Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-08-31
Miscellany.
DIR. PECHAL'S THEORY.
BY JULIAN HAWTHORNE,

BY JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
NOT long ago, the steamer Ecliptic
brought to New York, among other pas
sengers, a tat, trowzy man, rather short
and evdt ntly a f,rriEner-thOugh of what
nationality, owing to his familiarity with
languages, 1t was not easy to decide. He
was not all engaging man, was supor-
naturally conceited, s'nle said crazy. He
wore a pair of unusually shiny spectacles
1T was believed to assist him in staring.
His hair WAS long, tangled and sandy,
overhanging his coat.col,ar, aud pushed
back behind his ears. His luggage con
sisted of ragged, black carpet bag, which
no one suspected Of containing clothes.
The captain himself was not sacred from
the intrusive imlrrtinence Of this man.
The second day out, ut dinner, he stared
unintcruptediy for l. minutes at that Of
fcer, and then sail:
"You must be Scotchman
The captains little hobby was to be
taken for an American; 50 he bowed some
what stiffiy, and continued his conversa
ton with the American bankers wife, at
his right
The frowzv foreigner drew from his
pockrt a greasy note book, piloted his way
through several pages with his dirty fore
finger, till he arrived at a certain entry
then, with powerful assrrtativeness
You are forty eight years old to-day!
The captain was yOung-lOOking man
perhaps not unwiilingly SO, especially in
the eyes OF his fair right. hand neighbor
So he locked up rather severely at the
forejrner, and said, gruf1]y:
"Well, sir?'
"Of course" pursued the other, absorbed
in his note book" here, sir. calcu
lated your group some time ago; it com
priscs four, and possibly five. I met one
last year in Turkey-a very pretty little
girl Whereabouts will you be seven
weeks from to-day, captain?'
The captains patience began to grow
thin; but he com handed himself TO reply,
albeit somewhat testify:
"Give fair weather, off the southern
coast of Irelant."
The fron zy foreigner was charmed. He
bubbled over with an unclean smile; his
teeth were dreadful.
Right quite right" he exclaimed,
rubbing his fat hands self apprOvlngly.
You will be drowned off that coast, sir
steamer founders, or you are washed over
bOard-cannOt be sure which,
AT this sally, every one, except the cap.
tain, either laughed or smiled. He, strange
to say turned pale and frowned slightly.
The foreign lunatic calmly re placed his
notebook and resumed his dinner.
Could it have been coincidence that,
seven weeks from that day, in heavy sea
off the southern coast Of Ireland, Captain
McAlcnny, OF tue Ecliptic, was washed
overheard and lost: Curious, at all
eventsi Moreover-though, what has this
to do with its-the little daughter of q
prominent official in Constantinople died
the same day, after the crisis of a long and
painful fever.
The conctitcd foreigner was not, there.
fore, an agreeable companion. lie was no
respectcr Of persons; for he used up even
= custom. house Officer in this wise:
After traastiXing him with an indignant
and pro'nngcl glare Of his spectacles-
"Why, you should have been dead two
years ago. Your time expired in the sum
mer Of 1853. I saw one of your group
condemned to be hanged for murder in
June Of that year, and | cannot be mis-
taken In you," said he, referring to his
note book.
The custom house officer glared back in
savage amazemcut. FL 'twarn't f'uly wife
md chiId'n," he began, menacingly; but
the fat foreigners brow cleared up imme.
diately, as if his mind were relieved from
an immense load Of perplexity.
"Mv dear air-tO be sure! How could
/, Of all m n, nl"K,s s,l'h an Oversigh Int
And now | c''i!sct-his sentence was
commuted-inI.r .rsonnent for life. Let me
see-No'lr " tie! oh, yes she belongs also
with the young Frenchman; and that Jew,
think, must be connection. Well, we'll,
sir, you're safe for six years yet" And the
maniac departed III total apparent uncon-
seriousness of the black wrath distorting
the cnstnm-housc officers black visage
L.n'cd in New York, he grasped his
ragged, black carpet. bag, and walked to
he South S:a Hotel, On his way he stop
ped to purchase directory, and barely
escaped b ing knocked down by the st.les-
man because he Informed him the only
safe thiug in his case was to marry Ger
tain African lady. resident of Guinea
Arriving at the hotel he engaged room
for three days, and registered his name as
pcch'l. from Belgium. He eyed the gen.
tlt mlniy clerk >talchingly.
Your hair must be dyed SIR" said he
at last, firmly.
The grntlcmanly clerk drew himself up
hanch'i'" The doctor glared, au, shook
his lrn"Zy head.
no use, sir; it wont save you. No
Immediate dagger, huwcvcr: your group
remains till the next decade"
In snort, Dr. Pechal Was not merely dis
agreeable-he was awful.
He entered and locked his room-d door,
opened the black carpet.bag and poured
the contents on the tabe-nothing but
old books! There were volume Of To-
garlthns, life.insurance reports, works on
phrenology and rhyiology, metaphysical
compilations, directories Of various cities,
and, at the very bottom Of the bag, large
manuscript volume, whose contents thc
doctor only knew.
He placed these paraphernalia of research
in scmicle upon the table. seated him sell
in the concavity Of the arc, a d worked
away steadily for at least three hours, con.
cluding by writing down his results in the
manuscript volume, and making an elimina.
ton thereof into the greasy note book
Then he leaned back, ran his thick fingers
into his hair, and ruminated. The manu-
scrlrt book lay open on the table. 1t was
en'']ls,' "'Tnlos. Gesetz," which appella.
t,on, shoud it afford no enlightenment to
Inc leAusr' !iac's hirn on an equality with,
an tHI us say, n1ne people out Of ten. It was
nllcd with closely written papes of mvste.
rious and eiigmatcal import. in a dozen
different languages, and, FIR the nno.t
part, unlmportant to the present history
But the last entry, as transcribed into tbc
greasy note book, may possible be of some
assistance. Here it is:
"Group comprises four. Distribution
two to one each-In Belfast, Am, rca
possibly France, possibly Asia
"DietributiOn as regards sex male, two
females, two.
"Inci'eucc Of law las calc,17ated from
table of |oga,ithns, Natural Sine eD-fo,,l
days from date, subject to following i'm
pedtm"nts and EXCEPTIONS:
Il. AmAlgamation to have occurred be.
tween two of this group; Or
g: s'lch amalghmHton to take place
within the mex, four days, provided that
"Litcral identity Of surname exists be-
Swnnn tha two
Outside contracts no obstruction to
laws course"
BESIDES this there ware sundry personal