INTERLUDE.-THE
STORY AGAIN INTERRUPTED.
CHAPTER XXII.
MY UNBIDDEN GUEST DEPARTS.
Once more I must presume to interrupt this narrative, and call back the reader's
thoughts from those mysterious caverns through which we have been tracing the
rapid footsteps of the man who was abducted, and his uncouth pilot of the lower
realms. Let us now see and hear what took place in my room, in Cincinnati, just
after my visitor, known to us as The-Man-Who-Did-It, had finished reading to me,
Lewellyn Drury, the custodian of this manuscript, the curious chapter relating
how the
underground explorers lost weight as they descended in the
hollows of the earth. My French clock struck twelve of its
clear silvery notes before the gray-bearded reader finished his
stint for the occasion, and folded his manuscript preparatory to
placing it within his bosom.
" It is past midnight," he said, " and it is time for me to
depart; but I will come to you again within a year.
" Meanwhile, during my absence, search the records, question authorities,
and note such objections as rise therefrom concerning the statements I have
made. Establish or disprove historically, or scientifically, any portion of the
life history that I have given, and when I return I will hear what you have to
say, and meet your argument. If there is a doubt concerning the authenticity of
any part of the history, investigate; but make no mention to others of the
details of our meetings."
I sat some time in thought, then said: " I decline to concern myself in
verifying the historical part of your narrative. The localities you mention may
be true to name, and it is possible
that you have related a personal history; but I can not perceive
that I am interested in either proving or disproving it. I will
say, however, that it does not seem probable that at any time a man can
disappear from a community, as you claim to have done, and have been the means
of creating a commotion in his neighborhood that affected political parties, or
even led to an unusual local excitement, outside his immediate circle of
acquaintances, for a man is not of sufficient importance unless he is very
conspicuous. By your own admission, you were simply a studious mechanic, a
credulous believer in alchemistic vagaries, and as I revolve the matter over, I
am afraid that you are now trying to impose on my credulity. The story of a
forcible
abduction, in the manner you related, seems to me incredible,
and not worthy of investigation, even had I the inclination to
concern myself in your personal affairs. The statements, how
ever, that you make regarding the nature of the crust of the
earth, gravitation, light, instinct, and human senses are highly
interesting, and even plausible as you artfully present the
subjects, I candidly admit, and I shall take some pains to make
inquiries concerning the recorded researches of experts who
have investigated in that direction."
" Collect your evidence," said he, " and I shall listen to your
views when I return."
He opened the door, glided away, and I was alone again.