The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-05-29

but scientist. !"
'"Then you have nothing to fear,
Herr Seigfried. If you are innocent,
why are yon so loath to give me any as
sistance in this matter2''
sit has nothing to do with me- am
aacientist--I am a scientist All wish
is to be left alone with my studies. |
have nothing to do with governments or
newspapers or anything belonging to
them.
Jennie sat tracing pattern on the
dusty floor with the point OF her para
sol 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 garnet. Why did you
draw that penciled semicircle2 Why
are you anxious that should not see
you had done so? Why did you destroy
the map?"
Professor Seigfried sat there looking
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
childishly. 1t is evident to me 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 ac-
tions
1.-The map proved nothing" be said
at last, haltingly, Fand, besides, both
yn bn
some difficulty in finding it. J"
THAT is further proof of your folly.
The director doesn't need to find it. 1
am here to testify that l saw the map,
saw the curved line passing through
the treasury and saw you destroy what
you thought was an discriminating piece
of evidence. 1t would be much better
if you would deal as frankly with me
as | have done with you. Then 1 shall
give You the best advice I can-if my
advice will be of any assistance to you. y
''Yes, and publish it to all the
world"
cit will have to be published to all
the world in any case, for if l leave
here without full knowledge, l will
simply go to the police Office and there
tell all know!'
and if do speak you will still go
to the director of the police and tell
him what you have discovered!"
mo; give You my word that will
notn'
"What guarantee have l of that?"
asked the old man suspiciously.
IN
word!'
will you promise not to print in
your paper what l tell you?''
'No; cannot promise that!"
Still. the newspaper doesn't mat
ter, continued the scientist ''The
story would be valueless to you, because
no one would believe it. There is no
use in printing story in newspaper
that will be laughed at is there? How
ever, think you are honest. Otherwise
you would have promised not to print
a line of what 1 tell you, and then l
should have known you We're lying. 1t
was as easy to promise that as to say
you would not tell the director of po-
lice. | thought at first some scientist
had sent you here to play the spy on
me and learn what was doing. l as
sure you heard nothing about the ex-
plosion you speak of, yet l was certain
it had occurred somewhere along that
line which | drew on the map. [ had
hoped it was not serious and begun to
believe it was not. The anxiety of the
last month has nearly driven me in
sane, and, as you say quite truly, my
actions have been childish.
The old man in his excitement had
risen from his chair and was now pac-
ing up and down the room, running his
fingers distractedly through his long,
white hair and talking more to himself
than to his auditor.
Jennie had edged her chair nearer to
the door and had made no protest
against his rising, fearing to interrupt
his flow of talk and again arouse his
suspicious
81 have no wish to protect my inven-
tions. have never taken out patent
in my life. What discover give free
ly to the world, but will not be robbed
of my reputation as scientist. l want
my name to go down to posterity
among those of the great discoveries.
You talked just now of going to the
police and telling them what you knew.
Foolish creature! You could no more
have gone to the central police office
without my permission, or against my
will. than you could go to the window
and whistle back those bits of paper
scattered to the winds. Before you
reached the bottom of the stairs could
have laid Vienna in mass of ruins.
Yes, could in all probability have
blown up the entire empire of Aus
tria. The truth is that do not know
the limit of my power. nor dare test
it.
sob, this is a madmanl" thought
Jennie as she edged still nearer to the
door The old man paused in his walk
and turned fiercely upon her.
"You don't believe me?'' he said.
mo, | do not, she answered, the
color leaving her cheeks.
The aged scientist gave utterance to
Al I,i6no1,e cbuaIyla He took f,.o,,, ono 5,e