The Stoyteller. TRANSFORMATION.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 125, 24 April 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Stoyteller. TRANSFORMATION.

If you grind castor sugar with an equal quantity of chlorate of potash, the, result is an innojont-looking white compound, sweet to the taste, and sometimes beneficial in the case of a sore throat. By if you clip a glass rod in a small quantity of sulphuric acid, and merely tonsil the harmless-appearing mixture with the wet end of the rod, the dish wh'ch contains it becomes instantly a roaring furnace of fire, vomiting forth a fountain of burning balls, and filling the room with a dense, black, suffocating cloud of smoke. So strange a combination is that mystery which we term human nature that a touch of adverse circumstance may transform a quiet, peaceable, law-ibidmg citizen into a malefactor, whose heart is filled with a desire for vengeance, stopping at nothing to accomplish it. In a little narrow street off the broad Rue de Rennes, near the great terminus of Mont-Parnasse, stood the clockraaking shop of the brothers Delore. The window was filled with cheap clocks, and, depending from a steel spring attached to the top of the door, wasa bell which rang when anyone entered, for the brothers were working clockmikera, continually busy in the room at the back of the shop, and trade in the neighborhood was not brisk enough to allow them to keep an assistant. The brothers had worked amicably in this small room for twenty yeirs, and Were reported by denizens of that quarter of Paris to be enormously rich. They were certainly contented enough, and had plenty of money for their occasional and exceedingly mild dissipations at the tuijYnriu; eife. Tiny hila'wiys a little money for the church and a little money for charity, and no one had ever heard eitner of them speak a harsh word to any living soul, and least of a'd to each other. When the sensitively adjusted bell announced the arrival of a possible customer, Adolph left his work and attended to the shop, while Alphonse continued his task without interruption. The former was supposed to be the better business man of the two, while the latter was admittedly the better workman. They had a room over tlse shop, and a sm ill kitcli-n over the workroom at the luck; but only one occupied the bedroom above, the other sleeping in the shop, as it was supposed that the wares there displayed must have formed an almost irresistible temptation to any thief desirous of accumulating a quantity of timepieces The brothers took week about at guarding the treasures below, lmt in all the twenty years no thief had yet disturbed their slumbers, One even ng, just as they were about io close Hie shop and adjourn together to the cafe, the bell rang, and Adolph went forward to learn what was wanting. He found wait iug for him an unkempt individual of appeirance so disreputable that he at once made up his mind that here at last wa3 the thief for whom they had waited so long in vain. The man's wild, roving eye, that seemed to s uirch out every corner and cranny in the place and rest nowhere for hnger than a second at a time, added to Delore's suspicions. The unsavory visitor was evidently spying out the land and Adolph felt certain that he would do no business with him at that particular hour, whatever might happen later. The customer took from under his coat, after a furtive glance at the door of the back room, a small paper covered parcel, and, untieing the string somewhat hurriedly, displaced a crude pieee of clockwork, made of brass. Handing it to Adolph he said : 'How much would it cost to make a dozen like tint?' Adolph took the piece of machinery in his hand and examined it. It was slightly concave in shape and among the wheels a strong spring, Adolph wound up this spring, but so loosely was the machinery put together that when he let go the key the spring quickly uncoiled itself with a whirring noise of the wheels. ;| 'This is very bad workmanship,' said Adolph. ' It is,' replied the man, who, notwithstanding his poverty-stricken appearance, spoke like a person of education. 'That is why J come to you for better workmanship.' ' What is it used for V The man hesitated a moment. ' It is part of a clock, 1 he said at last. ' I don't understand it. I never saw a clock made like this.' ' It is an alarm attachment,' replied the visitor, with some impatience. ' It is not necessary that you should understand it. All I ask is cm you duplicate it, and at what price V ' But why not make the alarm machinery part of the clock? It would be much cheaper than to make this and then attach it to a clock.' w- The man made a ges'ui'c of annoyance. ' VVill you answer my question V he said grulll/. ' I don't bel'eve you want this as part of a cbek. In fact, I think I can guess why yon. cune in here,' replied Adolph, as iuno:eut as a chil I of any correct suspicion of whit the mm was, thinking him

