The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-09-03

der such appalling conditions. There
She was gazing calmly at me from the
other end of Il long tube | could al
most touch hcr and reached cut my
hand.
Hold on, there" cried the astron-
omer You Il upset the machine.
Ny involuntary movement TO en-
brace what WAS not there did indeed
disarrange the apparatus and so badly
that she disappeared. and where she had
been a star WAS winking ut me. AS if |
cared fer stars
Il paid for one more look ut Saturn.
but could find nothing In vain | swept
the skies and the housetops and win
dows with the telescope and with INV
naked eye. She had vanished. | went
home dlsconsolate. As surely rs / sit
here, Dockhoy, / saw her 1t was not
hallucination. She was sitting in real
window within the range of that tele-
scope, but where | don't know and per
haps never Will know My ideal has
become a reality, but under what trying
circumstances. Do you wonder that
am miserable.
Il surely do not, E" I said. IF what
you have said is true and not mere
imagination .
"How romanticn cried my wife.
Lieutenant Swash sighed.
Come, | said, rising from my
chair, we will go together, and perhaps
| can help you. will have a look at
Saturn.
Not long afterward my friend and
were at the corner from which he had
viewed his ideal i'll the flesh. The itin-
Grant astronomer was there, too, with
his telescope pointed heavenward in
readiness for use He greeted my com
panion pleasantly and apparently had
been expecting him.
Maybe you II see that planet you We
been looking for tonight " he said.
"I've cleaned off the lenses so they'll
work better. y
"Planetl Beautiful luminary rath-
er, " muttered the lieutenant stopping
and screwing his eye into an end of the
telescope. 4 can see nothing but black
ness How. Lower the other end Just n lit
tle-there. . He began adjusting screws
with the skill of one initiated into the
mysteries of the heavens. While he
searched the skies above and the house
tops for miles about | scanned the heav-
ems, the house tops and the windows
with my naked eye, and with my naked
eye | accomplished more than he,
"Allow me to try the glass u said.
My dear fellow, he cried, "it is of
no use. If | can t find it, after searching
every night for weeks, you cant There
Is nothing Ill sight. It's only a question
of patience, of waiting until it again
appears.
Let me try" | said peremptorily
He acceded to my request. With the
assistance of the astronomer l got the
instrument in the desired position, fixed
my eye to it and focused it.
"Pshaw," cried Swash impatiently,
''you re looking right down Broadway !"
"Them's electric lights, sir, not plan
cts, y ventured the astronomer politely.
These remarks had no effect on me.
bided my time. At length it came.
'Swash, don't be excited, g" said,
"but just fix your eye here -
cts she again" he cried before he
had his optic thoroughly adjusted
''You re right, Dockboy; we've got her
Now mark where the telescope points
to- Don't lose it. Get the direction. "
Have you read what is below the
Window" said l.
"Jove" he muttered. ." Miss Maxy
Mumps, the actress, writes, Il have
used DR.. Hoaxer's harmless hair tonic
and find it perfection.
"We've got her, Swash Well spot IA
window with that sign-why, confound
it, she's gone!"
Swash Strengthened up and seized my
hand.
"Dockboy," he whispered so the as
tonished astronomer would not hear,
GIVE found her, thanks to you. can
spot her window by that sign if it's
within ten miles. Miss Maxy Mumps,
the actress -
Look again, said quietly, land
tell me what you see,
Once more he looked but only for Il
second.
'Confound it, he cried Am l
crazy? | saw I. girl i'll bicycle and un-
der it letters saying that if you bike
you should ride Buster
Gentlemen, interrupted the astron-
omer, I'm afraid you amt seen Saturn
nor no other planet. You was looking
at that advertising canvas down Broad
way"
Lieutenant Swash has gone to the
country for few days. st Louis
Globe Democrat.
Conclusive.