Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-03
LO V e S
BY
Emile Rusk De Schell.

The laboratory shades were drawn close al
though 1t was yet day. All the spacious apart
ment, with its strange furnishings and its stranger
3, odors, was swathed in gloom, where the glow
OF an incandescent burner cast ray of clear
light upon the slide of the microscope. DR.. Herd
ers massive gray head bent low. His breathing
almost ceased, so intense was his interest in the
conflict that was going beneath the potent lens
"At last have it! The streptococcus yields
The reputation of Otto Herder is established" he
cried, relaxing his tense muscles and pushing the
, microscope from him. The miniature warfare had
ceased His experiment ended. Turning
abruptly he drew up the shade of the window
nearest his table, letting in flood of autumnal
sunshine that lighted up the rack of test-tubes
each one developing in its bit of murky fluid its
own peculiar breed of bacteria.
"Henceforth," he continued communing with
himself after the manner of one who has known
: little companionship, "henceforth the name of
Herder will not be associated with insanity alone,
and grim smile Overspread his keen German
countenance. "My colleagues longer fling
in my face the charge that exist solely for the
benefit of wealthy Hebrew degenerates"
For what, Doctor?" The question came soft
and monotonous from pair of thin white lips
The specialist started, turning towards the door,
as slim, dark-eyed girl entered the room, ap-
preached with weary tread and sank in listless
heap on the hassock at his feet
"Ah Rebecca, beg pardon" the man said half
seriously. stretching forth great white hand
and stroking the dark hair. "But you must not
always be creeping about noiselessly. Surely
man ought to feel at liberty to think his own
thought in his laboratory. And If you aoi fol-
low all the house, you must not be Of
Tended If you sometimes catch nv audible thought
and find 1t other than complimentary"
The girl threw back her head and laughed, a
short, hard laugh, displaying row of yellow,
rate teeth.
81 not offended" she said. 81 an, a de-
generate. We are all degenerates. | have been
reading that great book that you wrote about my
race and have all the marks. The lobes of my
too long my teeth are notched my chin
and forehead-and you say it ali comes from mar
rying cousins, and l am to marry my cousin
Gabriel as soon as am well enough to go home
Then 1 will have children that are more degen-
crate even than am, and they will have melan-
choa worse than have it, Oh, | hate Gabreli
He is nothing but hooknosed Sheeny that sells
clothes They all sell clothes. If he only sold
sioine or anything but clothes!" And the girl
burst into passion of hysterical weeping.
Come, come Rebecca," the physician said stern.
ly, you must not give way to- your feelings. You
know you are only retarding your cure. See,
have something to show you. You shall be the
first to know of my wonderful discovery"
Into the tear-wet eyes there came an expression
of mild interest Taking one of the test-tubes
from the rack, the physician began as if Iecturing
to class in bacterioogy:
This tube contains a culture of the germ
tic poison and awful DEATH"
ugh! How horrible" the girl screamed
A firm hand was laid her shoulder and a
stern yet soothing voice said:
mot horrible when they are just a quiet fam
lily in a testtube, and If you are going to scream
| shall tell you more"
81 will be good now" the pentent voice mur
mured
"In this second tube have culture of another
germ whose family name l am not willing TO re-
veal even to you. Now find that if I place some
OF the streptococci on the slide of my microscope