The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-18

the professors studio. Sne paid closer
attention to the pencil mark and observed
that 1t passed through the treasury build
ing
Don't look al that mapr' shrieked the
professor. beating the air with his hands.
Il asked you to bring IL to me Can't
you do simple action like that without
spying abcLtT'
Jennie rapidly unfastensd the paper
from the wall and brought II to him The
scientist scrutinized it closely. adjusting
his glasses the better 10 see. Then he
deliberately tore the map into fragments.
numerous and minute. He rose. and this
time Jennie made no protest, went to the
window. opened 10. flung the fiuttering bits
Of paper out into the air. the strong wind
carrying them far over the roofs OF
Vienna. Closing the easement, he came
back to his chair
"Was-was any one hurt at this expIo-
sion2' he asked presently
Yes; four men were killed instantly; a
dozen more were seriously injured and are
| now in the hospital"
''Oh, my God-my Godr' cried the old
man. covering his face with his hands.
swaying from side to side in his chair
| Ike a man tortured with agony and re-
morse. AT last he lifted a face that mad
grown more pinched and yellow within
the las few minutes
Il can tell you nothing" he said. moist
ening his parched lips.
You mean that you viii tell me moth
| ing. for l see plainly that you know every
thing"
Il krew nothing Of the explosion Until
you spoke OF ii. What have 1 to 10 with
| the treasury or the government
That is just what I want 10 know
''It Is absurd / am no conspirator, but
| a scientist"
Then you have nothing to fear Herr
! Seigfried. II you are innocent, Why are
| you 50 loath 10 give me any assistance
| in this matter?''
! ''Ir has nothing to do with me. am
| scientlst-I am n scientist All / wish Is 10
| be left alone with my studies. ] have
nothing to do with governments or news
| papers or anything belonging to ther"
| Jennie sat tracing pattern or thu dus
| ty fiocr with the point of her parasol- She
spoke very quietly:
| THE penciled line which you drew on
the map Of Vienna passed through the
| treasury building: the center of the circle
was this garret. Why cid you draw that
penciled semicircle? Why are you anxious
| that / should not see you had done so?
| Why did you destroy that mapE'
| Prof. Seigfried sat there locking at her
with dropped jaw. but he made no reply.
IF you will excuse my saying So the
| girl went on. you are acting very child
| ishly. 1t is evident TO ne that you are no
criminal, yet if the director of police had
been in my place he would have arrested
you long ago. and that merely because OF
| your own foolish actions
"The map Iroved nothing" he said at
last. haltingly. 'and besides. both you and
the director will now have some diff
Guilty in finding it,
That is further proof OF your folly.
The director doesn't need to find 1t.
am here to testify that / saw the map,
saw the curved line passing through the
treasury, and saw you destroy what you
thought was an incriminating piece OF
| evidence 1t would be much better if you
would deal as frankly with me as l have
doEe with you Then l shall give you the
best advice 1 can-if my advice will be OF
any assistance to you"
Eyes, and publish it to all the world.'
at will have to be published TO all the
world in any case, for If / leave here with
out full knowledge, / will simply go to the
police office and there tell all l know"
"And if do speak, you viii still go to
the director of police and tell him wha,
you have discovered.
mo; l give you my word that 1 viii
not,''
'What guarantee have Of that?" ask
ed the ole man suspicioGsly.
mo guarantee at all except my Word!
.'WiH you promise not to print in your
paper what | tell yOu?
mo; | cannot promise that'
"StiII. the newspaper doesn't matter,
continued the scientist. 1.-THE story would
be valueless to you, because no one wouio
believe 1t. There is no use in printing q
story in a newspaper that will be laughed
at, is there? However, | think you are
honest Otherwise you would have prom
ised not to print a line of what L tel
you, and then 1 should have known yoc
were lying. 1t was as easy to promise
that as to say you would not tell TIE
director of police / thought at first some
scientist had sent you here to play tht
spy on me and learn what l was doing
| assure you l heard nothing about tn'
explosion you speak of; yet | was certain
ii had occurred somewhere along tha
. line which l drew on the map. 1 ha(
hoped it was not serious, and began L
believe it was not. The anxiety of tn,
last month has nearly driven me insane
and, as you say quite truly, my actions
have been childish"
The old man in his excitement haC
risen from his chair and was now pacin;
up and down the room, running his fin
: gers distractedly through his long, whit
hair and talking more 10 himself than I,
his auditor.
; Jennie had edged her chair nearer {.
the door and had made no protest agains
his rising, fearing 10 interrupt his fioy
{ of talk and again arouse his suspicious
Il have no wish 10 prOtec: my inven
, tions. l have never taken out a paten
in my life. What | discover | eive free
ly to the world, but l will not be robbie
4 OF my reputation as q scientist. | wan
my name TO go down 10 posterity anon
those of the great discoyerers. You talk
/ ed just now of going to -he police an
telling them what yOu knew. FOOLS
{ creatarei You would no more have gon
\ to the central police Office without nv Del
= mission, or against my viii, than 20
could go TO the window and whistle bac
$ those bits of paper | scattered 10 III
- winds. Before you reached the bottom c
7 the stairs ] could have laid Vienna in
1 mass VI lutuS- e. tDuli All AL DFUN
> ! ability have blown up the entire emDir
of Austria. The truth is that / 20 no
know the limit of my power, nor dare
test IT,"
"Oh, this is z madman"' thought Jenni
, | as she edged still nearer 10 the door Th
old man paused in his walk and Iurne
| fiercely upon her.
"You don't believe me?' he said.
d NO do not" she answered. the COLI
| leaving her cheeks.
The aged scientist gave utterance 20
hideous chuckle. He took from one
II his numerous shelves d hammer head witt
out the handle and for q moment Jenn
u though he was going 10 attack her b.
he merely handed the metal 10 iler or
y said:
l Break that in two. Place it betwee
your palms and grind il 10 powder"
u You know that is absurd; ] cannot Z
@ it,"
e why can't you do it 90
Il Because il Is OF steel
II That is TO reason. Why can't you {