Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-06-28

-U
ST PROPOSE TO REcTIFY SOME OF THE
EVILS OF SOCIETY"
are brought about by the association of
the two orders Of talent One order is
reflective and creative; h other Is
executive and administrative We rep
resent the two orders | am not salts
fed with events as they occur. / am
going to manufacture them on a large
scale"
He paused a moment and too a few
mouthfuls of food. Laport was re-
garding him curiously.
This sounds 81 little abstract, but it
is a necessary postulate. I'm not a
crank. Like yourself, society has
wronged me. I propose to rectify some
of the evils of society. If that sounds
chimerical, let me remind you that the
details of your rescue ought to con-
vince you that l am a man Of method,
accustomed to deal with facts and adj
just myself to circumstances You are
under some obligations to me l pro-
! pose to avail myself Of those obliga-
tions in only n way-it Is by making
a con1dant of you and depending upon
your sense of loyalty, no matter what
arrangement we effect The pledge Is
implied. l have to put myself in your
hands to a certain extent You are a
free man. You are not directly or In
directly to betray my confidence, even
if you do not stay with me. That |
merely say, is understood"
LABOR bowed his head In acquies-
cence.
Kent smiled. SIT Is hardly neces-
sary for me to say to you that l would
not have this confidence in you sense
of loyalty if I had not acquainted my
self with your character and l hardly
would have taken the extraordinary
means to secure your services If l had
not believed I could depend upon you.
Verbal pledges are unnecessary, my
dear sir.
.sIn carrying out h vast projects
which I have In my mind for the reeti-
fcation of some Of the evils of So
ciety, I shall necessarily come in col
lision with society and it was neces'
,sary first of all to find a secure place
safe from interruption, i~mpregnable
and unknown to the world, where
could carry on the extensive organic
ing scheme. That place Is under your
feet"
81 do not understand you,'' said La
port, looking curiously about him
"Under this floor" continued Kent,
'tis the entrance to the largest cave
that has probably eve been explored
by man. l discovered it by accident
seven years ago. I bought this piece
of land and erected this house ver the
entrance. purpose to buy the whole
two thousand acres of wild land that
covers a great portion of it, and erect
here a large building ostensfbly a san
itarium. It is for the fitting up Of thi:
underground domain that I have taker
such pains to secure your aid. l neet
in it an electrical plant; a water sys
TEN; electric railway. and heating aP
paratus, besides means of defense and
other modern appliances. I have esti
mated the cost of my internal-or
perhaps, I should say, intestinal-im
provement at something / k a mil
lion dollars. It is for you to say, wheI
1 have taken you over the ground. il
you will sell me your mechanical skill
for a year and what it will be worth.
Kent waited for a reply.
After a moments hesitation Lapori
said: ut seems to me, sir, that at thi.
b1hIO L JILL NV IA PooAoACh W AAohS
terms. If you succeed in demonstrat
ing to me the practicability of you,
plans, the best l can do is to offer yor
my services and advice in so far as the
scheme meets with my appreciation"
well, l can only say that such al
arrangement will not do at all. / do no
intend 20 implicate you in any of my
schemes. l wish to employ your con
, structive ability at a reasonable price
If the work that I want done is practi
cable to the engineering and mechan
icai mind, and you give me your serv
ices for a year, will fifty thousand dol
: lars compensate you?"
For the first time 1t flashed over La
ports mind hat he was listening tx
|, m-onomaniac; one of those restless ant
harmless characters who conceive pro
digious schemes and make fabulous in
vestments with no other capital thar
their disordered imaginations Ken
: guessed what was passing In his mind
for he said:
Z Il see the suddenness and iargenes
I of my schemes have disturbed you
. confidence. Two Or three days Of In
: vestigation will restore it. We cal
u talk farther of the matter after we ar
. better acquainted. Before /. show yor
the underground laboratory, let m
explain to you the typographical pc
. culiarities of the country"
: AS he said this he picked up a ma,
I and, moving his chair closer to La
9 ports, spread out the paper on tn
table. s'There," he said, Indicating
= point on the map with a pencil, ~
;. about where we are. This origina
Y man Is a Sketch-pfan Of fhA erbfe1
ranean domain as near as / have bee
! able to survey it. 1 estimate the south
y western extension of the cave TO b
about eighteen miles in length. Their
r is another hidden entrance at that 81
8 IRENE limit, but it needs a little excs
b J waiting to be of practical use. IiQten