The Washington herald., 1908-05-17

eagerly at the introduction. as though
| hoping that Elsa would shake hands:
but the girl, still keeping her eyes on
his face had made an unconscious move
ment backward. as though from some un-
seen danger. Then she said gravely.
you are very welcome" and went on
distributing the dishes about the table
Fabian never forgot that meal. though
he was TOO famished TO appreciate the
excellence of the cooking His efforts
were directed toward not appearing 10
devoUr either the food or the beauty Of
the girl who had cooked it. He was more
successful In the former effort than the
latter. Won Tarsenheim devoted his at
tertion exclusively 10 eating. much 10
Fabian's relief. lie felt like a butterfly
which has had the pin taken out
After supper. Elsa cleared the table,
while the two men smoked Won larsen
helm seemed absorbed in some reflection
or calculation. which caused him 10 ig-
more the others presence, and yet he
could not help feeling that he was IN
some way concerned in what his host
was thinking or That hideOus expert
ment. no doubt He began to wish he
knew the worst
When Elsa returned she carried a
violin.
What sort OF music do you wish to-
night. my father?" She spoke as though
this music was a matter Of course be-
tween them.
"Ahl the music-yes, It must be Of
triumph for with this young man ! shall
succeed: and after much work, and many
years OF disappointment, it is fine TO sue
ceed.'
Elsa began to play the War March
of the Priests, from ''Athalie" Fabian
did not know much about music, but he
was aware that there was a force and
fire about her playing such as he had
never heard before And how lovely she
looked. with her up-tilted face bent over
the instrument, and her figure vibrating
TO the irresistible swing of the musicl
Soon she left the original, and wandered
away into the realms OF improvisation.
She played as though she was playing on
an army 10 victory, sweeping the earth
before it. continuing its cOnquering
course across reeling worlds, TIL it was
stopped by some dark brink, some chasm
which the music could not bridge. There
were no final chords. The girl simply
stopped playing and walked out OF the
room.
&AN Abu. llaGA iEAktAE0 ZIG 9UAAtH man
Elsa makes the good music-yes?
teach her that. too
YOU Are you \ musician?"
"I am more than musician-I know
where the music comes from, and why
II come to some people. And I know
m0re-hOW 10 bring it TO the people who
/ have It not-like Elsa had 1t not"
why. you must be a wizard-a ma
/ gician'
Magician? An. yes. The magi. the
great ones. they knew much-and in the
I library of Alexandrine-but It was burnt.
At your schools they will tell you Il was
all burnt Yes?'' He questioned Fabian
more directly than he had hitherto done,
"Of course It was burned. The Chris
tians and Omar and"
My friend, said Won Tsrsenheim, i'm
pressively. what was carried of into the
! desert was not burned. Ny mother 5
| tribe" He began mutteTing in some
strange tongue, as though quoting. Per
/ haps it was only his imagination, but
Won Tarsenheim seemed 10 change be-
/ fore his eyes Everything that was Euro
! pean seemed 10 be gathered up. like a
| curtain. leaving him face TO face with
/ an Orienal. And he was IN the power
/ Of this man. the eyil-looking Oriental
I But how ridiculous he was. In the heart
/ OF London, he had only 10 walk out of
Z the room, out Of the house. If he was
stopped. put his head out or the window
and call a policeman. And he would do
I 1t, too. This thing was getting uncanny
/ Then he thought OF Elsa, and he knew
I he would fight a policeman II he tried
/ to drag him out But one thing he would
/ know, and that was how long he was to
hang esrSpa4Gad hervvaan soma e~raV4rsnFf7a
death and elGOOO.
| Won Tarsenheim had stopped mutter-
/ ing. and was regarding him curiously. He
| was once more the smiling cosmopolitan
| bird Of prey.
| Fabian gathered up his courage Look
/ here, Won Tarsenheim! I know it's in
/ the bargain that I am 10 ask no ques-
/ tions, but I do think I have a right to
/ know when this experiment is coming
on"
''Ah, yes-the suspense-it is not nice.
| When is your birthday Fabian told
/ him, and he noted it down.
/ Won Tarsenheim went over to the side
| board and took some papers from a
drawer, which he spread out on the din
! ing-room table.
I Fabian noticed one OF the papers had
/ diagram on If. ike cart-wheel; there
were figures and strange symbols here
and there between the spOkes. Won Tar
| senheim took UP a paper which had a
/ similar diagram on it, but no symbols.
/ He wrote down Dare's name on it, also
/ the date of his birth, made some calcu-
/ Iations underneath, and began filling IN
with symbols between the spokes. When
he had finished he compared the two,
and made some more calculations.
7 will hypnotic you tomorrow, my
| friend. he observed. Every day, for
week, I will hypnotic you, and then"
he rubbed his hands-"then you will be
ready for the experiment"