The herald., 1897-01-31
!: ROMANCE OF THE X-RAYS ;


Aristotle Owen was professor of pho
tology and photography in the Grea
Science college, which occupied the sclt'
of the whilom aquarium and presented
| far more appropriate vis-a-vis to tn
| houses of parliament. Its presence there
gently reminded ola-fashioned members
that their constituents were no longer
men whose first thought was amuse'
! ment but scientists, men of culture
| of large mind, who needed enlightened
| legislation, and could no longer be hood
winked by cleverly strung together
words of dubious meaning or the reso-
nant outpourings of inflated wind bags
! Of so-called oratory.
| Aristotle Owen, it is needless to say
was very clever man, in an age when
| all men were clever, for the time Of
which we write was in the year of 1870
! Science had made gigantic strides; ed,i-
cation was on such an extended scale
, that, though people still starved for the
| common necessities of life, they had the
satisfaction of being able to analyZe
with scientific accuracy the slow pro-
I gress of the elimination of tissue ana
the certain approach of dissolution.
Yet with all his cleverness Professor
owen had been unable to resist pre-
historic weakness-he had fallen in love
Niln anu ilAtl iCQ a. Nti pittts NOiitetA..
This, at first sight, appears only an
amiable tendency to which many gre al
mind has heretofore been subject, yet
was it of grievouS import to the profess
sor's peace of mind. for though in 1920
science had made prodigious and pro-
gressive strides, virtue, alas! had been
somewhat retrograde. Hence it was
that, amidst his most abstruse calcula-
tons and subtle deductions. harassin5
thoughts of his pretty wife would arise
and disturb the calm mental abstraction
which science demands In an earlier
and ruder age it might have been said
that the professor was jealous, but the
leading medical light of 1920 pronounced
it as his grave opinion that Professor
owen suffered from aggravated cardiac
acerbitude, and the nervous irritability
produced by this insidious disease
caused him TO watch his wife with lynx
eyed vigilance and to note every slight
infection in her voice. in her manner;
nothing was too trivial 10 escape being,
as it were, instantaneously photo
graphed on his mental sensitive plate.
Prof. Owen returned home to dinner.
The table was daintily arranged, the
food exquisite, his wife at the head of
the table in perfect harmony with her
surroundings.
You lecture at the institute tomor-
row evening, do you not, Aristotle?"
she asked, as the sweets appeared.
Will you dine at home?'
He looked up quickly. His mental
sensitive plate was Quivering with
eager receptivity. as he answered
slowly:
Il find shall not have to lecture"
The expression of his wife's face al
tered perceptibly. A little pucker of
contracted her pretty brows
and her lips curved downward with
detected droop. There was
even a faint note of distress in her voice
as she answered plaintively, "Oh,
thought it was quite settled
Nothing but scientific fact or
mathematical problem can be considered
settled" he answered dogmati-
cally; then added in tone he thought
was genial and sympathetic:
Il hope my presence will not incon-
venience you, or disturb any arrange
ments you have made
"Oh, not at all. Only I-well, thinking
you would not be at dinner and away all
the evening, / asked Lefty Golightly to
come from Wimbledon and share my
loneliness. OF course now, as [ know
she is not a persona grata will tele-
phone and put her Off
DO not, / entreat! I should much
prefer that you should make no altera-
tion in your plans
And Prof. owen rose left the room
and retired to his study in a very bad
frame of mind. The cardiac acerbity
was rising most prejudicially to the
proper digestion of an excellent dinner
His wife was right; he did not like
Lefty Golightly. She was advanced in
many ways even for 1920. Yet, with a
strange Inconsistency. she clung to many
old-fashioned customs. too
kirt dancing, bicycling and a love for
music hall songs among the number
md was engaged to muscular hussar
With a fine mustache and body, but no
mind. Serious as these propensfties We're
here was another fact which rendered
Ter even more Objectionable in the pro-
essor's eyes; Miss Golightly possessed
n unmarried brother, who might have
'een mistaken for the hussar This
for the weakness of great |
nen-was the large cause of the profess
ors cardiac trouble
Aristotle Owen sat thinking deeplv |
Until his meditations We're disturbed by
he tinkling of the telephone bell. Not |
'nly every house, but every room. pos
essed its telephone in 1920. He rose |
md. placing his ear to the instrument. |
istened.
can you lecture at the Peoples pa
ice on Inchoate Hymenogeny' tonor
ow evening at I oclock?" asked the
oice of a much-esteemed brother sci
mist
Aristotle thought for moment. |
lash Of inspiration came 10 him. He |
placed his lips to the tube
Yes, | can. Will YOU ioin me hare at |
:3o?'
The answer was evidently satisfac- |
ory and the professor with d face from |
which all uncertainty had vanished, |
oined his wife in the drawing room.
Il hope you have not put off your |
riend," he said.
Il telephoned to her but she was not |
t home
well, do not alter your arrange |
nentS. Blatant has asked me to lecture |
t the Peoples palace on 'Hymenogeny' |
at :. He will call for me at |
80. We shall have supper in the city |
md | shall bring him here to sleep; but |
ve shall not be home till late, certainly |
lot before u. l have an experiment I |
Wish to try tonight, so do not wait up |
or me" He returned to his study and |
vas soon deep in various strange prep
ratons.
Pretty Mrs Owen yaw7ned several
ines, hummed, pouted, and at last
hrowing the novel she was reading on |
he sofa in disgust, rose to her feet At |
hat moment the bell of the telephone
ounded. She went eagerly tc the in
trument.
Il am here" said merry voice, what |
10 you want?"
BE sure to come tomorrow evening at |
Not a moment earlier l hope Jack
free"