Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-17

grating wierd man-hysteria that seem
ed to burst suddenly beyond his control.
The Ambassador went to him hurried
ly, but Bersonin shook off the hand on
his shoulder and rising, still emitting
his dreadful laughter, staggered across
the lawn and out of the gate.
The appalling mirth re-echoed from far
down the quiet road.
CHAPTER TX.
THE WEB OF THE SPIDER.
Bersonin walked on. fighting desper-
ately with his CHASTITY spasm of merri-
ment.
1t was a nervous affection which had
haunted him for years. 1t dated from
a time when. In South America, in an
ard. he had laughed the first peal Of that
acute crisis of desperate personal .haz-
strange laughter of which he was to be
ever after afraid.
Before long the paroxysms ceased and
he grew ealmer. The quiet road had
merged into a buster thoroughfare. He
walked on slowly till his command was
regained. West of the outer moat of
the Imperial grounds, he turned 10 a
pleasant lane-like street and presently
entered his own gate. The house, into
which he let himself with a latch key.
was a rambling, modern, two-story
structure of yellow stucco. The lower
floor was practically unused, since its
tenant lived alone and did not enter
tain The upper floor. besides the hall
contained a small bedroom, bath ard
dressing room and a large. barely fur
uished laboratory. The latter was lined
on two sides with glass-covered shelves
which gave glimpses of rows of books,
of steel shells, metal and crystal retorts
and crucibIes, the delicate paraph ernalia
or organic chemistry and complicated
instruments whose use no one knew save
himself fit setting, for the great stu
dent, tin peer of Offenbach in Munich
and OF Bayer in Vienna. Against the
wall leaned drafting board, on which.
pinned down by. thumb-tacks, was
sketch plan of a revolving turret. From
a bracket in a corner-the single, airy
touch of delicacy in a chamber almost
sordld IN its appointments-swung a
bamboo cage with a brown hiwa, or Jap
anese finch, a downy ruff Of feathers
with its head under it's wing.
In the upper hall Bersonin's Japanese
head boy had been sitting at a small
desk writing. Bersonin entered the lab
oratorys opened safe let into wall,
and put into it something which he took
from his pocket Then he donned a
dressing gown the boy brought, and
threw himself into a huge leather chair.
Make me some coffee, Ishida," he
said.
The servant did so silently and deftly,
using a small brass samovar which oc-
cupied a table of its own. With the cof-
fee he brought his master a box of
brown Havana cigars.
For an hour Bersonin sat smoking in
the silent room-one cigar after another,
deep in thought, his yellow eyes staring
at nothing. Into his counteance deep
lines had etched themselves giving to
his coldly repellant look an expression
of malignant force and intention.
All at once there came a chirp from
the cage in the corner and its tiny occu-
pant, walked by the electric light, burst
into song as clear and joyous as though
before it's free wing lay all the meads
of Eden. A look more human, soft
and almost companionable, came into
IT'S masters massive face. Bersonin rose
and, whistling, opened the cage door and
held out an enormous forefinger. The
little creature stepped on it, and, held to
his cheek, 1t rubbed its feathered head
against IT. For moment he crooned and
whistled to It, then held his finger to
the cage and it obediently resumed it's
perch and its melody. The expert took
dark cloth from a hook and threw it
over the cage and the song ceased.
Bersonin went to the door of the room
and fastened 1t, then unlocked desk
and spread some papers on the table.
One was a chart, drawn to the mihutest
scale, of the harbor of Yokohama. On
1t had been marked group of projectile-
shaped spots suggesting a hotilla of ves-
sells at anchor. For long time he work.
ed absorbedly. setting down figures.
measuring with infinite pains. comput-
ing angles-always with reference to a
small square in the maps inner margin.
marked in red. He covered many sheets
Of paper with his calculations. Finally
he took another paper from the safe and