The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-09

often rs God permits"
he approached me, leaned toward MT
iestingly and answered in low tone
Hold your tongue; there arc ladies
| present. He made q circular bow ant
went out, leaving me dumb, shiyerine
and unable to believe my ears.
Cantal. who had joined us during thu
last speech, clapped me on the shoul
der. "Hayc you lost your wits:" hi
asked.
"He has come into big propert.
and is only continuing to practice whilt
waiting for q successor" murmurcd
enervated by the fumes Of the punch.
BAH exclaimed Cantal. "Do yor
actually suppose him to be attached tt
the ceremony in question:"
$50 you caught the drift Of our shor
talk. old fellow, did you? Short, bnt
instructive. The man is a mere execu
tioner-a Belgian, probably. He is
the foreigner Antonio referred to 4 few
moments ago. Save for his presence OF
mind would have made break that
would have alarmed the ladies'"
"Come, Gomez cried Cantal. can ex
ecutioner in q 10000 franc carriage
who gives diamonds to his dinner
neighbor, who sups at the Maison Doree
the day before he dcvotes himself to a
patient Since your cafe de choiseu]
you see hangmen everywhere! Drink
some punch. Your NJ. Saturn is poor
jester, do you know
At these words it seemed to me that
cold reason was OH Cantals side. Great
~ annoyed, hastily picked up my hat
and gloves, aRl turned toward the
door. "This stupid hoax has lasted far
too long," | added, opening the door.
IF find that funereal mystifier,
swear that
Don't swear!w cried gay, we'll
known voice from behind the portiere.
"Step back, my dear friend And our
famous little doctor, Les Eglisottes, en-
tered springily, his greatcoat sprinklcd
with SNOW.
sMy dear DOCTOR said, II will
come back shortly, but He took
my arm.
"When have told you the history of
the man who was going away as l ar
rived, | warrant you that you'll not
care to ask him an account Of his sal
lies. Besides, it's too late; his carriage
has carried him half 4 mile by this
time"
These words were pronounced in so
strange tone that paused on the
threshold. "Give us the story, doctor"
said. sitting down. "But, remember.
you'll have to answer for my inaction." /"
The prince Of science set his gold
headed cane in a corner, pressed his
lips. on the finger tips Of our three
Graces, poured out glass Of Madeira,
and il the fantastic silence due to the
incident-and to his own entrance
commenced in these terms:
81 thoroughly understand this even
ing's adventure, as we'll as if / had
been among you. What has happened
to you, without being precisely alarm
ing, might have become so. The gen
tleman is, rightly enough, Baron Won
a., Of an aristocratic German fam
fly; his fortune is in the Millions;
but"-the doctor looked Mt us-"his In
sanity having been diagnosed by the
medical faculties Of Munich and Ber-
lin, presents the nest extraordinary
and incurable cf monomanias cited up
to today"
"a madman! What are we to under
stand, FlorianY asked Cantal, pushing
the slim bolt Of the door. At this reve-
lation the ladies' smile had changed.
I began to think I was dreaming.
81 thought I had Informed you that
our gentleman was millionaire half q
dozen times over" Florian replied
grayely. "He is more likely to put
others under lock and key than to be
so treated"
"And what is his mania% asked Su-
sannah. 81 give you warning that I
find him fascinating"
perhaps you'll change your views Of
him IL a minute or two," continued
the doctor. lighting q cigarette. ut
seems that the tacIturn youth embark
ed in his teens for the East Indies; he
travelled Tor several years in Asia. Here
begins the dense mystery that conceals
the origin Of his malady. During GER
tain revolts in the far east he witness
ed-attracted, no doubt, at first by q
mere travellers curiosity-the cruel
tortures that oriental laws infict upon
rebels and criminals. But it seems that
soon the instincts Of q cruelty that goes
beyond belief awoke in him, troubled
his brain, poisoned his blood and finally
made him the singular being that he
has become.
"By one Of the clauses Of his fathers
will the family is forced to avoid the
baron's civil death unless they wish to
suffer serious pecuniary losses. So he
is at large. He Is Oh the best Of terms
with the gentlemen of capital justice.
The first visit he pays in every town is
to them. He has often offered them
large sums for the privilege Of operat-
ing in their stead, and between our
selves I should not wonder il even In
Europe he has brihed one or two. One
can say his madness is inoffensive,
since it wrecks itself only on persons
condemned by the law. SO this Is the
gentleman with whom you have had
the honor Of spending the night. Let
me add that when ont of his dcmcntii