merely a thief, and hoping to frighten him by this hint of his own shrewdness. His visitor looked loweringly at him, and then, with a quick eye, seemed to n; ensure the distance from where In; stood to the pavement, evidently medititing High'. ' I will s"e what my brother says about this,' said A 10l >h. But before Adjlph could call his brother the man \>olted and was gone in an instant, leaving the ineeh iiiisni in the hinds of the bewild red eloekmoker. Alphoin', wh p. he hoird the story of their belited eti>to nor, wis even in a-.' eoivuxvl thin his brother of the d mg >r of th ! situat:on. The nun wis undoubtedly a thief, and the bit of clockwork morely an excise for g;tting inside the fortress The brothers, with much perturb ition, locked up the establishment, and inst. ad of going to their usual cafe liny bstook themselves as speedily as possible to the oflice of the police, when they told their suspicions and gave a description of the supposed culprit. The oflicer seemed much impressed by their story. ' Have vou brought with you the machine he showed you V ' No. It is at the shop,' said Adolph. ' It ffu merely an excuse to get inside. I am sure of that, for no clockmaker ever mule it.' ' Perhaps,' replied the oflioer, 'Will you go and bring it? Say nothing of this to any one you mee f , but wrap the midline in piper and bring it as quickly and as quietly as you can. [ would sen 1 a man with you, only I do not wish to attract attention.' Bafore morning, the mm, .vho gave his name as Jacques Picard, was arrested, but the authorities made little by their zeal. Adolph Delore swore positively tint Picard and his visitor were the same person, but the prisoner hid no difficulty in proving that he was in a cife two miles away at the time the visitor was in Delore's shop, while Adolph had to admit tint the shop was rather dark when the conversation about the clockwork took place. Picard was ably defended and his advocate submitted that even if he had been in the shop as stated by Delore, and had birgained as alleged for the mechanism, there was nothing criminal in that, unless the prosecution could show that he intended to put what h«j bought to improper uses. As well arrest a man who entered to buy a key for a watch. So Picard was released, although the, police, certain he was one of the men they wanted, resolved to keep a close watch on his future movem nts. But the suspected man, as if to save them unnecessary trouble, left two days later for London, and there remained. For a week Adolph slept badly in the shop, for although he hoped the thief had been frightened away by the proceedings taken against him, still, whenever he fell asleep, lit; dreamt of burglars, and so awoke himself many times during the long nights. When it came the turn of Alphonse to sleep in the shop, Adolph hoped for an undisturbed night's rest in the room above, but the fates were against him. Shortly after midnight he was flung from his bed to the iloor, and he felt the house rocking as if an earthquake had passed under Paris. He got en his hands and knees in a dazed condition, with the roar of thunder in his ears, mingled with the sharp crackle of breaking gl iss. He made his way to the window, wondering whether he was asleep or awake, and found the window shattered The moonlight poured into the deserted street, and he noticed a cloud of dust and smoke rising from the front of the shop. He groped his way through the darkness toward the stairway and went clown, calling his brother's name, but the lower part of the stair had been blown away, and he fell upon the debris below, lying there halfstunned, euveluped in suffocating smoke. When Adolph partially recovered consciousness he became aware that two men were helping him over the ruins of the shattered shop. He was still murmuring the mine of his brother, and they were telling him, in a reassuring tone, tin l everything was all right, although he vaguely felt that what they said was not true. They had their arms linked in his, and he stumbled helplessly among the wreckage, seeming to have lost control over his limbs. He saw that the whole front of the shop was gone, and noticed that a crowd stood in the street, kept bade by the police. He wondered why he had not seen all these people when he looked out of the shattered window. When they brought him to the ambul nice he resisted slightly, saying he wanted to go to his brother's assist nice, who was sleeping in the shop, but with gentle force they pi iced him in the vehicle and ho was driven away to the hospital. For several d lys Adolph fancied he was declining ; tint he would soon awake and tike up his old industrious life. It was the nurse who told him ha would never see his brother again, adding by way of consol ition that death had been painlsi and instant, that the funeral had been the grandest tint quarter of Paris hid ever seen, uiming many high and important officials who had attended it. Adolph turned his face to t|ie will

