Little Falls herald., 1903-01-30

Silas, with a flushed face and fear
full beating heart, kept between the
doctor and the bed, but he found no
voice to answer.
"You are in the DARK pursued the
doctor, "and yet you have not even be-
gun to prepare for rest. You will not
easily persuade me against my own
eyesight, and your face declares most
eloquently that you require either a
friend or physician-which is it to
be? Let me feel your pulse, for that
is often just reporter Of the heart.
He advanced to Silas, who still re-
treated before him backward, and
| sought to take him by the wrist. but the
strain on the young Americans nerves
had become too great for endurance.
/ He avoided the doctor with febrile
movement and, throwing himself upon
! the floor, burst into a food of weep.
ing:
AS soon as DR.. Noel perceived the
dead man in the bed his face darkened,
| and, hurrying back to the door which
he had left ajar. he hastily closed and
double locked it.
up" he cried. addressing Silas in
| strident tones. ''1'his is no time for
weeping. What have you done? How
came this body i'll your room? Speak
freely to one who may be helpful. Do
you imagine would ruin you? Do you
think this piece of dead flesh on your
| pillow can alter i'll any degree the sym
! ,ofl ;c1, J,o, Il
me? Crednlous youth. tie horror with
which blind and unjust law regards an
action never attaches to the doer in the
eyes Of those who love him, and if l
saw the friend of my heart return to
me out of seas of blood he would be in
no way changed in my affection. Raise
YOURSELF he said. ''Good and Ill are a
chimera. There is naught in life ex-
cept destiny, and. however you may be
circumstanced. there is one at your
side who will help you to the last
Thus encouraged, Silas gathered him
self together and, in broken voice and
helped out by the doctors interroga-
tions, contrived at last to put him in
possession of the facts. But the con-
versation between the prince and Ger
aldine he altogether omitted, as he had
understood little of it's purport and had
no idea that it was in any way related
to his own misadventure.
| "Alasv' cried DR.. Noel. II am much
abused or you have fallen innocently
into the most dangerous hands in Eu-
rope. Poor boy! What pit has been
dug for your simplicity! Into what a
deadly peril have your unwary feet
been conducted! This man, he said,
''this Englishnlan, whom you twice saw
and whom I suspect to be the soul Of
the contrivance, can you describe him :?
! Was he young OF old, tail Or short?'
But Silas, who. for all his curiosity,
had not Il seeing eye in his head, was
able to supply nothing but neager gen
eralties, which it was impossible to rec
! OgniZe.
Il would have it piece of educa-
! ton in all schools!' cried the doctor
J angrily. ''Where is the use of eye
! sight and articulate speech if man
cannot observe and recollect the fea-
lures of his enemy? l, who know all
the gangs of Europe, might have iden-
tilted him and gained new weapons for
your defense. Cultivate this art in
future, my poor boy. You may find it
of mOmentous service"
'The FUTURE repeated Silas. "What
! future is there left for me except the
gallows?''
Youth is but cOWardly season."
returned the doctor, ''and mans own
troubles look blacker than they are. l
am old, and yet never despair
''Can l tell such story to the po-
lice?' demanded Silas.
"Assuredly not" replied the DOCTOR
'.From what 1 see already of the machi-
nation in which you have been in
volved your case is desperate upon
that side, and for the narrow eye of the
authorities you are infallibly the guilty
person. And remember that we only
know portion of the plot, and the
same infamous contriyers have doubt
less arranged many other circumstances
which would be elected by police in
quiry and help to fix the guilt more
certainly upon your innocence"
II am then lost indeed" cried Silas.
II have not said so,"' answered DR..
Noel, "for I: am cautious man."
But look at this" objected Silas,
pointing to the body. Here is this OBJ
ject in my bed, not to be explained. not
to be disposed Of, not to be regarded
without horror
Horror" replied the doctor. <'No
When this sort of clock has run down.
it is no more to me than an ingenious
piece of mechanism, to be Investigated
with the bistoury. When blood is once
cold and stagnant, it is no longer hui
man blood. When flesh is once dead
it is no longer the flesh which we desire
In our lovers and respect in our friends
The grace, the attraction and the terror
have all gone from it with the animat
ing spirit Accustom yourself to look
upon it with composure. for if my
scheme is practicable you will have tt
live some days in constant proximity
to that which now so greatly horrifies