The evening world., 1893-09-20
DR.. TRIFULGAS'S DOUBLE.
A Strange Story of the Little 7oac,s OF
LMIctrOp.

what a tempest OF wind and rain
The bells OF St. Philhlene began to ring.
A bad omen Pshaw DR.. Trifulgas
was not superstitious. He believed in
nothing, not even his own science-ex-
cept for the income It brought him.
What weather and what a road too |!
Stones, slippery with seaweed SCORES
crunching under the tread. No light,
except the faint. waverinS rays from
Hurzofs lantern. Sometimes there was
a burst Of fame from the peak OF VAN
glor amid which huge. grotesque sill
houettes seemed to hover We do not
know what turks at the bottom OF these
fathomless craters. Perhaps they are
the souls of the under world. which turn
to vapor in rising.
The doctor and the old woman fol-
lowed the curves OF the little bays on
the shore. The sea was white with a
liyld pallor--the Wilderness OF mourning
-glitterins with phosphorescent light
along the line OF surf, which broke in
shining waves upon the strand.
Both climbed to the bend in the road.
between the downs, where the broom
and furze met like a thicket Of bayonets.
The dog had come close to his master
and seemed to say:
"Ha! A hundred and twenty fretzers
for the strong box! That's the way to
get rich! More land for the vineyard!
Another dish on the supper table! An
other bone for faithful Hurzof! Let us
nurse the sick rich people and bleed
their pockets"
At this point the old woman stopped
and with trembling finger pointed to q
rudy light shining through the gloom.
1t came from Wort Kartif's house.
"There?" asked the doctor.
YES" replied the old woman.
The dog howled plaintively.
Suddenly the volcano with a roar
which seemed to shake 1t to it's founda-
lions sent forth a sheaf Of flames which
appeared to touch the clouds. DR.. Tri-
fulgas was thrown down by the shock.
Swearing like a trooper, he rose and
looked around him.
The old woman was no longer there.
Had she disappeared In some chasm in
the earth, or was she concealed in the
heavy mist?
The dog was standing erect on his
hind legs. with his mouth open and the
lantern out.
Leu ub 81 vi, IhuIuiuTcu LII. 1iAui-
gas.
The worthy man had pocketed his
money. He must earn 1t.
There was only one glimmer Of light
perhaps half a mile away. 1t came
from the room Of the dying or dead
man. That was the house. The old
woman had pointed to 1t. No mistake
was possible.
Amid the roaring OF the wind, the
rush Of the rain. the whole fury of the
tempest, DR.. Trifulgas walked swiftly
on. As he advanced the house, standing
alone in the fields, became more and
more clearly visible.
1t was strange how closely it re-
sembled the doctors residence, Six
Quatre, at Luktrop; the same arrange
ment of the windows in front. the same
little vaulted door.
DR.. Trifulgas hurried on as fast as
the hurricane would permit. The door
was ajar. He pushed 1t open, and the
gale banged it after him rudely. The
dog. left outside, howled, pausing at
intervals like the singers between the
verses in psalm.
Strange! One would think that DR..
Trifulgas had returned to his own home.
Yet he had not grown bewildered and
made a circuit He was really at Val
Harmon, not at Luktrop. Yet there was
the same low. vaulted corridor; the same
winding wooden staircase. with Its wide
railing worn by the friction of many
hands.
He went to the landing. A faint light
! filtered under the door as at Six Quatre
AL, thA al \
recognized mis- own room. the bed with
its yellow canopy; on the right the old
pearwood chest. at the left strongbo1
zers. There, stood his leather -cush'
Toned armchair, his table with It,
twisted legs and on It near the dying
lamp his Godex; opened at page 1871.
what was it? chill OF fear crep,
through his veins. His pupils dilated
A cold .perspiration came through the
ii He must NJ tt hasten. The lamp was xoin,
out for lack Of oil. He must look a
les. there was the bed-his bed. will
seurains ana @as Il f posbe that th
was poor mans wretched pallet?
With trembling hand he grasped tn,
curtains. parted them and glanced
The dying man. with his face in full
view. lay motionless, as II about t
draw his last breath. The doctor ben
Oh, what a cry escaped his lips-an
swered by the mournful baying OF tn,
fhe dying man was not Wort Kartif
congestion had attacked. A cerebra
apoplexy. with a sudden accumulation
OF water in the cavities OF the brain
with paralysis of the side OF the bod,
| opposite to the seat OF the injury
Yes. 1t was he for whom a physical,
had been summoned: he, who In tn
hardness Of his heart had refused L
go to the poor man; he who was dying.
DR.. Trifulgas was like mailman. II
felt that the case was hopeless. Tn
gravity of the symptoms increase,
every moment. The action of the hear
Yet he had not wholly lost the con
seriousness OF existence.
What should he do? Lessen the guam
tity of blood by means Of bleeding
DIR. Trifulgas was dead man II
bleeding was still practised at tina
time, and, as at the present day, tn
doctors cured Of apoplexy all who wer
not destined to die OF 1t.
DR.. Trifulgas seized his case of ir
struments. took out lancet and GU
the arm of his double. The blood di
not flow. He rubbed the chest violently
the action Of his own heart was failing
He put hot bricks to the feet-his Ow
.. Then his double started UP in bee
struggled violently for breath and dre'
0 a long sigh. And DR.. Trifulgas. spit
Of all that his knowledge could suaRes