Beadle's Dime Library No. 146 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

comparatively nothing. longed, I agreed to give myself te you when- ever youshould claim my hand. I was mad— utterly out of my senses! I thought not of my- self; | thought only of my suffering dear one, and for her sake I was willing to sacrifice my- self!” the girl exclaimed, with rapid utter- ance, evidently waking from her dreamy state of sorrow. ‘‘It was a noble act, Dura!” the man cried warmly, just as if his very soul was kindled | into enthusiasm by the girl’s behavior, but, somehow, she fancied that there was a hollow ring to the speech and that the admiration so openly expressed was not true, but merely lip praise, that came not from the heart. “Yes, my dear Miss Eldon,” Mr. Lescant con- tinued, ‘‘ you have no idea how much I was de- lighted when I discovered that in addition to possessing a most lovely face and form you also owned a heart capable of so noble an action! It was a sacrifice, of course; I stranger to you; but, now that we have become | | | | | ‘ The Doctor Detective. -_—_ — - -S cautions I arrived in this city a rich man, and here I have remained, waiting and watching for the chance to returh to Mexico, when my friends get the upper hand, as they will be sure to do fore long, to resume my former power and ition. in a novel, and, probably, because I have led such a life is why lam different from the ordi- naryrunof men. Now you can account for my strange freak in taking such a fancy to you, an utter stranger. I have explained how I am situated and what I have been, so that you will know all about me, just as if you had known me for years.” Tha girl lifted up her head abruptly, and for the first time looked the man full in the face and in her eyes he read that his endeavor had failed, and that he had not made the least im- pression upon her. **You have been very kind, indeed, to me was an entire | and now I beg you to perform another act of kindness; release me from the promise that I acquainted, I hope you will consider that being | gave you! The sacrifice was a fruitless one; united in marriage to a man like myself, who | even in this brief interval which has ela since we became acquainted, has learned to love you for the many noble qualities which a possess, it is not really such a sacrifice, un- ess indeed ycur heart is given unto another.” The s was skillfully framed to learn the truth, for a suspicion had entered his mind that perhaps the girl was in love with some one and now that she had had time to reflect upon the matter repented of the decision which she had made. *“No; if I had given my love to another I should not have accepted your offer. My eyes had never rested on the face of any man in whom I took the slightest interest when I first met you.” This assurance took quite a weight from the mind of the gentleman, for he knew enough of womankind to understand that he would have a most difficult task in winning the girl if her affections had been given to any other man, “‘T am delighted to hear it,” he remarked. ‘‘T really feared that there might be some previous love affair in the way which would in- terfere with my suit; but, now that you assure me you are heart-whole, I can see no reason why in time I cannot succeed in winning the priceless jewel of your love. Iam odd and ec- centric, as I have told you—the result probably of the life I have led, for my career has been as wild as the wildest romance. As you have doubtless guessed from my name, I am of ‘French descent, although born and reared in this country, in the city of New Orleans. M father was a wealthy sugar-planter, and when was quite a lad he took me to France where he had rich and powerful kindred. His ambition was to prepare me for a great career. I was educated at a military school and when I was old enough, through the influence of my fa- ther’s friends, I secured a position in the army, and then, when he had thus seen me fair y started on the road to fortune, he died. I had neglected to mention that my mother left this busy world when I was an infant. After my, father’s death, lacking his restraining hand and counsel, I became quite wild, as was only natural for a youth of my age. Being one of the best swordsmen in the French army it was not to be wondered at that I should sometimes become involved in quarrels, as hot-blooded boys are apt to give and resent affronts, real or sup- ‘“The fatal issue of a duel with an officer of far superior rank to my own, compelled me to seek the safety of another clime, and so I be- came a soldier of fortune, just like the adven- turers in the olden time, selling my sword to the highest bidder, and in time it happened that