Iron County register., 1891-10-15

'And you don mind beng Ie1U dlouc:
| She shrugged her firm and shapely
shoulders. Il never care to be alone
But don't mind if Sylvan leaves me
now and then. 1t isn't that"
Thorndylle pretended to appear dis
mayed. What are these dreadful rev
elations? You want other society thar
| Sylvan's?''
She gave him the faintest smile of in
difference, as though she ignored this
question, or rather as though she chose
to put it capriciously aside. I'm very
fond of life," she said, slipping both
hands behind her head and clasping
them there, SO that her back-faller
sleeves evidenced the swelling pearl OF
her arms, from neat wrist to dimpled
elbow. ''But life as / long to have il
and know it isn't for me. Sylvan cares
nothing at all about HDing, in my sense
of the word"
'And pray tell me what is your sense
of the word?"
''Oh to mix with people and enjoy
your youth. He doesn't care to do that
Besides, we haven't money enough to
do it. He doasn't complain about any
slimness of the household purse. He
lets me spend more dollars than | ought
to spend. But were nobOdies-that is.
we're nobodies from my point of view.
'sAnd what is being a somebody here
in New York-from your point OF
view?"
"Having lots of money-giving fine
entertainments. You're a nonentity
here, if you don't. 1t doesn't make the
remotest difference who your grandfa-
ther was. If you haven't big bank
account you're sent to the wall"
And you're tired of being sent to the
wall?''
Lucia Maynard sighed. I'm tired of
not living"
"And you think that not being fash
ionable is not living?''
'sOh, no. But l think not knowing
certain people-reined, attractive peo-
ple-is almost like death ITSELF
Thorndyke dropped his head for a
moment and pulled at his gray mus
tache. ''NNell, after all, is death so
horrible?"
s'Death?'' she echoed, with a sudden
ferceness of mien. ''Oh, l think it is
frightful! l do so hate the idea of dy-
ing. Don't you?" And as she leaned
toward him, with the light near lamp
sending out the clear-cut grace and pal
lor of her neck, throat and chin, it oc.
CURED to him that she was extremely
beautiful.
Not unnaturally he thought of the
sealed manuscript which of late he had
delivered to her husband. And then
while remembering this, he also recol
lected the elixir (that ''infernal non
sense" as he had long ago got to call it,
which might very probably have formed
the gist and pith of Egbert Maynard's
bequest.
eff you so hate the doom OF dying,
he said, inwardly stirred by tie idea OF
his own boldness and imprudence, ''yor
might perhaps have read with interest
the farewell lines which Sylvan's father
left him and which / delivered to him
ON his twenty-ffth birthday. Or, il
may be, your husband did not show you
what l gave him. If that is true, then
L"
eyes, yes" she broke in,, with an
eagerness that was violence. s'He did
show me that letter-that singular let.
since; 1 can't keep my mind from dwell
ing on it. Did you not consider it a
most amazing message?"
'Imight judge BETTER" replied Thorn
dyke, ''if L could know what it was
like"
''Why, didn't you know?" she fall
tered. 81 thought you were his init
mate friend.''
Il was-and at one time his very in
innate friend. Though he never told
me what was inside that envelope, can
guess its contents" He continued
speaking for some time and ended with
these words: ''Of course it was wild
dream of Egbert Maynard's. Now and
then the finest human intellects are be-
guiled just in this way" He saw her
face fall, and then watched her as she
nervously bit her lips. 'You speak
from your own experience as chem
ist," she said, and the ring of disap-
pointment in her voice was plain to him
as would have been her tears if shed
from the troubled glooms of her eyes.
I'm not a chemist" Thorndyke
fastened to reply; I'm physician-o.
was"
Her looks frightened again. sThen
you do not speak with any real cer-
tainty, after ALL
''Ah, my dear lady! AS if one could
not be sure we had left the elixir of life
and the philosophers stone both very
far indeed behind!'
But this hquefaction of electricity
which Sylvan'S dead father describes
for which he offers the very formula of
preparation-wouldy you assert that to be
mposSible?"
81 would-yes."
Lucia unused for moment, and then
gave her head so earnest a negative
shake that its flossy bronze-brown loops
of hair emitted flashes in the lamplight
like those from polished mahogany.
But you are stating, in SO many
words" she exclaimed, ''that Egbert
Maynard was madman."
There are many sane madmen in
the world.''
She struck the edge of her chair i'm
patiently with one clenched hand.
THAT is no answer. So many things
no more wonderful than his assumed
invention hare happened. To concentrate
the vital principle of all eXistence-I see
nothing more extraordinary in it than
to achieve the telegraph. the telephone
At least, | can't understand why it
should be scoffed at before it is tried
Thorndyke laughed. Il don't scoff at
it" he said. But it is like having
some one tell you that he had construct
ed an apparatus by means of which you