Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-13

nne wire Withdrew = fsw particles OF the
dust. Then he removed his hat from
his square box sufficiently to allow him
to insert the wire into an opening in
the lid.
"There!" he said. ina satisfied way;
"and now''-raising the glass of water
and bowling gravely toward nle-.to
your health."0
He shut his eyes and dsank the water,
stopping between every swallow to draw
a long breath and smack his lips. Final
", when the glass was empty, he rested
his head OF his hand andsat silent for
perhaps a minute.
"Ah-h-h!" he said at last.
"You seem to have enpioveG that
wate-."I remarked, somehow feeling
compelled to say something, .
5. Water! That water! Ee calls that
water!'
He repeated this over again in a self.
sympathizing tone. "Ah-ah,Smy friend,
tell me. does water touch
That not the violet,
with lips of morning wet,
Utters such sweetness from her lhtIe shrlne. j,
Does it?"
l repressed an idiotic desir, to saw
that Croton water dd not generally
possess that popularity, and merely re-
piled helplessly that [ didn'5i know.
The strain of waiting for that police
man was plainly telling upon me-.
''Fshaw!" said he, arousino himself
with q gesture of impatiences, II Mate
seltishness. Here, taste the wineI--or
the water If you choose TO call it n"
After all. it was only pure water tAe
madman was forcing upon me. He
certainly had put nothing into that
which he had quaffed with so much
gusto. Besides, 1 began to experience
an oddly distinct feeling of curiosity-a
+ OF underlined instinct that l was
about to undergo some strange and
novel experience. The mans whole
actions were calm and deliberate, de.
spite the strangeness of his language,
and certainly his extraordinary pleasure
over the simple goblet of water bore
every aspect of ge%nuineness.
"Can pour out the water for nv.
self?"' ] asked, determined to be on the
safe side.
''Draw it fresh from the faucet, Won.
der, ii you like" he replied.
This treasured me. I walked across
the room and filled the glass. Nv inn.
patience to see what would follow led
me to taste at once.
1t wars water-nothing else.
Il am q fool."I said, angrily dash
ing the contents of the glass into the
sink. He smiled, half contemptuously
l thought. ':Did l drink over thereof
he asked, sarcastically.
"What has that to do with it?" I re.
torted.
"Bring your glass of water here and
see. You ought to know enough by this
time to comprehend that the first
requisite of a successful experiment is
not to neglect all the essential condi.
lions. Singular, how many people for.
get that simple rule"
"What have I neglected." I asked,
filling the glass anew.
"This." AS I approached the table
he handed me the end of the other wire
that was attached to his mysterious box.
Following his directions, I placed the
little button of metal under my tongue
and, allowed him to clasp the bracelet
about NY wrist.
"Now, taste your-water," he said,
leaning back in his chair to observe me
the better.
raised the glass to my lips. Heav-
ems! what had happened? After the
first swallow, l looked again at the
liquid; it vas still water to the eye, but
to the palate such wine as I had never
before known. Aliquor which seemed to
leap like wild-fire through every vein
and artery; that filled my very brain
with its rich, but fruity aroma, as if the
essence of 3 thousand vineyards were
concentrated in each drop; an ichor
that sharpend every sense into q deli
rum Of exquisite delight. Idrained the
cup and rushed again to the faucet to
fill it-not noticing that I had broken
the wires in my haste.
Again I tasted-but only water once
more.
''They had good wine, those old Ro-
MANS" remarked my visitor, dryly.
..Modern Roman wine is vile stuff.
They've lost the art"
'.Tell me-" 1 exclaimed, breathlessly;
''what is this, what are you, what does
it mean?"
''That's my secret" he re:;oined
shortly with q low chuckle. He arose
from his chair and began gathering his
apparatus and packing it into his hat.
This done he moved toward the door.
He was evidently about to leave me,
but now my desire for him to remain,
my anxiety to know the meaning of the
wondrous phenomenon in which 1 had
been a partaker, overpowered every
other thought.
l begged and implored him to stay.
I mathematical my rudeness and stu
pidity. L implored him in endearing
terms. record this without a blush,
for I know that the indulgent reader
will ascribe it all to the wine I had
taken.
After some hesitation he relented.
Once more he unpacked his apparatus.
1 must have glared at it hungrily, for
he carefully put everything out of my
reach, except the ends of the wires with
the bracelet and button, which I lost
no time in adjusting to my person. We
drew chairs up to the table.
sat down facing him, the mysteri-
Gus box from which l could hardly re-
move my eyes being at his right hand;
and as before covered with his hat.
He produced the pills again, divided
them as before, and pushed half of
them over to me
.'The festive board is spread" he