and groaned. His frightful dream ! was to list him his life. When he trod the streets of J'.iris a week la'er lie wa? Imt the shadow of Ins former self. Ho was guint and haggard, his clothes hinging on him as if tiny hid b.'en midj for some other man, a forfc-iiglnAs stubby heard on the face which hid heretofore been smoothly shiven. II .: sat silent at the cafe, a few of his friends recognised him at lira*. They hoard that he received ample compensation from th; (.* iveriliiiont an I now would Invo money enough to suffice him all his lif-, with )ut the necessity of working for it, and they looked upon him as a fortunitu mui. Hut he sit there listlessly, receiving their congratulations or condolence with equal apathy. Once he walked pist the shop Th' l front was boirded up and gl iss hid bro i put in the upper window <. He ivanlered aimlessly through the streets of Paris, some saying he was insane, and that he was looking for his brother; others that he was searching for the murderer, oin diy he entered the police otU so where he had first made his unlucky compl lint. 1 lltvo you arrested him yet ?' he asked the ofli :er in charge. ' Whom?' inquired the ofli Jer, not recognising his visitor. 'Picard. lam Adolph Delore.' ' It was not Picard who committed the crime. He was in London at the time, and is still there.' 'Ah! He said he was in the north of Paris when he was with me in the south ! He is a liar ! He blew up the shop !' ' I quite believed he planned it ; but the dead was clone by another. It was done by Lamoine, who left for Brussels next morning, and went to London by way of Antwerp. He is living with Picard in London at this moment.' 'lf you know that, why has neither of them been taken f" 'To know is one thing ; to be able to prove quite another. We cannot get these rascals from England merely on suspicion, and they will take good care not to set foot in Prance for soma time to come. ' You are waiting for evidence, tin n K' ' We are waiting for evidence.' 1 How do you expect to get it V 'We are having them watched. They are quiet now, but it won't be for long. Pi ard is too restless, Then we miy arrest someone soon who will confe.-'s.' ' Perhaps f coul 1 li-dp. I am going t) London. Could you give me Picard's address V ' Here is his address. Hut 1 think you had better leave the case alone. You do not know the language, and you may merely arouse his suspicions if you interfere. Still, if you loirn anything, communicate with me,' The former frank, honest expression in Adolph's eyes had given place to a look of cunning that appealed to the instinct of a French police ollher. He thought some thing more might come of this, and his instincts did not mislead him. Delore with great craftiness watched fcbeiborin the house in London, taking care that no one should suspect his purpose. He saw Picard come out alone on several occasions, and once with another of his own stamp, whom he took to be Lamoine. One evening when crossing Leicester .Square Picard was accosted by a stranger in his own language. Looking around with a start, he siw at his side a cringing tramp, worse than shabbily dressed. ' What did you say V said Picard, with a tremor in his voice. ' Could you assist a poor countryman ?' whined Delore. ' I have no money.' 'Perhaps you could help me to get work. 1 don't kno".' the language, hut 1 am a good workman.' ' How can I help you to get work ? I have no work myself.' ' I would be willing to work for nothing if I could get a phce to sleep and something to eat,' ' Why don't you 1 I would if J. were hungry. Whit are you afraid of 1 Prison 1 It is no worse than tramping the streets hungry ; I know, for I have tried both. What is your trade V ' I am a watchmaker and a firstclass workman, but 1 have pawned all my tools'. I hive tramped from Lyons, but there is nothing doing in my trade.' Picard looked at lam suspiciously for a few minutes. 'Why did you accost in.'?' he asked, at last. ' I saw you ware a fellow countryman ; Frenchmen have helped me from time to time.' ' Let us sit down on this bench. What is your name and how long have you been in Eagbtn I V ' My name is Adolph Cirrier, and [ have been in London three months,' 'So long as that! How have you lived all that time V ' Very poorly, as you mly see. I sometimes get scraps from the French restaurants and I sl"ep where I can.' ' Well, I think I can do better than that for you. Come with me.' Picard took I More to his hous 1 , bitting himself in with a latchkey. Nobody seome.l to occupy the place but himself and Lamoine. He led the way to the top story, an I opene 1 ;i door that communicated with a room entirely hire of furniture. Leaving Adolph their, l'icard wont downstairs again and came up

