The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-03

be held responsible for the conse-
quences, no matter what may happen!"
"Why," cried his patient, in alarmed
surprise. whats the matter?"
"Matter? Why, man, you have sat
urated your system with nitroglycerin.
That's what's the matter. Don't jump
like thatl The least shock may make
you go off in twinkling. You must
avoid jar as you would poison.
Couldn't you see that the acid and the
glycerin would chemically unite and
make you explosive? How much
glycerin have you taken?"
about two ounces, think" was the
dismayed answer.
els it possible? You are positively
dangerous to be at large. You must
practice the utmost caution. Don't
ride on the cars; the least conclusion
might be fatal. You must get rubber
soles put on your shoes Immediately. Be
careful not to jump, even off doorstep.
OF course, you must not shoot, or ex-
pose yourself in any way to shocks or
explosions of any kind. Even the snap
ping of cap might make you vanish
in a second, and there would be moth
ing but loud report to tell the tale of
your disappearance"
'Dut. DOCTOR" implored the trem-
bling patient, "can your science do moth
ing for me? Cannot you get this dread
full explosive out of my SYSTEM?
Possibly might render it less dam
gerOus, at least" responded the doctor,
thouGhtfully. Its a case without
precedent, but I'll do what l can for
you. The first step will be to change
the nitroglycerin into dynamite. That,
you know, is far less apt to explode by
concussion. In fact. it is nothing more
than nitrogIycerin held in solid form
by an absorbent substance. l shall
prescribe for you a little infusoria!
earth, to be taken three times day.
That " Ill gradually draw out the nitro
gly Germ from your circulation, change
it into dynamite, and in the course of a
few weeks you may be safe"
This assurance alleviated the fears of
Mr.. Cutter to some extent, but he re-
paired toSthe Red Dog druggist in an
anxious frame of mind. The rumbling
of passing dray filed him with appre-
hensIon, and he made long detour to
aviod passing new building where
the carpenters were still busy with their
hammers. His alarm was excited when
the druggist began to pound up some
thing in mortar, and so his critical
condition was explained to the pharma-
cist. Mr.. Cutter went home by a. devious
route in order that he might not be ex-
posed to any jar from the anvils of
blacksmith shop which he was accus-
toned to pass every day.
On the evening of the same day DIR.
Slick attended meeting of the Red Dog
Medical society. 1t was private gath
ering, as usual, and sounds of unwonted
hilarity were heard before the assem-
blagc dispersed.
No one knew how the strange condi-
ton of Mr.. Cutter became known, but
the next day it was the talk of Red Dog.
He noticed that everybody avoided him
Us though he were a pestilenee, and
even the clerks in his Office shuddered
" heneyer they had occasion to be neaf
him. He cautioned them against sud-
den closing of the doors of the huge safe
that contained the public moneys, and
with his own hands he pinned upon the
outer door of the office placard read
ing: do not slam
AS the days went by Mr.. Cutter be-
came more and more respondent. 1t
was evident, DIR. Slick assured him, that
the nitroglycerin was as yet imperfect
ly converted into dynamite. He be-
gan taking long and solitary walks
over the hills near the town of Red Dog,
partly to distract his mind and partly
to escape the dangers incident to hui
man companionship to a man who was
loaded with nitroglycerin.
One afternoon he was walking over
the hill in which the Ground Hog Quartz
Mining company was boring a tunnel.
There can be no doubt about the fact
that Mr.. Cutter was seen walking over
the brow of the hill just before blast
was fired in the depths below. 1t was
only "shot," and did nothing to dis
turb the surface OF the hill, although,
of cohrse, much rock was loosened in
the tunnel. But the sound of the blast
in the tunnel was followed by peculiar
muffled defamation from the hill. It
was noticed particularly at the time,
because the miners feared that some of
the blast had been "slow in going off"
But the next day it was found that
Mr.. Cutter was missing. The clerks in
his Office waited vainly for him to APP
pear and open the vault, of which he
alone knew the combination. Days
passed, and he did not come. He never
came.
It is still whispered in the town of
Red Dog that at the next meeting of the
Calaveras County Medical society DIR.
Slick read an elaborate technical Their
apeutical and pharmaceutical paper
which indicated SO dreadful an ending
to Thomas Cutter that men yet speak
of it with bated breath. It was only
theory, for there was nothing palpable
to support it upon. There was no tangi-
BILE evidence. There were no remains.
Yet DR.. Silex's theory was believed.
Whether it was true or false, Thomas
Cutter was never again seen in the
flesh, living or dead. He had vanished
into the void.-San Francisco Argonaut.
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