Show In he Secret ce u I The h of fone O of the 3 1 tran est Ceases on an r Revelations oi of Mme Du Dumares Detective by b Derek erek Vane e Record R cord i i I WANT WAN T you to look up ap a n old Rus Ruis SInn scientist who le Is Uv ag In a 2 remote Sussex village Sir Ed EdWard Edward Ward said luRe He Is su suspected by his government of all kinds or of queer things and I should to know what te Ie is doing over oer here hereDo hereDo Do you think he Is us I asked I do not know what to thInk He js a qu ch character is pertain an and it t sj Isi st 8 ae well to know hat lie he heIs lieis Is about Ho Is a a very ery learned devoted ed to et helped the more than once b by hit clever clevel Inventions Invention s but I am aln not in a position to say that he has adol adopted ted their HI His work tak taker mon money y avid It may I have bare been leen a Lion Uon of r being bein PAW paid he Itu the reputation QC u f it If he hi rn ally a M purd pur and an acid d more he na may go 10 his hili way but bitt that Ic hs what I want YOU to out far tor me meI I went du down to Sussex that fame night and I discovered the retreat ot of old the ne t was a old cold the b hd had flown Whether he really WItS was a dan dangerous roul political person I shall never uever know mow but he had evi I dent ly had some reason Pot tOl going in at ha to for tOl his personal belong ili Including clI even mp tapers we veers I 1 atte reel all over the fiats The tol fol lowing story Mory was one of the he left behind him am and It has led me to think that with him I he came first though to its I demands h he may cony have hae sold his talents to the lt The document was ras in a 8 clear I flue fine hand hund and was evidently meant to h 1 pre preserved I tO took k it up ly Iy but J I was soon HOOn rending reading the contend ith the greatest Tice rhe great ambition of alchemists Ot of i pill tinges ha bas been to discover the un I The modern worker is hi fit e spite of repeated fit allures II u leM still i f h trio ee ae Ii hi his dill did to solve the riddle or of life liCe and aud death to pro uro long the one and to conquer tlC the other In to produce the magic I Elixir lixi tat The man who eventually ahai learn farn UI wonderful tte secret ret will be opo ItS as a god od and his hie power will ex lt c d that or of any monarch who ha has ever reigned ned After years of toll toil long days and nights H spent over oyer m my stills ethic retorts and oth other r appliances In making myself fa far with the hidden knowledge or of the old world and the new I had at length made mad a preparation or of which I hoped and expected great things Then I looked round for rOI a suitable subject for experiment Fate In leer het pit eye put what seemed just what I wanted anted In my way when I ha had almost t to of finding It T I was walkin walking one whiter evening up and outside my hou house e for fOI exel exer d ci for I haul had bet been n sitting at work all ull day ay when b by Uw the light of a moon I saw W something dark lying t l little or of me on Ute the rough chalk chalky road loa It was an old man who looked like at a tramp judging from his wretch eti appearance He wa wag lying race face yard as though he ha had fallen from and when I turned turn him m over Oel he was quite unconscious J I felt dt h his i pulse it was as beating faintly I hut probably the cold anti and exposure would have stilled It before morning had I left lett hIm 1 lying there thele The day da came when hen I wished that J I looked t cautiously but there ther thereas e via as little danger of oC m my bein being seen een in i n en this thi t lonel lonely spot rot a e 8 the th e I took the figure c under the arms and amI d It sl awl y laboriously ly to the He tius t I hate hae been a fine man m in hl prime so 0 the bett better for lU my u My lIy aI old servant had gone to td bed and nt I n noise disturbed her hel slumbers slumber or 01 she ah e might have wondered at the on the stairs tah l as a I canted l un t to th e I room dragging my bUrden after aft r me ate I 1 laW laid It a fUll tun ten th on the couch fatt fae e u upward waud and th then n I dr dl ex es ac a ebar but my e eyes e I nev never fl er left th the mi could not no t have had a D subject tOt far nUt my open oper operation atlon the condition was as per It If PY ply 1 animated th this near lt le e clay A hushed that withered d ft 11 L ek t k wIth youth and health ve vec c rt sh h strength Ut to thoe a shrunken n limbe s pel ely It would be putting it to the ae v rest test I 1 had everything ss for tor the e c nt and as aM n a ass I had ert d my strength and amI composure posu 1 I I i rc pared my m patient for tor the ordeal I ouk the phial containing cont ining the magi J liquid out or of at a secret ret drawer ra wet and held lick d it t up to the light Not a fleck t purity It shone Uke Ilk e silver sifer Its strength WItS was ku Im St e which was fortunate u ae it was wa g t n v flue Jut At present ht at all events there Ie ivas ail no danger dancer ot otI o oIL f I IL becoming common it would be only y it t privileged ft few w who would be e able ablo to t tafford afford to use lt Length of years ears would l c be b purchased at a great price I roused the sick man to con tt wArmth or of the room bad be d made hIm open Oln JI eYe I poured the Elixir