The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-29
- ~ I you 70 IOUh up an Old rus
sian scientist who is living in


he is doing over here"
DO you think ne is plotting against
us?' l asked.
! do not know what 10 think He
Is queer character, that. is certain.
and it is Just as well to know what he
Is about He is "a very learned man
and devoted TO science. He has helped
the Nihilists more than once by his
clever inventions. but ! am not in "a
position to say that he has adopted
their principles. His work takes
money, ana it may have been "a ques-
ton of being handsomely paid; he has
The reputation of a miser. If he is re-
ally scientist pure and simple, anG
nothing more he may go his own way
but that is what l want YOU to find out
for me"
went down to Sussex that same
night ana 1 discovered the retreat of
the old Russian-but the nest was
cold, the bird had flown. Whether he
really was dangerous political person
/ shall never know, but he had evil
IDENTIFY had some reason for going in
great haste, for his personal belong
ihGS. including even some papers. we're
scattered all over the place. The FOL
lowing strange story was one of the
documents he left behind him. and it
has led me 10 think that with him sci
ehce came first though To satisfy its
demands he may have sold his talents
to the highest bidder
The document was written in clear,
me hand and was evidently meant 10
De preserved. 1 took it up CaTelessly
but ! was soon reading the contents
with the greatest eageTness.
The great ambition OF alchemists OF
all times has been To discover the I'M
KNOWN. The modern worker is science
\ IN spite of repeated failures. sin
strives, as his predecessors did. TO solve
the riddle of life and death: TO pro-
long the one and 10 conquer the other
IN short, to produce the magic Elixir
vitae. The man who eventually shall
learn this wonderful secret will be Nyor-
SHIPPED as a god and his power will ex-
teed that of any monarch who has
ever reigned.
After years Of toll. long DAYS and
nights spent over my stills. retorts and
other appliances i'm making myself IA
mlllar with the hidden knowledge of
The old world and the new, / had at
length made preparation Of which
hoped and expected great things Then
looked round for a suitable subject
Tor experiment. Fate. laughing in her
sleeve, put what seemed Just what /
wanted IN my way when | had almost
begun 10 despair of finding it.
1 was walking one winter evening up
ana down outside my house for eNer-
else, Tor l had been sitting at work all
day, when, by the light of a crescent
moon, l saw something dark lying a
Ittle ahead of me on the rough. chaIkv
road Ii was an old man, who looked
IKE a tramp, judging from his wretch
Ell appearance. He was living face
downward, as though he had fallen
from exhaustion, and when / turned
MN over he was quite unconscious.
Ielt his pulse; 1t was beating family
nut probably the cold and exposure
would have stilled il before morning
had / left him lying there.
The day CAME when / wished that
had.
] looked round cautiously, but there
was little danger of my being seen in
this lonely spot; not sound broke the
silence. l took the unconscious figure
under the arms and dragged it slowly
ana laboriously 20 the house. He must
nave been hne man in his prime, so
much the better for my purpose. AIv
Old servant had gone to bed and no
noise disturbed her slumbers, or she
might have wondered at the flou-Hon
on the stairs. as ] painted uu to the
Tower room, dragging my burden after
me.
Il laid il al full length on the couch.
race upward and then l dropped ex-
hausted into chair but my eyes nev-
CT LETT the motiOnless form. i could not
have had better subject for nv oper-
alton, the condition was almost per
feet. II my Elixir animated this near
y lfelesS clay, flushed that withered
fcheek with youth and health, gave
HtrtSh strength to those Shrunken limbs
surely il would be putting it 10 the Sc
VCrest test
had everything in readiness for the
experiment, and as soon as / had recov-
cred my strength and cOmposure. 1
prepared my patient for the ordeal.
took the phial containing the magic
liquid out of a secret drawer and held
il up 10 the light. Not a heck defiIed
It's marvellous purity: it shone like
mOHcn silver Its strength was i'm
mense. which was fortunate, as il was
almost priceless i'm value. At present,
at all events, there was no danger OF
IL becoming common; il would be only
a privileged few who would he able to
AFFORD 10 use il. Length of years would
be purchased at a great price
! reused the sick man TO conscious
ness-the warmth of the room had
made him open his eyes-and then /
poured the Elixir i'm a glass and gave
il him TO drink. l steadied his hand as
ne raised il To his lips for I feared lest
he should spill drop, / had no more.
lie hdd not fully recovered his senses
and he gaZed round with vacant ewes.
emptying the glass mechanically. re-
placed il on the table and sat down to
watch him, my heart beating as il had
not beat Tor years.
Was l 10 stand out for all ages as a
wonder figure, man with the gift of a
gOd2 Was il possible that 1 should
TeVOluJiOniZe the WOrld-the whole of
humanity Or-Or was this to be an
other failure added To the many which
had broken the hearts and frenZied the
brains of my brethren of all times? My
eyes were glued TO his face and | held
my breath. lest / should miss the first
murmur that would tell me whether ii
Was life or-death For if my mixture
could not fan the spark of life I'm that
feeble form into a flame, il would eX-
tinguish IL altogether.
Then-Oh, marvel of marvels.-slOW-
Is j saw something at work under the
gray skin, making IL fair and soft
smoothing out the wrinkles, giving
firmness and roundness To what was
loose and worn; the limbs filed out and
even i'm repOse suggested the elasticity
OF youth From head 10 foot age
dropped away like a garment, leaving
new creation. Then. last of all the
eyes Enclosed.
1 had scarcely noticed them when the
lace was old; now that IL Was young /
was almost overwhelmed by their gaze
, They were SO bright and dazzling; so
alive. II was almost like looking into
the sun. They were the eyes of tri-
umphant evil There was not q trace in
them OF the innocence or ignorance of