The Irish standard., 1889-07-20
TOMS SECRET.
How It Was Told to One Who
Already Knew It.

How It Was Told to One Who
Already Knew Tt.
Tom Douglas was young, good-loOk1ng,
Ind would some day be well~to-do; but above
all things he was scientific His passion
for science first became noticeable when
he began to learn chemistry in the Fourth
Form at Halstone School. Tom and all his
class.felows We're deeply taken by the
weird and unearthly odors, the terrifying
explosions, and the miraculous bursts Of
subaqueous fire which appeared at the will
Of MI. Stubbs, the science master. Indeed,
jhey endcavored persistently to emulate
their tutors exploits, but even the tutors
performances were presently quite ecllpsed
By those of his promising pupil Tom, The
boy had perfect genius fer explosions, SO
That it soon became customary among the
others. during the two or three hours
which they spent each week in the ial1ora-
hory, to give up any little enterprises Of
shoir own and simply keep an eye on Toms
movements. 1t was usually worth their
Fhilo, for he rarely failed to do something
marvellous.
When the end of term came and the youth
arrived at his home in Dulbcrry, he set off
at once on tour of Inspection round the
home premises. A small building, which be-
.onged tc the gardener, and was used ny
aim as storehouse for seeds, flower pots,
and other things appertaining to his craft,
struck his fancy. He found no :}iftic,K-
y in persuading his too complaisant pa
cents to make this room over to him;
md notwithstanding the murmurs Of Sandy
The gardener, it was forth with enlptied Of
TIA horticultural contents, fitted with
benches, shelves and g. fireplace, and gen
,rally rendered habitable. Chemicals also,
ana all kinds of apparatus, were ordered
from London. Had his parents not been
,ltogether ignorant of the science Of chem
stry, they would have noticed that the
chemicals which Tom ordered, and for
which they blindly paid, We're chiefly ct The
Kind which go to make up explosions. AL
most us soon as the laboratory had been
lifted up, the goods arrived from London.
)a the first day nothing worthy OF note
was seen or heard, Tom being too bnsily
Engaged in the arranging and admlrlng his
treasures to begin experimenting with
,hem. Soon, however, the household began
to listen with mild liberation to the loud ex-
blossoms which, at intervals OF about All
hour, were constantly heard from the
direction Of Toms laboratory. They were
aot quite so tractabie, however, when the
embryo chemist grew tired for the moment
If noises and turned his attention to the
production Of unpleasant odors But even
then the boy WAS quite safe from inter-
suption. They were not likely to attempt TO
approach the source Of odors by which
they were already almost stifed; whereas
Tom reveled in the malodorous products of
his experiments, and behaved, in an at
or ah
Eases, as if he were once more
breathing his native air after long and
painful period Of exile.
His love Of science grew stronger, if
rood deal more rational, as years passed by.
At last, when he went up to Oxford, another
room was added to his den. This was fur
aished after the manner Of the under grad
hates rooms, and here he kept his personal
property and did most of his reading. Like
most science-men, he was fond of novels,
md OF these this room soon contained an e1-
tensiye and catholic collection. But the
course Of true love never did run smooth,
md at last Tom Douglas discovered that
there was one thing which, struggle as he
might to ignore it, was beginning to inter-
,st him far more than any Of the sciences
10 which he had hitherto devoted himself.
His fathers brother had many years ago
migrated to Australia. Almost immedl-
ately he had married; but after few
Years of hard struggle against poverty his
wife died, leaving him little daughter,
Dora Tom Douglas was in his fourth year
when he heard from home that his unknown
ancle was dead. His father had received a
etter some months before, saying that
Dora would soon be alone in the world. She
would be rich--for success had come to her
lather when it was too late to save his wife
and now the dying man begged his broth
sr to become her guardian and offer her
Aome. MIR. Douglas had at once consented;
and Dora arrived in England shortly be-
fore the commencement Of Toms last long
vacation: so that when he arrived at Dull
berry she had already been there Tor a week
Or two. The cousins became very good
friends: and it was the image OF a sweet
giriish face, blue-eyed and little sad
which occupied Tom 8 mind and caused MIN
10 neglect his science-work almost entirely
At the end of the ''long" he went up to
Oxford once more, in order to take leave OF
his friends and formally to take his degree
for at the end of the previous term ne had
vained a stirst' in Honors Chemistry
This brief absence from Dora was so utterly
painful to him that he became aware OF the
fact THAI he really was very much IN love
with her. Of course, he ought to have
known It before; perhaps he had done SO,
but at least he had never acknowledged 1t
to himself. At any rate he made haste to
get back to his home.
When he returned to burberry he carried
witha az nous solicitude box, which appeared
TO contain something at oncevery fragile and
lnestimably valuable Dora had taken
great interest in his scientific studles-or
Rther, 10 had revived for her benefit MS
le2ish inssrest in explosions After lunch,
A6EstoSs, he told her that during Ills 40.
1Dsss hs lad spent q few days in town and
! {14.e hal secured scientific wonder,
\ whsh ~ aust examine. He took the box
aander htB I'm, and they went together %