The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-09-15

Inwarily he whispered something about be-
ing deviIish glad 10 make the wandering
Jews acquaintance, ratified the loose gro
schen in his pocket and turned to follow the
lettering old man and firm footed child
down the walk. After dozen PAGES they
halted before a more ambitious tombstone,
on which Ronald could make ont the we'll.
remembered name of Plattner. The child
took the flowers and laid them reverently
ON the stone.
at seems to me almost like arriving at the
end of a pilgrimage" said Ronall, when
stand by the grave Of man of science. Per
haps you knew him, mein Herr
"He was my pupil"
"Whew!' thought Ronald: that makes
my friend here centenarian at least
MY pupil and friend" the feeble voice
went on; "an1, more than that, my daugh-
ter's FIRST lover, and only one"
Zach SD said Ronald.
"AnI now, on her death-day | take these
poor flowers from her to him, as have done
all these years"
Something in the pathetic earnestness of
his companion touched Ronald Wyde, and
he forthwith took his hands out of his
pockets, an / didn't try to whistle-which
was great deal Tor him to do.
Il know Plattner Well by his works. he
said; Il once studied mineralogy for nearly
a month"
"Gou love science, then,'
yes; like everything else. for diversion.
at was different with him, quavered the
old man, pointing unstoadily to the head
stone. 'Science grow to be his one passion,
and many discoveries rewarded him for his
devotion. lie was cropping on the track of
far greater achievement when he died"
MAY / ask what it was" said Ronald,
now fairly interested
THE creation and isolation of the princi-
pie of lfe!7
This was too much for Ronald Wyie;
down divci his restless hands into his trous-
ers pockets again, AMI the groschen rattleI
"a merrily before
81 lave made quite study of biology,
and ail that sort of thing" said he; and,
although a good deal of Il skeptic, an in
clined to follow Huxley, | can't bring my
self to conceive of life without organism.
Such theorizins is, to my mind, on par
with the Illogical search for the philoso-
piers stone and a perpetual motor"
The old mans eyes spanked as he turned
full upon Ronald.
"You dismiss the sub ject very arily, my
young friend" he cried; but let me tell you
that IL, whom you seq hero-haye Crap
Piled with such problems through weary
century, and have conquered one of them.'
"And that one is
"The one that conquered Plattner"
"Do | understand you TO claim that you
have discovered the rfe-principIe.'
Yes"
"Will you permit an utter stranger to in
qnire what is its nature:'
Certainly. 1t is two fold. The ultimate
principle of life is carbon; the cause of It.
combination with water, and the devcloI =
ment of organized existence therefrom, is
electricity"
Ronald WyIo shrugged his broad shout
ders little, and absently replied:
"All | can say, men Herr, is, that you've
got tho bulge on me-"
IL beg your pardon
Excuse me; | uucoIsciously translated
Americanism. i mean that 1 don't
qIite understand you"
(Which means that you do not believe
me. 1t is but natural at your age when
one doubts as if by instinct. Would you be
convinced|
Nothing would I'll ,ase me better"
With tho Same painful effort before,
the oil man straig htened himself. and made
a piercing, clairvoyant examination into
and through Ronald Wyde's eyes rs if read
ing the brain beyond them
Il think can trust YOU he mumbled Mt
last Come with me.
Leaning the young girls arm, the old
philosopher faltered through the cemetery
and into the town, followed by Wyde, his
hands again pockeiei for safety. Groups
of released church-goerS, sermon fed met
them, and once in while some stout
burgijer would nod patronizingly to Roland's
guides, and get i'll response shaky, side
long roll of the old mans head, as if
it were mounted on q weak spiral spring.
Farther on they intersected a knot of stu
dents, who eyed them askance and ex-
changed remarks III an unuertone Keeping
on deeper into the foul heart of the town
.
playing sportles,ly, Is poverty is apt to play
in the dark shadows of the narrow street
They seemed incitel t. mrth and ribaIdry
Ev the light If Ronald new friend and one
even Veutured to Eurl clo1 al him; but
this Striking Ronald instead, and he fac
ing promptly to the hostile quarter whence
it came, causel sudden sinking of the
crowd into uHkilpwn holes, like n horde of
rats, and the street was for time empty
savs for the little party that threaded it.
Ronald began think ii a. the old mans
sanity gravcly called in doubt by
the tOwnsfolk, and would really have
backed out of his adventure but
for the curiosity that had now got the upper
hand of him.
Presently the oil man siiled into a dingy
doorway. like "A tired beast run to earth
and Ronald followed him. not without a
wish that the architect had provided for
more efficient lighting of the sombre pa
sage way in which he found himself. 4
sharp turn to the right, after n dozen crop
ing PAGES, 4 narrow stairway, bump or
two against unexpected SalienceS of rough
mortarel wall, two >tepS upward, and one
very surprising step downward through a
cavernous doorway that took away Ronald ;
breath for moment, and sent it back
again with II hot, creepiu:. wava Of su lden
If,rSpiration all over him, Is the way with
misste,r, AMI two more sharp turns, brought
the three into "a black. marlborough
fare Of n tali, whose farther end
was closed by locked door.
The girl her, rabbol birthstone abOmina-
ton OF a match into "a malodorOu; green
glow, and by its help the Old man got n tor
tuou' key into tho -naksy opening in the
great lock, creakily shot back its bolt,
swung open the door and motioned Ronald
tO pntRr