The morning times., 1896-12-13
L ART /.
CHAPTER /.
"VTVIC ATEn -

Near the close OF tine nineteenth century
the Society of Futurity was formed, for
scientific experiment on Colossal scale.
There was a considerable number Of asso-
ciates. all OF whom were bound TO secrecy,
and these supplied large endowment
fund To make their obligations or rcu-
Cence the more sure, tile secrets OF the So
ciety were not told to them, after all, but
were preserved by n small head-committee
known as The Three.
The Three were 10 be perpetuated in each
generation by successors appointed by The
first Three. OF the original trio the IA
nous inventor, Gladwin, was one. and he
found in Gerald BemiS, young frienl of
his, willing subject for vital test; moth
ing less than the attempt To suspend his life
for two or three centuries, and return to
consciousness and activity after that inter
val. II was an old idea, but 1t had never
been carried out, except in imagination, and
In impossible books. Gladwin, however,
thought ne had now solved the problem, and
was anxious TO try his solution.
Bemis was a stalwart, handsome fellow,
full of life, with gay smile ever ready
To brighten his lips, and with short auburn
Curis a-dance on his broad, frank forehead.
He was highly educated and an enthusiast
in matters Of science. Bat, what came still
more 10 The point. he had suffered a re-
verse in love and fancied that he could
take no further personal interest in the
present life. Suicide was alien TO his tenn
perament as well as TO his strong natural
and religious instincts and faith. But
'YiNification,' as Gladwin's new process
was called, would relieve him from con-
scious existence now, and also make him Il
pioneer OF the human race in advancing
into another generation. beyond, while still
retaining ruemhersmpinh owngeneration.
lit is DONE he eXclaimes TO Gladwin
% gree 10 be VivifiCatedl'
Yet, after the decision had been made. he
underwent several struggles. Now that he
was to part from the world for so long
Time, the living. moving human creatures
whom he saw upon the streets, in clubs
and hotels, at receptions, at fashionable
dinners or Al the theaterS-so charged with
intense interest in their daily affairs, am
billions and idcas-appealed 10 him in a
new way. ''Stay with US, they all seemed
TO be saying 10 him, though their lips
moved not. You are one OF us. Don't
goi Don't leave us. Take your share Of
human experience while you are here
among us aud can be sure of it,
The trial was hard, indeed, but he per-
sisted, although life prolonged without
the Old companionships, be admitted, is
little different from DEATH
When the appointed day came, and he
went out TO Gladwin's high-walled labor
atUry in woody solitude near New York
10 bc sealed up for fUtuTity, contempora-
ne1uS life began To dwindle in his view.
The crowds he saw in passing, his ac-
quaintancC, friends, relatives-even Eva
Pryor, whom he had loved SO ardently but
In vain -all Shrank in their proportions un-
til they seemed nothing more than the
diIBinutive and automatic busy reflections
OF reality in the kinetoScope. With this
changed and dreamy mood upon him there
came to him a feeling that he, also, had
mental vision. Considering the eXtraOrdi-
nary ordeal through which he was about
10 pass, such sense of his own littlenrSs
and iISEnificance was restful and cncuur-
aging. Calmly, therefore, he lay down
upon the couch prepared for him in
secret and well-guarded alcoye Of the
laboratory, robed in a simple garment Of
linen, which was dressed, bleached, steril-
lied, and scrupulously clean.
Gladwin gave him chloroform until he be-
came unconscious. Then a solution OF the
lately discovered compound, TetrethylcylO-
narnmon, WAS injected under his skin. This
gradually reduced his heart action and
his respiration to zero.
When under it's influence all movement
had ceased and his animation was entirely
suspended, he was placed in large glass
cylinder twice the length OF his body and
lying in a horizontal position.
A powerful antiseptiC MOrtumicrObium-
Gladwn dlscovery-was now in ieCted into
into his veins. 1t was a LIQUID which de-
stroyed all organisms not proper 10 the body
or essential TO life, and prevented decampo-
sition. The cylinder Of glass was then
filled with highly antiseptized air-so that
no germs could come TO life within it-and.
by numher OF wind urged gas flames, the
end OF the tube was fused, dra wn to a point
and hermetically sealed. Thereupon the
whole cylinder, with Bcmis reposng in it,
was coated several times with collodion,
winch made tough, transparent surface
and would prevent the inGress OF air if the
glass happened TO crack or break
So inciosed. as though in a huge cocoon.
Bemis was left in the alcove, which was
Kept heated night and day at IN even tenn
peraturC OF 9S degrees FahreSleit
There he lay in that fragile case for
years, for generations. until three centuries
were completed. All the millions Of the
earth died and disappeared and new mil
lions took their places Tempests broke
above him, calm weather shone upon his
resting place, the seasons rose, smiled
frowned, went their way amid the roar OF
winds or blur Of snow, and dissolved one
into another in unvarying succession; but
Bems never stirred within his chrysals
Governments changed, wars thundered
about him, the race progressed or retro
graded, still Bamis slept on, without breath
or motion
Would he ever awake Would his soul
20 abroad again upon the earth. conscious,
in human form? That was for the Three
In office now, at the end of the twent v
second century, to ascertain.
CHAPTER II.
How THEY TALKED WITH THE PLAN
ET MARS
The Three, al this time, Were Graeman-
-
sorS OF the first committee. The society
had met with almost endless difficulties in
conserving even a portion 81 the old labora-
tory and BcmiS' CLASSY life coffin. through
all the changes OF the troubled centuries
But they had triurnphed by means of theil
wealth, hrewdneSs, tact and patience
Graemantle, who-owinE TO the advance.
made in the saving up of vitality-hat
reached tie age OF one hundred and forty.
two and was regarded as being in the
prime or life, was the senior Wraitht
kept the records of the past; and StanifeX
was a twenty-second century conservative
whose functionit was TO doubt nd question
everything. The task of awaking Bemis ant
again Inducing him into activity fell {,
Graemantle, and was performed successful
ly, Notwithstanding the scepticism of Stan
ifex ard the eadverseprecedents of Wraithe
But il so happened that at the hour ap-
pointed for the rousing of the yivificateC
man, most important news had come from
the northwest, which admitted OF no daily
ing. Communication had been reopened
with Mars. and the result was expected te
be OF vital moment Graemantlc had onl,
time to welcome Bemis to what was prac-
tically q new world, before starting 70
wisconsin.
But Gladwin- where is he? Where
Eva Pryor" demanded Bemis, starting u
and rubbing his eyes instinctiyely, althoug