The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-04-10

gray eyes, usually calm and thoughtful,
/ beamed with singular light at the least
appearance of contradiction. Every
morning he took walk in the noun
/ tains, leaving his horse to follow on be-
+ hind him at will, and chanting, always
in the same tone, some air of negro mel
ody. This original man brought from
/ Hayti a number of boxes filed with all
sorts Of odd insects-some black and
some brown, large as hens eggs; others
small and brilliant as sparks of light.
/ He seemed to be more interested in them
than in his patients, and oftentimes re-
turning from his walks he would have
the brim of his hat filled with butter
4 flies
so soon as he was established in the
/ large house of Heselnoss, he stocked the
/ lower court with strange fowls-with
/ Barbary geese, with their scarlet gills
with Guinea hens, and with white pea
cock, perched usually upon the wall of
/ the garden, and who shared, with the
negress, the admiration of the noun
( taineers.
If have entered too much into de
/ tails, Master Frantz, it is because they
bring to my mind the days of my youth.
/ DR.. Weber was at once my cousin and
my tutor, and upon his return to Ger
many had installed me with him at Spin
bronn. The black Agatha inspired me
at first with some fear her irregular
/ features interested but repelled me.
/ However, she was so good natured, she
knew so we'll how to make sweet-cakes,
she hummed with her cultural voice
such strange little songs, clapping her
hands and keeping time with her large
limbs, that I ended BY taking her into
my confidence.
" Dr. Weber was naturally attracted
towards Sir Thomas Hawerburch, who
was his most profitable if not his only
patient; and I soon observed that these
two singular men held often long con-
versations together. They talked Of
mysterious things-of the transmission
of fluids and they gave vent to odd
gestures which they had observed, the
one and the other, in their travels-Sir
! Thomas in the East and my tutor in
South America. This puzzled me much.
As it often happens TO children, | was
| always on the watch for that which they
seemed to wish to conceal from me; but
finally, despairing of discovery, I took
poor old woman, after having me prom
ise to say nothing, confessed to me that
my tutor was a sorcerer.
Certainly the Doctor exercised a sim
gular influence upon the mind of the ne
gress, and this woman, usually so gay
and always ready TO be amused at any
thing, trembled like q leaf when the
gray eyes of her master accidentally rest
ed upon her.
" All this, Master Frantz, seems to
you to have no connection with the wa
tiers of Spinbronn. But wait, wait. You
will see by what a singular course OF
circumstances my history is connected
with them.
"I have told you that biads were
drawn into the cavern, and even large
animals. After the final departure Of
the bathers some old inhabitants of the
village remembered that young girl
named Louisa Muller, who lived with
an infirm and aged grandmother in q
cottage upon the hillside, had suddenly
disappeared some fifty years ago. She
started out one morning in the search fol
herbs in the forest, and since then nc
news had been heard of her. Only three
or four days later some wood-cutters who
were descending the mountain found, {
few steps from the cavern, hersickle ant
apron.
at was evident to every one that thu
skeleton which had fallen from the cas-
cade, and concerning which Haselnos
had descanted so eloquently, was ~
other than that of Louisa Muller. Th'
poor young girl had undoubtedly beer
drawn into the gulf by the same myste
rious influence which acted daily upol
weaker beings.
What was this influence? No on
knew. But the inhabitants of Spinbronn
superstitious like all mountaineers, as
serted that the devil dwelt in the cavern
: and terror was accordingly experiences
, hv all who lived near
Gone afternoon in the month of July
1902. my cousin was making new elias
e sifcation of his insects, among whic
4 were several new ones he had caught tn
r day before. l was near him, holding i
| one hand the lighted taper, and in tn
t other needles for piercing the specimens
: Sir Thomas, seated, near the window, hi
e feet upon stool, was smoking a ciga
!, and regarding us with a thoughtful ali
s "I was a great favorite with Sir Thon
!, as Hawerburch, and often accompanie
n him in his walks and drives over th
d mountain he was amused at my child
: ish attempts to chatter in English, an
e he would make of me in time, he said,
|, veritable gentleman.
"When he had ticketed all his bu
terfies, DR.. Weber opened the case
his largest insects and said: capture
II yesterday magnificent horn-beetle;
g has this singularity, that the right sic
q is bifurcated in FIVE branches It is
rare specimen
/ "At the same time I gave to him IL
: needle, and as he pierced the insect b
q fore fixing it upon the cork, Sir Thoma
'e until then immovable, arose and, a
d preaching a case, perceived the celebr
q ted crab-fish of Guiana, which he r
n garded with feeling of horror, whic
le was imprinted in striking manner upC
his forid countenance.
10 GO Beholdp he cried, the most frigf