The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-02-28

strange, bright light. Each morning ht
made promenade around the mountain
giving his horse the rein and wbistlins
as he rode some curious Negro melody
He had brought with him from Hayti q
number OF cabinets filled with strange
insects, some large and hidaous to look
at, others small and harmless and shin.
ing like stars. His collection seemed OF
more interest TO him than his few pa.
tients, and occasionally he would bring
back with him from his rides some rare
moths or butterflies pinned to the band
of his hat
" If l 90 into these details, Master
Franz, it is because they recall my youth
to Inc. Doctor Christian was at the same
time my cousin and my tutor, and since
his return to Germany had been in
stalled in his house at Spinbrown. AT
first the black woman, Agatha, inspired
me with certain degree of fear and an
upachy; but she was such a good-natured
soul, could make such delicious cakes,
and at times amuse me with strange
Negro songs, that We finally became the
best of friends.
Naturally an intimacy sprang up be-
tween The doctor and Sir Thomas Hawer-
bnrch, bo.h originals in their way. They
| held long conversations on all sorts OF
mysterious and scientific subjects, and
related to each other the strange expert
ences OF their separate travels, Sir
Thomas in the East, my tutor in the two
continents of America. Their discourse
puzzled and interested me. As is the
case with most young people, was most
intent upon learning whatever they sp-
peared most anxious to conceal from me
| and when in despair of discovering any,
thing from them would 20 and question
Agatha, the poor old negress, after bind
ing me to the most solemn secrecy, would
avow that my tutor vas "A sorcerer AS a
| matter OF fact, it was plain that the doc
| tor exercised some strange influence over
the woman's mind, and she, at most
| times gay and easily amused, would
tremble like leaf did she find her mas
| ter's gray eyes fixed upon her. No doubt
you are thinking, Master Franz, that all
| this has little to do with the springs OF
Splnbrown; but wait-wait little, and
you will see what close connection it
has with my story.
"Whnn all the bathers and visitors
had lett the springs, some old inhabitants
OF the village called TO mind the sudden
disappearance, fifteen years before, of a
| young girl named Loisa Miller. She
lived with an old and infirm grandmother
in small cottage, and left her home one
morning to seek for some herbs in the
neighboring forest. From that day she
had nevermore been seen tho three or
four days later some wood-cutters, as
they descended the mountain came upon
her pruning-knife and leather apron
close to the mouth of the cavern. Put
ting this and that together, it was evident
that the bones which the waters had
brought down and on which the learned
Haselnoss had discoursed so eloquently,
were those of Loisa Muller. The unfortu-
nate girl had, without doubt, been drawn
into the whirlpool by the same mysteri-
GUS influence which even now had it's
daily victims.
"What was this influence? No one
could say; but the inhabitants Of Spin
brown, superstitious by nature like all
mountaineers, were fully convinced that
the Evil One himself was an inmate of
the cave, and the fear of it became uni
versal through the neighborhood.
Zone afternoon in July of 1902, my
cousin was busily engaged upon re-
classification of the insects in his cabi-
nets. He had lately captured several
curious and valuable specimens. / stood
by his side, holding in one hand lighted
candle, in the other large needle which
it was my business to make red hot. Sir
Thomas sat close by, his feet upon the
sill of the open window, lazily smoking
his cigar.
He and were the best of friends
and almost every day l would drive
with him in his carriage, through the
woods. 1t pleased him to hear me talE
in broken English, and he vowed that
he would make an English gentleman Of
me.
"After he had labeled all his moths
the doctor opened the box which con
tanned the larger species of insects, and
said: / caught yesterday magnificent
specimen of the great horn beetle, the
Lucanus cervus of the Hartz oak. LII
popularity is this, that its right-hanC
talons are bifurcated into five branches
1t is very rare subject"
At the same moment | handed hin
the needle, and as he pierced the insec
preparatory to pinning it on the cork
Sir Thomas, who had been sitting per.
fectly still rose from his chair and takin,
up tray looked closely at specimen o
spider-crab from Guiana, his face
meanwhile, expressing most wildly tn
disgust with which the insect inspired
him.
"'There,' he cried, is the most hide
GUS work of all creation Only to loo
|, at it makes me shudderl' and, indeed
} he had grown deathly pale while speak
ing.
'Bah!' said my cousin, that i
: simply childish prejudice; the sort {
: thing one learns from ones nurse. No
if you will take the trouble to examin
the spider through a microscope, yo
t will be astonished at the completeness
! of its organs, their admirable dispos
ton, their-their elegance might almo
p say
r lit disgusts me-, interrupted S
0 Thomas, brusquely. 'Pah adding, .
he turned upon his heel; Il don't kno
n why, but the spider always seems
r freeze my blood
S 1.-The doctor began to laugh, but l wi
:, shared the feeling OF Sir Thomas. cries
d Cousin, you should throw this brute o
|. of your box it is disgusting; it spoils Il
Of other specimens
r "'You little fool he said to me, al
d his eyes sparkled; no one forces you
s. look at it. If it doesn't please you,
away and take walk somewhere
n Evidently, he was growing angr
lie and Sir Thomas, standing at the nome
n before the window, looking out upon I
fa.,, ell