I came again to this country and threw m sword into the scale of war on the Mexican si at the time of Maximilian’s invasion of that land. Being a trained soldier and well-versed in the art of war, I speedily rose in rank, and at the time of the r’s downfall I com- manded one of the principal corps in the Mexi- can army, and was honored with the title of the Duke of Durango. ‘* But Mexieo, you know, my dear Miss Eldon is a land of revolution—of sudden changes, and although she owes ber victory over the invaders almost entirely to the foreign swords and skiil enlisted on her side, yet among the natives there is a widespread dislike—I may say hatred—to all foreigners, and so it ha ed that some five years ago I was accused of being engaged in a conspirac nst the Government, and I was really obliged to fly for my life, for I realized that I would receive scant justice and less mercy at the hands of my foes. Knowing the country and its inhabitants so well, though, I was prepared for this disaster. 6 Thad been engaged in mining lations which had paid me remarkably well, but had taken the precxution to send all my money to this country ; therefore, when my enemies came down on me like wolves on the fold, an‘ I was on ee to fly like a thief in the night, owing my safety solely to the of my horse, instead of stripping me of everything I had in the world, as was their amiable intention, they got | Thanks to my pre- my mother died before a single penny could be spent to save her, and now that | am all alone in the world and I contemplate what I have done, the thought appalils me!” and as she spoke a shudder shook her frame, ‘I fear that can never learn to love you, and oh, to what a life of misery then you will condemn both of us! Be generous, be merciful, and release me from the terrible consequences that must follow the fulfillment of my word. The money that you have Mp poe I will pay back, every penny of it, for 1 am expert with my needle and now that I know where I can get work, i can easily support myself and pay off the debt besi les !’ The appeal was an owes one, and Lescant was visibly moved by it. e shook his head slowly and a mournful expression appeared upon his face. ‘Have you reflected upon the hardship, toil and privations of such a life?” he asked. ‘‘ Just t of what you will have to suffer; think of the ease and luxury you fly from, the only drawback to which is the society of the man who fairly adores the very ground you walk upon. The girl dropped her eyes to the floor again with ad oid. ** You will not release me?” she murmured. ‘“Not at present,” he replied, soothingly; ‘*you really must take time to consider; you must give me time to win your love; if I fail, then, perhaps, | may as A sigh came from the girl’s li Her words were true; the silken chain had become an iron one, CHAPTER XIII, A MARVELOUS OPERATION. “Do — really think, then, my dear old friend, that you can restore this man to life?’ Doramus asked, with excited earnestness. ‘I say restore him to life,” he continued, “for if he is not dead now, he is so near it that it is but a k that is left.” ‘You are quite right, itis but a spark,” the other responded, gravely, ‘‘and what renders the case still more painful is the probability that this unfortunate fell.w, a ee ently as destitute of life asif he had a twelvemonth, reall comprehends all that has been going on around him. ‘*IT see, I see!” Doramus exclaimed. ‘‘ The as Lapeer. the animal powers only; the mind works on unimpaired, even while animation is absolutely suspended and dormant.” ‘* Exactly.” “By the memory of Galen! my dear col- league, I was wishing for some such man as yourself so that I might have a witness to my experiment; you come; and now, behold! in- stead of my astonishing you itis you who will astonish_me.” ! “I may not succeed, my p ostication — be wrong; the man may not laboring under the influence of this Indian drug, but this result —_ bave been produced by natural causes. Of course upon the face of the matter it — to be the most unlikely thing in the world that the man could have been affected by a drug which it is extremely difficult to pro- cure even in India, being worth many times its weight in gold; in fact, I feel almost certain, as I have already stated, that there are not ten men in that land who know the secret of its preparation. But, whether it is the Indian drug or something else which has caused this, I will try to resuscitate him.” ‘‘ And the process?” demanded Doctor Dora- mus, as anxious as a school-boy over a new game. ** About thse same as the modeof reviving life in the drowned, I shall merely use the gal- vanic battery. By a series of shocks of in+ creasing intensity, if