Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-08-02

sane through the %sufferings undergone
by his nervous system. Now, would
| you like to see some of the developed
photographer"
NO" screamed. "You are a devil
in human shape; will not listen to
any more"
DR.. Chance came close to me.
Women are representative" he said.
You wished to know. l warned you
hat the secret was fraught with ter
ror. had hoped that you would rise
above this horror. but I see that you
are distinctly human. Well. 1t would
Interfere vastly with my experiments
were you to proclaim my secret to
anyone else. Women, even the best
of them, are not to be trusted with
such important matters. ! have no in
tention Of having the great dream OF
my life destroyed by the caprice OF a
girl. ] propose, therefore, having i'm
parted to you my secret, to seal 1t for
ever on YOU lips by death. In Ave
minutes you will die"
Five minutes" l repeated, mechan-
ically. A small clock standing on a
bench by my side showed me that In
five minutes more 1t would be nine
o'clock, the hour when the consul
should arrive.
you are really a most interesting
study, Miss Rennick," continued the
doctor. ut is a sad pity that you can
not devote your life to the science you
might greatly benefit. Give me your
hand. l want to walk around this dun
geon with you"
He stretched out his hand and took
mine. l did not refuse to walk with
him. He took me from end to end of
the dismal place. The little clock sud
denly sounded nine strokes in a sill
very chime.
Your time Is up" said the doctor.
He turned and then walked quickly
across the room, still holding my hand.
l strained my ears to listen, but there
was no sound; the consul must have
failed me-. I was standing exactly un-
der the dome in a glass roof. | had
just put out my foot to ascend the
stairs, when a sudden noise startled
me. Before l could a huge bell
shaped glass had descended complete
ly around me, and sunk into a circular
groove on the stone flags at my feet.
DR.. Chance was looking at me from
outside the wall of glass and grinning
with an expression of fendish tri-
umph. He turned and pressed a lever
beside the wall. There was a loud
humping as of a piston working to
and fro, and a valve at my feet
opened and shut rapidly with a c
ing sound. The truth flashed upo me
instantly. I was under the receiver Of
an enormous exhaust pump, which
was fitted into the dome above my
head. DR.. Chance had told me that
the dome vas used for causing a vac
uum. In a vacuum I knew no one
could live. gasped for breath and
screamed to him for mercy, but the
piston thumped on quicker and quick
err. Frantic with terror, l dashed
madly against the glass and tried with
all my puny strength to burst 1t. 1t
was very thick and defied my efforts.
My eyes seemed to start from my
head; my whole body seemed to be
swelling. l fought for breath madly.
Suddenly there was a noise like rush
ing waters in my ears, my brain
reeled and I fell. During the agonies
of my struggle / could see the fiendish
face of my murderer peering in at me.
1t was the face of a devil. What prov
idential inspiration came to my aid I
know not, but with my last remaining
strength drew my revolver from my
pocket, and, pointing 1t upward.
pressed the trigger. There was a ter
rife crash of falling glass. a sudden
thrush of air, and then my enses left
me.
When l came to a strange face was
bending over me, and a kind hand was
wiping something warm from my fore
head, which vas bleeding from the
glass which had fallen upon II. I
promptly guessed that the consul had
arrived, after all, and that l was
saved. / caught sight of the a and
figure Of DR.. Chance. Handouts en-
circled his wrists and a uniformed Of
icer was standing beside him; a tall,
shadowy figure, doubtless that Of the
hapless victim whom l had come to
rescue, was supported by two other
policemen.
Don't speak; rest quietly; every
thing is all right now" said a voice
which I afterward knew to be that OF
the consul. Then I passed into UNI
consciousness again, and 1T was many
days before l remembered anything
more. 1t may have been a fortnight
later that / came to myself in a pleas
ant bedroom In the consul's house.
His wife was bending over me. She
told me all hat had occurred. The
victim OF DR.. Chances experiments
had been sen to the hospital and was
rapidly getting better. DR.. Chance had
been sentenced to Siberia for his
crimes. The whole city was talking Of
the horror which had been discovered
in the Blue Laboratory.
"Your letter came just in time" said
Mrs. Seymour, the consul's wife, who
for some reason had taken a great
fancy to me and insisted upon my re-
naming with her until I recovered.
MY husband acted on 1t Immediately;
he went to see the ambassador, who
gave him a note to the project of po-
lice, Michael Danevitch. 1t was Dane
witch himself who seized DR.. Chance
as he was making a break for liberty
when he heard the approaching foot
steps Of the officers"
When 1 grew stronger I lost no time