The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-01

went white with the horror of the
thing as she deciphered the cramped
entries:
May 13-Emmerich has advanced
the theory that old age is brought
about in large part by the weakened
resistance of the subject to the raw.
ages Of the bacillus coli, colonies oil
which invariably infest the digestive
tract of every person even though in
normal health. The activity and
number of these bacilli vastly in
crease with advancing age, causing a
form of Standardization and sub
sequent hardening of the arteries due
to increased blood pressure, and 9TH
er symptoms of general structural
decay. 1t would seem probable that
from sufficiently large colony OF
colon bacilli a virulent toxic poison
might be extracted, which, admins
tered even in minute quantities,
should almost Immediately attack the
tissues and destroy the subject with
all the indications of death from ex-
IRENE old age. Such a poison, APP
parently unknown to science, and al
ready present in less malignant form
in every human system, would be
extremely battling in the event of an
autopsy. I shall Immediately start
experimenting along these lines.
May 15-The colony of colon bacilli
which / started in gelatin culture
medium is multiplying rapidly. Flour
ishes best at blood heat-destroyed
at temperature of go degrees Cent?
grade. The change in color from
grayish white to brown should indi-
cate an increase in virulence and
pathogenic qualities.
May 17-Inoculated guinea pig with
hacilli poison-died instantly; body
shrunk and withered; much encour-
aged
May 2o-Discovery has just been
put to gratifying practical test
managed to get needle infected
with the bacilli extract to Legar, who
had been captured and confined in
prison. Legar has just communicated
with me. He succeeded in scratching
his jailer with the contaminated
needle, and the man was seized i'm
mediately with commissions and died
in two or three minutes with all the
symptoms to be expected. Legar re-
gained his liberty, and now wishes to
destroy an entire family named
Golden. I will prepare minute cap
sules which will keep the bacilli alive
and
AS with a shudder Margory came
to the last unfinished and cold
blooded entry she heard Skidmon rap
idly approaching the door. Thrust
ing the discriminating journal into
her dress, she quickly stole into the
back room, where she could watch
the laboratory without being OBJ
served herself. She saw the unnerved
bacteriologist hurriedly drag a bat
tered trunk from a dark and cavern
GUS closet. AS he threw an uneasy
glance toward the door leading into
the hall his face suddenly froze into
an expression Of abject terror.
4 4 \
Advancing from that doorway came
a figure with features cloaked by a
knocking yellow mask. This startling
apparition deliberately aimed black
automatic at the terrified scientist
and with his left hand silently pointed
to the desk where lay the unfinished
confession. More overcome with fear
by the return of the man he had an
parently hurled to his death than
awed by the threatening revolver.
Skidmon faltered toward the desk
in obedience to that silent, but obyi-
GUS command.
But his intelligent mind worked
quickly, and by the time he had fixed
his name to that document vindicat-
ing the masked fugitive from Legar's
atrocious crimes he had banished the
fears which this supernatural resur-
rection had caused him and deter
mined on q course Of action. Rising
from the desk he approached the
Laughing Mask, who was standing
near the open closet with his ready
weapon in his hand. Skidmon held
out the signed confession, but before
the other could take it the paper. with
seeming inadvertence, slipped from
the fingers of the scientist and flutter-
ed to the floor. AS he stopped to re-
gain it he suddenly hurled his weight
against the legs Of his unsuspecting
enemy with force that sent him
topping over backward into the
depths of the closet, and before the
Laughing Mask could regain his foot
ing the door had been swung shut and
bolted.
Margory, from her place of conceal
ment, saw the loose-lipped malefactor
make a motion as. though to destroy
the confession, but he suddenly grew
rigid as though gripped again by the
hand of fear. Following the direc-
ton in which his eyes were staring
she saw the reason for his trepida-
ton. A figure masked in the identi-
cal manner as the man just impris-
oned in the closet came slowly
through the hall doorway. He also
held black metalled pistol trained
on Skidmon, but he walked with a
painful effort, as il his body were
bruised and sore.
1T would be foolish to tear up that
little document" he said in tones OF
grim determination, ''for you would
have to write it over. AS it is rather
essential to my welfare. I'll trouble
you to hand it to me-"
\ = \
But instead of complying with this
demand the dazed and panic-stricker
Investigator backed slowly away
from that terrifying specter, who
seemed to be impervious to locks ane
to possess as many lives as a cat
His retreat was suddenly checked b.
the laboratory work bench, on which
he heavily dropped a troubling hant
to steady himself. As he did Sc
there came sharp sound of break
ing glass and, with an abrupt CT.
Of pain, he dung up his deepl.
gashed hand, splashed with bloo'
and thick ooze of gelatinous mat
ter. He turned and saw the splint
cred pieces of the fragile vesse
which had contained the colon bacill
culture. A dull moan Of horror cam
from his blue lips as he realized n