IiI In a glass and gavit Aye e n it him to drink I steadied his hand as asi a aie y I i ie f it to his hie lips for tOl I feared lee Jest leeke t 1 ke should a drop drol I had no more mor e I Ih Ht had not fully recovered his Henser seas and aud he round with ith vacant ey eyes s the glass I re replaced placed it on the table and sat at down to t o watch him my h heart heating ail as it ka d I not beat beal for tOl years eare Was aM I to stand nand oytt olt for fOI Mil all ages agM as a order figure Jl a man with the gift of a find gud Was it possible that I Sh d the whole ot o f humanity Oror was wag this to be an anothEr another I othEr failure added to th the many which h I hard had broken the hearts and amI frenzied the th he e I brangs ot of m my brethren of All tImos i ai My y eys were glued to his face tace aIll I held her hermy d I my m breath lest I should miss the tho firs t murmur that would tell me whether hether I Ies It ItIS t IS es life lite For POl If f my mr s could not tan fan the shark or of life In ht the that t I f eble form Into It a flame It would cx ti h It altogether marvel of oC mancl 1 h I saw NY something at work binder th the themy e gray my skin akin it nd sort sott m out tile the wrinkles givin g And roundness to what wa as and worn orn the tIlled out an ant A t en 11 In sU suggested d the y of youth routh From hud head to foot ag age e dropped away like a garment a new creation Then last ot of all the theS tit tite e e es S 1 I 1 had scarcely noU noticed oo them the thea a tre ht was old n that It was yo hg g I as almost by y their the gate gas e hc y Were wate W bright and aM da Hn so 11 alive e It was like looking Into th the suit Hun Th They r were re the eyes of trl tr it was not t a trace In them of oC the Bence or Ignorance or of yuth V uth they were warp young only b by their fire an and daring food and the absence 1 nce ot of an any touch of sorrow or rel regard ard such as age a 11 brings It was not a pleas pleasant J lilt ant m the brilliance or of wilted with the knowledge slid and t euce ot of old Age that was a the iun In the dark Yes eyes that were et gazing halt half mockingly ly Into mme mine And I was conscious that lull it was the and ot of a that had nad bt bean beant r t evil vU beyond bc ond the ordinary p pm pIt of man m manor It or r a moment struck by the baleful light that shone ahone from his hla t Yes eyes and met t mine II like a blow I forgot to exult In my success I did not my tri 1 It rushed o over l m what t I tail don danerI I Isa sa saty and bonor for ne ot t n lon long ea lit fn to H Th knowledge kno Tile The great secret wu I 1 I J It t lU fI goal so many had str struggled u in vale vain to tow w win winI i I I stood up and cried aloud iq ir my m ex I staggered up and down the room roam clasping and unclasping m my h ands hi murmuring broken sentences loud aloud half haIr with joy jO Then suddenly I 1 turned toward the couch as though tonne one had called me mc My patient p was Tas watching me with a curious mock mook Ing l ag smile I looked at him closely my j on his hla wrIst inhere the pUlse neat full tull and strong strom I You haY have been ill I said addressing address inS ing the motionless s figure which onlY return returned d my gaze gage as thO though it C could tax heart hoon and said alg not nota It a word wor h Are Te you feeling 1 better hen at last lut the man spoke I am tired that Is all he said sald in a rich musical voice olce And It limul amused d the me to watch you What Is i I Ithe the m I I had no Intention to explain m tny to so o r I rI Ignored I ored his remark You must be hungry rf I Said Id andI and I I 1 fetched food and wIne and set t them hem oft the tattle table J I watched him curious ly 11 as he got ot up He moved Iris his limbs with a slow a y grace as of one on I who rouses rennin himself from slumber and w hel he stood ere erect t I mn marveled at the beauty of his form and face tace He Hese se seemed med to palpitate with Ute life from head I fa foot He had the appearance gf n a aman man In his prime with eer every n nerve re I and muscle In perfect working order a ct In his face tace was a light and n a fire I that I had ne never I seen in a mans face before it was something I If an an evil were waged caged hull insa cov cove covering ering e or of It t might look as this did i He did not eat much but he finished I the bottle of oC Burgundy he ha evidently evi dently drank with relish The gener generous ous wine to his e ubet ant vitality and from time to time he into snatches matche of song the music hall refrains of fort forty years ears strange discordant but he rarely a 2 ke He hUll displayed ed edno no curiosity h seemed 9 t take le Very thing for fOI granted d i You have nut not told the me your ou name a tine tineI 1 I said BAid presently his face nce in t 1 I ly Y He looked puzzled Rah 1 have forgotten What hat does It matter Call an me what you like I kle threw himself down on the couch and la In Cl a little while he was at fast asleep th the sound quiet slumber of oC youth free freu of restless tossing of 01 any uny sign of He mude a tins One picture but devoir devoid ot o anything noble or in inspiring It was the face of It a hand some somo animal there was little mind in it still loss less soul One day passed and nd then another l nd