The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-23

mar, quarrel originating IN the latter
attack on the work in question, of which
Marnac was Unfortunately vain. Then
came the chain of facts that proved-to
our mind at least-that Marnac had muir
dered his colleague with a diabolical in
genuity. Could such a crime be inspired
by quarrel so trifiing? 1t was almost
past belief. Further evidence was nee
essary; and this evidence the investiga-
sions of the police have supplied.
when | learned that his father, Jean
Marnac. had died in a Paris asylum.
began to see my way. But it was til
statements of his servants that cleared
up my last doubt. An eccentricity which
at one time amused them had of late
been changed to a violence that hlled
them with terror. He had presented
them with copies of the book, deliberately
bound. A housekeeper who had served
him for twenty years was loaded with
abuse and discharged because the old
creature admitted that she could not fol-
low his arguments. He was the victim
of a partial mania. Such cases are not
uncommon.
WHITTIER had this dangerous creature
fed? 1t seemed a mystery insoluble.
He was well provided with money; on
all topics but one he was admirably sens
ible. The. police admitted that he had
beaten them. But only yesterday l OBJ
tanned a clue. 1t may be valueless; but
for myself think otherwise. At least 1t
is worth the journey 1 am asking you TO
make in my company.
AT my urgent request the police adj
mitted me to his rooms. His papers
they had already examined, without re-
suit. / found that he possessed a fine
library. I am q book-lover, and my frs
step was to examine it. Tucked away il.
corner of shelf, yet within easy reach
of his customary chair, l found vol
ume. 1t was typical of the man that it
should be elegantly bound Within were
collected the hostile criticisms with which
his book had been loaded. The more
severe were scrubbed over with the vilest
epithets. Won Stockmar was personally
| tn -eatened, as was also a certain Mech
ersky, a professor of the Imperial Uni
versity at Petersburg. l distracted the
volume You may like to examine it,
| He drew it from the capacious pocket
of his travelling ulster and gave 1t to me.
! The cover was of the choicest morocco:
upon it, in gold, were emblazoned the
arms Of the university 1t was triumph
Of the binders art, yet handled it with
singular feeling of disgust.
The interior was oddly divided. The
greater part consisted of clippings from
papers and magazines, neatly gummed
upon blank pages. But here and there
were interpolated pamphlets, held in
their rface BY elastic bands. In contrast
with this orderly arrangement. scarcely
a page but was defaced by penciled re-
MARKS. satirical or abusive. ran through
ii en- hastily until came upon the arti-
Gle which bore Mechersky's name, ex-
tracted apparently from some French re-
view. It's severity seemed to have dashed
1 Marnac to fury. 1t was covered with
a maze of pencilings. But my attention
was soon centered on a portion Of the
text which, being underlined in red, stood
out from the page with some prominence.
THE author of Science and Belief" for
/ thus il ran, seems to have lost touch
with humanity. His deductions might be
correct if men were bloodless, merciless
automatons. He regards them as might
some reptiie-let US say, "A toad scientif-
ically inclined" Across this criticism,
which seemed to me unnecessarily severe
was written in German: Infamous
J -coundrel. Would that l might crush
u like toad!'
A curious WISH" said. pointing to
the passage.
"And from Marnsc a most dangerous
me-" he answered. 81 can only hope we
shall reach Lemsdorf in time"
"Lemsdorf againl And why LENS
dorfY'
For the excellent reason, Cousin Rob
ert. that Mechersky, who comes of land
owning Polish stock, is holiday-making al
Castle Oster, place he has in thai
neighborhood. And as sure rs sit here
where Mechersky is, there will be thai
mailman. Rudolf Marnac. If he means
TO murder the man, he will have ha(
nigh on a month to bring it off. HEAVIER
grant that we're in timer
Il The tone in which he spoke thrilled
me with dreadful anxiety. The danger
was ndefnable; but fear draws its dark
est terrors from the unknown.
Zone thing MORE" l said. "How die
you discover Mechersky's whereabouts? 2
Il had thought him at st. Peter burg
but wire to a friend there gave ine th'
information | required"