The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-11-21
Alive or Dead?'
The Strange Disappearance of
{ Gerald RathbOne.
! ~ GUY THoRNK.
CHAPTER xlx-fcontlnued.l
sy ouY THoRNE.

r n tCIl dtidb6G OnOb hhhoAhs oAO
said, Gerald is not dead, mother. 1
know it; I feel it. / feel certain of 1t,
and when I feel thus, how a / say
anything to Sir William Then I
asked her IL she proposed to keep you
waiting for the rest of both your lives
before she said anything definite. She
burst into tears and said that she was
10 a something definite to you after
the coming reception here, when you
are going to show everyone your new
invention
YES" Sir William answered. "She
has promised that. But I fear what
her answer will be. Well, we must
hope for the best. Lady Poole. II I
were you ! should not worry. Leave
everything to me. I have everything
Rt stake"
We'll. I felt I must come and tell
you. William" Lady Poole said. Il
felt that 1t would help you to know
exactly how things stand. Perhaps
all will come well. Girls are very DIFF.
icult to manage. | wanted Marjorie
TO go out a great deal In order to oc-
cupy her mind and to keep her from
~brooding oyer this absurd fancy that
Gerald Rathbone is alive. But she
seems to shun Ai engagements. How
ever. she's fortunately thought that
she would like to try her hand at writ
terested in bookR you know-so she's
spending a good Deal of time over it
a story, I think-and Mr.. Donald Meg
bic is helping her. He calls now and
then and makes suggestions on what
she has done. A nice, quiet little man
he seems, and a fervant admirer of
yours. I sounded him On that point
the other day, 10 even this little
fancy of M~arjorie's for writing may
turn out to be a help. Mr.. Megbie is
sure to become enthusiastic IL your
name is mentioned In any way, and 1t
will keep the fact OF how the world
regards you we'll before Marjorie.
Now. good-by. It's a relief to have
come and told you everything. | must
fly, and / know you will want to get
back to..your electricity and things"
Sir William went with her to the
garden gate in the wall, where her
carriage was waiting. Then he went
back to the study and took down the
speaking tube that communicated
with the laboratory. He asked Will
son GiestAto come to him at once.
IN a few minutes the assistant
shambled gin. His eyes were bright
with the liquid brightness of alcoholic
poisoning; his speech was much
clearer and more decided than it had
been earliec I'm the day. 1t had tone
and timbres The crimson blotches on
the face were less in evidence. Guest
had drunk a bottle of whisky since
breakfast-time. q quantity which
would hope4esssy intoxicate two ordi-
nary men. and probably kill one. But
this enormous quantity of spirit was
lust sufficient. in the case Of this man,
TO make him as near the normal as he
could e get, A bottle of whisky in
the morning acted upon the drink-sod-
den tissues as a single peg might act
upon an ordinary person who was
faded and faint.
Gouldesbrough knew all the symp-
toms of his assistants disease very
well. He recognized that the moment
In the day when Guest was most him
self and vac most useful had now ar
rived. The effects Of yesterdays
drinking were now temporarily de-
stroyed.
II want your help. wilson," he said.
with a strange look in his eyes. 7
want to-. resume the discussion we
were beginning when Lady Poole
called. You are all right now?"
ooh, yes, William" the man an
swered. without a trace OF his usual
gfggie, with the former sly malice Of
his manner quite ~.obiiterated. "This
In my good hour. I feel quite ft-for
me-and I'm ready. About Rathbone
you mean2"
Exactly. Lady Poole has given
me to understand that her daughter
Is still pining after this person"
"Calle him q thing, William. He
isn't afperson any more. He is Just
part of our machinery, nothing
more. AMI, moreover, a part Of u
machinery that is getting worn out.
that we don't want any longer, and
that we ought to get rid Of"
"You think sol"
sTm certain OF It. We must not
lose sight OF the fact that while there
4 life in that body there is always
danger to US. Not much danger. ! ad-
mit--eyerything was managed too
we'll In the first instance. But still
there Is danger. and a danger that
Nrows."'
How grows?"
because at the present moment the
newspapers OF the civilized world are
full Of your name; because the eyes
of the whole world are directed to-
ward this house In Regents Park"
sThere IL something in that, Wilson.
NOW. my thought il that II the body
could actually be found. then Miss
poole would know. with the rest Of
dc world. thAts the fellow was actual
y dad. Could that be managed?"
Guest lit q cigarette. 4 suppose
- ne said, thoughtfully. 'But that
xuuld mean giving up an experiment
I rad hoped to have had the oppor-
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