Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-12-13

severed at the wrist aud the bones
carefully sswn asunder. He noticed
also that il was q iSht hand. aud then
he swiftly wrapped the thing up again,
bundled it with tho rest Il his dis.
coveries back into the Gag. set once
more a, old Dapple with the whip, and
never drew rein or slsckened pace
until he reached his own door.
DR.. Unonius inhabited a small cot
t.gs on the outskirts of the little toEn.
aud high up on the hillside which
fringsd the moor. Being poor, he
stabbed old Dsppls and bestowed the
gig under cover with his own hands;
and being unmarried, as be lifted out
he bag and entered his from. door, he
determined, late as the hour was. TO
treat himself to q glass CT strong
waters aud examine his prize at lei
sure before retiring to bed.
The room which he entered served
him alike for sitting.room and labor
atory. As he struck light and lit
his reading lamp, it revealed a narrow
chamber, lined about the wall with
shelves full Of glass bottles and VOL
umss bound in sober calf. In every
bit of space not 50 occupied hung
anatomical designs and pictures that
made the lay hair stand on end.
Around the centre table a medley OF
retort-stands, ragged quartos, papers,
instruments, and even bottles of curi-
GUS shape, Uttered the floor. A box
from which a human thigh-bone pro-
truded stood in one corner, and pair
OF skulls covered with ink-splashes
grinred among the pipes and bottles
on the mantel,shslf.
In this dismal den the Doctor moved
at his ease. From phial that looked
fl only to hold poison, but which, to
judge from the smell, contained whis-
key, he mixed himself glass; then
divesting himself OF his driving coat
and wraps. he lit short pipe, set the
carpet-bag upon the table, and pulling
his chair up. began methodically to
explore the contents.
He was slim man, with q grave
and yellowish face, that gave curious
contradiction to the sentiments he
uttered when first We made his &C.
quaintance. Something in his figure
and the cut of his black suit compelled
the belief that he was younger than
he looked. The hair around his
temple. was scanty, but dark as u
crows wing. He was clean -shaven,
with two lines, one on either side of a
thin and somewhat long upper lr.
that had habit OF deepening aud
contracting in moments of though;
otherwise the features were immoblle
and enigmatical.
He RULED out the pistol-a clumsy
weapon, but clean in the barrel-ex-
amined it, drew the charge, and care
fully reloaded. Setting down the
weapon by his right hand, he took a
sip OF whiskey and proceeded with b )
search. One by one the contents of
the bag were arranged before him in
a semicircle, with the pistol as its
termination upon the right, until lie
came to the bundle. This, without
charge of his expressionless face, he
placed before him in the centre of the
arc, and, drawing the lamp closer,
with light hand unwrapped.
It was a mans hand, small and not
rudsly formed, but marred to some
extent with signs OF coarse labor.
The long and prshensile fingers were
blunted at the tips, the deep aud FREE
quent lines across the palm interrupt
ed here and there by ca.lous spots A. d
gals. 1t had been severed from tie
forearm at about two inches above the
wrist, aud the knife had cut across an
anchor deeply tattooed in the skin,
The upper part of this device, with
the last two words of the motto,
Never Say Die" adorned the edge.
From the gsllows, Of course, ssid
DR.. Unonius to himself. 'H'ml the
Line Of Life ends with some abrupt
ness, and as for the Line Of Fate, it
finds itself towards the end in a per-
feet welter Of crosses and unholy
marks. Master Rsnatus Bennett had
a short life and a merry o:e-and =
devilIsh iniquitous one TO boot, be
added rshectively.
He turned the hand over.
The Faculty fOuts palmistry, be
,nattered. HIN, so much the worse
for the Faculty; but one cannot blame
it, seeing Low the principles are ex-
pounded at present. Anyway, I'm
deeply obliged to tina. ruffian for his