The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-04-18

success, Hn&0 0nal experiment dropped me instantly to the bcttom of the preci- pice ! had been trying to climb. The tcrtures of Tantaius and the toxtures of Sisyphus together were not az hard to bear as those l endured without com plaint, for had hope at bottom. Nay more, ! had an unfailipg belief that l shonld succeed at last. l knew that should find the Elixir of Death before death found me. But this certainty as to the result did not lead me to relax any of my efforts for iss attainment. toiled uuceasingly. Some days l worked so hard that when darkness came l could not sleep; then wonld pace the silent streets all night, under the cold stars, with my mind tits highest tension often have l wondered why it did not break down. Again would work sometimes for week together day and night, never leaving my laboratory for rest or food, going wholly without rest and almost without food.
 In these months of wrestling with the unknown my wife was left to herself To be mated to man with one idea is to carry ball and chain through life. An ardent enthusiast with his gaze fixed on the future is sorry husband for any woman, but she may atleast have the joy of sharing in his hopes and of consollng him in his disappointments. This joy was denied to my wife. From the very nature of the secret l was seeking, it could not be confded to her. could not go to her and tell her how far had advanced toward my great discovery. The mere thought of poison pained her :; the word never crossed her lips, and she never entered my laboratory or my li- brary. What she might see there was too painful to her in the memories it re- called. And thus it was that our happi. ness fell away and we began to drift apart. That 1 neglected her cruelty l know now, though l did not think of it then Her iife lost its sunshine and her heart failed her. She never repined, and if she murmured, never heard it. She was alone-as was alone.
 One morning fresh misfortune fell upon her. She was devoted to her brother, whose life l had saved from the gallows, and against whom never said word to her. She believed in him and even his moody ways and the unhappiness marked on his face never shook her confidence in his innocence. After his acquittal he had gone back to his old business, and in the reaction of public sentiment n his favor he had been prosperous. Lillian left her small fortune in his hands, and at her suggestion gave him mine to manage for me. | was never a man of business, but ought not to have been blind to the fact that Wilfred Morgan was not in the condition to be trusted with the control of large sums of money. Knowing him and knowing what had done, I ought to have kept watch over him. But had but one thoueht-the Elixir of Death and paid no attention to Wilfred Morgan. Even the chance allusions that happened to hear in re- gard to his speculations and dissipations did not make any impression on me. He always avoided mel knew why. And ascribed his haggard and hang. dog look to the same cause. So was wholly unprepared for what happened. In spite of his frantic struggles to extri- cate himself, Wilfred Morgan was sucked deeper and deeper into the quicksands of speculation. He lost his own fortune, his sisters, mine, and then he shot him. self through the heart.
 On the evening of the day that this happened had made the most impor- tant step toward my discovery. l had found the constituent elements of the Elixir of Death. To combine them in exactly the best proportions and to give them the further property of doing their deadly work at any distance-these were the things had yet to do before the Elixir of Death was an assured success And these things, knew. would take many months more of unhesitating hard labor of body and mind. The shot that killed Wilfred Morgan shattered all my plans. To accomplish my great purpose needed all my time, and an absolute freedom from material cares was indis- pensable. The loss of my little fortune and of my wife's meant that should have to support myself by the practice of my profession-either law or medicine, as might choose.
 Fortunately, just at this moment the editors of great encyclopedia of medi- cine, huge undertaking to which all the most eminent specialists were to con- tribute, asked me to prepare for them
 
 treatise on toxicology and on medical jurisprudence, and to superintend the preparation of the host of minor titles in both these subjects. For these labors, which took but two or three hours a day, the payment was liberal and prompt. was enabled to continue my researches, but found that now made little pro- gress. needed more time and needed more money. l was forced to feel keenly the loss of my fortune, and yet am glad to say that never took thought how could make another. And had power to get money in ways unknown to other men.
 had often smiled as read the story of the seekers after the philosophers stone, which might transmute the baser metals into gold and silver. What was gold and what was silver to a true phil osopher given over, body and soul, to the solution of problem which seemed in- even to those who were capable of conceiving its conditions ? As vain as the efforts of the seekers after the phil OSOpher's stone were the vanderirce of