The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-07-27

oircumstances our union will be impossible,
ints ~ CAPE Anderson, to whom I am en-
gagsd TO 20 married; The engagement is very
sudden, 70 be sure, but u Is none the less sin
cere. ] hope You will often visit MS ID our new
home" i,.tI5E5 'G'71577 ~, 1!'e.,% = y
! stammered forth something, I know
not what. and then rushed from her presence
pour out my incoherent rawlings in the
! was ruined, and Blanche had deserted mel
For week was almost mad With nm.
kempt hair and disordered' attire haunted
the neighborhood OF Blsnohe's residence,
fsSe sss ssa o Ssth glimpse Of the
concealed SO much duplicity underneath. It
was hard to credit that this woman, whom
hSd go trusted, 80 revered, should prove, after
aii, mere coquette-an angel In her smiles,
Eirce IN her heart But It was Of no. avail
~! Mlsher she purposely avoided mo or had left
the city, for, from the day Of my repulse,
have neither seen nor heard of her. 4
Az the end OF those miserable beven DAYS Of
torture became more contented with my lot,
ana applied PIP! myself to business again. But
and this little determined to invest in q new
occupation. Commerce no longer presented to
me any attractions, and as I had ALWAYS had
passion for chemistry, decided to invest my
small capital in the purchase aud fitting up Of
chemist I knew the returns wonld be- small.
but some invisible power seemed to be urging
me on. and ut the end of short tinne found
myself the possessor of a small room filled
with retorts. orucibles, curiou-ly Labeled bot
adopted profession :, S'
have said thAtsome invisible power seemed
to be urging me on to The step l had taken.
Then knew not what it was. Soon learned
that 1t was destiny. Ht'HT 40 7a 80,
Sitting there in my laboratory, porting over
0fo I ln~r =
10 times gone BY. had, like myself, hidden
themselves from the world, and from their
abode OF knowledge sent out unto their fellow
men great works Of learning and Of benefit
read OF the ever fruitless search for the Phil
osopher's Stone, that mysterious agent which
was to turn baser metals into solid gold, and
how the poor enthusiasts had given up their
lives in the search. These interested not me-
however. Friendless, abandoned, what cared
for wealth, for mankind? The first had but
lp, presented ted to me the golden apple Of hope,
taste its sweetness, while men who courtsd me
in prosperity passed mo coldly by, now that
the shadow Of adversely WAS upon me.
No. it was not of these thought. but those
books Of mine brought to me another idea
not of it. Why, then, should not I make a
world of my own? And further, why not make
this very oil, which had been my ruin, work out
my delverance from the sea OF trouble which
encompassed me?
Biologists tell US that comminuted vegetable
matters disseminated through matrix Of fine
argillaoeous materials, and forming black, or
carbonaceous, or bituminous slale, are the
sources of the production of petroleum oil.
Could but accomplish the feat Of reproducing,
through the AID OF chemistry, i'll short time
what has been the work of centuries to Nature.
might not achieve q phenomenon that would
bring to mo my cherished wish?
Tho task appeared difficult, but feasible,
and devoted myself to it without delay.
You may say that this was irreverent, impoton-
groveling man to set himself up in competi.
ton against the handiwork of his Creator; but.
tell you, my life at this period was such
wretched, dreary blank that anything would
have been relief to its monoton GUS misery.
For one long, weary year tottered on, hoped
on, and then my goal was reached.
Before me-a small, black spot, in the bot
tom of my crucibe-lay the germ Of new
world that was to be called into existence by
my touch.
The component parts were very simple, and
consisted of-but, no; that's my secret, and on
that day when the prize lay within my grasp, I
roade solemn vow never to reveal it to m ortal
man.
It was rough, clustering night in Decen,-
ber The wind moaned in ftful gusts along
the deserted streets, and ratified the crazy
shutters of my laboratory window. The seet
and hail drove wildly against the window
panes, and all nature seemed to be in d,scord
at the temerity of the atom that had outwitted
her.
Slowly poured the tiny mass of liquid into
the small silver plate had prepared, and with
trembling hand applied it to the taper A thin,
blush flame arose, which flickered for mo-
ment and in the space of five minutes OK
banded itself into q wide, luminous circle Of
fire. The rosin and all its surroundings were
swallowed up in the light myself appeared
tn have AcnNirad a nav ayatanca and otood
in new world-my world-where none could
dispute my sovereignty; the world in which I
was to reign supreme: whore I was to be the
be-all and the end-all; the sole possessor, the
undisturbed master:
Fool that was, to dream for one instant
that even in this world of fire could burn
out as in an a!embic, the. destiny that awaited
me.
found myself in wide street, bounded at
either end by wide, flowing rivers, upon whose
purity Of color. Upon the opposite shores
spread sunny pastures and upland hillsides,
where flowers seemed to blossom in unending
summon. Stately mansions reared themselves
on each .side of the roadway, and throng of
gaily dressed and beautiful beings passed by
and rent the air with tunefui melody. It was
an Arcadia-a Utopia-which my sklful hand
had brought into existence Buoyantly pass
ed along, and all smiled upon me as il giving
thanks to their Creator: Never before had 1
experienced such thrill Of Joy: I was what
man before me never had been-the creator OF
q world; and as stood by the river side, and
listlessly cast pebbles into the stream, + felt
that now had attained to perfect bllss-had
como into that bright existence which De
Quincey's opium brought to his fevered brain,
Summer Land" It was the "happy hunting
ground" Of the Indian. the valhalla of the
Norwegian-it was mans vision Of purified
man.
Meditating thus, I turned to retrace my foot
steps, when the cursed vision of my life en-
countered me- A beautiful woman, with a
sweet thoughtful expression upon her co,lu-
tenances great mass of blonde hair, in which
the sunbeams seemed to love to linger, aud
fair cheek that the wind, in passing, kissed and
toyed with in wauton revelry. The same liquid
blue eyes, the same winning smile. She was a
Qualification Of Minette and Blanche We're
their visions to haunt me forever-even here?
strove against the infatuation bravely. but
1t was useless The face held me enthralled,
and could but rush forward and speak to the
told me, was Heloise, and. as tue words came
from her lips, heard voice whose melody
entrauced me- 1t WAS hopeless-again was
enthrslled. Together we walked, and as she
spoke found her to be woman Of rare en-
dowments-an enthusiast in music, full Of
quaint book-lore, and richly endowed with oil
those acquirements-th dignity Of mind and
manner which culture alone can give.
Surely, being such as this could not be
false-could not be dckle There was too much
good in those beaming eyes, too much maiden
purity in that face. too much of God-given
truthfulness in that soft voice for this to be
coquetta But would be wise. Before, had
LOST by haste; now, would Dido my time
would assure myself of her faithfulness-
would learn her character-would teach her
mine; show her Of what devotion man may
be capable, and then, when we had both come
forth from the fire unscathed-which, for q
moment never doubted-I would ask her to
give me the happiness which in the old. dark
world had been denied ma
SO lived We happily on together. No shadow