Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-01-08

Asleep" muttered vandellar. "Sor-
~ to disturb the old fellow, but 1t can't
be helped"
So saying. he lit the lamp. for the
wintry afternoon light was failing fast,
and. approaching the bed, placed his
fingers on the silent occupants wrist.
He drew back with q start.
General Sir Michael Trefusis, K. @
B.. was dead.
DR.. Vandellar stood for a momer-
staring blankly at the corpse. Death
had stepped in to thwart his plans and
absolute ruin must follow.
Must follow7 Surely something could
be done2 Something must be done!
The Doctor locked the chamber door
and sat down in a chair by the side Of
the dead man. For a minute or two
he could not compel his thoughts to
definite form: but slowly. under the in
fuence of his indomitable will, they
took shape.
Sir Michael was dead-so forcing him
to sign a will in his favor was out Of
the question. But what of the iron
box Of bonds-to-bearer. and precious
jewels brought from India, which the
General insisted upon keeping in the
cabinet by his bedside? The contents
Of that box were worth 10000 or more,
and were Immediately realizable. The
box was still in the cabinet, the Doc
tor saw, and the key was hanging
around the dead mans neck. us usual.
That iron box should be Vandellar's
salvation, for he would swear that the
original owner had given it to him on
his deathbed. OF course, the thing
was quite easy, Snd impending ruin
would vanish in the sunshine Of pros
perity.
And then, like a cold hand laid upon
his hot heart, came vandellar to the
recollection that such gifts. to be legal.
must be conferred by hand, and In the
presence of witnesses.
So 1t must be ruin after all unless
but, no. he would not put himself IN
the power of bis servants by making
them his accomplices I'm false swearing.
With a sharp exclamation Of rage and
disappointment. Vandellar rose from
8 Sir Michael had died without q will,
all his property, bonds and Jewels In
cluded, would go to his heir at-law, his
nephew, Harold, from whom, by tho
| Irony of fate, he had parted In anger.
But Just as his hand was on the key
| of the door DR.. Eandellar turned back
again to the bedside. He had thought
of a device which might secure to him
the valuables he so coveted.
| An adept in electrical and galvanic
science, DR.. yandellar possessed all the
newest apparatus for experimenting
upon animals and human beings sup
posed to be dead, with a view Of bring.
Ing them back to life. Many such ex-
periments had been made by the Doc
tor. He had never succeeded In re-
storing a subject to life. but he had
succeeded in making corpses initiate
the movements of living bodies. He
had also utilized his ventriloQuial abil-
| ity-acquired as an amateur entertain
er in his student days-and In some OF
his demonstrations with his disguised
voice persuaded students and onlook-
ers that his galvanized corpses were
living, speaking beings. True, in such
cases the lights had always been low,
and no examination had been made un.
til he explained the deception.
All this flashed through the active
Doctors brain with q rapidly of
thought and he instantly decided to
put his idea into practice, risky as II
was. Sir Michael's body was not yet
cold, and the plan could be carried out
forwith.
Softly vandellar quilted the death
chamber, locking the door behind him.
and thinking how fortunate 1t was for
him II was that Sir Michael's nurse was
out for her daily walk, 30 that he con.
clude his operation before her return
Entering his surgery. Vandellar quick
ly adjusted his electric apparatus, and
carried 1t up to Sir Michaers room. He
soon fixed 1t beneath the clothes and
attached the electric communications
to tho proper parts Of the dead mans
frame. He rehearsed the conversation
and effects once or twice, and though
any suspicious witness might not have
been deceived by the Jerky, hesitatine
movements he succeeded In producing
he considered that they would pass
muster with his housekeeper and but
ler. whom he intended to call as wit
nesses. Placing the lamp so that the
dead mans face was thrown Into the
shadow by the bed curtains, and ar
ranging the electric apparatus 80 thai
he could govern 1t while pretending tt
support the sinking invalid, Vandellal
unlocked the door and rang the bel
violently.
"Mallinger," he said, as the house
keeper entered. "fetch Jurgan, the but
Ter. quickly. Sir Michael IL worse, ant
wishes to say something in the pres
ence Of witnesses before the end, which
is, I fear, only too near!'
Jurgan, lank and frightened, and Mra
Mallinger, stout and fussy. soon hur
ried in together, and, in obedience t
their masters orders, sat down a
some distance from the bed.
"Now. Malljnger and JurgnD, sal
, Candeilar, solemnly, "please pay tn
strictest attention to what passes, 10
, YOU may have to repeat 1t upon oath.
, Then, bending over the corpse, h
continued:
"They are here, now, Sir Michae
, oh. you wish Jurgan to give you tn
! iron box from the cabinet there"
The dead mans Jaws worked COZ
t sulsively. and from his lips apparent,
, came the monosyllable, YES"
"Jursan," vandellar commanded. ID
as Sir Michael desires"
|, Jurgan rose and handed the box
the Doctor, who placed 1t In 81
q Michaers hands; and then with awf'
. leading questions and short decide
!, answers, DR.. vandeller proceeded wit
| his grim mumwery until his two se
a | wants had duly witnessed the legi
. handing over Of the precious box an
heard. a thar THOUGHT siI 9ichael