The times., 1898-01-24


CLASSY, horror-stricken eyes. What /
1t, dear master?' l cried in fear. i
1t that heart-pain again? The SCUM
OF my voice seemed to bring hir
somewhat to himself, and he stagger
ed to a chair, holding a paper in hi
hand. Yes. yes, he. muttered hoarse
iy, the pain in my heart-so bad
gave him some brandy, and he sool
grew more lifelike, though 1 could Sc
he had had a great shock. 1 must g
home, he said. 1 expostuIated in vain
but when / found he was determined
L rose to accompany him: but to my
surprise, re would not let me go an!
further with him than my sitting.
room door. Go in and sit down. sale
| he. Don't take any notice of me.
like it better so. Sit down and close
the door. I will go down alone
| could but obey, and / heard his steps
/ going downstairs, and then the cIans
| ~ the hali-doOr as il closed upon him
BE had dropped The payer on my land
| ing, and 1 mad mechanically picked il
up L now looked at Ii, and found il
was one OF my concluding expert
| nents. the result of wE.ch / had
scribbled down hastily, before noting
| in my book
Il slept very badly that night. what
with one thing and another. and | re-
member very well getting up to fee
| II my precious notebook was safe
/ Then / got back into bed again. But
| my discovery and its results haunted
/ me.
| AT last, out of all patience. / got up
| put on my dressing-g gown and deter
| mined to go to my laboratory and take
| look round. thinking by this means
| to settle my mind / accordingly took
n ha, -, .N<.t.< -rsH.
with slipper-shod feet, along the corri-
dor What was my astOnishment 20
see a light family shining under the
laboratory door: Someone was in
there. i first thought of thieves. but
at once secuted the idea. What could
thieves want in such d place? | listen
ed breathlessly at the keyhole. and dis
tinctly heard somebody moving about,
and once | thought / heard an impa-
tIent sigh. [ am not very muscular.
but still, this was an intrusion on my
holy Of holes. and / determined. if
the door was unlocked, TO rush in and
catch the intruder if possible. / put my
hand on the knob. but must have made
some slight noise in doing so, for the
light was instantly extinguished. In
dashed. but fell PROSTATE over a chair.
which had been cleyerly placed at the
entrance. Something brushed past me
in the darkness, rushed through the
door, and downstairs Ii did not take
me very long TO jump up. and follow
the nocturnal yisitant, arousinS the
house at the same time by my cries.
But as / got To the top of the bottom
fight of stairs. heard the bolt of the
han door shot back, and / just got to
the street in time to see a cloaked fig
ure running with incredible sWiftuess
forty or fifty yards away. 1t was i'm
possible for me clad as I was to pur-
sue it, so my landlord and /, after thor
oughly searching every corner of the
house, and finding no clew to the mys-
terry. decided 10 go back to bed once
more, and acquaint the police with my
adventure in the morning.
Morning came. and with it kind
letter from Professor EiFhOff. telling me
that his indisposition made it impOssi-
bic for him to lecture, and inviting me
to his house in the afternoon. and I
was to be sure, said the letter'to bring
with me any notes l might have made
on the functions of the neduIIa OBJ
longata, as he wished to see how far I
had gone in the study of that organ
Il passed my morning in the Iabora-
tory. verifying. examining each link in
my chain of causation. and looking
eagerly for any possible source Of err
blood coursed quickly through my
veins as 1 thought OF the reputation /
had made for myself. and Of the dear
ones at home-hoW glad they would be,
j ate my lunch in q dream. and was
actually on my way to the professors.
when / suddenly remembered that /
had left my precious notebook behind
me- l hastily ran back. snatched il uD
from an experimenting table. and made
the best of my way TO my masters
house, knowing that he much disIiked
unpunctuality.
He received me warmly. but I still
fancied that his face was a trifie pale.
and that his hand shook This latter
fact was brought to my notice by his
letting a Wineglass fall after dinner.
He had just raised it to his lips. when
l said. Now, master. / have wonder
full piece of news for you. and l want
you TO drink to my health. / have dis
covered the true functions of the me-
Gulla oblonsata.'
Hardly had the words left my lips
VIXEN his wineglass dropped to the
ground. | rang the bell for the SER
want, at the professors request, and in
turning to do so faced a small mirror
on the wall. l saw Nirhoff's face re-
flected for one brief instant: and such
an awful look of malignant hatred as
was then depicted on il / never wish 10
see again. | turned hastily around.
and could not but believe that my eyes
had played me false, for there he sat.
smiling gently as before. He began to
talk at once, expressing, as | thought
he would. great gladueSs at my news. !
though said he, L can hardly yet
credit it. even from you, my dear /
young friend. He got up. and pro-
posed that We should take our cigars !
and adjourn to his laboratory. where !
We could discuss matters in a more /
scientific atmosphere as it were OF /
course you brought your notes of work /
with YOU added he.
Il told him that / had, and We went |
down a long flight of steps and along I
1ne or two passages till we came to our /
destination 1t was, in reality a large !
cellar. which had been turned to scien- /
-ific use, and was fitted UP with all the !
Attest improvements. My mouth wa |
tered, so to speak. at the splendid ap- |
paratus around me. The best of in |
trunents-electric batteries of all |
iizeS-frst-rate operating tables: in |
fact, 1 had never seen so perfect an
rom the ceiling, gave out brilliant cleo |
-ric rays. and smaller lights were near
Zach working bench.
I'VE stepped inside. and, to my sur
prise. Virhoff locked the door behind |
is and put the key in his pocket At I
.er showing me his treasures he clap
bed me cordially on the shoulder. and |
said. Now. dear pupil, You shall sit
~ this operating table. l win sit on
he chair here in front of you-quite at
lome, eh?-and you shall tell me all
bout your discovery Up you get: ha. |
Ia, how droIl to see you sitting up
I1ora''