Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-13
The/0rc eress Of the
I/trdnd. sr Ro 81 n5aRH
COP s,Gnr- 1904 BIZ

shall not take place, nor your idea be given
to the world until she. has secured herself
by patent rights beyond dispute. l shall
take care to guard you professor until
you appear before the Royal Society at
8 O'Clock tonight. A nd l conclude, Mr..
Pollak, that, you knowing at last the true
facts in the case, will at once cancel all
negotiations with Madame Sara. l pre-
sumo. SIR he added, bowling to Pfozzi,
that you will like him to negotiate the
business in your name? A cursory fnspec-
ton of it must mean an enormous fortune
for you, for beyond doubt the chemical
synthesis of ailments would prove the solu-
ton of many of the difficulties that now
present themselves to the human race
The professor sat quite silent for minute
or two, then he rose and said, slowly
II follow you, Mr.. Vandeleur, and see
that your deduction is the right one as re-
CARDS the financial Importance of my dis
.covery How did not see 1t sooner myself
puzzles me. As to Nine Sara / would
rather not mention her name at present.
Vandeleur made no reply to this, and
moment later Pollak took his leave. l rose
also to CO.
Come back and dine with us. bruce"
said Vandeleur. IF Prof. PiOzzi declines
to talk of Nine. Sara, neither will 1 men
ton her name We shall soon know the
best the worst"
The rest of the day passed without adven-
ture. The dinner at Vandeleur's turned out
somewhat dull. We were none of us in
good spirits. and, without owning 1t, we
were all anxious. AS to the professor he
scarcely spoke word and hardly touched
his food.
About $40 o'clock we found ourselves at
the Royal institution. Several leading sci
entists were there to welcome the dstin-
guished lecturer. peeped from behind into
the hall. 1t was packed from front to
back The platform was tastefully dec
GRATED with palms; one of peculiar grace
and size dropped it's finger-like fronds over
the table at which Piozzi was to stand As
l saw it l heard as distinctly as though the
words were again being spoken.
Tell him whatever he does to keep In
the open. Tell him-from yourself"
had not done SO. A momentary impulse
seized me. / would go to Piozzi and ask
him to have his table and chair moved to
the center OF the platform. Then l reflect
ed that such proceeding would cause
amazement. and that the professor would
probably refuse to comply Again l looked
into the hall, and now gave a very visible
start. for in the front row, in brilliant
evening dress, sat Nine Sara and her young
cousin Donna Marta's face, usually so
pale. was now relieved by crimson glow
on each cheek. This unusual color brought
out her beauty to a dazzling degree. / no.
ticed further that her eyes had filmy ex-
preston in them. / remembered Vande-
leur's words Beyond doubt madame had
mesmerized her victim. AS to what 1t all
meant / will own that my own brain was
in whirl.
n lew IllIuleS passed, ana tlen anna
a thunder of applause, Piozzi, pale as ivory
stepped on the platform and walked
straight to the table over which hung
the graceful palm.
After few words in which the young
professor was introduced by the president
of the evening, the lecture about which SO
much curiosity had been felt began. Van
deleur and l stood side by side near one
of the entrance doors. From where we
stood we could see Piozzi well. Vande-
leurs face rigid steel
A quarter of an hour passed, and SEN
tence by sentence. word by word the
young man led up to his crucial point--his
great announcement. ~
Look" whispered Vandeleur, grasping
my wrist. What i'm the world is the mat
ter with him?
The professor was still speaking. but his
words came in thick and indistinct SEN
fences. Suddenly he took hold of the table
with both hands and began to sway to and
fro. The next moment he ceased speak
ing, reeled, made a lunge forward, and with
loud crash fell senseless upon the floor.
The scene of constefna ton was indescrib-
able. Vandeleur. and ] both sprang for
ward. The unconscious man was taken into
one of the ante-rooms, and by the imme-