The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-08-09
CHAPTER I.

bers or my own profession have l under
taken a task necessarily disagreeable, and
do now recall the details of a case which
/ take to be without parallel in the rec
ords of criuinology. In the mental state
of the afflicted being there was, indeed,
little that was abnormal. Manias that are
similar TO his fill our asylums. But that
laborioLs studies in the byways OF sell
ence, rather than in her more frequented
paths, had placed ct the will OF his dis
ordered brain weapons of a deadly poten-
CT, transformed a personal misfortune
into a great and urgent public danger
/ spent four years at Cambride, where,
though my degree was high one,
fond too many distractions to make
such progress as / could have wished al
my profession. Yet my interest in med
icine grew steadily, and on leaving the
university / determined, having both the
means and the time ut my disposal, TO
seek out a spot where l could throw my
self into my work without the Interrupt
tons of old friends and old associations.
The reputation of Heidelberg attracted
me, and hither l migrated.
Sufficient for myself. The man who
was to be associated with me in my
strange quest / wifi describe with equal
brevity Ny cousin, Sir Henry Graden,
KIT. Md, FRS, F.R.S.G.. was man
of remarkable personality surgeon OF
brilliant gifts that had made for him
European reputation, yet an eccentric
or so the world held him-who lacked
the steady application necessary for COM
plete success. He would throw himself
into the solution of a problem, or inc
prosecution of a new experiment, with
the utmost zeal; yet on achieving the
desired result he would shake of the at
mosphere of the hospital and laboratory
and start on some wild-goose chase that
might include the ascent of an .unclimb-
able peak, the capture Of rare species
of wild animal. or the study of little
known tribe of savages. In person ne
was of great stature, and heavily, al
most clumsily, built, with a rugged,
weather-beaten face, keen yet kindly
grey eyes, and brown hair, somewhat
grizzled about the temples. In age he
was well past the forties. In dress and
department be might pardonably have
been mistaken for prosperous Yorkshire
grazier. Indeed, he was wont to com
plain that he acted as a magnet to al
the tricksters of London; though, from
the shrewd smile with which he accom-
panied his protests, it was easy to set
that he thoroughly enjoyed the diversion
of turning the tables on his discredit
able opponents
1t was towards the end Of my second
year at Heidelberg. An autumn sun hac
sunk to rest in golden haze over the
wooded hills, and the night, lum-
inous under the harves moon, lay upo'
the old town. / was sitting at my tab
on which a shaded lamp threw its "
low circle, arranging the notes of the
lectures I had that day attended, wher
there came q knock at the door behinC
me. cried sulky invitation, for
feared the appearance of one OF my pre-
posterous student friends, with his jargor
of the duel and the promenade. But the
next moment an enormous hand hac
dragged me into the realization or my
duties as a host by standing me ON my
feet amid the clatter of falling chair
aWhy, Cousin Gradenr' / CRIED. fol
indeed it was he who had thus trea I'd
me- what cyclone has blown 10,
hereY
~Egad! 1 believe it's the truth rv,
heard" said he, throwing himself on t
q sofa that cracked again under Iii
weight-he was a famed breaker d
furniture was cousin Harry Grader
ssThey told me that you'd shut yourself
up for nigh two years-work, work, wcri
-as IL there was no young blood in yeu
veins, and no green world lying aroun,
you. with not a yard of it that ism
worth all the most learned Dissertation
ever written"
I knew his favorite doctrine 1t wou
have been as foolish to argue With hin
as to attempt tc uphold the necess;l,
for the Union with an Irish Home Ruler
BIZ what are you doing hereY
repeated.
ITS tc Berlin that I'm bound, to rea,
Z paper before a society that is goo,
enough to be interested in some notes
took recently on the Kafir witch-doctors
I'd few days in hand. so / thought
would take peep at NY dear Heidelber
and. incidentally. at my worthy cousin
Robert Harland."
He rose and stalked about the room
clucking to himself like contented her
Same old jugs and china pipes; sam
wainscot, a shade darker maybe; sam
old oak beams. a thought more smoky
same schlagers above the mantelpiece
He took down one Of the student
dueling- swords, and slipped his han
into the heavy hilt. Raising his long arr
into the orthodox attitude, be swept th
keen, thin blade in kissing circles
do you ever tramp on the sawdust
and drum with the schlager, and bleed i
the tank, Cousin RobertY
Not I. Though / have heard of you
triumphs In the past, you man of blood
ANA who has been gossiping.v
professor Won Stockmar. He aske
me to supper the second day l arrived
for the sole purpose, / believe, of i'm
pressing me with the fame of q certai
dueling desperate of a student. on
Henry Graden, who folrished in Heide
berg twenty years ago.
what. Won Stockmar? Little He
mann? What good fellow he was! Di
you ever hear him sing song about
but, of course, that's not possible.
little Hermann's a professor, is he? AL
you under him"
mo; I'm with Professor Marnac.' y
Ora len walked across to the firaplac
and slowly filed a huge china pipe tia
lay thereon. He lit it and. turning b
back 90 the empty crate, sent forth sue
puffs of smoke that he spoke as from OF
4 cloud, mistily.
he mas ul1Oc uIu>cIl Il great nam
this snarnac. How do you stand wit
him. Cousin RobertY'
Il don't quite know. / was a gres
favorite of his in my first year."
''Aad now? Have you quarreled? y
'.Well, not exactly; it's a FOOLS
story"
1.-THE foolish stories are often of grea
er interest than the wise ones
"Well, cousin Graden," said /, leal
ing back in my chair and lighting fires
cigarette, eff you want to hear 1t, 1
tell it you. and as shortly as may b
It began by the publication some $
months ago Of Professor Marnac's cci
bratee book, Science and Religion
ssHumph, a strong effort, full of su
gestions." he grunted; 'but brutal. ca
lous. and revolutionary. 1t had mike
reception, believe.
1T had; and nowhere more so tina
IN this university. Won Stockmar fc
lowed it by a pamphlet of unsparir
criticism, which split the students in
two bodies-the Marnac men and Il