Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-01-11


He drew back with start.
General Sir Michael Trefusis, X. G.
T.. was dead.
DR.. Vandellar stood for a moment
staring blankly Mt the corpse. Death
lad stepped in to thwart his plans aud
absolute ruin must follow.
Must follow? Surely something could
be done? Something must be done!
The Doctor locked the chamber door
nId sat down In a chair by the side Of
the dead man. For 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 will IN his favor was out Of
the question. But what of the iron
b'x 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,
Gad were Immediately realizable. The
box was still In the cabinet, the Doc.
ter saw, and the key was hanging
around the dead mans neck. as usual.
That iron box should be vandellar's
salvation, for lie would swear that the
original owner had given It to him on
his deathbed. or course, the thing
was quite ensy, and impending ruin
would vanish In the sunshine Of pros.
perity.
And then, like 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 It must be ruin after all unless
but. no. he would not put himself in
the power Of his servants by making
them his accomplIces In false swearing.
With sharp exclamation Of ragc ana
disappointment. vandellar rose from
his CHASTITY vigil, thinking bitterly that,
rs Sir Michael had died without will,
all his property, bonds and jewels In.
Guided, would 60 to his heir.at.law, his
nephew, Harold, from whom, by the
irony Of fate, he had parted In anger.
But just as his hand was on the key
Of the door DIR. vandcllar turned back
of device which might secure to him
the valuables he SO coveted.
An adept In electrical and galvanic
science, DR.. vandellar possessed all the
newest apparatus for experimenting
upon animals and human beings sun.
posed to be dead, with view of bring.
Ing them back to life. Many such ex.
perlments had been made by the Doc.
tor. He had never succeeded In re.
storing subject to life, but he had
succeeded In making corpses initiate
the movements Of living bodies. He
had also utilized his ventriloquial abll.
ity- acquired rs 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.
I'll lie explained the deception.
All this flashed through the active
Doctors brain with a rapidly OF
thought, and he instantly decided to
put his idea into practice. risky as 1t
was. Sir Michael's body was not vet
cold, and the plan could ba carried out
fOrwith.
softly vandellar quilted the death
chamber. locking the door behind him,
and thinking how fortunate It was for
him II was that Sir Michael's nurse was
out for her daily walk. 80 that he con.
clude his operation before her return.
Entering his surgery, Yandellar quick.
~ adjusted his electric apparatus. and
Carried It up to Sir Michael's room. He
soon fixed 1t beneath the clothes and
attached the electric communications
t. the 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. hesitating
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 that
he could govern It while pretending to
support the sinking invalid. Vandellar
unlocked the door and rang the bell
violently.
"Aallinger," he said, as the house.
keeper entered, "fetch Jurgan, the but.
Ter. quickly. Sir Michael Is worse, and
wishes to say something In the pres.
ence Of witnesses before the end, which
IL, fear, only too near!'
Jurgan, lank and frightened, and Mrs.
Mallinger. stout and fussy. soon hur.
ried In together. and, In obedience to
their masters orders, sat down ut
some distance from the bed.
"NOw, Mallinger and Jurgan," said
Va,idellar. solemnly, "please pay the
strlctest attention to what passes, for
you may have to repeat 1t upon OATH"
Then. bending over the corpse, he
continued:
".rhey are here, now, Sir Michael.
Oh. you wish Jurgan to give you the
Iron box from the cabinet there?"
The dead mans Jaws worked con-
vulsively, aud from his lips, apparently,
came the mOnOsyllable, Eyes"
"Jurgan," Vandellar commanded, do
as Sir Michael desires"
Jurgan rose and handed the box to
the Doctor, who placed 1t In Sir
Michaers hands; and then with awful
leading questions and short, decided