The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-30
PART V.

PART V.
miss Rennick," he said, "when I be-
gan my journey the thought came over
me that it was cruel to disappoint you
had faithfully promised to impart
one Of my gravest, my very gravest
secrets to you tonight. After all, a
gentleman's word to a lady ought to
come before every other consideration;
] have therefore postponed my journey
My servant told me that l should find
you in the Blue Laboratory. l came
straight here, The moment entered
the room 1 saw that the trap-door was
raised, the faint light beneath guided
my footsteps. l have found you, / am
now prepered to tell you my secret"
l did not reply, but my heart beat
loud and hard in great heavy thumps
which must surely have been heard !;
the man was monster, his very civil
ity was laden with omen.
You are doubtless overpowered by
my polite consideration for you," he
continued; he never once glanced at
his victim. l tried to moisten my lips
Il tried to say something, but not
word would escape me.
You are anxious to know how
Photograph Thought" he continued 81
am prepared to enlighten you. Stand
here, will you?"
He came forward and pushed me into
different position. From where I now
stood l could see both the victim, and
the devil in human shape who had tor
tured him.
by means of that man who lies on
the floor at your feet" continued DR..
Chance ''T haNn
He was once my secretary; / quickly
perceived that his character was feeble.
used mesmerism to get him into my
power. BY slow degrees he became my
servant, l his master. By still slower,
but also sure degrees he became my
slave, and his tyrant. He is now alb
solutely subjective to my will, and con-
sequently of immense use to me- BY
means of that bodily frame of his, 1
nave been able to peer deeper into
nature than any other man of my day.
Yes, Miss Rennick, l am the greatest
scientist at present in existence. What
are the tortures of one man in COM
parison with so stupendous a result?
Now listen. / always knew that YOU
were inspired with the vein of curiosi-
~ TO marked degree-you are a clever
girl and might have done well, but as
you sow, you must reap. When l left
you for short time yesterday in the
Blue Laboratory, did SO without sus-
piclon, but the moment l returned |
guessed that you had discovered some
thing. Your face was full of wonder
despair, incredulity, horror. / then
carefully laid a trap for you. 1t would
never do for you to know my secrets,
and then TO go abroad and possibly di-
vulge them. / took you into the Blue
Laboratory again in the evening | de-
sired my servant to announce DR.. Scho-
pehhauer, he never really came at all
lett the room and from the passage
watched you. l heard you cry out to
that man, | saw you take an impress
sion OF the key l determined that you
should have your way. All during to-
nay kept you by my side on purpose,
Tor l did not really require your se--
vices. Invent away to more complete-
ly blind you, 1 came back when I
thought l had given you suIncient time
TO enter the laboratory. All has hap
pened 1 expected, never for a single
moment did you really deceive me-
Now listen. l will keep my word, l
will tell you my secret
1t is a known scientific fact that
N physiology that in the dark the ret
"o vi sOile aIlllndlS displays pigment
tailed the visual purple If, for in
Itance, frog is killed in the dark. and
ihe eye after death is exposed to an
object in the light, the image of the
inject becomes stamped on the retina.
md can be fixed there by a solution
alum. Proceeding upon this basis
! have further discovered that by fix
ng my own gaze for a heightened time
m an object, and then going into n
lark room and gazig at an exposed
Photographic plate, the object l have
been looking at appears on the neg
tive when developed. Do you fol-
DIV me so far?"
l nodded, my tongue was dry, cleay-
ng to the roof of my mouth, not a
vord could 1 utter.
Il doubt If YOU will understand me
nrther" continued DIR. Chance, but
Will try to make the matter as plain
you as l can. l have conceived on
sound scientific basis that even
Thought itself may thus be photo
Traphed. This is what really takes
place. subjective impressions of
thought cause molecular changes in
lhe cells Of the brain; why, then. NAV
hese not also be capable Of decom-
posing this visual purple and then
iying a distinct impression on a neg
ltiNe when exposed sufficiently long TO
Is influence. have made experiments
ina discovered that such is the case
Dreams especially. this impression