3TET52JW
C21U0KTE
STUDENTS' PUBLICATION
OF STETSON UNIVERSITY.
VOL. XXIII
DE LAND, FLA., THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 10J1.
No. 23
7-20-8 FRIDAY NIGHT Admission 50c
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THE FALSE MOUSTACHE
By Paul Wheeler.
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Doctor Norman Duncan was worried.
He was not easily disturbed, but for
the last few days startling things had
been happening to him. The first
incident that mystified him, occurred
while he was working in his laboratory.
He had placed a chemical compound
in a bowl on the table while he crossed
the room to dry his hands. When he
returned a few moments later, the
bowl had vanished. Naturally he was
astounded and after vainly searching
for the missing article, he sat down to
think the matter over.
He knew that the creaking hinges
of the door would have warned him
if anyone had entered and that the
windows were tightly locked. He could
imagine no place of concealment nor
understand why anyone should remove his chemicals. He vainly tried
to arrive at some definite conclusion.
The doctor was not a superstitious
man, but he was visibly worried as
he closed his laboratory door and
made his way to the dining room
where his wife and daughter were
awaiting him. He was so abstracted
and moody during the dinner hour
that his wife inquired:
" Norman, when are you going South?
I am sure you need the trip for you
look so tired."
"My dear, I repeat to you, that I
will not go away this winter for I'm
really not tired and think it best to
stay here," replied the doctor.
His wife did not press the subject
and the doctor ceased to puzzle over
the episode of the bowl until he was
mystified by another incident. He
was accustomed at times to quote
aloud his favorite poet Tennyson in a
melodramatic manner and one afternoon as he was standing before the
active fountain in his greenhouse
reciting those famous lines from Mort
d'Arthur:
"So flashed and fell the brand Ex-
calibur;
But ere he dipt the surface, rose an
arm
Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful ..... "
a clenched hand arose from the fountain and then sank again.
At that moment his daughter called
to him saying that a patient urgently
wished to speak to him at the phone.
Hurrying to the house, to his amazement he found the line vacant. So
he quickly returned to the fountain
to investigate. But though he searched
the greenhouse through and drained
the basin of the fountain dry, he found
nothing and nobody that could have
caused the disturbance. Baffled he
returned to the house and told his
wife of the incident, also relating the
episode of the bowl. Incredulous, she
once more advised him to take a trip
for tbe benefit of his mind which she
said must be failing. He scoffed at
the idea though he could not explain
the strange things which had happened.
Plainly, the doctor was worried
His mind was about made up to take
his wife's advice and he needed but
a little impulse to decide him. One
evening as he sat by the fire in his
study drawing, as was his habit,
the paper turned red in his hand ....
In alarm he dropped it to the floor
and went to call his wife and daughter. When they returned they found
the paper in its original whiteness where
it had fallen.
"Tomorrow I sail for Florida, and
God grant it may stop these insane
delusions," said the doctor.
Thereupon he began preparations
to depart and the next day he took
the steamer for Florida.
About a year before this, a young
man by the name of John Abbott
well-groomed and of commanding appearance, was roaming the streets
of a great city in a dejected manner.
He had come to the Metropolis with
money in his pocket and vigor in his
make-up and had plunged into society.
He won a place there immediately
on account of the especial skill he
displayed in legerdemain. During the
long winter evenings he entertained
many parties by performing his wonderful slight-of-hand tricks. One evening he met a young woman who attended one of the parties at which he exhibited and he thought her the most
charming and fascinating maiden he
had ever beheld. He asked for permission to take her home . She consented and thus the acquaintance
began. He saw her several times at
her home and fell deeply in love with
her and his love seemed to be reciprocated. But it suffered a severe
and unexpected blow when her father
told him that he need not call again
as he wished his daughter to associate
with someone who was more of a man
than a trickster could be. Completely
dazed by this sudden opposition, John
left the house feeling himself disgracefully used. He unconsciously and
dejectedly roamed the busy streets,
feeling his best impulses wronged by
the father of the woman he most
deeply loved. All his nature rebelled
and by the time he reached his apartment, he had settled into a dogged
determination to win the young woman
—who was none other than the beautiful daughter of Doctor Duncan.
(Continued next week).
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