shortly lifter with a lighted candle in his hind, fo'lowcd by Lunoinc, who carried a mattress, 'This will do for you to-night,' Slid J.'icard, • and for to-mono.v we will see if we cm got some work. Can you m ike clocks • ' Oil, yes ; mil gof il ones.' ' Very well (live in i a list of tools an 1 in itc: iil i you need and I will get thmu for you/ l'icird wrote in a notebook tie it mis Adolph recited to him, L limine watching their now employe closely, but slying nothing. Next diy a bible and a chiir were put into tho room, an 1 in the afternoon I'iearcl brought in the tools and some shee'.s of brass. l'icird and Lunoine were somewh it suspicious of their recruit at first, but lie went on industriously with his task and mad.) no attempt to communicate with anybody. They soon siw that lie was an expert workman, and a quiet, innocent, hilf-daft, Innnloss creature ; so h•• W<VJ "iven other work to do, .such as cleaning up their rooms and goiiu errands for beer and other necessities of life. When Adolph finishol his first machine he took it down to them and exhibitod it with pardonable pride. There was a dial on it exactly like a clock, although it had but one hard ' Let us sec it work,' .said I'icarc! ; ' set it so tint the bell will ring in three minutes.' A lolph did as requested, and stood back when the machine began to work with a soircely audible ticktick. Picard pulled out his watch, and extutly at the third minute the hammer fell on the bell. ' That is very satisfactory,' said l'icard ; 1 now can you mike the next one slighhtly concave, so tint a man may strap it under his coat without attracting attention I Such a shape is useful when passing the Customs?' ' I can mike it any shape you like, and much thinner than this one if you wish it.' ' Very well ; go out and get us a quart of beer, and we'll drink to your success. Here is the money.' Adolph obeyed with his usual docilty, sttying out, howevor, somewhat longer than usual, l'icard, impatient at the delay, spoke roughly to him when he returned, and ordered him to go upstairs to his work. Adolph departed meekly, leaving them to their beer. ' See that you understand that machine, Limoim*,'said l'icard. 'Set it for half an hour.' Lnnoine, turning the hind to the figure. G on the diil, set the works in motion, and, to the accompaniment of their quiet tick-tick, they drank thsir beer. ' He seems to understand the business,' said [iimoinc. ' Yes,'said l'icard. ' Whit heady stud' this English beer is. I wish we had some good French bock. This makes me drowsy.' Lamoine did not answer ; he was nodding in his chair, l'icard threw himself down on his mattress in one corner of the room ; Liinoino, when ho fell from his chair, muttered an oath and lay where he fell. An hour later the door stealthily opened and Adolph's head cautiously reconnoitred the situation, coming into the silent apartment inch by inch, lis crafty eyes rapidly searching the room and filling with malicious gb c when he saw that everything was as he had planned. He entered quietly and closed the door softly behind him. He had a great coil of strong cord in his hand, Approaching the sleeping men on tiptoe he looked down on them for a moment, wondering whether the drug had done its work suHioicntly well for him to proceed. The question was settled for him with a suddenness that nculy unnerved him. An appalling cling of the bell, a startling sound, that seemed loud, enough to wake the dead, made him spring nearly to the ceiling. He dropped his rope and clung to the door in a panic of dread, his palpitating heart nearly suffocating him with its wild beating, staring with affrighted eyes at the machine which had given such an unexpected alarm. Slowly recovering command over himself, be turned his gaze on the sleepers. Neither had moved ; both were breathing as heavily as ever. Pulling himself together, he turned his attention first to Picard, as tho more dangerous man of the two, should an awakening come be fore he was ready for it. He bound Picard's wrists tightly together, then his ankles, his knees, and his elbows. Lie next did the same for Limoine, With great effort he got l'icard to a seatod position on his chair, tying him there with coil after coil of the cord. So anxious was he to make everything