the cruelty of passion or revenge
is as nothing to that of science. Parr-
hasius crucifying his slave in order to
gain more vivid idea Of the sufferings
which he painted, Michael Angelo
studying with cool, analytical keenness
the loathsome minuti@ of the plague.
hospital, DIR. LeCatt keeping horses and
dogs alive for weeks under his scalpel,
only to inflict upon then more varied
and complicated tOrtures-such exam
pies are terribly suggestive; and could
not help thinking that had | been
robber, ] should have been very 10th to
entrust myself to the tender mercies of
my friend the professor, supposing his
powers of destruction to be cOmmensu-
rate with his will. After a pause, he
resumed
Well, ! can't resist you,' said | to
the robber, assuming look of terror
such as | had not worn since went up
for my first examination as a candidate
at Jena. I'll give you all have, and
when you have taken it, hope you'll
be satisfied and do no further injury
"'Oh, III be satisfied when | touch
the money, never fear, old boy an
swered he with laugh. Come, out
with it, quick.
90 It's in that bureau yonder,' replied
|, throwing key on the table; help
YOURSELF
9" need not tell you, mein Herr,
that in the whole bureau there was not
a single Rteenig; but he went towards it,
to unlock it, which was al | wanted"
"Ah, you wanted to get a chance of
sticking him from behind, | suppose?"
said |, secretly marvelling at the strate-
gic ability Of this pacific man of letters.
"Mein lieber Herr" returned the
professor, with an air of grand con-
tempt, suggestive of Socrates SETTLING
down" Protagoras, "scance does not
fight with such cease material means as
those. | have told you that | regarded
this man in the light of an experiment,
and acted accordingly IF you wish
to know What was my real object in
sending him to the bureau, step forward
and press your heel mon that little
knob in the floor"
obeyed, and was not little startled
when good square yard of the flooring
Immediately in front of tie bureau gave
way with loud whirliug noise, disclos-
ing black chasm of unknown depth,