Year: 1875

"Afraid! Why should have been 80
l answered calmly.


Don't get whimsical Bob, in hea-
ven's name;" said with a lightness
was far from feeling.


IL forgot all about the machine di-
rectly; and you know I've not had the
best of news from home lately, and my
thoughts wander there incessantly. My
mother is not well, and l am thinking
Of running down for day or two.''


Yes; you ought to go home at once,
If that is the case," he said feelingly.


"But do you know, Horace, I've half
a mind to try this thing? Not that
think anything could result from it,
though. am curious about inventions
Of all kinds; l dream at times that /
shall get a saw-mill or something of the
sort out of my own head, and 1 only
want to take look at this thing over
at Brixton's. Higgins and Seaford
want me to try it, but l don't know.
1t couldn't hurt me, you know, if there
is nothing in it."


"But let US suppose that the instru-
ment will obey the doctor, and answer
his expectations


"Well," he said: peeling the tender
bark from small piece of stick he car
ried, 81 see now, WOolsey, why you
never mentioned it to me. But / have
no scruples about subjecting myself to
the test. l thank you all the same,
however,"


did not fear the machine, mind;
stood more i'm fear of Bob's imagina-
tons, his quick, nervous temperament.
L said no more, and seeing that he had
said all he wished, 1 left him.


l was on my way to the post-office,
and getting further bad accounts from
home, as l had feared, l Immediately
returned to my chambers and made a
few hurried preparations for leaving.
l had but few moments in which to
catch the night express, and left little
note for Bob as good bye. l scrawled
on the back of an envelope:


''DEAR OLD FELLOW: I'm off. Shall
be back Monday next, i hope. Look
out for yourself, and let the internal
machine alone. "HORACE."


This 1 left on Bob's table, telling
Higgins to call his attention to it.


My mother had bettered considerably
by the time saw her, and being anx-
ious about my class, not to speak of a
queer feeling had abont McMasters, l
got back Sunday night instead of Mon
day, as l purposed.


The news that met me was astounding
truly. The keeper of a mad-house in
the interior of the state, with two doc
tors, had come in search of Brixton,
who it seems had been in the asylum
for some years. confined at times as
dangerous lunatic. He was also lucid
for long intervals, in one of which he
made his escape, cut his beard, changed
his name, which was i'm reality Plesch-
man, and settled at Proguesburge as we
have seen. There was no doubt at all
about his madness. He raved furiously,
and became almost unmanageable at
sight of his keeper and had to be chained
down.


Bob was all right though. He laughed
over my note of caution, but said he had
made up his mind to test the instrument
fully, and should have done so had not
events interfered to prevent it then.


''The doctors effects were scattered
he said, "and l made off
with his invention. shall keep it as
as having been the creation of
course, nothing it,"


He threw off a napkin which covered
it, and examined it with some Curl
osity. 1t looked devilish enough, and ]
again advised McMasters not to have
to do with it.


As he betrayed faint annoyance, l
dropped the subject at once, and the
napkin was replaced. Tuesday being
letter day for the students, every man
Jack of us were busy with our own
personal affairs all day:


l had not seen Bob since dinner.
Topoff said he had gone to his room
with his portion of the mail, and had
not been seen since; not even at the



Higgins and ran up to his little den
at about a quarter to seven, leaving the
others at cribbage below.


We ratified away loudly at the door,
giving a pOrter's double knock every
two seconds on the thin panels.


shudder now to think of how that
knocking echoed through the
gloomy old house.


"Oh, he's asleep or dead," said Hig-
gins in his rough way, shaking the
knob. 81 know he hasn't gone out.
Bob, old chap, look here, you know.
You want to come out of this. What
game are you up to nOw?"


Suddenly my teeth began to chatter
in wild alright aud l never came so
near being frightened to death in my
life by my own emotions and cOnvic-
tons


"Don't knock again, WILL" l said,
''let us break open the door. Come,
all together, now"


The fastening gave away aid the lamp
on the table flickered and fiared in the
rush of cold air we let in.


Bob sat upright in the chair at the
table; his left hand holding the wire,
his eyes open and fixed on an open letter
which lay beside the cursed thing.


He was stone dead, and was now
quite cold. Past all help from us,
though all that mortal knowledge could
do was done.


What had caused his heart to cease its
Was there method in the
lunatic's madness, and had he really
invented a thing worth moments
thought?


We both glanced at the open letter,
on which the kindly blue eyes had
looked their last, and we could not help
seeing what its nature was.


1t was written by the woman this
man had loved with all the ardor of his
passionate nature, and it was simply
request that he would permit her to
Withdraw her pledge. She had discov
cred too late that she loved another too
much to make it safe or honorable in
her to keep her promise to him.


Now, whether this cold and cruel
letter came to his heart as death blow,
or the black doctors fatal machine had
proven too true to its purpose, or, that
vivid imagination which characterized
our friend had assisted him to compass
his own end, we shall never know.
Strange, he should have died, sitting
up, with a letter before him, just as his
mother had died. three years before.


had the melancholy satisfaction of
the ''infernal machine" and
casting its bones to the dogs. Near by