The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-02-20
THE KISS OF SUDDEN DEATH

There Is nothing so impossible that
novelist can't lead story up to it,"
said Professor Boyesen, of Columbia
College, as he sat in group ut the
Authors Club.
That's so, a." said Edgar Saltus, "but
I've found that the best schemes for odd
fiction are prostrated by the necessary
death of the principals without disclos-
ing the material for climax"
IL know what you mean, said Editor
Glider of the Century Magazine, "and
wonder why some of you gentlemen
don't extend a romance beyond death
say by means OF "a spritualistic commun-
ication from the actors. Now you, Pro-
fessor Smith, you're scientist, why
don't you do it?"
The gentleman thus addressed was
Professor Brainar Gardner Smith, of
Cornell University.
And | have the start of it in mind
now" Professor Smith replied. "Once,
when was in journalism, l had occa-
sion to go over pile of old Liverpool
newspapers, and thus came upon re-
markable paragraph in the ship news.
Translated out of the language of COM
merce it was to the effect that the good
ship Empress, just arrived from Aus
tralia, reported that while rounding the
Cape of Good Hope she had been driven
southwark far out of her course by
storm, and away down in the south
ern Atlantic had sighted vessel
drifting aimlessly about. The first mate
boarded her, and, returning, reported
that the derelict was the ship Albatross.
That she had been abandoned was plain,
for all the boats We're gone, and SO were
the log and the ships instruments On
deck close by the companion hatch lay
two bodies, or rather skeletons, clad in
weather rotted garments that showed
them to have been man and woman.
These bodies were headless, but the
heads were nowhere to be found on the
deserted deck. The mate found on the
cabin table an open book, with writing
on its pages. A pen lay on the table and
q small inkstand, in which the ink had
evidently long since dried. The book
was evidently journal ordinary, so the
mate reported, and he put it in his
pocket meaning to carry it aboard the
Empress, but when he was getting down
into his small boat the book slipped from
his pocket, dropped into the water, and
sank. The Albatross was badly water
logged and he thought could not have
floated much longer. To this report the
editor of the paper added a note saying
that the readers would all doubtless re-
member that the Albatross had sailed
from Liverpool several years before,
bound for Australia, and was thought to
have gone down with all on board, as no
news of her had since been received.
That was the substance of the remark
able paragraph. What was almost as
remarkable to me, a newspaper man,
was that the Liverpool paper had evil
IDENTIFY made no effort to learn the own
ers name of the Albatross, the name of
her captain and crew, or whether or not
she carried any passengers.
II carefully searched the files to see if
there were any further reference to the
case. There was none. After the man
ner of his kind the editor of the paper
had, 80 it seemed, taken it for granted
that his readers would remember all the
particulars that they wanted to know.
"A few weeks after that went into
northern Vermont to report the Benton
murder trial, which was attracting much
more than local attention. Twas pleased
to find that the prosecuting attorney
was an old classmate of mine, but not
pleased to find that he had become
spiritualist. ! mentioned the headless
bodies to him, and, as joke, asked him
to conjure up the two spirits in seance,
so as to solve the mystery. Well, we
tried To-"
"And failed, of course" interposed
Edgar Fawcett.
A quizzical expression came into Pro-
fessor Smiths face and he said:
"Oh, no; we got the whole story through
medium. The bodies were those of
Arthur Hartley and Helen Rankins,"
and he looked defiantly around the circle
for contradiction. at was Hartley
whose communication we got through
the Vermont medium, and this is what
he said:
"'Helen and were passengers aboard
the Albatross. My Uncle John promised
me fortune. He was confident that an
explosive of his invention would work
such wonders in Australian mines that
within 10 years we would go back to
England rich beyond the dreams of
avarice. One day Uncle John got into
hot discussion with Captain Raymond
about the efficacy of the wonderful ex-
plosive compound. The captain seemed
doubtful. Uncle John was for the in
slant angry.
"'"Tll show you, then, he said, and
he rushed into the cabin where his
boxes were stored and came out shortly
with two tin cans, each holding some-
thing less than pint He unscrewed
the top of one, disclosing a brownish
powder. "Take care!" said the captain,
who seemed needlessly cautious and al
most fearful.
""Why, l thought you said it was
useless" said Uncle John, with laugh;