Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-08-02
Strange Experienced in shs Life
Of q Doctor.
Copyright. by w. q. Chapman.)
By A. T. MEAD

nervous prostration. In the earliest
stages of her ailment she mentioned
that she had some time previously
been subjected to q shock which had
completely upset her nervous system.
After her restoration to health she
narrated a remarkable tale which
dealt with her experiences as COVER
ness to a Russian family at st. Peters
burg, the details being as follows:
I was visiting friends In England
when the situation in the Russian cap
ital was offered to me. After l de-
cided to accept l bought, among other
things, a small revolver and fifty cart
ridges. l hardly know what prompted
me to make this purchase; perhaps
it was because my early childhood vas
spent in a western frontier town and
I had grown more or less accustomed
{ O the use of firearms. At all events,
I slowed the weapon away, bid my
friends adieu and reached st. Peters
burg in due course of time. My en-
ployer was a certain DR.. Chance, who
had engaged me to educate his W
daughters. The doctor was a hand
some but near-sighted man about fifty
years Of G c. He was coldly polite to
me and took me straight to his house
on the Ligovka canal. There was re-
ceived by Mrs. Chance, a mild-man-
nered, fat little oma My pupils
were rather pretty girls, the elder be-
ing named Olga and the younger Ma
roussa. They could talk English toler-
ably we'll and the warmth of their
greeting made up for their mothers
Indifference. Mrs. Chance was a Ian
guild sort Of creature who appeared to
take little or no interest in III was
going on around her. On a certain
afternoon Olga, Maroussa and I were
seated on one Of the large divans In
the comfortable SAXON.
"You know, of course, that father is
English" said Olga, although now he
is a naturalized Russian. He has lived
In this country ever since he was
thirty. He Is a great scientist, but we
know nothing about his studies-how
your eyes sparkle, Madeline; are you
interested in s%cience?"
81 am very fond Of science" l an
swered, 'and have studied chemistry
a good DEAL"
A footstep sounded beside me and I
turned to see DR.. Chance peering
closely at me.
Odd I hear aright?" he asked. els
1t possible that you, a young lady, are
interested in science?"
"T like it immensely" l replied.
"Your information pleases me-" he
said. 'The fact is l came back to ask
you to assist me. I suffer from an
affection of the eyes. At times l have
intolerable pain in the right eye, and
to use it on u occasions makes it
worse. Today 1t is troubling me a
good bit. Will o come downstairs
and act as my secretary for a wh1le?"
1 answered in the Affirmative and in
q few moments found myself alone
with the doctor in his cabinet. 1t was
a fine room, two-thirds Of the walls be-
ing lined with books, a large double
window giving plenty of light, and a
door at the further end letting In a
peep of a somewhat mysterious room
beyond.
"That is the Blue Laboratory" said
the doctor, noticing my glance. Some
day l shall have the pleasure of show
ing 1t to you. Since you have studied
chemistry l believe that you may be
of great use to me. There are vital
secrets brought to light in that room,
Miss Rennick, matters which may
eventually set the whole world talk
ing. If I give you additional work to
do for me, you will be well paid for
your services; but more Of this later
W.. AzI1 - %bo& ,,o,, - a ch@rf-
hand expert, and l am going to dictate
q paper to you which must be posted
to England tonight. 1t will appear In
the Scientific Gazette. The subject
will be new to you'll have discovered
a method of photographing thought"
1 stared at him in establishment, but
he merely smiled, and began to dictate
without further comment.
At the end of an hour he stopped
and left me to write out the report. I
finished the paper in about three hours
and went upstairs. The thought Of
what l had written kept floating
through my brain. I knew enough
about science to be interested in even
the sketchy paper which the doctor
had dictated. Would he ever be in a
position to prove his theory. l o
dered? How could he prove It; by
what means! When I entered the sa-
Ion Olga and Maroussa rushed to meet
me.
1--WE missed you dreadfully," cried
Olga
"Your father dictated a long paper
to me-" l responded. 1T is a scientific
lecture and l believe he will post it
to England tonight"
Gather will ask you to help him
again" remarked Olga "He may even
get you to assist him with his chem
istry. A couple of years age we had
another governess. He got her to
write for him and help him. Well, she
did not stay long; for some reason she
became frightened and left"
The statement made by Olga gave
me food for serious reflection. What
had frightened the former governess?
It seemed to me that there was some
uncanny secret connected with DR..
Chances experiments. However. l
made myself agreeable to him. We
frequently conversod on scientific sub
fects. Many times when his eyes
troubled him l acted as his secretary,
and on each Of these occasions he paid
me ten roubles for my services. At