The morning call., 1891-04-05

Ing to the great scientist he laid his hand
gently upon his shoulder and said: Most
worthy rector, don't deceive yourself; we
have solved the mystery Of the introduction
of this microbe. Among the hundreds who
attend your lecture there is cnlored man
full-blOoded African-a Dahoman, who
lately returned from visit
.Preposterous! exclaimed Grubb-Fil-
kens, stepping back with a gesture OF dis
gust. you, Domremus, you know the slow
ness Of action which eharaeterlZes even the
most deadly microbes known to our faculty,
and yet, if you have not been Informed. per-
nit me to say that but one hour and forty
five minutes ensued between Infection ana
death in this casep
Most worthy rector" replied Domremus
to dispute scientific statement made by
you, but must with all respect remind you
that the honorable faculty of the PanSopho-
deon has openly confessed its inability to
note any symptoms of the first moment OF
indirect incubation"
II am the faculty of the Pansophodeon
exclaimed Galen Grubb-Filkens with the
air of an Alexander grasping the throat of
the priestess, as il to give magnificent en-
phasis to the truth of the words just ut
tered by the great scientist, a student bust
into the room. His face was as white as
chalk.
Professor" he gasped, facing DOM
remus, "the physician, DR.. Pellet, is deadl
The servant Theresa, is dead! Every
human being alive in the rector's house at
the time of the death of his wife, as well as
the five health officers who performed Inc
disinfection, is deadP'
Excepting meP' exclaimed the great
scientist, raising his right hand impress
sively above his head. Domremus and the
student exchanged significant looks. Then
with such sudden movement did Grubb-
Filkens resume his natural bearing and let
himself drop upon the sofa and support his
head with both hands that the two men
stepped quickly to his side.
1.-The Koussmi-Koussmi claims the last
victim to which it is entitled" spoke DOM
remus solemnly. But he was wrong. A
sudden thought, grand. glorious. mental
conception, had flashed upon the great
scientist he was not dying, he was only
thinking.
The next instant he sprang up and rushed
bareheaded into the street. Dellrlum.
dread precursor OF death IN attacks OF
Koussmi- kOussmi has come upon our Illus
triOus chief" said Domremus quickly.
Hasten after him and notify the author
tiles" =.
THANK God for this sudden inspirations"
murmured Professor Grubb-FilkenS, as he
crossed the threshold OF his laboratory; 81
shall now be able to stay the rayageS OF
this fell destroyer which | have called into
being. How wonderful are the triumphs OF
science. In stimulating the cultures of my
microbe / made use of the negative pole
of magneto-electricity; 1t follows rs day
the night that a positive current must de-
stroy its appalling virulence. Oh, glorious
clairvoyance which enables the man of sci
ence to read natures thoughts. But would
to heaven that the fbers OF my brain mad
been attuned to this harmony a few hours
sooner; then my beloved Josephine could
have been saved" The great scientist bent
himself to the task of proving the correct
ness OF his theory by means Of actual eX-
pertinent
Not until the hoarse cries of the news
boy announced the alarming spread OF the
terrible Koussmi-KoussmI penetrated the
Inferno and called the great thinker back
from macrOcosm to microcOsm did he realize
the flight of time. He had been working
for nearly twenty consecutive hours.
Hastily wrapping bis cloak about him, ne
hurried downstairs and passed out into the
street. The spectacle which confronted him
smote him to the soul. The ebony streamers
of death flOated from some house whichever
way he turned his eyes, while the dull
rumble of the funerdl-car resoundec In every
street, With shocking heartlessness, aud
vet the haste was deemed imperative, the
health authorities flung the plain pine
coffin, as if it were but an empty packing
box. rudely on the sidewalk, rang tue bell
and drove rauIdly away. No funeral
services were allowed. In order to stamp
out the pestilence burial must follow death
Immediately.
The illustrious rector of the Pansophodeon
halted TO purchase a morning paper. The
news was dreadful-nOt only dreadful from
the already terrible results of the supposed
koussmi- koussmi, but dreadful from the
calm and mathematical precision oil Its de-
tail. Two thousand, seventeen hundred and
fOrty-one had persisted within city limits,
nearly as many more in Brooklyn and Jer-
sey City. The fugitiVes had carried the
pestilence to neighbOring cities. Seven hnn-
bred and fourteen had fallen victims to the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT in Philadelphia, and in
Boston the plague had Killed 4l9 IL was
advancing with astounding rapidity. Three
hundred and six had died in Washington,
and in all the cities along the great trunk
lines came reports of hundreds of deaths.
With an unearthly, aye, diabolical salts
faction tempering his horror at these tldingS,
the great scientist hurriedly ran his eye
over this array of figures to reach an APP
proximative total.
Fifteen thousand seven hundred and
eleven in two days" he murmured with
bated breath. "What glorious record for
the bacillus GruDbil-Filkensii, the Morti-
fUlgurans, the Death-desler" and wrapping
his cloak more tightly about him, he entered
the shop of a sign-Dainter. A boy was in
charge the man and his two assistants
had persisted that morning. With the lads
assistance the professor soon lettered huge
banner with this inscription: Professor
by Electricity"
1T is hard" murmured the great scientist
as he laid down his brush, for me to de-
grade my glorious mcrobe after the superb
record it has just made by applying such a
harbarous and ridiculous term as kouSsmi-
Koussmi to it; but must make this eonces-
sion to the ignorance and stupidity of the
age in which live"
1t was only by the promise of extravagant
pay that the professor was enabled IN Sc
cure the services of several men to swing
the banner ON ropes run from the upper
windows of his own residence to those OF
the house opposite.
While this was being done he sent to the
health authorities brief outline of his
method of treatment by the use Of the posi-
tive electrical current and asked that it be
telegraphed to all the boards of health
throughout the country.
Then he returned to his residence on
Yonkers plaza. The place was filed with
such a panic stricken and clamorous crowd
that 1t was at once found necessary to erect
platforms in different squares ofsthe city. in
order to accommodate the thousands who
were stricken with the Koussmi- Koussmi
on the third day after Mrs. Grubb-Filkens'
death.
Among the first to be borne into the pres
ence of the great scientist was his young
colleague, Professor Esculapius Domre-
mus. The moment the electricity had per-
formed its miraculous task and the young
man had awakened from his stupor like one
rising from the dead, he threw his arms
around the neck of the illustrious rector of
the Pansophodeon and shed tears of graft
tude Then by the merest chance happen
ing to glance out OF the window and seeing
the inscription of the banner swung across
the street. he grasped both of Grubb-Fil-
kens' hands between his and exclaimed:
"Ah, illustrious chief, what greater proof
Of your sublime devotion to science could
you have given than this public announces
ment that ] was right in pron0uncing this
to be the microbe of the Koussmi- Koussmi!'
The story for Sunday, April 18th, viii
be "Thornbrights Surprise" by John
Habberton, the worId-renowned author