The Washington times., 1909-06-01
CHAPTER ".
EBEN'S ENDEAVOR.


ed to Eben. the faithful old ser
want, who lay in faint near his
dead master.
How does this fellow happen to be
here?" asked the physician
He was here with uncle when l ar
rived" answered Bob quickly, looking
down at Eben, who began TO stir in an
effort to recover.
Have him carried into the next
roOm." said the medical man, and IN
obedience 90 the orders footman pick
ed I'D the insensible form and started
of with It.
Having thrown a sheet over the oody
of John Stevens, the doctor hurried m
to the next room. followed by PM ana
Bob. The foOtman had tust placed Eoeh
on a bed. and the physician beht over
him quickly, locking uEder MS eyen9s'
testing his pulse and feeling Tor WOUNDS.
Here's a dent In his head, the medi-
cal man mutteTed as much TO himseI
rs 10 the anxious young telows Whose
fate might depend on old Eben 5 story
as no the poisoning of his master.
Both Bob and Phil watched with
hreathless suspense, hoping for the re-
Covery of the feeble old man. W men
one Eould he accuse? What eXpiana-
non would ne offer for the death OF
John SJeVens2
the doctors verdict as he turned TO
frav OF stimuanJS-
For fifteen minutes the doctor worked
over Eben. but, though he got MN 10
breathing normally. he could not aWak-
en- the man from the stupor into Whlch
he had fallen.
physician asked of Bob.
at was like this. explained the
younger man. ''Eben was mixing
some sort of cold cure that he made
for Uncle Jack. I was standing near
my uncle talking TO him. when sud
denly he called out for the drink
Eben had just finished preparing It,
and I stepped over, took the glass
from Eben's hand and gave II To my
uncle. ,,-4-,
gan TO act in peculiar manner. Then
he was seized with gaGging and be
gan 10 cry out with pain both MS
hands on his stomach and an unnat-
ural look in his face. Eben came toT-
ward at the alarm, then rushed back
TO his table. looked over the bottles
he had been using IN compromising
the mixture, let out an unearthly CRY
and fell over in the swoon IN which
YOU found him..
That's q. very strange story, yo9uns
man. replied the doctor, LOOKING
The Young fellow flushed up, red
dened and replied, angrily; But every
awe shall see when Eben is able 10
talk" was the physicians reply rms
AFFAIR has very serious aspect
He continued TO work over the old
servant but with little success.
ssFm afraid when he fell he hit
something hard and dented his skull.
the doctor explained, looking down
dubiousiv al his patient HE seems
TO exhibit the symptoms OF INSANITY
You'll notice the reflex here ana ana I We
set of the ewes when / pun tne lld
back. I think the blow has affected
sE3ut isn't there any hope OF his
coming around and telling his story2'
"Tbsre is hope. but that's all. We
cant tell. See, he's making strug-
gle with himself now
As he spoke the physician passed a
soothing hand over Eben's brow and
the mans eyelids n i,. REQ. a., and
Fben's eyes stared out at the httle
group around him.
sFIow strange that look is, whispered
Bob, edglng closer to his cousin, with
wonder in his face.
reel better2" inquired the doctor.
Eben looked at him blankly but at
tempted no reply. Then his eyes SUD-
denly shifted and he glanced from one
TO the other of the faces in front OF
Suddenly his eyes met those OF Bob,
The Young man dropped his gaze ana
Eben stirred on the bed. his NOUN
opened and he made a frantic effort 20
say something. but his tongue seemed
dumb, and all that was heard was a
shriu shrek that caused Bob 10 take
step backward ..,,.
the physician asked, taking up one OF
Eben's hands and smoothing H.
"Glug-giug-glug The sounds L.
suing from Eben's mouth were unintei-
ffcible but the trio bent low to listen.
However. nothing could be learned
from his uninIelligible cries.
cit IS as ! feared, said the pnysl-
clan THE dent he received from his
fan has broken down his mind He re-
members something that he wants TO
fell but can find no way 10 express it. -
Phil looked steadily At Bob as the
MUSICIAN said this. and he noticed a
strange light in his cousins face he
could not exactly interpret g., but II left
him with a chilled feeling
There was certain uucanniness about
the whole affair
"Dr. Lyons is below. announced a
servant, entering the doom
DR.. Lyons was John Stevens family
doctor. and Bob had been unable 10 get
him at first. 50 had been forced 10 call
a. Il substitute.
'Show him up, said young Stevens
ard IN a few minutes the doctor ap-
Scared
81 took the news Of the tragedy with
professional caimness and asked to see
the body After a brief examination he
looked up and scanned the two young
men closely. Bob flushed and stared
back boldly
This is very serious Your uncle
died from poisoning The poison. so far
as J can ascertain. was nitric acid
'.KEOuldn-t IL he possible TO put enoug i
nitric acid in a cough drop 10 kill q
MANI" asked Bob quickly for Dr