Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-03-20


when men generally think OF wives.
Nevertheless with suddenness that
took away the breath of his friends,
Prof Ponder went before magistrate
and was married.
Very little was known about the
woman he married, but what was
known was appalling enough. She had
had three husbands before she corral
led Prof. Ponders. ON each OF these
three occasions, as far as could be
found out, she had married men well
on in years. Each of her three hus-
hands had died rather suddenly, and
the relatives of the last man had
caused some little trouble by an in
Nestigation which was held as o the
manner of his death.
However, i'll this instance the wild
ow had come off Victorious. and it
had been shown concmsively that the
old man came to his death through
natural causes, something, apparent
~, very much like hc cholera. II was
supposed by his friends that PROBES
sor Ponder had suddenly begun 10
feel the need OF home and some one
TO take care OF him. and tina; this had
led him into "A rash and ill-adviscd
marriage, for all his friends were
unanimous in feeling that the marriage
WAS Ill nd ti-aI o,,I ,...I
Perhaps this may have been caused
by the TACT that the Professor, nj
though he had been a singularlY I'M
worldly man. had managed toaccmmu-
late considerable property. This ac-
emulation was caused rather by his
neglect OF business affairs than hiS at
tention to them The University paid
him liberal salary, and he had at
different times bought property which
he had afterwards forgotten all about.
and kept until it had become very
valuable. Then he was aStonishcd by
the amount offered for it.
He generally accepted these offers,
although as a matter OF OF fact. they
were usually under the market value
OF the property at the time the offer
was made. Yet, nevertheless. the Pro
lessor continued to prosper in spite OF
himself, and maintained large bank
account He lived in such a simple
and inexpensive manner that even on
hs salary he could hardly have help
ed getting rich.
Mrs. Prof. Ponder speedily let the TEL
a:ives know that She was mistress
OF the Professors household She
made ii so decidedly unpleasant for
them that 10y and by the Professors
friends dropped off, but the Professor
did not appear to notice that he was
practically a deserted man, for he was
made very comfortable in his home
and had now his whole time to give
ummolested to scientific researches.
II was a about a year after the Pro
lessons marriage that he was taken
suddenly i'll. His wife at once called
IN physician. who prescribed for the
old man. but did not think his illness
was serious. The Professors wife
told the doctor that he had been en-
gagged lately IA his laboratory until all
hours ol the night, and she was
afraid that worry over his work. late
hours and oVer-eXertion had been the
cause OF his present collapse.
In this the professor himself agreed,
but the doctor thought that with rest
and the taking of the medicine he had
lest for him. the old man would come
out all right. ~ IL was. Professor
Ponder seemed to be very little trOu-
bied by his illness. He knew that he
wasa Very much more ailing man than
either ais wife or the physician SEEM
ed to think. But there had come up
on him a certain peaceful resignation
which was IA puzzle to his wife. and
which helped TO deceive the physician.
On the next visit that the physician
made to the professor he was alarmed
to find him dying There was no
question about it. IIehurriedly called
two other doctors in consultation.
and they all agreed that what had
been done for the old man had been
perfectly correct, but it seemed that
he had not had enough reserve power
and good health previously to with
stand this simple attack.
One of the physicians, however. a
younger man than the other two,
who was himself keen student and
had been pupil OF the Professors
took more pains than the Others in
endeavOring to discover the cause OF
ih' Sututl'O psf. II the IfOltsSDF
in a weak voice described how the
attack had begun, and detailed his
feelings afterward. the young doctor
knit his brow and looked puzzled.
BY Jovc, he muttered, partly 10
himself, for he was thinking deeply and
quite obEvious to the fact that any
body was very nearto him. this looks
remarkably like pyroploXin poison
ing.
At the mention OF the word both
the Professor and his wife looked
startled. Ii the young doctor had
been alert i'm his observation he
would have noticed that the mention
of the word pyroploxin had strange
and different effect on both the
Professor and his wife. She turned
deadly pale. while the Professor
beamed out at the young man with
smile on his face
IN