, 1880-07-26

ioxperlmentS, and discuss the merits and
your explanations of the instrument. l
can trust to your honor not to disclose
what you have seen to any one at
present"
During the remarks of the stranger,
his audience listened with the most
marked attention, and observed his ac-
tions with the most intense interest. e..
Among those present was an italian,
a person who had recently arrived in
L., and who, by his genial, engag-
ing manners, and familiarity with
learned subjects. had indicted himself
into the friendship of Prof. G..
Hence his presence here. During the
Experiments of the stranger this per
son seemed i'll at ease, sometimes even
starting from his chair as he described
some different powers of his invention.
His countenance changed from an open,
intellectual expression to an expression
of intense jealousy and envy:
The wind had driven away the snow
clouds, ans the moon now shed its mel
low light over the city. Along de-
serted street fronting the river, a
muffied figure trod the snew-covered
pavement, seemingly in deep medita-
tion. Some distance behind there fol-
lowed another figure, closely mufhed,
dodging along in the shadows as though
he desired his presence unknown. Out
upon the bridge that spanned the broad
river, now filled with ice, walked the
figure in advance, closely followed. Near
the center of the bridge, he paused and
leaned against the railing. At this mo-
ment a passing cloud obscured the
moon. The figure peered into the dark
ness below, where could be heard the
rushing waters and crashing Ice. A
deep toned bell in neighboring spire
tolled forth the hour of midnight.
"What a time and place to die!'
muttered tina figure.
A step was heard behind him, he half
turned, and received the blade of q
poEiard in his breast. He sank to the
floor of the bridge with a smothered
groan.
The assassin bent over the lifeless
body of his victim, and presently arose
with a small box closely clenched in
his hand. With an effJrt he raised the
body and cast it over the rail. 1t
struck the water with splash, and all
was still save the rushing of the river.
The murderer walked swiftly, steathily
away. and upon the bloody pages of the
history of crime was written another
scene of horror.
On low chair sat the figure of q
man, his attention rivited upon some
object he held in his hand. On his
face were the deep, furrowei lines of
weariness and care. An expression of
remorse was upon his countenance.
Z" can't find it." he muttered, time,
and again, and still worked eagerly
on.
He became more excited. and walked
the floor with quick, nervous tread.
He laid tie instrument he had held in
his hand aside, and seemed in deep
meditation. Thus he sat for perhaps
an hour. Presently he arose.
"Ill do it!' he said. The world
shall never know my secret, nor my
guilt"
He went to desk, opened drawer
and took out pistol. Deliberately he
examined it, then placed it to his fore
head, pulled the trigger, aud sent q
bullet crashing through his brain.
Servants rushed in and found him upon
the floor, dead-weltering in his own
blood, the author of his own as well as
another's destruction. A servant saw
a metal plate upon the table and care
lessly threw it into the fireplace, little
knowing the wonderful secret it con-
tanned.
Thus it was that a wonderful dis
covery was lost to the world-a dis.
covery that would have indeed worked
miracles. By it, freight and passengers
might have been transported across the
broadest river, the heaviest ships
might have been moved from the water
to the docks in the space of a minute,
houses could have been lifted from
their foundations and moved with ease
to any distance-the monuments of
ages, the catacombs of Egypt, might be
transported across the seas and set in
the public places of our cities. Truly
it was q loss never to be repaired. un-
less the old maxim is sustained, "What
has been dene can be DONE"
While quiet family were seated
around the hearthstone, the various
professions which are open for a man
Of ability came up for discussion, .
large majority Of the children express
ing decided preference for q snug
sinecure, where the work was unim-
portant and the salary excessive. One
of the children said, Well, 1 should
like to sit on the roof all my days, and
have nothing to do, just like Joseph in
Egypt" Very naturally the attention
of the family was excited by the re-
mark, and the boy was asked to ex-
plain himself. He at once quoted the
passage "And Pharaoh put Joseph