The Dickinson press., 1894-09-22

80 7@S'
Louise. plainly, was so ALARMED in
my account that SHE forgot the disap.
pointncDt Of no news from her fati.
er. I felt strongly tempted to tell her
of my W discovery. but l feared that
might only prcciritate a disclosure to
S;1inhartit, and fOrhOre. 1t might have
been we'll If / had told her til III. ! en-.
courased her, however. still to hope.
as l did.
1t was, therefore, with some anxiety
that l conceived and accepted an in.
vitation to an INTERVIEW had almost
said a collusion-with Stainhardt that
evening ut o'clock in the labora-
tory of the chemical works. l had
never yet been within the mysterious.
tainted precincts, and it was with some
thing of Il shutllar that l asked myself
why he should have invited me to
call upon him there, and ut an hour
when probably there would he no n
III the place except himself and the
Waterman. l Went, however, with the
Sternest courage l could summon.
L cannot describe the laboratory, for
clearly saw only S%tcinilardt, red rs a
Mcphistophcls; all else was a tumble
OF retorts. taps: tubs of raw color
md what not. Hc was very civil.
II asked you TO come and see me
here, Mr.. unwin." he began. because
i am watching an expert ment which I
cannot leave. and l want to SEE you ut
oncc. You have not taken my word
Tor 1t that Miss I.acroiX is not for you:
you have been seeing her at times and
places When you should. not" He
paused and looked ut me as IL exnect-
ing me to say something. l was silent.
and he went n Miss Iacroix is not n
girl to be the wife Of q clergyman who
has his way to make. She is beautiful
l KNOW, but she has no money-uoth-
ing to speak of. Your time here will
De up In another week or so. You
have been trying to get Il place near
here, but You cannot; it will not do to
stay about in this neighborhood. l
will help you to get a good place in the
south-a living of your own. 1 know I
can. and You must 80 away tomorrow.
There is a check 1 have written for
your quarters salary"
Il am sorry, Mr. S%teinhardt," said I,
II cannot 60 away tomorrow, and /
cannot premise to leave the ncighbor-
hood"
"Oh, you cannot! Think again: if
you do not go. l must send away nv
family"
My mind is quite made up" said I.
at is? Very ell" He rose, as IL to
end the interview, and 1 rose also.
You had better take the check" said
he, pushing it toward me; cit is al
most due and l shall not want to see
you again."
L took 1t, and was going. Involuntar-
lily glanced about for any vat or ves-
sci which l could think of as that
which figured in Dicks confession. He
seemed to notice my. curious glances.
You have nryer Ecen in here be-
fore" said he. ''Tlat is the most in
teresting place." pointing to a small
door; would you like to look in? I call
1t the Experiment Bath"
l said I would; aud my heart beat
wildly.
You must let me tie UP your mouth
and nose, then" he said, taking some
kind of u muller from Il drawer.
/ wondered whether this was the
place, and whether he was going to
show it to nc out of bravado, or
whether he was quite unconscious of
my suspicion. l determined to 20
through 1t. I was mufied and he muf-
fled himself. re opened the door, and
I saw a small chamber, filled with pur-
plish-red vapor, in which n gas Jet
burned DULY, and with an unwOnted
tint.
"Ert"r" sad he.
1 entered and lie followed.
This" said he, raising a lid by some
arrangement, lis my experiment."
Vapor rose more densely from the
vessel. whose outlines I could not dis
Germ I felt stified; l gasped for breath.
l tugged at the muller; I could not
help it. I reeled; I felt his hand on me
whether to snatch or push me I can
not now say-but I thought then the
former. With a violent effort I recov.
cred myself, and turned at once to
look at him, and ~saw-great heavens!
the very counterpart on the wall be.
hind him of that shadow, with head
and hands outstretched, which Dicks
delirOus figure had cast, only wagner,
because Of the vapor!
"What! Again!" I involuntarily cried
and dashed from the chamber.
I had to sit down to recover myself;
I trembled violently. 1 thought. when
he undid his muffler he looked paler
and more open-eyed. Did he suspect
my suspicion?
1T was very risky, you see," he said,
calmly enough. but with a very keen
look, that longed no doubt, to read me;
very risky to enter my bath"
1 said not a word, but after a mo
ment or two rose with a Goodnight
and went out into the air.
Had he intended to s%uffocatc me?
Thinking calmly of the adventure now
l do not think so. l think the danger
I escaped was altogether owing to my
own rashness and folly.