Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-08
The Silver Siren.
(BY FRANCIS LEEDs.)

that guy precinct, when suddenly in
spite of my preoccupation noticed,
in a brilliant shop window, u sign
bearing this announcement, --latest
Novelty---Silver Sirens"
It was In direct consequence Of the
delusive glamor of Silver Siren that
my spirits were, Mt present, so de-
pressed, that my luck seemed to be o
traitor and my whole destiny thwart-
ed. Hence as / read this sign I
paused. Being an engineer by pro.
fession, I had gone to Nevada some
months previously, to superintend a
pumping process in some silver
mines, and while there my interest
In the science OF hydraulics had been
superseded, owing to the babblings
Of those sirens Of the West who whis-
pered their alluring deliriums into
my err. At their bcliest I laid aside
my professional work and launched
into the vortex of speculation, with
disastrous results to myself, my FAM
lily and my friends. The briefest men.
ton OF the huctuating hope and
annihilating despair OF that UNDER
taking must suffice. My kilograms
to my governor" were daily para
doxes, the buoyant optimism of one
day defying the predestincd pcssim-
ism OF the Iext.
Defeated, disguised, heavily in
debt, my father seriously handi-
capped by mortgages and forced
sales on his property, / Ind come to
England to see what could DO done,
and IL was on the morning OF my first
meeting with my creditors In the
city, us was returning from my
club, that I noticed the sign Of "sil.
YER sirens" In the shop windows. l
glanced with grim curiosity upon
that confused mass OF burning gems
and FURNISHED gold in the jewelers.
window, and us did so u shopman
advanced to the light OF the door at
tending young girl. lie held In his
hand silver whistle which ! soon
found was the very object OF my in
terest. I overheard the man soy, with
subservient blandncss:
"These are whistles, my lady,
made on the principle OF our fog
horn sirens or semaphores. They are
the latest novelty and aro much
used by the yachting clubs this sea-
son at Cowes."
He placed tho thing to his lips and
breathed upon 1t. Although tho
act was quite gently done, low,
croning noise, which rose and fell
with plaintiff graduation filed tho
air with such a penetrative quality
that several people on the sidewalk
paused and glanced into tho shop. l
determined under one OF those sudden
impulses which seem, sometimes, to
make OF us irresponsible factors In
our own destinies, to buy the bnuble,
and few minutes later 1t was dang
ling from my watch chain. In u
short time, however, under the pres
sure Of grave cares, ] had forgotten
all about 1t. =
soon began to sock some means
Of modifying the distressing condition
to which my absence OF caution and
reliance on chance had brought me.
Fortunately for me company In
London whose confidence In my Gu.
pacity rs an engineer had not been
shaken by my lack Of judgment IN tho
West engaged me to conduct a large
engineering scheme In some salt
mines In Russia in which much capt.
tai had been invested.
need not say I was glad OF the
chance this offered mo. ] was glad
also to got away from London, where
found subtle condemnation
OF my acts in even the glances OF my
friends. was very sore and sensi-
tive, and when u man who had al
ways been one OF my favorite friends
and relatives called out to mo from
the pier ut Calais, in one OF those ut
tempts at pleasantly which so often
contain q sting: II say! Francis,
don't 60 and buy salt mine In Rus
sia !" felt that the time had come
for me to cancel such speeches by
some new line Of action.
Twas confident about my mission,
Several engineers had failed, 1t Is true,
but the many fail, tho one succeeds.
These mines could not be worked
owing to the percolation Of water
into them. To check this flow Of
water and redirect Its channel wal
my task.
hurried across the continent, ant
had made good time. Haste was i'm
perative for winter was closing upor
the heels of autumn and the deov
SHOWS would delay my progress. AL
went we'll with me as crossed thos'
lonely versts, over which there seems
ever to dwell brooding melancholy
My kibitka, or hooded sledge, wa
very comfortable. 1t was drawn b,
sturdy Finn ponies, which were eX
changed at the different station
along the route.
When about two days from tho en-,
Of my journey my yamschik, o
driver, fell seriously i'll. When thes
strong and intrepid sons OF toll ylel
to the influence of disease the on
slaught is usually sudden and VIC
lent, like wind which fells, wit
crashing fury, the oak which ha
long swayed to the storms roug
lashing. / wrapped the poor fello,
In my rugs and placed him in tn
easiest part of tho kibitka. As tn
lights of Woleki twinkled in the dis
lance, while guided the Finn ponie
as dexterously as l could over TIN
roads, l knew from Varika's terribl
delirium and fever that the poe
yamschik was making his last Iii