the success ot of my experiment s e ed be beyond ond a c There was no sign of decay no hint of w From Flom the crown of his head to the sole of his foot I could find no blemish h in him So much for his outward appearance AJ to the in inn inner n ner l man that was a different matter matterI I had watched him closely for two da days d flays s in which he had developed rapidly before eCore my mye eyes e bpd nd I w was s f to the conclusion hilt for fol knowledge of oC vir for Instinctive lust of All ali thAt was vile n and depraved I had never met his equal I had re ju en ted zits the body I I not re rejuvenate re rejuvenate the spirIt That was old in years and nd vice and utterly without conscience and sham and r I had this existence e on my nt hands Fortunately in my wIll 1 was strong enough as yet to trot him he mIght snarl and show his teeth but at It a loo from me he would slink away like a cur though the next haul bout boutt I It I t would till all happen over oer again agnin I was I tin his mast r yet Lt but lieu how lens should It t bo be soy I wit was mate malth for tor hint him physically It was only the greater t mind that swayed swat the lower loiter Perhaps being my he was in a w wl way my l and gave m me or of at a ogk obedience e But he was a I vicious brute not to be trusted a mo moment merit ment when hen my eye ee was as off him At Atan an any Instant It if I gave hint him the chance he might turn and rend me mer meI I did not wish anyone in the vil H lage to see Mee him hin and I had kept hIm shut up for tor two to days das only leaving the house with him at night when he roamed over the desolate moors like a young set sel at liberty and I followed taint faint and exhausted but not daring darin to let I t him out of tap my sight Then ht he grew more fierce and restless and th the strain on my physical strength was almost more mort than I could bear must be done I 1 could nut not go 10 on like lh I lay awake all one oue night thinking and by morning I had made up mind We re would go o to In the great reat city I 1 might b bable be obis able to I the horrible Incubus r I had rashly fastened on my life Ufe chanet might rid tae tle of him without any an ac a tine assistance on my any part Then I could return to nJ my solitude tad and when I had prep prepared a fresh supply of the elixir I would announce my dl discovery to the world I hired a small furnished house in Edgware Road close to the Marble Arch and T 1 established myself there therewith therewith with m my companion I hinted that he was not very er strong in his Intel lect whIch would account for his bursts of nolay merriment and other relics ot of the latter end ot of his old life Itte when he must have fal fallen very low He had Neon geon Quite willing to tall fall in with my plans and as I haU engaged it a compartment to ourselves in the train we had been scarcely seen together until we w reached Lon London on Then partly paJU from curl he in huested me as an partlY from flom fear I kept him close to tomy my mv sIde at The evening we arrived I 1 took him out into the bt str streets ets or of th the west nd I shall shull never nevel forget fOlget I his face tace Ivor he wall wa too OV over r whelmed to say y much or to make him himself himself self ua but the light in his yes eyes Has wai theof or an exile who loops looks on home again Kai He l to recognize things ono no doubt all this had been familiar to him long ago He revelled in the noise the glare in all the wealth and profusion in all the fife dirt and ion of the London streets No sight was too tai sordid to Interest int rest him no ml misery ry too great t to move moe him o 0 brutal lau laughter He mixed Iq in the tho crowd like a fIend rejoicIng in eer everything evil Iu In a few fe da days s I gathered confidence I let him go O out alone when and where he would had come aWa away In the hope tope of oC ing him off I must not lose any ce through foolish net new r not be trade ts ons Ible for In guy any wa way But though he might be aU all day and unit late into the niGht h always returned before morning I would lIP aw ke hoping that thIs time he had gone for Cor good but Sooner or later T I would woul hear hIs hateful 1 step on the stairs I hesitated at maKing my own oven es escape ape and delb ratel deserting hIm Besides I had an uncomfortable pre sentiment s that he would track me wherever w I w want nt Matters were in this state when one night he returned e surlier than usual I Iwas Iway way was still down downstairs rea ing H lie opened the door noisily luro d across the he t room and flung hImself down In it shah chair I looked up Had he been dri If was no uncommon thing for f or hIm to come horns In a state of wild w ild exhilaration though I had never known hIm to toss lose control conifer of himself It seemed as thoUgh his magnificent strength could cope with an any excess I Imet met hIs eyes fixed On me with i itha a lower lowerIng Ing evil look the look or o a creature that hates yet fears fear I 1 gazed beck lt at him steadily There seemed In his fat face which u was new ew tome the eyes were there dull dolt the expression e heavy and brooding As a arule ruts rule his potations had the effect of In Increasing creasing c his vitality tonight they must h ave 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