Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-08-12

its coils and levers. The professor
watched her. Slowly his face changed.
The benevolence faded away. his teeth
for a moment showed in something
which was almost snarl.
You believe me?" he cried, turn
ing to Quest. you are not going
to try that horrible thing on me-Pro-
fessor Lord Ashleigh? am all broken
up. | am not fit for it. Look at my
hands, how they shake"
Professor" Quest said, sternly, I'VE
are surrounded by the shadow of some
terrible deeds for which as yet there
is no explanation. l do not say that
we mistrust you, but l ask you to
submit to this test"
Il refused" the professor replied,
harshly.
"And insist" Quest muttered.
The professor drew little breath.
He sat back in his chair. His face
became still, his lips were drawn
closely together. Lenora wheeled up
the machine and with deft fingers adj
justed the fittings on one side. Quest
himself connected 1t up on the other.
The professor sat there like figure
of stone. The silence in the room
was so intense that the ticking of
the small clock upon the mantel piece
was clearly audible. The very atmos-
phere seemed charged with the thrill
and wonder of 1t. Never before had
Quest met with resistance so COM
plete and immovable. Sternly he con-
centrated the whole of his will power
upon his task. Almost at once there
was a change. The professor fell
back in the chair. The tense self-con-
troll had passed from his features,
his lips twitched. simultaneously,
the mirror for moment was clouded
then slowly picture upon 1t gath
cred outline and substance. There
was a jungle, strange, tall trees, and
brushwood SO thick that it reached
to the waists of the two men who
were slowly making their way through
it. One was the professor, clearly
recognizable under his white sun he'll
met the other a stranger to all OF
them. Suddenly they stopped. The
latter had crept yard or so ahead,
his gun raised to his shoulder, his
eyes fixed upon some possible object
of pursuit. There was a sudden
change in the professor. They saw
him seize his gun by the barrel and
whirl it above his head. He seemed
suddenly to lose his whole identity.
He crouched on his launches, almost
like an animal, and sprang at the 9TH
er's throat. They could almost hear
the snarl from his lips as the two
men went down together into the I'M
dergrowth. The picture faded away.
Doctor Merrill" Lenora faltered.
Then it was not wild beasts which
killed him"
Almost Immediately figures again
appeared in the mirror. There was a
small passage which seemed to lead
from the back, entrance of a house;
the professor, with a black mantle,
Craig followed him, pleading, expostu-
lating. They saw the conservatory
for a minute, and then blackness. The
professor was leaning against a mar
BILE basin. There was nothing to be
seen OF him but his eyes and hands.
They saw him listen for a moment
or two in cold, unresponsive silence,
then stretch out his hand and push
Craig away. The picture glowed and
faded and glowed again. Then they
saw through the gloom the figure of
woman approach, diamond neck
lace around her neck. They saw the
hands steal out and encircle her
throat-and then more darkness, ST.
lence, obscurity. The mirror was
empty once more.
Mrs. Rheinholdts jewels!" Lenora
cried. what next? Oh! my God
what next?"
Their eyes ached with the strain,
but there was not one of them who
could even glance away from the mir
ror. It was Quests study which slow
ly appeared then. The Salvation
Army girl was there, talking to the
professor. They saw him leave her,
they saw him look back from the
door, strange, evil glance. Then the
secretary entered and spoke to her.
Once more the door opened. The
hands were there. stretching and
reaching, paper-weight gripped in
the right-hand fingers. They saw 1t
raised above the secretary's head, they
saw the other hand take the girl by
the throat and push her towards the
table. A wild scream broke from
Lenora's lips. Quest wavered for q