The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-01

latest Improvements. My mouth water ed, so to speak, at the splendid ap- paratus, around me. The best of in- struments-electric batteries of all sizes -flrst-rate operating tables; in fact, l had never seen so perfect an equip ment, A large globe. hanging from the ceiling, gave out brilliant electric rays, and smaller lights were near each work ing bench.
 We stepped inside, and, to my sur prise, Virhoff locked the. door behind us and put. the key in his pocket. Af- ter showing me his treasures he clapped me cordially on the shoulder, and said, Now, dear pupil, you shall sit on this operating table. will sit on the chair here in front of you-quite at home, eh?-and you shall tell me all about your discovery! Up you get; ha, ha! how droll to see you sitting up therel'
 'I laughed myself, though there was something in his manner, I know not what, which seemed strained and un- natural. Accordingly I perched on the table, Virhoff sitting in front of me, smiling fiXedly. First let me see your notes. will your said he. I handed him my notebook silently. Sit still, said he don't move Hardly had he said the words when I felt shock and knew that strong electric current was passing through me I was powerless to move. 'Ha, ha! young friend! said Virhoff. You feel the thrill; is it not SO? Listen, O great dscoverer. By pressing this knob, which you see here I make an end of you, sure and safe; AIak s, atT rspt, tr to do. You baby-faced fool! You Eng fish devil! Shall chance put into your hands what I, Virhoff, have spent my life trying to discover? it was whom you surprised last night! I opened your hall door after I left you, shut it (my- self being inside) and then crept back and hiJ In your laboratory! At night I tried to find out if you had discov- cred the secret for which had toiled in vain, for I guessed from the paper that you must be on right tracks. But I could find nothing, so I have brought | you and your discovery here, and I mean to kill you and keep it.. My work l is meat and drink to me, it Is the blood, | the life of my heart!' hissed he; his | face transformed by rage into that of demon, 'You-you boy. is it fit that i you should by accident find out what has been to me the work of hours and hours of secret toil? No, dear young l friend, you have only one more discov- cry to make, and that will be when I once more press the knob, and then you will be dead, dear pupil How | droll. and he laughed shrilly.
 ''The sweat came out on my brow. | My soul froze with horror under the malevolent eye of the maniac, for such I judged him to be. You will disap- pear vanish!' continued he. No one shall learn your fate; and I, Virhoff, will have what is rightfully my own!' l So saying, he quickly opened the note | book and dashed hastily over the pages. 1 For few minutes no sound was heard save his hurried breathing. I was toe l faint with fear to say one word. Sud- l denly he uttered an exclamation of sur | prise and disgust, and threw the book | down. 'But-but, stammered he; you have discovered nothing. It is all | wrong, all quite wrong and he paced l backward and forward in uncontrolla- ble agitation. At last he stopped, clap I ped his hands on his sides and laughed loudly in a very forced manner. Fla I Iieve the boy thinks I am in earnest! Seen and he pressed another knob. The electric circuit was broken, and 1 Jumped down from the table, free once more. You must allow the old man his
 joke, said he, still laughing nervously
 See, here is your book Come and lei us have some more wine
 But I was still terribly frightened
 and I am not ashamed to own 1t.
 cannot tell with what relief I followed
 Virhoff upstairs. He still laughed and talked volubly, praying me not be of fended at his ill-timed jest. I could
 hardly answer him, and took the firs l opportunity of bidding him good night i How blessed seemed the free air o1 | heaven, playing on my hot brow! My thoughts were still in a riotous maze l of confusion. One idea kept coming tt
 me, however What had he meant by saying that had made no discovery
 Had he then detected some error, some
 weak point? I found out, gentlemen
 when I got home, the answer to tht
 enigma, and the cold sweat came to my
 brow once more, when I saw that my
 life had been saved by my having, 1T
 my hurry, put the wrong book in my
 pocket when I went to Virhoff's.
 l Next day I published my discovery
 and the day afterward the newspaper!
 announced the suicide of the eminen
 Professor Virhoff-a man renowned
 alike for his scientific discoveries ant
 for his unfailing good of heart and be
 nightly of demeanor.' '"-W. Francis il
 the Argos.