Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-10-20

M Inviting prospect At Iilt ldIsCE Cuu "
October Ell, Cousin RobertT'
II did not imagine we were going Their,
for pleasure"
"Pessimst! Do neither the 'Prinz voT
Preussen' nor the 'uoldner Adler, wei
! spoken Of as Baedeker describes these
hostelries. attract your Then the dye
works, they are sure to be interesting.
Henry Grsden," cried | with deter
mination, you try me toe far! | am as
eager IA yourself that this criminal
should DO brought to justice. For this
reason alone | have every right to know
the why and wherefore of an expedition
which will. entail upon me, as | see clear
ly, the most extraordinary discomforts.
at seems pity, my dear cousin, that
Nature, which endowed you with so many
admirable qualities, should have omitted
the saving grace of humor," he rejoined.
And then changing his tone to a greater
sobriety: You shall hear all that know
or conjecture. 1t will, at least, help us
on our journey.
First, as to the facts at my disposal
For myself, | had heard much of Rudolf
Marnac, but only as Heidelberg pro-
fessor Of distinction, whose stupendous
effort Science and Belief had set edu-
Gated Europe by the ears. From you
learned of his quarrel with Won Stock
mar, quarrel originating in the latter's
attack on the work in question, of which
Marnac was inordinately vain. Then
came the chain of facts that prOved-te
our mind at least-that Marnac had muir
dered his colleague with a diabolical in
genuity. Could such crime be inspired
by quarrel so trihing? 1t was almost
past belief. Further evidence was nee
essary; and this evidence the inVestiga-
tons 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 the
statements of his servants that cleared
up my last doubt. An eccentrcity which
at one time amused them had of late
been changed 10 a violence that filled
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
Whittier had this dangerous creature
fedf 1t seemed a mystery insolubls.
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 l ana asking you to
make In my company.
AT my urgent request the police ad-
mitted me to his rooms. His papers
they had already examined, without re-
suit. found that he possessed a fne
library. l am a book-loyer, and my first
step was to examine 1t. Tucked away In
a corner of shelf, yet within easy reach
of his customary chair, l found a vols
ume. 1t was typical Of the man that 1t
collected the hostile critaisms with which
his book had been loaded. The mere
severe were scribbled over with the Vilest
emthets. Won Stockmar was personally
threatened. a. was atse a certain Mech
ersky. a. professor Of the Imperial Uni
versity at Petersburg. | distracted the
volume. You may like to examine it."
He drew it from the capacious pocket
Of his travelling ulster and gave it to me-
The cover was of the choicest morocco;
upon it, in gold, were emblszoned tho
arms of the university. 1t was a triumph
Of the binders art, yet handled it with
a 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 place by elastic bands. In contrast
with this orderly arrangement. scarcely
page but was defaced by penciled re-
marks sntirical or abusive. l ran through
them hastily until came upon the arti
Gle which bore Mechersky's name, ex
| tracted apparently from some French re
view. Its severity seemed to have lasbee
| Marnac to fury. Ii was covered with
maze Of pencilings. But my attention
was soon centered on portion Of ia,
! text which. being underlined in red. stoaf
out from the page with some prominence
The author of Science and Belief " foI
thus il ran. seems to have lost toucl
with humanity. His deductions might h,
correct if men were bloodiess, mercilas,
automatons. He regards them as mjrb
some reptiie-let Us say. a toad scieptjf
ically inclined" Across this criticism
which seemed to me unnecessarily seyere
was written in German: "IRfamou,
scoundrel. Would that | might crust
you like toad"
"A curious wish" l said, pointing Z,
the passage.
And from Marnac a most dangerou
one, he answered. IL can only hope W,
shall reach Lemsdorf in time
"Lemsdorf again And why LENS
dorf?"
For the excellent reason. Cousin Rob
ert' that Mechersky. who comes of land
owning Polish stock, is holiday making a
Castle Oster, a place he has In tina
: neighborhood, And as sure as I sit here
where Mechersky is. there will be tina
mailman, Rudolf Marnac If he mean
to murder the man. he will have ha
f nigh on month to bring it of. Heave
grant that we're in time"
: The tone in which he spoke thrille
rue with a dreadful anxiety. The DANCE
{ ! was indehna BILE, hut faay 4 r,v ,,s i+- A.