Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-08-03

49, 80 - 1AN " IL
fere with the man, but | pounced upo
him as he turned to leave the cabin.
What on earth have You bee
DOING asked, unceremouiously, an
the fellow seemed rather taken bacp
1T is only a practical joke, he said
with 4 feeble attempt to smile uncon
ccrnedlv.
Joke or no joke, ! demand to Sc,
what is in that bottle | said, authori
tatjvcly. my mind full of mysteriou.
poiSonS, and The engineer handed i
over tamcIv.
The bottle contained nothing bu'
ink"
Ink" | exclaimed, when the great
brain specialist reached this point in
his narrative, aud Macpherson smiled
in the peculiarly quiet way he has
when he has perfectly mystiied a
nearer,
Yes, ordinary ink he went on.
The discovery naturally made me feel
rather foolish, but not ~ much rs it
would have done If | had not been
convinced still that his action was in
some way a malicious one. What his
I idea could he. however. it was impos-
siblc for me to divine, and | felt so
curious about it that | should have
roU>ei my friend at once TO inquire
how I've black marks on his arm could
possibly affect his happiness, if he had
not looked - thoroughly worn out and
in need ot sleep As Soou as Lashton
was gone. left the cabin at once for
fear II disturbing the sleeper. without
stopping even to try and remove the
iuk-stainS, a piece of stupidity at
which have not ceased TO wonder.
Nop see. il was impossible for me 10
guess how desperately serious the plot
was that the engineer had formed
against the man whom he considered
MS rival retired to my XVI cabin
opposite Gilby's, keeping the door
oven 20 make sure that LaShton did
not return to do more mischief, but !
made a poo sentry. was tired out.
like the Young lieutenant, through
not having had my proper amount of
rest Tor four nights, and ! fell asleep
sill wondering about the five black
marks
When ! woke, | do not know how
long after, il was 10 find Gilby stand
in my room, half undressed as |
had seen him in his bunk, hut with his
>hirt-sleeve buttoned up over the ink
? 1srsSl nr- |-ss --,, .,.. go. s,N1 II
however. 10 notice the fact at
the time. or even 10 remember for the
moment anything about what | had
seen. Sleepy as | was, | could not
help noticing the look Of complete
misery and despair on my friends
face tie was standing at the side Of
bunk, holding an envelope. and
when s;,rtei up, rubbing my eyes,
put it into my hand.
l am glad you are awake, Mae
lhersoa,' he said, in a strangely con-
trained tone. 4 want to ask o to
10 NE a favor. VIII you give this let
er to Miss Callan personally when you
zee her? I do % want to take the
isa Of sending ii by mail.
"'But YOU will see her yourself as
con as | SHALL | said. in surprise at
he request, and Gilby did not reply.
instead, ne turned and walked ont OF
be cabin, leaving ne staring at the
etter in my hand and wondering
-ha, i meant | was 50 stupid with
leep still that il took nc two minutes
o think of any explanation at all.
'hen did | was out OF ny bunk and
1nn!ng across to the opposite cabin in
second, just in time, too, for Gilby
as in the act Of locking his door when /
burst It open and rushed in without .
eremony. The fact that the young
.eutensnts revolver and a couple of |
tiers. one of them addressed to me.
-ere lying on the table, served to as S
lre me that my fears were not UNI /
rounded. The first thing | did was I
secure the revolver. Then | turned
} my friend.
"'What the devil are you going to ,
loot yourself for?' | demanded. =
,
"Gitoy made no attempt to deny his :
l;eution.
! am sorry you have disturbed me, ,
Mcpherson, he said with perfect cool
because it cannot make any diff
renee. -.
And the reason?" ! asked, with in .
rest. Tor the doctor had paused to
ght another cigarette. Macpherson
a Whit Of smoke from his mouth +
continued his story. k
u suppose you have never heard of v
disease called Guinea Madness he
'ke1 and when | shook my head he p
ent on; il
Neither had !, until Gilby told me V
bout It, although | am IA doctor. 1t is b
OF those strange diseases that limit
.emSelves luckily TO a particular dis
net and IS only found among a few
lbeS along the coast Of Guinea. 1t is d
snerally thought that Europeans can St
take It. but the idea is an
or, at any rate. there are excep- Y
.nS, for Lieut.. Gilby's father died of II
when my friend was a boy of ten.
father was captain OF a trading
.sse!, and the Lieutenant was accom- C,
hi:I on a voyage when they
He'd at the Guinea coast, lie there
re sa" his father IN all the indescrib- d.,
agony OF the disease, which seems u
ore Ike h~ydrophobia than anything
Sc, although til infectious.
The sight made a great impression
him, and, since his constitution was a,
ute similar to his fathers, he had al l
yssuffered from an almost s~upernat-
al terror Of the Guinea coast. He was
lite persuaded that il ever he went o,
there he would catch the dis ~
Sc and die like his father. Lasbton
seems. was aware Of this monomania
his. for it almost amounted TO mono q,
inia."
And ne really had caught the dis
sep | asked.
Macpherson smiled. 'He thought he q
d, The first symptom is the appear l.
ce of small black marks on the arm n,
leg."-Pall Mall Budget. "
The Boy on the Wasp.
A wasp is a six-legged bird that lives II
'stly in trees and under the caves of
rms, and you cannot tain him: he is "
busy. Never stroke his fur the