Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-08-25

1.-The very man want" Lady Bysshe ,
r@aiiea, eagerly. II am so glad mem
toned the subject. Pray tell me about
him.
II have known him TO make 4. :,ao5-
binary cures. Ny father has immense
faith In him, and, indeed, he has at
tended our family since he came to
settle here as young man: so he re-
CARDS. me- rs one of his few friends"
My dear count. l viii $ nd for him
at once.
eccentric and is greatly feared. He
has Il reputation. a singular reputa-
ton
lis he SO wicAcds." Lady Bysshe
asked. arching her prows inquiringly.
"On the contrary. he is most chat
tatle, leads the life Of Il hermit. and
praseriSes Without recompenss to amy
poor people who consult hin Bu, they
believe him To be Il wizard. partly be-
cause of his dress and appearance
PARTLY because Of the cures he makes.
but chiefly because when they see the
red and green lights burning through
the windows of his laboratory at mid
night or early morning, they cross
themselves and tell each other that he
is having conference with his satanic
ma icsty You know how superstitious
our people are" lie added, with low
pleasant laugh.
But is he Il chenlist?'' Lady Bysshe
asked.
"IIe is an alchcmist. For nearly halt
a century he has been seeking for the
secret which shall turn base metals
into pure gold" Sasari told her quite
seriously.
What" Docs anyone believe in
such things in this century,
"Oh. several, assure you. The cleV.
crest men sometimes follow the most
absurd hobbies. laugh at DIR. Zof-
fani for his credulity and he pities me
for my Ignorance. lie can name a doZ-
en- ;i.c,lemists who have turned lead
into gold in ancient times. At all
events, re has wasted half century
and large fortune in experimenting"
''llaNe his fees brought him this large
fortune?" Lady Bysshe asked.
NO. fer he has never had many
wealthy PATIENTS. and have never
heard from him where he gets the
money TO rent his palace, keep up his
laboratory, buy expensive chemicals and
Instruments. and give freely to the
gets / have seen him drop into the
cru.b 'c as if they were so many
stones.
lie must be interesting as an indi-
v,iuai." said Lady Bysshe with a
doubtful air. But as a doctor.
II win pledge myself for his skill.
",rhen will send for him." she de-
ciaed.
II fear you will have to tale the pa :
Istient to him. for he hes not left his
[ ra,acc for years Nothing Will tempt
him to go far from his laboratory.
where n fire has been kept burning
night and day for quarter of q CEN
/ tury.
Then l will take Edith to him the
FIRST cay she r. able to be out. Perhaps
| ylu would scnle With W."
| "Wish pleasure" answered the count.
And meanwhile, will prepare him for
! your visit
A weck later and they drove through
the Porta N,lova, h;;f a mile beyond
4 wl.ich they came To q dark and deao-
4 late locking PLACE whose thick, rough
| stoned wallis stood close by the road
! side, from which its lower windows
were protected by thick iron bars. A
4 few Clipped and broken stairs led 70
/ a high archcd doorway. beside
i w!.ich hung the rusty handle of a bell
whose sounds presently went echoine
through empty halls and corridors In
| iItcrminable reverberations.
few minutes later they caught the
sounds of shufllng feet approaching
Then door Edith had not previously
noticed was pushed open and DIR. Zof-
lani stood ON the Threshold. His Heb
rev origin was ilstnnly perceptiblc T..
his withered yellow face. with it's prom
:ncnt nose and underhung lower lip
\ fills gray beard was unkcmpt, his higt
/ dome shaped forehead swept by wisps
Of white hair, while the crown OF his
head WAS covered by " little purpls
cap. The chief features In his sage
and kindly countnnance %as his eyes.
dark. sunl.en, fun of underlying sad
ness, yet extraordinarily luminous nn'
with Gn Intelligence that made itsel
visible like light. Hsi tall. thin fiSur'
was slightly stopped and clad In loos'
brown gaberdine The garment worn b.
his people i'm the east.
He lifted his little Blk ull cap and bow
sd With dignity and courtesy to Lad,
1 !,ysshe and Edith, then warmly greete.
s,asari, who at once explained that HI
had brought the patient of whom III
had already spoken. AT this the docto
liked hia eyes on Edith and begged tina
she and her friends would follow him
With slow steps he conducted then
10 the apartment whore he saw the fes
patiepts who consulted him an octag
anal room whose atmosphere was heat
I'd Nv charcoal burning in g great bra
aler, II was lighted by the mid da
sun. streaming through ITS deep sc
Hindows.
l,ditt was Impressed with the doc
tors grave yet kindly manner by hi
venerable and unconventional appear
aloe, but above all by an indehnabl
AIR &c insight and knowledge which tn
expression ef his eyes guaranteed hin
20 possess
AS she walked beside him sne ha
addressed him I'M his own linsuag'
which her stepfather had taught he
Nheu With delighted surprise he hega
10 aske her various questions abou
herself and the coIntry from which sh
had come.
i,asari who had been showing Lad
iissshe some Gulious crystal pitfalls an
marble atatlettes that he had dug u
in neighbnrlng gardcn--calne forwar
to tell zoffani that his patient was tn
ltepdHughtet of Count MassInj: a
this he looked Mt Edith seemingly wit
fresh interest
1.-The Count Massini," he said, as
recalling memory with some effor
An yes, remember Count Massinl."
My uncle by marriages" Sasari cs
planned. You remelnber
Yes" Zcffani interrupted, II remen
be,a' And turning to Edith he sal
musingly, and so Count Massinl
your stepfather. He live altogether
England"
Yes. With us with my aunt ar
myself"
Ills son is of age yes, more tha
of age by this time
he is four or five and twenty
so much as that" he muttercd, h
eyebrows meeting and almost hidif
the light Of his eyes II have not see
him since lie was an infant. did n