life is not wholly extinct, it can be aro to reaction; once make an artificial nerve circulation and the natural will follow; then the functions of the heart and lungs, by gentle friction and movement, can be aude to reassert themselves. Minute quanti- ties of brandy must then be forced into the | | | _ 11 stomach and warmth given the body by heated —e blankets, if there is the least sign of e. ‘*To it at once, then! Here is a galvanic bat- tery,” and the old doctor hastened to pro- ou see, my life reads like a chapter duce the gy from the instrument closet. ‘*There’s a fine brand of brandy in that clear bottle, yonder, the one with the death’s head and cross-bones upon it, labeled poison—a de- vice of mine to keep the servants from helping themselves to it. Brandy at twentv dollars a gallon is too expensive to feed servants upon.” ‘‘But stop, my dear doctor! In the first place, had we not better ascertain whether the man is merely comatose, or actually dead?’ ‘* What test do you prefer?” 7 “The cut is the simplest; with the lancet make a slight incision anywhere—the fleshy i of the fore-arm is as good a place as any. f the man is dead, the cut remains closed, but if, on the contrary, there is life in the body, it gapes open, as a wound naturally does.” ‘Yes, yes:” and immediately the old gentle- man whipped out his lancet, and made a slight wound upon the powerful right arm of the man who was lying so motionless and still. The old doctor was feverish with impatience. Toraisea man from the dead was even better than em- balming his body. The savant also drew near; he was deeply, anxiously interested. The sharp blade of the lancet pierced the white skin, and slowly the wound opened. ** Aha! there is life in the fellow, yet!” Dora- mus cried, in exultation. *‘] think I can—that is, I am basing my be- lief on my success with a somewhat similar case in India, although, of course, this prostration may not have been produced by the same cause.” ** My advice is to go ahead exactly as you did in India.” “*] will.” And without more words the two — apd pei es Ps e galvanic battery was applied; the rub- bing and the kneading of the hod , inducing artificial respiration, were pursued ; Biace was passed into the stomach by means of a t- pipe, and after twenty minutes of labor the re- sult was— SuccEss! Little by little the warmth of life came back, and the the man, appare had taken in order to mitigate the agony of hit fate, was passing away. As the physician had surmised, it was the subtile agent for secret destruction which the patient Hindoo sages had created from the ap- rently harmless weed, that the victim had en, and the reader will probably remember by what combination of circumstances it had come into his possession. If it had been a po- tent poison nothing on earth could have saved the partaker from death; it was not a poison but a somnolent that simulated death; so the draught that was intended to destroy Alcenor Diamond’s salvation; and a good Providence willed that be should fall into the hands of, probably, the only man in the world — co revive him the deathlike nce. At last the man opened his eyes, very slowly though, and up into the anxious faces hovering over hi ‘““Are you conscious of what is going on around you?’ Doramus asked. The man opened his mouth as if to reply, thus clearly indicating that he was conscious, but evidently too weak to speak. t to speak!” admonished quickly. ‘I see that you understand, so it is all right.” Then he turned to his ; ‘**T guess you were right; I think his mind been working all h this and he Senge sae at has occurred around “* No doubt, no doubt; the native prince whom I saved assured me that it was so in his case; the body is inert, bus the mind remains alive active. ‘Well, nothing more remains to be done but to nurse him into strength again.” ** And you will have to play the host for at wets es _ Hi * Yes, yes; but eep an eye upon him. The s who brought him here sald. he was a pal of theirs, so we may, after all, have only restored a great rogue to the world again.” This in a low voice. ‘*Oh, don’t you believe that. That face is the bond of an honest, upright character, or I’m no judge of physiognomy. The wretches, more like, have made him a victim to their infernal diabolism, as you'll soon learn,” stoutly averred the sagacious veteran in medicine. _‘*Perhaps so; and I'll help him along to give him a chance to get even with the sco if they have done this,” returned Doramus. ya rn the —_ doctors re- mov ess form from the operating- table to a bed in one of the old physician’s spare rooms, and after they had man com- fortable they sot down at the other end vu: the room for a chat. JOO cS (E(©) GOME