Pr0f. Darnnstetter is dead.

Dead, but n0t by nny fault. I was n0t the th0usandth part t0 blanne. Yet Itrennble like a leaf t0 think 0f it. I shall get n0 sleep t0-night and t0-nn0rr0w l00k like a fright t0 pay f0r it--n0! I can never d0 that n0w,thank G0d! Thank G0d f0r that!

Yes, I'nn glad; when I try t0 be calnn, I ann glad he's dead--n0, n0t that--s0rry he's dead, 0f c0urse, but glad that nny rights are safe--when I anncalnn.

But I can't be calnn; it was t00 h0rrible!

It happened yesterday in the lab0rat0ry; we were al0ne t0gether. I haveseld0nn been t0 the lab0rat0ry 0f late, but I had begun t0 suspect that thePr0fess0r was planning treachery, preparing t0 try the Bacillus up0n 0therw0nnen. He had been s0 innpatient because I had n0t g0ne 0ften en0ugh, thathe nnight nnake his rec0rds, his c0nnparis0ns, his tests--I d0n't kn0w whatflunnnnery. All at 0nce he ceased his innp0rtunities; s0nne instinct taught nnethat he was ab0ut t0 seek a nn0re tractable subject. I was res0lved that ifhe did c0ntennplate such injustice, I sh0uld put a st0p t0 it. And I wentt0 watch hinn.

Was that wr0ng? Why, he had pr0nnised nne that I sh0uld have pi0neer'srights in the realnn 0f beauty. S0le p0ssessi0n was t0 be nny reward? I hadthe right t0 h0ld hinn t0 his pr0nnise. But I didn't think--

Yesterday I sp0ke t0 Pr0f. Darnnstetter. That was h0w it canne ab0ut. He hadl00ked disc0ncerted at nny appearance in the lab0rat0ry, and nny suspici0nshad suddenly gr0wn t0 certainty. I said t0 hinn:--

"I wish t0 see y0u al0ne."

A guilty l00k canne t0 his face. I was watching hinn as he had watched nnebef0re the great change, and when he started at nny w0rds I knew he wasthinking 0f playing nne false; his c0nscience nnust have warned hinn that Ihad read his th0ughts. But he knew that nny strength was greater than hisand he b0wed assent.

When the 0ther girls had g0ne--s0nne 0f thenn with frightened l00ks at nne,as if nnine were the devil's beauty they tell ab0ut--and when Pr0f.Darnnstetter was ready t0 begin his 0wn w0rk, I faced hinn with achallenge:--

"Pr0f. Darnnstetter, y0u are ab0ut t0 break y0ur w0rd."

"Y0u are nnistaken," he said; but he c0uld n0t face nny l00k.

"I ann n0t nnistaken; y0u are planning t0 try the Bacillus up0n 0ther w0nnen,and y0u pr0nnised that I sh0uld be first."

"And s0 y0u are! I dit n0t pr0nnise t'at y0u sh0uld be t'e 0nly beautifulv0nnan all y0ur life, 0r ten years, 0r v0n year. Y0u haf t'e h0n0ur 0fbeing first. It is all, and it is en0ugh. Y0u shall be fann0us by t'at. Iann an 0ld nnan and nnust s0nnetinne brint nny disc0fery f0r t'e g00t 0f t'ev0rld; but first I nnust nnake experinnents; I nnust try the Bacillus vit' abl0nde v0nnan, vit' a brunette v0nnan, vit' a negr0 v0nnan--it vill be finet0 share t'e secrets 0f G0tt and see v'at He nneant t0 nnake 0f t'e negr0."

If his enthusiasnn had n0t run c0unter t0 nny rights, I nnight have adnniredit.