The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-18

buloihg seemed 10 be one let out IN mas
and tenements. She mounted stair after
stair, and only at the very top did she see
I the professors name painted on a door.
/ Here she raped several times without
any attention being paid TO her summons,
/ but at last the door WAS opened partially
+ by a man whom she took. quite accurate
/ ~. 70 be the professor himself. His head
was white and MS face deeply wrinkled.
I He glared az her through his glasses and
/ said 10 her:
Young iaa. YOU have made mistake.
/ These are the rooms OF Prof, Carl Seig-
I fried"
/ 1T is Prof Carl Seigfried that wish
7 20 Sec said the girl hurriedly as the old
mar was preparing 10 shut the door.
! What do you want from him?'
4 want some information from him
1 about explosives. ] have been told that
I ne knows more about explosives than any
/ other man livIng.'
quite right-he does. What, thenT'
An explosion has taken place, produc-
Ing the most remarkable results. They
say that neither dynamite nor any other
known force could have had such an ef-
feet or metals and minerals as this pow
er has had"
"Ah, dynamite Is a toy for Children
cried the old mar. opening the door a lit
[ tie farther, exhibiting an interest which
had UP 10 that moment been absent from
his manner. Well. where did this explo-
sion take place? DO you wish me TO go
/ and see it?'
'PerhapI, later on. At present 1 wish
I TO show YOU some OF its effects, but /
don't propose 10 do so here in the pas
sageway."
quite right, quite right" hastily ejac
! Ulated the old scientist throwing the door
/ wide open. ''Of course / am not accus-
! TONED to visits from fashionable young
ladies, and / thought at first there had
been a mistake, but if you have any real
scientific problem / shall be delighted 10
give my attention TO IL. What may ap-
pear very extraordinary 10 the lay mind
Will doubtless prove fully explainable by
scientists. Come in. come inr'
The old man shut the door behind her
and led her along a dark passage into
large apartment whose ceiling was the
roof OF the building. At first sight it
seemed in amazing disorder. Huge as it
was 1t was cluttered with curious shaped
machines and instruments. twisted
congiomeration of glass tubing, bent into
fantastic tangles, stood on a central table
and had evidently been occupying the pro-
fessor's attention at the time he was In
terrupted. The place was lined with
shelving where the walls were not occu-
pied with cupboards, and every shelf was
burdened with bottles and apparatus OF
different kinds. Whatever care Prof Seig-
fried took of his apparatus. he seemed to
have little for his furniture. There was
hardly a decent chair in the place, except
one deep armchair, covered with a tiger s
skin, i'm which the professor evidently
took his ease while medtating or watch
ing the progress of an experiment. This
chair he did not offer TO the young lady
in fact, he did not offer her a chair at
all. but sank down on the tigers skin
himself. placed the tips of his fingers to-
gether, and glared at her through his
glittering glasses.
/, Now, young woman" he said, sharply,
what have you brought for me? Don't
> begin TO chatter now, for my time is VAL
liable. Show ne what you have brought.
, and | will tell you all about it, and most
likely very simple thing it is"
Jennie, interested in so rude a man,
: smiled, drew up the last decrepit chair
she could find and sat down, in spite of
! the angry mutterings Of her irritated host.
: Then she opened her satchel, took out the
!
without a word. The old man took it
= somewhat contemptuously, shook it back
: ward and forward without taking out the
cork, adjusted his glasses, then suddenly
: seemed TO take a nervous interest in the
= material presented to him. He rose and
= went nearer the light Drawing out the
: cork with trembling hands, he poured
some of the contents into his open palm
The result was startling enough. The old
= man flung up his hands, letting the vial
= crash into a thousand pieces on the floor
. He staggered forward, shrieking, "Ah
= men Gott-mein Gottl'
! Then, to the CONSERVATION of Jennie
who had already risen in terror from hcl
4 chair the old man plunged forward or
his face Jennie had difficulty in repress
= ing a shrek. She looked round hurriedly
\ for a bell 10 ring. but there evidently was
;. none. She tried TO open the door and CRY
: for help, but in her excitement could GnC
9 neither handle nor latch. 1t seemed TO bt
9 locked, and the key, doubtless, was in tht
? professors pocket She thought at frs
. that he had dropped dead but the con
a tinuing means as he lay on the moor con
q WINGED her of her error. She bent ovel
: him anxiOusly and cried: What can
, do To help yOu?"
. With a struggle he mutrered: The bot
o tle-the bottle-in the cupboard behinC
: you
. She hurriedly flung open the doors o
n the cupboard indicated and found a bot
! tie of brandy and a glass, which she part
- ly filed. The old man had with an eff
n fort struggled into a sitting posture. an,
10 she held the glass of fiery liquid to hi
e paIid lips. He guided down the brand,
= and gasped: Il feel better now. Help m
Il 10 my chair
ie Assisting him TO his feet, she supporte,
ia him to his armchair, when he shook MN
II self free, crying angrily: Let me alone
n Don't you see am all right again?"
The girl stood aside, and the orofesso
\. dropped into his chair, his nervous hand
l. vibrating on his knees. For d long inter
s val nothing was said by either and IL
m / girl al last seated herself in the chair sh
had formerly occupied. The first word
/ the old man spoke We're: who sent 20
herc?"
l. NO one. | cannot OF my own eccor1
O. wished TO meet some one who had larg
ID know ledge of explosives, aud Herr Feltz
the chemist. gave me your address"
4 Herr Feltzi Herr Feltz.' he repeated
II SO he sent you hsre?'
II ''Ii is as I tell you. Herr Feltz merel
re gave me your address"
Where did you get that powdere
ie gold?'
,r 1T came from the debris of an explc
Dr sicn."
n IL know; you said that before Wher
IA was the explosion? Who caused it,"
be That | don't know"
ID "Dcr't you know where the exp!oslo
d. wEs?"
Yes, I know where the explosion wa
~ but don't know who caused H."
WHO sent you here?''
- 81 tell you no one sent me here"
~ THAT is not true. The man who cause
= the explosion sent you here You are h
C iniEion. What DO you expect 10 find o.
-, from me?"
a. a., Il expect 10 learn what explosive VI
- used 10 produce the result that seemed
~ haye such a remarkable effect on you"
I a, haV Ef HaI M T. .