The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-25
LEAVING ME ALONE WITH THE CORPSE

face was set in the same half smile, hall
sneer / had noted a few moments
earlier. i sprang towards him and
grasped his pulse. There was not the
faintest flutter. Never in all my ex'
perience have known death 10 be SC
absolutely instantaneous.
"He is deadl" exclaimed, staring a,
lFournier, with an expression of horror
II know it," replied he. "You might
loosen him, if you will"
While he spoke, he was busy with his
apparatus. Without venturing to re.
ply hastily cut the ropes and laid the
dead man upon the floor.
"You had better notify some one,'
continued Fournier, In the same voice
81 shall be very much occupied for the
next twenty-four hours-and pray do
not judge of my sanity or commit your
self, until 1 see you again -By-the-bye,
may ask you to call upon my patients
to-day?"
He placed the now detached camera
under his arm and hurried out, leaving
me alone with the corpse. How got il
downstairs and on the sofa in the re,
Iception-room j do not know, but II
was certainly there when l reused the
household and sent them scurrying
lhither and thither to notify several OF
our confreres.
These dropped in, one by one, during
the course of the next hour. 1t was
quite evident that no suspicion crossed
their minds. When they heard the
news they naturally assumed that the
plague had claimed another victim.
When they viewed and examined the
body, however, they agreed that it was
unquestionably case of heart disease
aggravated by overwork and anxiety,
in which latter supposition was more
than half inclined TO concur. A post,
,mortem was not even suggested. We
were too busy TO care to crafty profes.
sional curiosity, and there seemed &c
be no other ground for one. FourIer
had excused himself to all on the plea
of important work which could not be
laid aside--a course whose very sus.
piciousness might have tended to allay
suspicion had any existed.
Men were buried promptly at Arteuil
in those days, and the following morn,
ing saw the remains OF DR.. Toedt corn,
mitted to the earth. Fournier did no,
attend the service, but, upon my return,
i found n message from him request.
ing me to step up to his room. did
so with feelings which 1t would be hard
TO describe.
Doctor" he began, when / had seat
ed myself, shave you now any theory
as to the nature of this epidemic?"
shook my head, partly because l
had nothing definite TO say and partly
because / was anxious to learn the
truth as soon as possible.
"Are you familiar with the effects
upon the human system of anthrax
bacillus?"
II know little or nothing on the sub,
ject," said |. for bacteriology was, then,
practically closed book.
IF l told you that the symptoms in.
duced by a certain very rare bacillus
closely allied 10 the anthrax but capa-
BILE of attacking the mucous membrane
of human beings, would be precisely
those of this disease; that fragments
of germ tubes had been picked up in
several of the houses whose inmates
have died; that a similar tube contain
ing these bacilli was found upon the
person of DIR. Toedt, and elaborate APP
paratus for their culture in a small
laboratory In his house."
"Is that latter the fact2" J interrupt
ed.
II obtained entrance there last
night went on Fournier. "and made
a careful investigation which resulted
as ! tell you"
but the object" gasped. begin
ming at last 10 half catch his drift.
IF / told you," he pursued. "that this
epidemic had been practically confined