The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-12-12

at any feeling of weakness, | ordered
adjustment afforded to be brought,
and administered II to them freely, at
the same time diverting their thoughts
as much as possible. Soon | noticed
that the color was returning to Wycher-
lys cheeks. 1t was evident that his
life was saved, and that the measures
had employed had been the means of
doing it. About half an hour after
ward Fritz and Wilhelm became FESTIVE.
l explained to them that to move from
the position they were in, much less
to have the bandages taken from their
arms, would entail the death of the sick
man; that their meals would be brought
to them there, and that they would
even have to sleep just where they were;
also that | could not tell exactly how
long this condition of things would
last, but that while it did they would
get $50 day apiece for their services
after that day, for which they would
get 500 apiece. The sight of the
gold which counted to each of them
having received supply that morning
from Wycherly's bankers-removed the
last trace of discomfort.
From that day on Wycherly's recov-
cry was steady and rapid. Within a week
his appetite returned, and he was
strong enough to have been up and
about.
Several more days elapsed, until one
morning l considered it safe for the
invalid to take outdoor exercise. / did
not at once sever the connection which
bound him to the two young Germans,
partly because of some observations !
had made which suggested peculiar
train of thought. Was it fancy that
Wycherly was becoming structurally
and organieally affected by the new
blood which was now circulating
through his system? Could the mere
TRANSMISSION of ordinary blood into his
the elasticity and buoyancy of spirits
which were now his, to man who,
scarcely two weeks before, had been
upon the bed of death? And could it
be possible, on the other hand, that |
detected a somewhat older look in the
German lads who formed part and
parcel of this curious physical trinity?
Ii was with a view to observe more
closely and thoroughly both the
surgical and physical aspect of the case
that l decided to preserve the status
quo for time, at any rate.
Up to this time, at my friends re-
quest. forebore to send any intimation
to his friends at home regarding the
serious accident that had befallen him,
as he feared to cause them unnecessary
alarm. Now, however, he requested me
to write them a full account of the
matter, and also of his rapid con-
valeseence. There were, he told me-
only three members of his household
proper, now that himself and son were
absent, namely, his aged mother, his
sister, and young lady-a distant re-
lative-who was betrothed to his son.
Before this letter was dispatched, the
China mail brought news from his son,
who wrote to say that he found Japan
so interesting that he did not propose
to leave it for a month to come.
From this time on, a most remarkable
physiological change began to take
place in the three beings who were SO
curiously linked together by their
circulatory system. They were evil
IDENTIFY fast becoming assimilated in
physical features and conditions.
Wycherly was indeed growing younger
while his companions were growing
proportionately older. Once | was able
to grasp and recognize this dominant
fact, found myself wondering, not so
much at the fact per Sc, as at the rapid
ty with which the change was being
accomplished. | could only account for
this last feature of the strange meta
morphosis by remembering that the
blood now coursing in the veins of this
strange partnership was, in the first in
stance, almost wholly that of the young
Germans, as Wycherly's vessels were
well-nigh drained at the commence
ment of the trial. He, therefore, took
a fresh start in life, so to speak, with a
large capital of new blood, and since
then he had been contributing only one
third of the supply to the common stock
or partnership circulation. According
ly, only one-third of the common blood
was being assimilated by old organs,
while two-thirds were being assimilated
by young and robust ones. In addition
to this, Wycherly's assimilative organs
were being fed and their waste carried
off nv blood which was dnV nv dpv be-
coming younger as the process went on.
1t was, therefore, impossible to escape
the mathematical conclusion that
Wycherly would grow younger, while
Fritz and Wilhelm would grow older,
till a stable equilibrium in the physical
condition of the trio was reached. l
confidently looked forward TO the time
and that at no distant date, when !
should have the satisfaction of seeing
before me three robust young men of
2S; at which time there would no longer
be any occasion to maintain their en-
forced union. l further calculated that
the state of equilibrium in age would be
reached in about month from then,
so that by The time my friends son ar
rived from Japan, there would be but
the slight disparity between 23 and 2s
in their respective ages.
Two days before the China steamer
was due. l carefully separated the three
men. The altered appearance of
Wycherly, though in the highest degree
striking to me, excited no surprise
urnouO tho d,irv ,,aople who had first