Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-12
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
An Assistant-Subject
IOr!ginal.l

was one of the most singular looking
persons I ever saw. His eyes were
large and dreamy, his body small and
delicately made. He was bent and
withered.
why should 1 DO that?' 1 asked.
Because 1 desire your assistance"
as any one in danger, dying?"
"No one is in danger, no one is dy-
ing, and yet it is Il matter of death
about which 1 wish your assistance"
81 am sorry, sir, but l am hurrying
to keep an engagement and cannot
comply with your request"
Your engagement can wait. 1 can
not. 1 have been many years coming
to my present position and do not in
tend to defer satisfying myself as to
the result of so much thought. Come"
"But you can at least give me some
idea as to the nature of this assistance
you require
THAT can be better explained in
practice than in word. l am a poor
talker, and this crowded street is not
fit place for communicating what
one may have to say. There are too
many people passing Come TO my
house. There we will be alone. There
l can explain to you that which has
occupied the principal portion OF my
life. l propose to honor you with Il
confidence never before bestowed or
any living person. Only the dead have
ever received 1t. The time has now
arrived for :ae to impart it TO the liv-
ing"
What was my surprise to find my
self following this strange creature as
though l had been his dog. lie took
me through narrow streets. / suppos-
ing every minute that he would dive
into some of the mean buildings 10y
the way, but he did not. After jour
ney that seemed interminable we found
ourselves in thinly settled district,
and my conductor finally led the way
into Il large brick dwelling that stood
alone. The blinds were closed. and the
place had every appearance of being
unoccupied. Taking me to = rear room
on the ground floor, lie babe me be
seated and announced his object. lie
had no sooner commenced TO speak
than his eyes flashed until they seemed
to me to be like two live Goals.
81 have been experimenting" he
said, ''for years upon 4 new method of
cremation. l have done away with
the hours heretofore required to incin-
crate and am now able to accomplish
the work in ten minutes. If you viii
step in here, l will show you my re
tort"
He led me into Il rear apartment
without windows and with but the one
door through which we entered. We
had no sooner passed in than he turn
ed the key aud put it i'm his pocket. In
the center of the room was Il square
brickwOrk resembling an oven.
This is my crematory." said my
strange host. 1.-The heat is galvanic.
You see those wires. They conduct the
current to the inner part. where by
new union of chemical forces hereto
fore unknown the heat is generated.
This door is the aperture through
which the object to be incinerated en-
tiers by means of this rolling carriage"
But, my dear sir" I protested. Il
am not interested in crematories.'
II am" he replied decisively. Il am
about to test my invention. and L need
an assistant as we'll as subject. am
going TO experiment upon you. You
will have the advantage over n dead
subject of being able to tell me exactly
wherein my device fails, wherein it is
successful"
.I? How could 1 tell you. being in
cineratedE'
Come, mount to the carriage" He
drew a revolver and held il to my tenn
pie.
Trembling, L mounted the carriage
and lay fiat on my back. Then there
was a creak of rollers. and 1 moved
forward and heard the clang of the
furnace door.
Whether or not lost consciousness
1 do not know. At any rate. there
was a blank. Then 1 heard the voice
of the operator outside ask if 1 had
any suggestions to make. l replied
that / would most respectfully suggest
that he open the door and let me out.
Not until you have learned from eX-
perience the defects of my oven,' he
said.
'It is perfect" / replied.
at is the high degree of heat that
wish you to report on especially"
.It is seven times hotter than the
fiery furnace into which King Nebu-
chadnezzar thrust the prophet Daniel!'
exclaimed.
Excellent! 1 have not vet turned
the heat on. If it is hot now. what
will it be when in operation? Now ]
will make the connection"
Hold onr' / cried. Il have noticed
a defect in the patchwork. If you turn
on the heat, the oven will crack Open"
That's queer" he said. Il made
that brickwork myself. It's all right.
You're mistaken. Watch everything
carefully so that you can give me a
perfect account of all points to be
tested"
L heard click, and very soon the
place began to warm up. Then it be
gan to get hot. 1 yelled TO my tor