The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-25

ship he had never seen so vivid sparkle
in the dark eyes of his new friend as when
Clyde at length handed him back the
paper fraiIght with its alleged solution of
the impossible.
II don t claim to be of much importance
as a chemist" were the first words that
greeted Gerald, ..but unless I nightly
mistake, my boy, here Is a bit of genius mt
to startle millions. y
Gerald answered excitedly: ssTo startIe
them only DIR. Clyde? Don'tyou think
1t may do more than merely that ?n the
other broke in .'Ah, what I've Just said
seems audacity enough in ITSELF My dear
Maynard-my dear Gerald, if you'll let
me call you so--when I'd read through
half that extraordinary piece of writing,
began to laugh as fellow would do at
some bright, but over-bold extravaganza.
Ii seemed as If man were saying:
Look; can take the clouds out of the
sky, turn them into new metal like
Miltons "more ethereal one, and build
you with them stately pleasure house"
like the one poor Coleridge saw in that
mad vision born of his drug But after
I'd read on, the smile died from my lips.
Here, too, might be madness, but 1t GER
tainly had the trick of looking as sane
as Hamlet's. The whole thing, if fall
ure, is defeat with almost the magnifi-
cence of conquest"
They talked OH together for good while
about the new proposed dealings with
electricity and the three elementary chem
ical bodies that were ordered as concomit-
ants in its astounding treatment before
certain "whitish liquid, excessively vola-
tile and somewhat luminous if stirred"
should at last crown the operators labors.
you state that you know very little of
chemistry" Gerald presently said. Il
begin to see that you are full of such
knowledge"
at has shabby look beside yours
answered Clyde heartiy-"by Joye, if it
hasn'tm
Gerald colored at the compliment. Again
Clyde laughed, and in his blithe style went
on: you can blush as modestly as girl.
my lad-as the girl, perhaps, whom you've
left behind you"
give left no girl behind me-" said
Gerald, with instant frankness.
what! How marvellous AT your age
you've never been in love? That beats the
wonders that your father prophesies.''
ooh, I've fancied myself in love more
dream has been like those roses that
scatter their petals when we try to pluck
them"
"Ah, some day you'll pluck rose that
will accommodate you by staying on her
STEM"
LET us hope so,n smiled Gerald, with
shrug But YOU" he pursued, shave you
never thought of marriage?"
at seems to me that I'm always think
ing of it and never performing it, said
Clyde with little sigh and downward
look at the nosegay that nearly always
cleaned on the lapel of his coat. Then he
glanced upward and lifted both hands
in mock despair. "Ah, that matrimony,"
he murmured. "I'm ambitious. / want
to get out of life all it will give me, but I
feel convinced the older I grow that mar
riage is the one state of being for which l
should never find time. 1t would involve,
so to speak, cruel confusion in the rest of
my affairs, and would ruin my present
splendid reputation for keeping them all
duly labeled and pigeon-holed. No; it is
true that can crowd many occupations
into single day, but marriage is pre-
cisely one egg too many for my basket"
This lightsome speech Jared upon Ger
aid. He gave an impatient frown, which
Clyde's quick eye saw, and explained:
"You think me fiippant," he pursued, sat
a time when you expected me to show the
greatest gravity And you are
wholly right"
II expected you-at least l hoped to
find you-aidful," Gerald said, with sad
kind of courtesy.
Command my aid, dear fellow"
Glow shall l act regarding this paper2
You know how my brother treated it
what Puritanic repulsion it reused in
him"
eyes"
more than this, you know how he has
literally lost a young and charming wife
because of it. At least her picture seems
to assure me that she was charming"
added Gerald, land certainly Sylvan's des-
perate sense of loss would confirm this
view"
Clyde shook his head as if in strong
doubt. ''She may have been charming
enough. But to leave him like thatl It
CT rlE DS mo n "a hI10 nfna Of
Still, " he went on, there is no accounting
for a certain sort of feminine wildness. 1t
crops out III our sister sex with all the
botanical caprice of fungi. Now, in the
matter of counsel, accept from me this
bit of dictum: By all means exploit your
fathers idea, and as thoroughly as you are
able"
"You mean follow his instructions to
the letter?'
yes
"Your words are immensely welcomel,
exclaimed Gerald. II feared your dis
enlargement. And upon my word /
should not have had the heart, after re-
ceiving it, to fly in the face of our nine
teenth century skepticisms. ANY prac-
teal putting to proof of what the manu-
script enloins, will require an outlay of
certain funds, and these, thanks to DIR.
Thorndyke's goodness, need not trouble
me: But 1t may also require the help of
chemist. May seek your influence in Sc
curing his services?"
"Emphatically | should advise no such
course" declared Clyde.
What? You believe that could work
alone?"
Far better if you did. Get assistance,
of course, but let it only be that of servant
to master"
"Ah, but if fail?"
Then You will fail without also in
curing sridicule. And that to a man of
your youth and your aspirations, might
cause serious damage to the future. Either
this formula is great coup in the world of
science, or IL is the merest nullity. If it
be the first you will win all credit. heaven
knows. for having rested your faith upon
1t; If the last, you will escape the sneers of
those who rate all daring endeavor as
Quixotism till forced to do ii homage as
success"
Gerald took these words TO heart He
promptly prepared laboratory, and with
out hint to Sylvan concerning his inten-
tons, passed hours there each day. His
assistant was of DR.. Clyde's own selection.
young man but fairly well educated
whose technical knowledge just suited the
services for which he was needed, and in
whom no suspicion of the task which his
employer had set himself ever might be
feared 10 rise.
An absorbing task Gerald soon found it.
and one that often had upon him the effect
of a gloomful, overhanging sky, in which
burns single star. Hope was that star,
and soon Its Frightening orb seemed to
throb with the pulsations of its watchers
delighted heart. Learning from DIR
Thorndyke that the latter had been pros
trated in Chicago by rheumatic seizure
more painful than serious, he felt a thrill