block.

Reaching the house they met the family physician then attendant on
little Sal. Doctor X. Ray had also read the sign of the professor and
his greeting was very chilly.

"How is the child?" asked the professor.

"Fatally hurt and can live but an hour." Then he added, "I have done all
that can be done."

"All that _you_ can do," corrected the professor.

With a withering glance, Doctor X. Ray left the room and the house. His
reputation was such as to admit of no intrusion.

* * * * *

"I am sorry she is not dead, it would be easier to work, and also a more
reasonable charge." Giving Mag Nesia his instruments he administered a
local anesthetic; this done he selected a brace and bit that he had
procured that morning. With these instruments he bored a small hole into
the child's head. Inserting his hypodermic needle, he injected the
immortal fluid, then cutting the end off a dowel, which he had also
procured that morning, he hammered it into the hole until it wedged
itself tight.

Professor Carbonic seated himself comfortably and awaited the action of
his injection, while the plump Mag Nesia paced or rather waddled the
floor with a bag of carpenter's tools under her arm.

The fluid worked. The child came to and sat up. Sal Soda had regained
her pep.

"It will be one dollar and twenty-five cents, Mrs. Soda," apologized the
professor. "I have to make that charge as it is so inconvenient to work
on them when they are still alive."

Having collected his fee, the professor and Mag Nesia departed, amid the
ever rising blessings of the Soda family.

* * * * *

At 3:30 P.M. Mag Nesia sought her employer, who was asleep in the
sitting room.

"Marse Paul, a gentleman to see you."

The professor awoke and had her send the man in.

The man entered hurriedly, hat in hand. "Are you Professor Carbonic?"

"I am, what can I do for you?"

"Can you----?" the man hesitated. "My friend has just been killed in an
accident. You couldn't----" he hesitated again.

"I know that it is unbelievable," answered the professor. "But I can."

* * * * *

Professor Carbonic for some years had suffered from the effects of a
weak heart. His fears on this score had recently been entirely relieved.
He now had the prescription--Death no more! The startling discovery, and
the happenings of the last twenty-four hours had begun to take effec