The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-04
7orAnlzuzor
Copyright, 1893, by
the Author.l

/ A1N<'
the young people, also had his face
! turned upward; but there was no indi
cation of glee in his voice, when after
| gazing for few minutes he remarked
J 'sAnd to think that them things with
, such beautiful tails could do US any
harm!'
There was no response to this re-
mark, save a loud sigh from Mrs Pat
terson, who turned round abruptly
and walked into the house, where Mr..
Patterson soon followed her.
Milly and John were still standing
and gazing at the heavens. They had
not said word to each other; they
were happy in the consciousness OF
their proximity.
II don't believe a word of lido
you?" asked Milly some minutes after
ward.
"What?'
"Oh, what Schoolmaster Marten says
about this-er-comet-th going to
break up the earth and kill all the peo-
pie on it and annihilate everything. ]
don't believe it do you?"
"Bosh,'' remarked John, emphatical-
ly. Il think Marten is slick fraud,
that's what he ISL he added, holding
his arm tightly round Milly's waist.
Its awful" said Milly. concernedly.
Hes been coming here every day for
the last couple of weeks talking about
that comet. and he's dinned into papas
and mammals heads that the whole
world is comm to an end, and that we
are nigh the day of Judgment"
"Rubbish.' commenced John.
''And he's been talking to me, too
the hypocrite, telling me to mend my
ways and not to be SO giddy. As if 1
am ever giddy, John!' she added. in an
injured tone.
John did not reply for a second or
two. He seemed to be thinking.
"Pears to me, hesaid. after awhile,
your father ought to know by this
time what kind of atcusJomer he's got
to deal with. Has Marten paid him
back the fifty dollars he borrowed last
Christmas2"
No, not he"
'eWhy don't you. tell your father not
to take any stock in MartenP"
Its no use, John. He's wheedled
them round completely to his side. It's
perfectly awful how he's talked them
into things about this comet. They've
been glum and mopin', and packin'
away things; and mothers been bury
in lot of silver in the garden"
What" interrupted John. The old
folks haven't been hidin' things in the
ground and let Marten know of'it?"
Yes. He's shown them the very
place where he says the comet won't
strike, and mothers put Lot Of silver
spoons in it.
The fox! He's been stea1in' themw
exclaimed John.
Mlly sprang to her feet and ran into
the garden, John following her. She
stopped near slight mound of fresh
clay in which two sticks were firmly
stuck and which she began to probe
gently.
"Thank goodness, it's not teuchedr'
she said with sigh of relief, evidently
satisfied with her examination. You
nearly took my breath away with
fright, John. Mamma would go crazy
if she were SO fooled"
81 tell you what I'll do. Milly," he
said. You keep sharp watch on
this place, and if Marten turns up to-
morrow keep him till l get through
work. Iii come over here and We'll
see whether we can't fix him some
how"
In truth it was horrible, as MillT ex-
pressed it, if half the things were going
10 happen which Marten predicted.
The whole village of Stock borough
was terribly excited over the event.
Every body recollected that wars, pesti-
lence, famine and other calanities fol-
lowed the previous appearance of
comet like this-with almost the iden-
teal tail. Schoolmaster Marten talked
q about such uncanny things as the ''stel-
larry system" the "cosmic law" and so
on. On the day on which Milly and
John had conspired to rout him Mar
ten was at the Patterson farm holding
forth as usual. He had brought a
with him and read out from
it impressively the announcement that
on the coming Thursday, precisely at
5:34 p. ~, there would be an entire
eclipse of the sun, and the inference
he feft to be gathered from it was that
the general breakup was to begin at
that very second.
The old people sat listening blinking
solelnnly. Milly was somewhat awed
herself and she was mighty glad when
John came into the room looking ready
for action.
John contented himself at frst by
simply denying the argumenta But
Martens superior loouaciousuess was
rapidly getting the best of him and he
was gradually drawn into the meshes
of reason. That was all the school
master wanted. He could reason
bull into 4 frog any day If the animal
only followed the process of logical
deductions; SO by and by John found
himself listening with his hands
folded, his reason silenced. and more
than half convinced OF the probability
OF the whole thing.
And We say it will take place on
Thursday at 5:S4 p. IN. ?" asked the old
man. Marten had not said it, but he
answered:
Precisely. The une--ing calcula-
tion of science"
May be it'll only strike one cor
ner Of the earth and leave ont Stock
borough and the farm?' ne asked tim
idly again.
That is difficult TO say replied
Marion. thoughttully. Our whole
planet is sure TO sustain a terrihl-
shock. and it will be felt all the world
over. There is chance-a small
chance-that we might escape with our