The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-02

every time Men have told nc the same
thing. II is kind Of mania diseased
vanity suppose lie likes TO sec him
self on the stagc-the central figure. the
exposure Of every eye"
The nan they spoke Of approached and
passed toward the theatre. Tai. slim.
wei dressed. wiz a light coat over
biz evening suit. pale. With fixed locl,
about the eyes, q curious mobility about
/ tho mouth
lie locks baresscd and III. " sa.d the
/ young man.
"Orerwork. brain pressure, said the
elder u should not be surprised If ]
were TO hear within tho next few months
that Mare Avalon had gone 81 lis head. -
Cauler rose and followed the great
/ chemist into the theatre. followed him to
/ the door Of bis Gvant sceEc, and then vent
round the other side Of tho house and got
/ o stall from which he could observe the
face in the shadow Of tho curtain ls well
as tho lowered lights would allow.
That idea Of this rrisce Of science being
on tho verge Of lunacy had started Gu
rious train Of thought In the brain Of the
skilled detective. lie had some time since
made UP his mind that the murders q the
/ Rue Ste. Marguerite, the Rue dc Ia Nieille
! Lantorno md the Rue des Fcves were the
work Of the same hand, and that the hand
Of Il lomicidal mauiac; but IL had never
occurred TO him that these ghcstlv, mo-
! tivcless. insane murders might be the re
production Of something shown upon the
stage Of n Partisan theatre Tonight for
the first tir1c, he the busy worlingman,
whose hours wcro gold. saw the rrisly
play which all tho idlers Of Paris had been
gloating upon for the last four or five
months. and he also saw, or believed that
he saw, the germ and suggestion Of those
strange and bloody transformations which
bad convulscd the city.
Such play, acting upon the prepared
mind Of an unroycalcd lunatic, might in
spire a sudden sGngunary impulse, en-
itching eagcrnCss 10 taste those sensations
and emotions depicted in all their hideous-
ness by the actor. That which was ap.
palling and revolving TO sane MINDS might
exercise a morbid fascination upon the
insane. The higher the education and
tho greater the refinement. the deeper
might he the descent into crime
The detective hung about the vestbule
till he saw Marc Avalon leave tho theatre.
and was able TO keep him in sight without
appearing 10 follow him An elderly man,
who looked like a doctor, accOsted the
sayant rs lc went out, and tho two men
walked along the boulevard together in
the clear, mild night as far as Tortoni's,
where they went in. Cauler Lad followed
close enough TO be able to overhear their
conversation. which was upon Indifferent
subjects Tho chemist g friend remarked
upon his looking i'll and wearled, and
demonstrated with him for overeagerness
in his scientific experiments
you arc trying to get quart Of water
into a pint bottle, he said, nobody ever
succeeded in doing that yet Take care
you don't burst tho bottle. There are
very few men Of your age who have made
as great a mark upon tho century rs you
have Can't you be content to rest upon
your laaiclsY'
Il Gm not overworking my brain,
Avalon answered, doggedly. You talk
To me rs if | wcrc al incipient llnatic.
DO you sec any signs Of oyerwork about
moY
Yes. sevcral-huTy pGllor, dry lips
and o tendency TO laugh at things that
make other men serious. ! SIN talking 10
YOU as your old friend and with perfect
frani,ncss."
My dear pignon. this is the common
cry when q man dcvotcs himself 10 bis
profession and succeeds a little better
than his fellow worker cyerstiain,
brain work. incipicnt madncssi That Is
what lis friends say about him. Kindly
rloant, no doubt, but aTsut twaddlc.
They went into the cafe, came out cSain
in q quarter Of an hour, when Avalon
hailed a cab.
The detective followed Lin in another
Tho fy deposited him at his own house in
the l,uc St. Guillaumo. Caucr drove 10
the end Of the street, dismissed his cab
AMI went back TO Mare Ayalon's doorway
on foot The house in which tEc chemist
lived was a fine old mansion il q quad
triangular court, dull, digniLed respect
able Il was uoonlcss NIGHT, and the
court yard was black as Ercbus 10 this
hour. save for one lamp which burned
dimly over the porto cochcrc. There was
plenty Of cover for the detective.
he saw the light Of lamp travel
slowly through two rooms upon the
second loor and finally settled in third
room.
The external Venetian shutters were
closed, but there were 10 curtains drawn
within, and tho lamplight shone betwiXt
tho wooden bars.
NJ. Cauler took up his position in the
embrasurc Of a doorway leading 10 the
offices. am obscure doorway in a corner Of
the great, grave house. as if he meant TO
stay there half the night. a curious
waste Of power, one might suppose this
night watch in tho Rue st Guillaumc,
but Of late Caulcr had been wasting mitch
power in hunting will-o' thc-visps acres
the rlorass Of Paris, and one igngs-fatuus
is as good as another Tonight il Was
Cauler's whim TO watch tho windows Of
Mare Avalon.
The lamplight continued uncistmbed
for an hour and half The thtd quar-
ter after tolled heavily from tic towcr
Of Noiro Dame yonder, and other church
chimes repeated the solemn measure.
Suddenly those windows on the second
floor grew dark This time the light did
not travel from room 10 room; it was eX
tinguished on tho spot
The man of science has gone TO bed,