Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-17

a single stroke nature had delivered herself from
the shackles with which accident had hamp-
cred her free action.
The moment l could pull myself together
after the shock occasioned me by this wonder
full happening, besought Writ to give me an
account OF his return to life, as 1T were.
''Yokel did it, father!" he whispered, glanc-
ing furtively at the door.
1t would be idle for me to attempt to give you
an idea of the pang which these words caused me,
for interpreted them as the trump of a de-
stroying angel. announcing the second crumb-
ling down of my boys reason. l sank into my
chair in a state of utter collapse. Poor,
wretched mortal that / am" murmured to
myself, lit is after all dream. Wirt's mind
is still unfxed."
He appeared to divine my meaning, and with
smile he repeated:
mo. no, dear father, it is not the working Of
a disordered mind, but solid, substantial truth.
Yokel did it,
I'm heavens name, my son, explain your
self"
There is very little for me to explain, dear
father, said Writ. 'for what preceded my re-
turn to reason is only known to him. l can
only inform you where it was and when it was
tina; came to myself. like one waking up out OF a
deep sleep. was suddenly concious Of a hui
man hand clutching at my throat. Tighter and
ever tighter became that grip 1t seemed az il
1 was only being awakened from my sleep to be
strangled TO death. And at once my ears were
filed with ringing sounds. and by degrees
these sounds arranged themselves into words.
At first they seemed miles away, faint and
tremulous they were. but gradually they be-
came perfectly distinct, and l was enabled to
recognize the voice. 1t was Yokers. Curse
you. you miserable IDIOT he exclaimed. Why
don't you obey meY l made some sort of out
cry" continued Writ land he hurled me
against the pile of wood lying behind your
laboratory. As he walked away / became
aware Of the fact that my hands were filed with
matches
oh infamous wretch. thrice infamous
wretch" l exclaimed, striking my clenched
hand against my brow
Writ looked at me inquiringly.
1T all breaks upon me- dear son." I con-
tinued. That cup of coffee was drugged,
drugged by Yokel, too, and it was his intention
to lead you to set fire to the pile of kindling
wood you speak of. The flames would have
| reached my laboratory in a moment and
should have burned to death while sitting here
stupefied by this drugged Coffee
Wirts eyes filed with tears and he threw his
| arms around my neck
'Merciful heaven" he whispered. "what a
narrow escape. father But how often have
you saved my life? Thank God have been
permitted to unmask this mans villiany in time.
How shall you proceed. dear father?'
made no reply to Wirts question. could
| not. My mind was otherwise occupied. A
thought had flashed through my brain. which
set every fibre OF my body tingling with salts
faction as well as amazement at the wonderful
result Of Yokel's infamous conduct
| fsalse your chin, my bOv.' said.
| "A, see you still think Writ is not a trust
worthy witness. he replied, with ono of his
| old-time smiles.
'Oh, fool, fool. what supplemented, unrea-
sonlng fool was not to discover at once the
| cause of your cerebral disturbancer'
why. father, what do you mean? asked
Writ.
Mean. my dear boy?' said I. as examined
the marks of Yokers murderous fingers. "Why
mean, poor, dear Writ, that as well as all
the other physicians and experts who treated
you after your injury in the game of foot
ball. are a set of shallow-pated empir-
cists; that our sO-called science is all hocus
pocus; that now, when by strange fatality
rogue and murderous-minded wretch
sets his hand upon your throat and effects a
cure of your ailment. then. my dear son, the
scientific men see what the trouble was"
I'm heavens name, father, you mystify me.
Speak. What's the meaning Of these worls?'
This is their meaning, Writ" l continued,
| bidding him to sit down beside me. "If | had
had spark of the true clairvoyance of the man
Of science about me / would have suspected at
once that that blow upon your neck had caused
some injury to the thyroid gland. Years ago
the learned Professor Helvetius of the Univer-
/ slty OF Gottlngen drew our attention to his
theory Of the nature and use of the thyroid
gland, which lies just at the head of the trachea
enwrapping its first few rings. He held, and l
| think his reasoning Is unanswerabe, that the
thyroid gland acts a regulator upon and q
in support of this theory he called our
attention to the fact that this ductless and
hitherto mysterious gland is located just
beyond the point at which the cerebral
| arteries branch from the trunk arteries--a very
significant fact, for it il just the position which
would Of Q necessity be assigned TO il in order
to enable it to perform its funct ions OF a
| regulator. The thyroideal arteries being
manlfestly larger and more numerous than tina /;
| organ would need for its own nutrition. it fol-
| lows that nature which never creates without
| necessity of creation, obviously intended that
the secretiOns of this gland should through the
medium Of the closely interlockng arterial
channels be brought into intimate and sympa-
thetic relation with the gray matter of the
brain. Knowing of this intimate relationship
| l should have at once suspected that the per
cussive blow received by you just below the thy
roid cartilage had, through its injury to the
gland, brought about a disturbance in the cere-
bral circulation. But, my dear boy. failed
utterly to fathom the mystery Of your case.
And now, by the will Of heaveo comes this per-
idious wretch, and, by a sudden and violent
compression, puts an end to an extensive and
| dangerous congestion and restores you to per-
feet reason. Truly. God moves in my ster-
ious way when he performs His wonders
But, dearest father" urged Writ. ''you
surely will not continue him in favor merely
because he was thus made the instrument of
Gods mercy in restoring me to reason and lift
| ing the shadow of woe from our home? His
motive was of the basest and vilest. know
| the man only too well and year ago made
bold to warn you against him."
True. my darling boy, you did," was my an
| swer. And then. after a moments reflection,
added: Listen, Writ; wish to think this mat
| ter over. Give me until tomorrow and then
I'll make known to you what action intend
! taking. Meantime, my blessed boy you are to
! play part and not divulge to living soul the
fact that you are now i'll the fullest possession
| OF your reasoning powers"
| "But, father, think of our loved Theodore, ~
pleaded Writ, coloring deeply.
"Au in good time, all in good time, my son. ~
! made reply. and then proceeded to instruct
him, to the minutest detail. how he should bear
himself. how look, how act. In particular |
impressed upon him my desire that he should
by mania to destroy things by fire, and to
this end babe him set the collection of wood
in flames at certain hours promising to have
| a servant at hand to extingUish it. He looked
at me wonderingly, but said nothing. Seeing
Yokel now approach the laboratory directed
Writ to lie down the sofa. as was often his
custom, and feign to be sleeping The man en-
tered the room and began describing what he
called Wirt's attempt to fire the building.
which he assured me only saved from de-
struction after violent struggle with nv son,
who seemed to be growing daily more vicious
and violent, and he suggested to me in his
calm and respectful manner the necessity of
transferring Writ to some institution in which
this dangerous form of mania could be prop
erly treated.