The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-01-19


ger unless | have share. Mills and |
have been waiting the slow movements
of the college faculty these two weeks,
and still have no subject. Make us
members of your class and We'll carry
the trunk up ourselves and give you no
more trouble
Agreed cried Maconley LET us
out and We'll be at our lodgings so
quietly we can prove an dljbj should
there be trouble"
Not so fast; we must know how you
came in possession said Mills.
eve simply eXcavated for him.
"And who was hep
Il said did not know, nor the law.
He was found dead near the end of the
pier, his clothes having caught on a
spike which supported him at the sur
face of the water. The COrOners jury
presumed him Il clear case of drowning,
whether by accident or otherwise they
| could not guess. They ritled his peck
cts, and policeman secured a fine
watch, but there was nothing that fur
nished the least knowledge of the name
or residence of deceased"
"And that is all?' l asked, disap-
pointed, for l secretly hoped that the
man in the trunk was 8 distinguished
citizen" and a mob might come to seek
him. We had expected this so long, it
was dull not to have one.
"All; now let us GO
Mills unbolted the door, and the four
heroes strobe out, leaving us alone. 1t
was heavy pull to get the trunk up
three flights of stairs, and we We're con-
tent to leave it unopened when we had
it safely deposited.
The next day but one, as Mills and |
were engaged in studying the anatomy
of the eye, he casually remarked:
If the crystalline lens brings the
light to focus, making a picture on
the retina, in the living eye, it ought to
in dead one"
"This eye is remarkably clear yet,
and you might try it, | replied.
He at once accepted the proposition,
and carefully preparing the ball, he
held it up to the light.
Nonsense" | said; "yOu must have
a darkened ROOM
Nonsense or not, - replied he, % look
at this image"
| looked, and there, pictured like
brilliant miniature, was the face of a
man. He had low, broad forehead,
heavy eyebrows, a Roman nose, heavy
dropping mustache and black eyes,
the most serpent-like and villainous |
ever saw. Instinctively | uttered an
exclamation of horror. 1t was like
looking into mirror which uneXpect-
oil Oh, h,, g., nf,
"That conveX-lens theory does not
work with dead eye," said Mills. Il
think we will try the other
He as carefully prepared the other,
and, holding it up, the face of a woman
of twenty was revealed in most eX-
quisite miniature. This face was sur
passingly beautiful, a perfect blonde
with liquid blue eyes, golden hair, fall
ing in waves, and specially observed
a chain of pearls with a jet cross around
her neck.
''How beautiful exclaimedI
".Iust my style" said Mills; "that
is the girl | lostr'
cyl" | said; :" it is sacrilege to jest on
this natter
Jest! never more serious. This face
is picture Of living person, just as is
the other
"What reason have you for being so
positive?'
''It is said that the last object per-
son sees when they die makes picture
on the retina which remains for an in
definite time. Now this subject of ours
saw bad object the last time he saw
L., l. l.,
Murderer?'
eyes, murderer. You mentioned.
yourself, the confusion on the back of
the head as from blow, which ought
not to have been, had this man been
drowned. He was killed by that blow,
and this fiendish face was of the man
who struck"
My friend had become deeply in
earnest, and talked vehemently.
"Your theory would be all right if
the other eye agreed. How do you get
over that?"
Easily enough. 1t is true also that
a mental impress ion may be so strong
as to convey the sense of vision. Then
it must create in the eye the exact
changes the vision would produce.
This eye may have been momentarily
closed, or the first picture faded out of
1t, and, being free to receive mental i'm
pressions, it took that of the last thought,
which in the crowded intensity of the
dying moment was of this loved face"
THAT is the finest-spun theory in
the system of tine-spun theories called
medical SCIENCE" | said, laughingly.
81 suppose if there were twenty eyes
instead of two, and all had different
pictures, you would have a special
pleading for each.'
81 have no special pleading, nor is it
necessary. One theory covers the
whole ground. l firmly believe that
every act and thought of our lives is in
delibley stamped on surrounding OBJ
jects."
"Well, WE'LL" | reioined, "do not
get excited; | will not dispute with you.
Perhaps you have discovered New
tonian law of life; perhaps you have
not. Who knows?'
/ was far from feeling as Indifferent
as | appeared. The two pictures were
burned into my brain, and for days
afterward | could see them as plainly
as though before me. Time wore on,
and, having earned our diplomas. we