The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-09-03

around here this evening in honor OF your
arrival, I hope you will find it convenient
to meet them
"With all my heart answered Gui-
seppe Voltoni, and at the appointed time
he made his appearance.
The good burghers, like his uncle, were
at first little prejudiced by the appear
ance of Giuseppe, but when they heard his
soft accents, and noticed the Difference he
exhibited to their opinions, and above all,
the silence with which he sat and smoked
"a habit which he picked up during his
eastern sojourn-they began to melt to-
wards him, and to say that, afterall, beauty
was but skin deep, and that solid good
sense was far better than fair complexion.
CHAPTER 1.
At length all the Egyptian treasures
We're uncovered and Cornelius Van Heu-
vel came over to his nephew to pay the
promised visit of inspection. All around
the room were glass cases containing strange
relics collected from the tombs-armlets,
rings, brooches, quantity shaped specimens
of pottery, and several fragments of paPy-
rus covered with pictures, the colors OF
which were still bright and vivid. The
gem of the whole collection, however was
the mummy of King Rameses, which was
placed on trestles in the centre of the room.
1t was contained in a gaudily colored case
with hundreds of little figures, recording
the deceased monarch's exploits, painted
upon it.
Il intend one day to ask all the learned
men of the town to witness the opening of
the sarcophagus," remarked Giuseppe.
at will be rare treat to antiquarians.
"Can we not have peep now?" sug-
gested Van Heuvel, casting longing eye
at the box in which the last of the Shep-
herd Kings was reposing.
"No, no, let us be fair" returned his
nephew. 81 will not delay you long; see
it is only fastened with about a dozen
screws in each side, which can be removed
in five minutes. Have patience, my good
uncle, and your curiosity shall be grati6ed.
The old man was fain to content him
self with this promise, and after congratu-
lating his nephew upon his rare and ex-
ceIlent collection took his leave.
Giuseppe Voltoni was not such stay
home as his uncle. Very often he would
shut up his rooms and make excursions,
sometimes rambling over the ruins Of the
old castle, at others visiting the Volts
brunnen, and sometimes even extendin g
his excursions as far as Swetzingen, with
its fountains and gardens, which turned
the little German Schloss into a miniature
Versailles. These wanderings, however,
we're not solitary ones. He had made
several acquaintance, but the one whose
society he seemed most to affect was a
Suabian student named Heinrich Klippen-
dorf, in whose company he took great de-
light. KlippendOrf was very different from
the usual run of students. He was not a
beer-drinker or a swordsman, and was as
little known at the orgies of the Kneip's
as he was at childish sabre play at the An
GELS Meadow. He had studied deeply,
but his reading had been principally con-
fined to the quaint old volumes of the al
chemists and the seekers after the philoso-
piers stone. Upon these, however, he had
grated a theory of his own, and this was
that number of small diamonds when ex-
posed to the solar rays, which could be
collected by gigantic burning-glass, could
be formed together into one enormous
Jewell such as no king or kaiser had ever
possessed. For many long hours the two
men argued the possibility Of this combi-
nation over pipes, Heinrich for and Gui-
seppe against its possibility.
"Well," said the former, laughing good
numoredly, "you may some day be in a
position to test the thing yourself, for |
suppose you will be your uncle's heir, and
you say that for some time past he has
been turning his savings into small and
| marketable diamonds.
81 do not know anything about my un-
cle's testamentary intentions" returned
Giuseppe, "but if ever l do come into pos
session of his property will supply the
diamonds if you will find the gigantic
burning glass necessary to complete the
experiment,
"Ah, now you are turning my idea into
ridicule," said Klippendorf, an angry flush
rising to his forehead at is foolish line
to take, but all great chemists have had to
endure it; but remember l tell you that
the experiment will be tried, though you
may not live to see it."
Giuseppe saw that his friend was really
annoyed, and therefore, like wise man,
changed the conversation, and when Helm
rich took his leave he seemed to have for
gotten his momentary irritation.
CHAPTER II.
The beautiful Baden summer was now
at its height, and the figure of old Corne
lius Van Henvel might be seen every day
sitting in his armchair beside his open
window, as he smoked his pipe and drank
his glass of beer. Giuseppe and Heinrich
would frequently shout out words of greet
ing to him from their window across the
street, and the old man, whose voice was
too weak to make itself heard even at that
short distance, would wave his pipe gently