The Washington herald., 1914-04-26

MY study" mumbled. and walked
across the landing. Then at the sound of
my voice a thought struck me, and I
went back to the bedroom and put in the
set Of false teeth. They slipped in with
the ease Of old habit. That's better"
said I, crashing them. and so returned
to the study.
The drawers OF the writing desk were
locked. Its revolving top was also locked.
I could see no indications of the keys,
and there were none in the pockets Of my
trousers. / shufied back at once to the
bedroom. and went through the dress
suit. and afterward the pockets of all
the garments / could find. was very
eager. and one might have imagined that
burglars had been at work. to see my
room when I had done Not only were
there no keys to be found. but not coin.
nor scrap OF paper-save only the re-
ceipted bill of the overnight dinner.
A curious WEAKNESS asserted itself.
sat down and stared at the garments flung
here and there. their pockets turned in
side out. My first frenzy had already
hickered out. Every moment was be-
ginning to realize the immense inteIli-
gence Of the plans Of my enemy. to see
more and more clearly the hopelessness
Of my position. With an effort I rose
and hurried hobbIing into the study
again. On the staircase was a house
maid pulling up tn blinds. She stared,
I think, at the expression of my face. I
shut the door of the study behind me,
and. Selling a poker. began ar attack
upon the desk. That is how they found
me. The cover OF the desk was split. the
lock smashed. the letters torn out of the
pigeonholes and tossed about the room.
In my senile rage I had flung about tbs
pens and other such light stationery. and
overturned the ink. Moreover, a large
vase upon the mantel had got broken-I
do not know how. could find no check
book. no money. no indications of the
slightest use for the recovery Of my body.
I was battering madly at the drawers,
servants, intruded upon me.
That simply is the story Of my change.
No one will believe my frantic assertions.
I am treated as one demented. and even
at this moment I am under restraint But
I am sane. absolutely sane and to prove
It have sat down to write this story
infinitely as the things happened to me.
I am a young man locked away in an
old mans body. But the clear fact Is
incredible TO "very one. Naturally I ap-
pear demented to those who will not be-
lieve this. naturally I do not know the
names OF my secretaries, OF the doctors
who come to see me, Of my servants and
neighbors. OF this town wherever it isl
where find myself. Naturally lose my
self in my own house. and suffer incon-
veniences of every sort. Naturally I ask
the oldest questions. Naturally weep
SPAR. have no money and no check
book. The bank will not recognize my
signature. for I suppose that. allowing
for the feeble muscles I now have, my
handwriting is still Eden's These peo-
pie about me will not let me- 20 to the
bank personally. 1t seems. indeed. that
there is no bank in this town and that ]
have an account in some part of London
Two days ago I was a healthy young
ster. with all life before me: now am a
furious old man, unkempt and desperate.
and miserable. prowling about a great
luxurious strange house, watched. fear
cd. and avoided as lunatic by every one
about me. And in London is Elvesham
beginning life again in a vigorous body.
and with all the accumulated knowledge
and wisdom of threcscore and ten. He
has stolen my life
One desperate experiment 7 am about
to try. 1 sit writing here before putting
the matter to issue. This morning. with
the help OF a table knife that l had Sc
GREETED at breakfast. I succeeded IL h-eel.-
ing open fairly obvious secret drawer
in this wrecked writing desk 1 discov-
cred nothing save little green glass vial
containing a white powder. Round the
neck of the vial was a label. and thereon
was written this one word. Release"
This may be-is most probably. poison. ]
can understand Elveshsm placing poison
in my way. and 1 should be sure that il
was his intention so to get rid of the only
living witness against him. were it not
for this careful concealment The man
has practically solved the problem of i'm
mortality. Save for the spite Of chance.
he will live in my body until it has aged,
and then. again. throwing that aside. he
will assume some other victims youth
and strength.
But I tire of writing. The powder ap-
pears to be soluble in water. The taste
is not unpleasant.
There the narrative found upon Mr.
EIvcshams desk ends. His dead body
lay between the desk and the chair. The
latter had been pushed back. probably
by his last commissions. The story was
written in pencil. and in a crazy hand.
quite unlike his usual minute characters
There remain only two curious facts to
record. Indisputably there was some