The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-11-10

rounded by appreciative friends; that
they didn't want you to die, and you
didn't want to go; that the messenger
had evidently taken the wrong person
and was ready to bring you back. SO
/ at once bought balloon and started
in search of you.
alt is singular indeed how wildly my
mind retains the impression of the bal
loon trip. / can never forget the extra
ordinary beauty of that view of earth,
from three or four miles above the sur
face; of the indistinctness of the view
when the clouds thickened between, and
of the cold and dizziness experienced
atan altitude of ten or twelve miles. My
head reeled and / tumbled into the bot
tom of the basket with confused SEN
sation of pain mingled with clear
sense of the purpose of my trip. Sud
denly all of my facultiesreturned. The
blood was bounding through my veins
with force | never knew before. /
leaned over the basket and saw that |
had passed through the earth's atmo-
sphere, which is said to be only fifty
miles thick. The earth was dark,
grayish looking ball, streaked with lines
of black, and dim silver, the silver prob
ably indicating the oceans. l could see
by the rapidly diminishing size of the
earth that | was travelling with earful
velocity.
"Other planets began to appear as
large as that had left. There were
some of dazzling brightness, and others
dark and shadowy. Soon | appeared to
be in the center of the system, and the
earth but a small ball forming part of
one immense hollow sphere. | seemed
to be travelling toward one bright planet
which appeared to be nearer and brighter
than the rest The motion became vac
illating as / neared the range, | sup
pose, of the planets gravitation. The
balloon tumbled about, turning at times
almost upside down, while l in alarm
braced myself in the basket, and twisted
my feet in the ropes. Finally it really
turned upside down-became reversed,
and | fitted as naturally into that posi-
ton when fully within the atmosphere
of the planet as in the strange space
had just departed from. | was no
longer ascending, but descending. The
planet was no longer above but below
me, and the balloon was falling rapidly
:" 1t was a strange looking land that |
was approaching. 1t bore the physical
characteristics of earth, but seemed
swathed in greenish tinted light, strong
and bright as that of calcium. Try to
imagine the strange feeling that over
came me as l landed and trod the new
earth. 1t was scene of almost delir-
ious beauty, but wholly strange and
wonderful. The trees and flowers were
living intelligcnces which knew me and
knew my purpose. The air was filled
with strange sounds. The wind played
through the leaves of the trees, and
every leaf sounded like the chord of an
@olian harp, while the waterfalls danced
and murmured in time to the cadences
of the music. Suddenly the songs
of birds struck my ear. They seemed
familiar, and as l listened | caught the
strains of Robin Adair,' just as you
sang it last night. Every variety of
bird in the forest formed part of that
chorus, and then felt from that instant
that l had succeeded in the object of my
journeyW
ooh, what delicious dreamp' ex-
claimed the little maiden clapping her
hands. "And all about me tool'
eyes, rather pleasant" said Tom,
I" and what was especially SO, at last
found you just before waking up. And
l would gladly undertake another such
trip every night for the enjoyment af-
forded me by the quiet hour of your
society here"
When Tom told me the story that
night in our room, he laughed over the
impression it appeared to make on the
lady.
"Tom," said l, "you oughtn't to talk
that way to girl. The first thing you
know you'll have her desperately in
love with you, and man of your mag
nifcent presence ought TO be careful"
"Pshaw! girls don't fall in love SC
easily. wish they did" And then
he added musingly between the puffs Of
his cigar. I" l tell you, Ned, l rather like
that girl"
"Then treat her as you would want
your sister treated" added, and you
can do no wrong"
"Do you know that our three weeks
will be up on Saturday." suggested
after long silence.
eyes, but 1 guess Pll wait until the
Chace's go. They stay about three
weeks longer, to gather autumn leaves
which are said to be wonderfully brilliant
here"
The next day brought from one of the
other hotels St. Louis family, which
included tall and beautiful brunette
Tom became interested again, and asked
me to take care of Miss Chace during the
two or three remaining days of my stay
while he struck up Irritation with the
new conner.
Men are abominably mean in their re-
lations with women. l had never known
Tom to care anything for the sex, but il
he was really interested in Miss Chace
would help him. If not, would be at
tentive to her for her own sake. Tom
became as attentive to the second beauty
as he had been to the first, and the round
of attentions was repeated.
One or two afternoons afterward,
strolled with Miss Chace through the
wood toward Arch Rock, and along
the bank, to path through the birches,
poplars and pines, down to the rocks
overhanging the mouth of the caves. II
was pleasant and quiet spot: shaded
from the western sun, and overlooking
the broad stretch of Lake Huron, whose
white stony bottom receding from the
shore appeared to dance under the blue
waves as children do in trying to dodge
their shadows. My companion had been
unusually silent all day, and appeared
to be unwilling to speak of Tom, or any
body, or ANYTHING else. We soon heard