Evening star., 1898-10-29

coffee stall, hurled its paraffin flare through
the window of the post office and fed
laughing after stunning the foremost Of
the two policemen who had the pluck to
charge him.
Mr.. Vincents first impulse was natur-
ally to join in the pursuit of his friend, in
order. If possible. to save him from the vio-
IeHce OF the Indignant people. But his ac-
tiOn was slow. The blow had half stun
ned him, and while this was still no more
than resolution, came the news, shouted
through the crowd, that Mr.. BeSscl had
eluded his pursuers AT first Mr.. Vincent
could scarcely credit this, but the univer-
salty of the report and presently the dig
nihed return Of the two futile policemen
convinced him. After some aimless inqui-
ries he.returned toward Staple Inn padding
a handkerchief to now very painful nose.
He was angry and astonished and per
picked. 1t appeared to him indisputable
that Mr.. Bessel must have gone violently
mad in the midst of his experiment in
thought transference. but why that should
make him appear with sad white face in
Mr.. Vincent's dreams seemed problem be-
yOnd solution. He racked his brains in
vain to explain this. 1t seemed to him
at last that not simply Mr.. Bessel, but the
order OF things, must be insane. But ne
could think of nothing to do. He shut him
self carefully into his room, lighted his
fret was a gas fire with asbestos bricks
and fearing fresh dreams if he went to
bed, remained bathing his injured face or
holding up books in a vain attempt to
Ttdl uUlIl ud"H IHTOuSNOuI lndC NlSl! ne
had curious persuasion that Mr.. Bessei
was endeavOring to speak to him, but he
would not let himself attend to any such
belief.
About dawn his physical fatigue assert
ed itself, and ne went to bed and slept
at last, in spite of dreaming. He rose
late, unrested and anxious and in ConSId-
cradle facial pain. The morning papers
had no news of Mr.. Bessers aberra,ion-
it had come too late for them. Mr.. Vim
cents perplexities, to which the fever CT
his bruise added fresh irritation, became
at last intolerable. and after a fruItless
visit to the Albany, he went down to St.
PauTs churchyard, to Mr.. Hart, Mr. Bes-
sells partner, and, so far as Mr.. Vincent
knew, his nearest friend
He was surprised to learn that Mr Hart,
although he knew nothing of the outbreak,
had also been disturbed by a vision, the
very vision that Mr.. Vincent had seen Mr..
Bessel, white and disheveled, pleading
earnestly by his gestures for help. That
signs. Il was just going to look him up
In the Albany when you arrived" said
Mr. Hart Il was so sure of something
being wrong with him."
As the outcome of their consultation the
two gentlemen decided to inquire at Scot
land Yard for news of their missing friend.
lie IS bound to be laid by the heels" said
Mr. Hart. He can't go on at that pace
Tor long. But the police authorities had
not laid Mr.. Bessel by the heels. They con-
trned Mr. Nincent's overnight experiences
and added fresh circumstances some of an
even graVer character than those he knew
"a list OF smashed glass along the upper
half OF Tottenham Court road, an attack
upon a policeman in Hampstead road ard
atFocfouS assaults upon number OF peace
iui citlzens. All these outrages were COM
mltted between 12:3o and :45 in the morn
ing, and between those hours and indeed
from the very moment of Mr.. Bessei's first
rush from his rooms at 30 in the even.
ing. they could trace the deepening yio-
Ience Of his fantastic career Fer the Ias1
hour, at least, from before THAT is until
1-4't-he had run amuck through LonIon
eludlng with amazing agility every efrort
to stop capture him.
but atter a quarter to two fle had van
tshed- Up to that hour witnesses We're nouI
Litudnous; dozens of people had seen him
ned from him or pursued him. and then
things suddenly came to an end AT a
quarter 10 he had been seen running down
the Euston road toward Baker street -four
ishing can of burning COLA oil and jerk
ing spiasheS of flame therefrom at the win
dows of the houses he passed. But none
OF the policemen on Euston road beyond
the waNwork exhibition, nor any of those
in the side streets down which he must
have passed had he left the Euston road
rad seen anything of him. Abruptly he
disappeared Nothing of his SUBSEQUENT
doings came to light In spite of the keenest
inquiry.
Here was a fresh astonishment for Mr.
Vincent He had found considerable com
fort in Mr.. Hart's conviction He is bound
to be laid by the heels before long and in
mat assurance he had been able to sus-
pend his mental perplexities. But any
fresh developments seemed destined to
add new fmpossibilities to a pile al
ready heaped beyond the powers of his ac-
ceptance- He found himself doubling
whether his memory might not have played
| er any of these things could possibly have