The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-04

attention for moment, and when /
looked round the professor had resumed
his usual stiil-backed attitude. We wait
cd for full five minutes. What had gone
wrongp Where was the professors prom
iseP Was there nothing in the bush after
allp
lie slowly relaxed Mrs. Carglrs
hand: cit Is no Use. gentleman; L can
do nothing more just nowN But whyp
What was the reasonp Why stop him
self just as discovery appeared certainp
the professor could understand it no
more than we. III came here" he said.
"guidcd by Mrs. Cargills thought. I
don't know where am. had The dia-
mond, or the clew to it, five minutes
ago; now 1t is lost. Whether Mrs. Car
gill ceased to assist me or not. can
not tell. But | know I can do nothing
more just now"
1t seemed best, if we wished to pre-
serve any secrecy in the matter, to
make our way home rs quick as we
could. gave the professor his boot,
and Mrs. Cargill (who was something
cxhaustedD my arm; and we returned
gloomiy, almost rs we had come-that
is to say, by the shortest and most di-
rect way. We were. all too dsgustcd
with the professor to be able to discuss
the matter amicaby with him at the
moment, so we parted quietly and like
guilty creatures In the hall to court the
sleep which we all began to feel wou Id
be beneficial. My position l could not
but think was rather an unpleasanto one.
Old friend of the family as l was,
could not but blame myself for bringing
SO fraudulent n professor to the house.
However, decided before falling
asleep that it would not be quite fair
upon our visitor to condemn him right
off on the failure of a single expert
ment.
His explanations later in the day
made the matter no clearer. He was
certain that he had been on the track,
and it certainly had 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 Mrs. Cargill was in
duced 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 dia-
mond could not be in the house, else he
would never have gone outside. Also,
he informed us that his foot, notwith-
standing his thick stocking, was con-
siderably 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 few
seconds of one another.
The morning was clear and frosty.
We walked to the laurel bush, where,
having blindfolded the professor as be-
fore, Mrs. Cargill took his his hand.
lie soon started off. taking no notice of
the laurel bush, but away through the
wood. We must have been walking for
several minutes. and ut a pretty quick
pace, when, like an evil omen, fox
(probably the one we had seen on the
previous night sprang out of clump
of underwood and vanished among the
trees.
1t was the same story over again.
Cur leaders pace slackencd; then he
stopped. Could it be that the fox was,
as it were, non-conducting agcntp ]
put the question to the professor; nay,
further limited that perhaps when in a
mcsmcric state the sense of smell might
be so heightened that he had been fol
lowing like foxhound for two nights
in succession this evil deacon of the
woods. He put the suggestion aside
with scorn, but the more thought the
more / felt there might be something
in it, end Harold so far agreed with me
us to question the learned professor
next day as to whether he had ever been
fond of hunting.
We had gone home as before non.
plussed; we had retired to our rooms,
slumbercd late, and met for fresh dis
cusson all to no purpose. Mrs. Cargil
wished to give up the attempt and cal
in the detectives Harold and were
: inclined somewhat ignominiously tc
agree. But we had forgotten the pro.
fessor His blood was up; our taunt:
on the subject of fox hunting had az.
gravuted him more than we had fancicd
Prove himself right he would; his honor
he insisted. was at stake; he must be
successful in the end. He appealed tc
Mrs. Cargill to stand by him, and the
long and short of it was that she agreed
to make n third and last trial. the pro-
fessor on his side promising that il
should be the very last. 1t rained hare
all the evening, and mt day-break wher
We met it was so damp, dreary, ant
misty that we all felt relieved when the
professor asked us to leave matter!
alone for day and give his last attempt
every possible chance.
All this time things in the household
had been going on quietly enough, anC
seemed us though the servants had quit,
made up their minds that no further
search was intended. The only fresl
circumstance that came to light wa
that the gardeners kennel, formerly oc
cupied by tame fox for which he had
great affection, was observed to b'
empty. The man affirmed that the an
imal had slipped its collar the day be-
fore. We could only question hin
casually on the subject, but it seemed
likely that the animal whose scent hat
proved too strong for the professor
was the one which the gardener affirmed
only to have escaped on the previou
day. The animal, he said was bount
to come back for its meals sooner o.
later, but we did not altogether agree
with him on that point
Daybreak next morning saw us agail
assembled in the dining-room, and w
left the house to recommencc business
in the wood where we had last stopped
1t was fine, clear morning, and CAV
promise of glorious day. The pro
fcssor was on his mettle. He had salt
to us: ~ will succeed tomorrow,
and to succeed he evidently intended
He stood for few minutes blindfolded
as usual, before he took Mrs. Cargill'
hand, and then commenced to move for
ward. but in an opposite direction t.