secure that he somewhat overdid the business, making the two seem like seated mummies swathed in cords. The chairs he fastened immovably to the lloor ; then he stood back and with a sigh at the two grim seated figures, with their heads drooping helplessly forward on their corded breasts, looking like silent effigies of the dead, Mopping his perspiring brow, Adolph now turned his attention to the machine tint had startled him so when lie first came in. lie carefully examined its mechanism to see tint everything was right, doing to the cupboard he took up a false bottom and lifted carefully out a number of dynamite cut ridges that the two sleepers bad stolen from a French mine. These he arranged I in a battery, tying then lajether,

He raised the hammer ot the machine and set the hand so that the blow woul I fill in sixty minutes after the machinery was set in motion. The whole deadly combination he placed on a small tilde, which he shoved close in front of the two sleeping men. This done, he sat down on a elnir patiently to await the awakening. The room was situated at the back of the house and was almost painfully still, not, a sound from the street, penetrating to it. The candle burnt low, sputtered, and went out, lmt Adolph sat there and did not light another. The room was still only half in darkness, for the moon shone brightly in at the window, reminding Adolph that it was just a month before that he had looked out on a moonlit street in Paris while his brother liy murdered in the room below. The hours dragged along, and Adolph sat as immovable as the two seated before him. The square of moonlight, slowly moving, at last illuminated the sealed form of Picard, imperceptibly climbing up, as the moon sank, until it touched his face. He threw his head first to on? si le, then back, yawned, drew a deep brea'h, and tried to struggle. ' Lamoine,' he cried ; ' Adolph. What the devil is this? 1 say here. Help? I am betrayed.' ' Hush,' said Adolph, quietly. 'Do not cry so loud. You will wake Lamoine, who is beside you. lam here ; wait till 1 light a candle : the moonlight is waning.' 'Adolph, you fiend, you are in league, with the police.' 'No; lam not. I will explain everything in a moment, Have patience.' Adolph lit a candle, and Picard, rolling his eyes, saw that the slowly awakening Lamoine was bound like himself. Lamoine, glaring at his partner and not understanding what had happened, hissed : ' You have turned traitor, Picard ; you have informed. Curse you !' ' Keep quiet, you fool. Don't you see I am bound as tightly as you V 'Then has been no traitor and no informing, nor need of any. A month ago to-night, Picard, there was blown into eternity a good and honest man who never harmed you or any one. 1 am lis brother Adolph Delore, who refused to make your infernal machine for you. .1 am much changed since then ; but perhaps now you recognise me !' ' I swear to God,' cried Picard, 'that 1 did net do if. I was in Loudon at the time. I can prove it. There is no use in handing m: over to the police, even though, perhaps, you think you can terrorize this poor wretch into lying against me.' ' Pray to God, whose name you so lightly use, that the police you fear may get you before 1 am done with you, In the police, strange as it may sound to you, is your only hope, but they will have to come quickly if they are to save you, Picard, you have lived, perhaps, thirty-live years on this carlh. The next hour of your life will be, longer to you than all these years,' Adolph put the percussion cap in its place and started llie mechanism. For a few moments its quiet ticktick was the only sound heard in the room, thetwo bound men staring with wide-open mouths at the dial of the clock, while the whole horror of their position slowly broke upon them. Tick-tick, tick-tick, tick- tide, ticktick, tick-tick. Each man's face was paled, and rivulets of aweat ran clown from their brows, Suddenly Picard raised his voice in an unearthly shriek. 'I expected that,' said Adolph, quietly. ' I don't think anyone can hear, but I will gag you both, so that we may run no risks.' When this was clone he said : ' 1 have set the clockwork at sixty minutes ; seven of those are already spent. There i 3 still time enough left for meditation and repentance. I place the candle here so its rays will shine upon the dial. When you have made your own peace, pray for the souls of any you have sent into eternity without time for preparation.' Delore left the room as softly as he had entered it, and the doomed men tried ineffectually to cry out as they heard the key turning in the door. The authorities knew that someone had perished in that explosion, but whether it was one manor two they could not tell. [Tub End]