Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-01
ga motto which you'll find some black

masked gentleman exernpilfylng In this
very house one Of these nights, growled
Harry Everett. "Look here, doctor; I m
not ioking-I'm not indeed! Everybody
knows you're rich man; and it's got
abroad that there's room in your house
which is always shut up; the very thing
to make people think there must be
something very valuable slowed away
there; and yet after all that you go liv-
ing in this big house withou soul neer
you except the cook and old Sam yonder,
who wouldn't be worth cent in real
scrimmagep'
"Wen, my boy" said the doctor, with
a curious smile, "world it tranquiliZe
your mind if / were to engage a night
watchman?"
81 should think so. That would be
just the thing"
Very good. Consider it done"
This room, of which Harry had spoken
as being always shut up, was stand
ing puzzle to the doctors few intimates.
Not a man of them had e, er crossed it's
threshold; and its master, when ques-
toned on the subject, answered by some
Joking evasion. Rumor whispered that
one adventurous gentleman; rendered
desperate by luis wife's threat to give him
no peace until he found out "what DIR.
Bistoury kept hid in that room of his,
had actually attempted burglarious
entrance; but the attempt, if ever made,
had been unsuccessful. 1t is needless
to say that countless conjectures, and
not few heavy bets likewise, were be-
ing constantly made respecting the con-
tents of this Bluebeard chamber Many
declared that the doctor had fitted 1t up
as private laboratory, In the hope OF
discovering the philosophers stone.
Others were equally positive that it con-
tanned the hoardings of his whole life In
gold. rival practitioner, Of somewhat
cynical turn, suggested that it must con-
tain the remains of the unfortunate pa
tents who had persisted under that
fellow Bistoury's ministrations;" and
one imaginative lady, deeply read in
Jane Eyre, stoutly maintained that the
doctor, in imitation Of the hero Of that
famous work, had immured his wife in
this mysterious oubliete, in order to en-
Joy unchecked the freedom of bachelor
life Against this ingenious theory there
was only one thing to be said-the doc
tor had never had wife to immune.
This fragrant treason against the sex was
the more objectionable, inasmuch as he
had had abundant opportunities of
changing his condition. had he but cho-
sen to avail himself of them. To most
of those who questioned him on the sub
ject, he replied that he was welded to
his profession, and that any other union
would be fiat bigamy; but to his friend
Harry Everett, in a moment of after
dinner confidence he told "A very different
story:
"My medical cousin Alice was the
woman who ought to have been Mrs.
Bistoury, and an admirable fellow prac-
titioner she would have made for me.
The way in which she once cut a splinter
out of my thumb did equal honor to her
hand and her heart; and when she was
only thirteen she bought skeleton with
hor uncle's birthday gift of five dollars
Ga fact) and articulated it in manner
that was really mastery. But in an evil
hour she became tainted with fancy for
homeopathy, and after that OF course all
was over between us. Such is life.
The doctors agreement TO engage
night watchmen quoted Harry's appre
tensions for the time being; but few
weeks laterhe returned to the attack once
more: 81 say, doctor, have you got that
night Waterman yet?'
eyes; some time ago. :"
"Well, he don't seem to do his duty
then, for I've passed this way at all hours
of the night and never seen him." Are
you quite sure he is to be trusted?"
"Wait and sect" replied the doctor,
oracularly
And Everett waited, but did not see.
The invisible Waterman remained as
ever; and Harry, out of patience with
his OLD friends seeming infatuation, had
almost decided to take some decisive step
on his own authority, when a new com
plication introduced itself into the drama.
This was nothing less than the temporary
retirement of the doctors veteran man
servant--popularly known as "Old
Sam whose health had begun to give
way SO manifestly that his master insist
ed on sending him into the country for
three months holiday, replacing him
with another man, who had volunteered
ms promptly MS If he had been keeping
ing his eye on the place for year past.
The newcomer was grave, smooth
faced, taciturn man, who moved as noise
lessly as a shadow, and seemed a living
combination of the two proyerbial re-
quisites of good servant-silence and
obedience.
But although the doctor and his friends
highly approved of this model domestic,
there was one man who did not. That