The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-08

of friends for long they could re- member, they had played together, had worked together and dreamed tngether- and now it was the iron bonds of that lifelong friendship that finally turned Carl Stowe about and headed him for the bach elor residence and office of Dr. Steve TreXle, two miles away on the opposite side of the city.
 As Stowe mounted the steps to pr. Trexle's office he heard a great gong sound up from the city behind and be- low him. Thinking it fire alarm, he turned, but as he stepped to the porch he drew out his watch and saw that it bell no answer Then he opened the door, A stream of yellow light fell across the wet porch floor He stepped within and slammed the door against whirl of wind and spray that tried to follow him.
 The room was vacant. On a desk against the opposite wall lay a folded piece of paper addressed to him.
 Hey" cried Stowe. Silence. Steve" he yelled And the whistle of the wind out- side answered him.
 Damn itl" he muttered as he stripped off his great coat, crossed the room and picked up the note. It was follows
 Carl have succeeded! Without a douht my ware and vears of work are over Two experiments made this aft ernoon were successful beyond my fondest dreams And, old fellow, how much I owe to youl
 But this is the point old man. Until it is tried on a human it will mean all most nothing. You know the difficulties in this line. So I have determined to try it on myself. You would rot permit what I am doing and. therefore, I obliged to take a little advantage of you.
 You will find me in my bedroom, ap parently dead. I am taking chloroform now and long before you can arrive, I will have expired. I have prepared ev- erything and you will find 1t the stand beside the bed. You probably know ey erything which must be done. but l am giving you some instructions to make sure. Follow these directions carefully and about daylight I should begin to move. Then look in the upper right hand drawer of my desk and you will find a new set of instructions which l prepared for you this afternoon. Follow them and I should be able to speak an hour or two later"
 Then followed page or two of in- structions written in technical and med teal terms. The note was signed: With confident hopes of greeting you again, but goodbye in case I don't. STEVE
 "of all fools." muttered Stowe. as he crossed the room and opened the bedroom door.
 The smell of chloroform struck him; on the bed, with white sheet over him. lay Dr. Steve Trexle; and beside the bed was a long stand filled with bottles, test tubes, glasses, syringes and other medi cal appliances. The electric light was burning and on an alcohol stove steamed a jar of hot water.
 "steve." came from stoves lips n an awed, hoarse. much-subdued tone. as he crossed to the bed
 well, 'Tll-be-damnedr' came in even hoarser whisper and slower as stowe dropped the limp wrist which had failed to produce pulse beat. He snatched the sheet. Trexle's body lay nude except for girdle about the loins Stowe listened at his mouth and at lis left breast.
 There was not sound.
 He was dead.
 Stowe rushed to the other room and re- turned with the set of instructions. read them agaIn and set to work And how he did work!
 He had not the slightest difficulty in finding just what the instructions called for from among the many bottles and articles on the stand. His training as a pharmacist stood h'rl well. At regular intervals ne administered this or that drug. bathed the limbs of the dead man, worked the arms to induce respiration or most carefully of all loaded the little sil.