Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 82: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A DASH FOR A THRONE, 75 He made the injection there and then, and gave me two days to be away and wind up my affairs; and when I returned to him, he made another injec- tion and put me to bed. That night I was in a raging fever. All the paraphernalia of a sick bed were soon in evidence, and the following day it was noised all over Berlin that the wealthy young Count von Rudloff was down in the grip of a fever at the house of a once well known physician, Dr. Mein. The little house was besieged with callers. A few only were admitted. Von Augener was one, and he brought with him the court physician. I grew worse rapidly; and only in intermittent gleams of intelligence was I conscious of the lean, grizzled face and watchful blue eyes of the doctor bending over me; assuring me that I was a most interesting case, and rapidly growing worse. | , | For three days this continued, until in a moment of consciousness I heard him say to the nurse: “ He cannot last through the night;” and the woman turned and looked sympathetically toward the bed. I tried to speak, but could not. I could scarcely move; but they noticed my restlessness, and the doctor came and bent over me. “Am I dying?” I whispered. “Yes. You must have courage. You are dying.” “Tam glad. Thank you. I have no pain.” He turned away and after a moment gave me my medicine. Then with a touch, soft like a woman’s, he smoothed the bed clothes, and bending down put his lips to my forehead ; and left me glad, as I had said, that the end had come thus calmly. - | I must have become unconscious again almost directly after that, for I know nothing of what happened until I awoke gradually and found myself in a place that was pitch dark. I was lying on the floor, though it felt soft, like a mattress, and when [ stretched out my arm I touched a wall that was soft like the floor. I was quick in jumping to a conclusion. The doctor had fooled me and probably fooled everybody else about my illness and death. If I had ever been ill I was quite well now, and I scrambled up and strode about the place, feeling all the walls and floor and everything within my reach. I soon knew where I was. It was the old fellow’s padded room. I knew, too, that I could do no good by struggling or shouting or trying to get out of it. I must wait; and I sat down on the floor to think. After what seemed like many hours, an electric light was switched on, and I saw a sheet of paper pinned to the wall. It was a letter from the doctor. I have done what your mother would have wished. You have the makings of a real man in you, and you must not die. Every one thinks you dead ; and not a soul suspects. Your funeral took place yesterday amid all the pomp of court mourning; and all the papers today are full of descriptions of your career, your illness, death, and funeral. But you will live to do yourself justice; if meed be in another name. Your next career you must make, however, and not merely inherit. But you are your mother’s son and will not flinch. The old man had known me better than I knew myself. I had been glad to die; but the pulse of life runs strong in the twenties; and the shrewd old GOGO CO