The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-12
A PECULIAR FACE.

One afternoon was sitting in my Office
alone when the door was opened and a
singular looking individual stood before
me. i asked the intruder to be seated, but
he declined the civility on the plea that he
had business of Importance to transact,
and that if I would go with him for few
moments my services would be rewarded.
More for curiositys sake than for Pc
cuniary benefit consented.
After walking a few squares we stop
ped in front of a brownstone mansion. Tt
was noble looking structure and lowered
far above the surrounding buildings My
companion gave a quick, nervous glance
up and down the street and then entered
the house. Through the unoccupied build
ing, up many flights of stairs, / followed
this strange man, until he arrived at lit
tie iron door, which, on the pressure of a
secret spring, opened He babe me enter.
hesitated. But before I had an oppor-
tnnity to speak, he pulled me in, closing
the door after us.
/ heard the key turn in the lock, and
then for the first time suspected that the
man was deranged I looked around the
apartment. 1t was more like tower than
a room. The walls were about 8 feet
apart and reached to height of SO feet
on each side. A skylight served as a roof
and window. In the center of the room
was a table, through the top of which
ing in length from to inches. To ring
in the wall was fastened one end of a rope;
the other was thrown over an iron bar
that reached from wall to wall a few feet
below the skylight and hung in hang
mans moose directly above the table.
'tWell, y said mine host after we had
been in the room full ten minutes, during
which time neither of us had spoken a
word, ''you perceive that we are alone
These bare walls tell no secrets rest as
sured as to that When I asked you to
come with me, I said that I had business
of Importance, a secret to impart. So L
have. 1t is the result of SO years of Sc
clusion. Hear me, if you value your life.
my first discovery in the scientific
world was a plan whereby two trains 60
ing in opposite directions on a single track
could pass each other without damaging
or checking the speed of either. Next I
discovered how to substitute electricity for
steam and transport beings from place to
place like magic. / next discovered what
Franklin sought in vain-an air line to
the north pole. And then, after years of
hard and patient study, discovered that
which has perplexed the brains of scientific
men from the beginning of the world
perpetual motion.
"You may think, SIR continued the
1unatic, "that after accomplishing all this
man should be satisfied, but no. I have
one more grand scheme-a scheme that
will crown all my former efforts-one that
have nursed in my bosom from boyhood.
have searched for many years to find
some person to aid me in this grand
scheme. Now I am rewarded. You are
the man.
my plan is this: You will place your
head in that noose,'' said the lunatic,
pointing to the rope that dangled over the
table; " then I will rack your body on these
sharp instruments on the top of the table
until the vital spark is almost ready to de-
part, and then, for the climax of all, when
death with his arrow is about to pierce
your soul, I will capture him, and then the
present inhabitants of the world will live
forever. Ha, hal shall ruin the occupa-
ton of the gravedigger, and generations
to come will honor my name"
''You will not murder me!'' I gasped.
'Murder you? oh, mol 1t will merely
be suspended animation. I will rack your
body on this table until life is almost ex-
tinct. then I will capture and disarm
death. You will live forever and bestow
a blessing on mankind. -
So saying, he opened a secret drawer IN
der the table and drew out a short, two
edged sword I could feel the color desert
my cheeks and the cold Precipitation roll
down my face My hands fell at my side,
and grasped the chair that 1 was sitting
in, intending to use it as a weapon of de-
Tense. But, horror, it was riveted to the
foorl There was no hope. was alone
and unarmed.
IT will now proceed to business said
the mailman after cutting a hair in two
with the sword
s'Will you not give me time to pray?''
s'You should have taken your mothers
advice and have been prepared. 1t is too
late now. ~
AS he said this he came toward me.
Look behind you,'' said l. pointing to
the ring in the wall. "Death is reaching
for you.
He turned his head moment to look.
made fearful leap, caught the rope that
hung over the table, and with all my
strength began climbing. When within
about ten feet of the iron bar, stopped to
rest, and on looking down on the demon
below I saw him glaring at me with a
sardonic smile and drawing the sword
across the rope where it was fastened to
the ring in the wall.
'Holdv' said I, to divert his attention
an instant until could reach the iron bar.
Follow me, and we will discover the hid
den mysteries of space"
With the agility of a tiger he sprang at
the end of the rope and was soon after
me, sword in hand.
reached the iron bar and looked down
at him, 20 feet below. Taking out my
pocketknife l cut the rope, and the mad
man fell, his sword turning under him
and piercing his body through.
managed TO construct a rope with my
clothes that enabled me to reach the floor
The mailman was dead. The sharp pointed
blades in the table top had gashed his
body in a hundred different places.
I afterward learned that tho house with
tho strange tower in one corner was built
| according to the instructions of this de-
ranged genius and that he had spent a
lifetime and fortune in trying to discover
perpetual motion.-New York News.