The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-08-18
SOMERSET, PA, AUGUST 18, 1886.

On We went, more slowly now, owing tC
the brushwood, which happily was moi
! very thick. Suddenly the Professor stop.
/ ped, in so decided manner that could
not but think it possible that we were
near the odject of our search. He was al
( the moment just opposite thick laurel
! bush. / looked hastily at Harold, who
appeared as confident as myself that we
must have come to something to cause
such decided and prolonged stop. A
few minutes of silence and suspense pass
ed like hours; then, step forward, and
the Professor commenced To stoop slowly
downward, when we heard rustling
among the laurel leaves and a fox slunk
out from the other side of the bush and
made off through the wood. This dis
tracted my attention for moment, and
when looked round the Professor had
resumed his usual stiff backed attitude.
We waited for full five minutes What
had gone wrong? Where was the Profess
sors promise? Was there nothing in the
bush after all?
He slowly relaxed Mrs. Cargill's hand /:
1t is no Use, gentlemen; can do moth
ing more just now ~ But why2 What
was the reason? Why stop himself just
as discovery appeared certain ? The Pro-
fessor could understand it no more than
We. 50 came here" he said, guided by
Mrs. Cargill's thought. j don't know
where / am had the diamond, or the
clue to il, five minutes ago: now it is lost
Whether Mrs. Cargill ceased to assist me
or not, | cannot tell. But | know | can
do nothing more just now
1t seemed best if we wished to preserve
any secrecy in the matter, TO make our
way home as quick as we could. / gave
the Professor his boot, and Mrs Caryill
who was something exhausted my arm !;
and We returned gloomily, almost rs we
had come-that is to say, by the shortest
and most direct way. We were all too
disgusted with the Professor to be able to
discuss the matter amicably with him at
the moment, 80 we parted quietly and
like guilty creatures in the hall to court
the sleep which we all began to feel
would be beneficial. Ny position /
could not but think was rather an un-
pleasant one. Old friend of the family as
was, could not but blame myself for
bringing 80 fraudulent Professor to the
house. However, decided before fall
ing asleep that it would not be quite fair
upon our visitor to condemn him right off
on the failure of a single experiment
His explanations later in the day made
the matter no clearer He was certain
that he had been on the track, and it GER
tainly looked like it, but the reason for
the sudden stop he could not tell. Still,
in the end he managed to talk US over,
and Mn. Cargill was induced to go
through the experiment again, but this
time We were to start where we had left
off. One thing alone the Professor would
swear to-the diamond could not be in
the house, else he would never have gone
outside. Also, he informed us that his
foot, Notwithstanding his thick stocking
was considerably the worse for wear.
The hour at length came again Har-
old and had decided to dispense with
sleep; Mrs. Cargill and the Professor
turned up very punctually within a few
seconds of one another.
The morning was clear and frosty. We
walked to the laurel bush, where, having
blindfolded the Professor as before. Mrs
Cargill took his hand. He soon started
off, taking no notice of the laurel bush,
but away through the wood We must
have been walking for several minutes,
and at pretty quick pace, when, like an
evil omen, a fox probably the one We had
seen on the previous night sprang out of
a clump of underwood and vanished
among the trees.
1t was the same story over again Our
leaders pace slackened then he stopped.
Could it be that COX was, AS it were,
non-conducting agent? | put the ques-
ton to the Professor nay, further hint
ed that perhaps when in a mesmeric
state the sense of smell might be so
heightened that he had been following
like foxhound for two nights in success
sion this evil denizen of the woods. He
put the suggestion aside with scorn, but
the more i thought the more felt there
might be something in it, and Herold so
far agreed with me as to question the
learned Professor next day as to whether
he had ever been fond of hunting.
We had gone home as before nonpluss-
ed :; We had retired to our rooms. slum-
bered late, and met for fresh discussion
all to no purpose. Mrs. Cargill wished
to give up the attempt and call in the
detectives. Herold and were inclined
somewhat ANONYMOUSLY To agree But
We had forgotten the Professor His
blood was up; our taunts on the subject
of fox hunting had aggravated him more
than We had fancied. Prove himself
right he would; his honor, he insisted,
was at stake; he must be successful in
the end. He appealed to Mrs. Cargill to
stand by him, and the long and short of
it was that she agreed to make third and
last trial, the Professor on his side prom
Using that it should be the very last.
1t rained hard all the evening, and at
day ybreak when We met il was so damp,
dreary, and misty that we all felt relieved
when the Professor asked us to leave
matters alone for day and give his last
attempt every possible chance.
All this time things in the household
had been going on quietly enough, and it
seemed as though the servants had quite
made up their minds that no furth er
search was intended The only fresh cir
cumstance that came to light was that
the gardeners kennel, formerly occupied
by tame fox for which he had great
affection, was observed to be empty. The
man affirmed that the animal had slip
ped its color the day before. We could |
only question him casually on the sub
iect, but it seemed likely that the animal,
whose scent had proven too strong for |
the Professor, was the one which the
gardener affirmed only to have escaped |
on the previous day. The animal, he |
said Was hound To come hack for ifs meals |