The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-01-17
The Chemist 81
the Refinery
By S. + ROMAN

THE chemist stood watching a blue
fluid boiling in a glass tube over
8 spirit lamp, as it turned to a deep
purple, then violet, then settled to
a pure white, and the test being over,
poured out the liquid, carefully ex-
tinguished his light, washed the thin
crystal receptacle, placed it method
icaIly in a rack, where others of Curl
Gus forms were ranged upside down,
and walking over to a desk began
ciphering out the analysis of sucrose
and glucose in the cane juice, being
converted into various grades of
sugars in the Central refinery.
And all the while an undercurrent
of thought took him to other times
and other e and turned back the
calendar of years which represented
early ambitions and hopes, and was
glorifed by romance, and the all but
possession of youths dearest attain
ments.
The chemist sighed unconsciously
while his eye ran yer the figures,
and his brain made its rapid ~calcula-
tions, and he gave orders to a lad
who was there to do his bidding, to
go into the house for other samples
of juice.
The laboratory stood a short dis
lance from the refinery.
It was a small room filed with
chemical apparatus, a wooden chair
and a desk, and the chemist slept in
an adjoining one, which was neat
and clean and bare.
The chemist was a young man ant
handsome. He was clean-shayen an.
eminently -aristocratic in face anC
bearing. he had a firm set moutl
and large brown eyes, Profound!
melancholy, Just then, but with a res
light in them which indicated a dan
ger signal to be cautious, a warming
to the wise not to get into his way
Quiet and talking very little to tn
other men, yet always courteous, tn,
chemist had managed to impress tn,
conviction on the superintendent, tn.
manager and the lesser lights in tn,
BeIleona refinery that he knew hi
own business thoroughly, would in
terfere with no one, nor would pu
up with any intermeddling with hi
affairs.
To his directions, given in quie
tones. to slime" or not to lime, t
add or reduce the sulphur and other
necessary to convert the ugly, gra
Rdfd pouring from the rollers int
clarified cane juice sugar, whitene
Z in whirling turbines, then packed in
to long rows of barrels in the finish
ing room, were listened to an
obeyed with a promptitude whic
ELECTED much approval from Wi
liams, the superintendent.
The whistle Of the refinery toll
that it was 10 o'clock and time for
change of watch.
The lad, Jean Batiste, yawned aud.
bly,, and with an air Of relief depos
tied his last row Of samples to b
given that night on the table, an
went out.
The monotonOus rumble Of the mi
chinery, the heavy role and rattle c
the cane as it was let down noisiI
on the carrier, an occasional orde
shouted out under the shed, and tn
monotonous singing, in the mela1
choly minor tones, Of some of tn
hands, as they worked at the cam
spreading it out so as to facilitat
the grinding OF the great rollers {
the mill, were the sounds whic
came to the chemist as he made hi
tests, and the slow hours passed.
There was no curtain; over th
- --s-5.v -E A. Ia h--oAn-~r TaI1
ing eastward, and the scene outsid,
bathed by the light of a Novembe
moon, was calmly seductive.
The dull rumble of the machiner
was mouotonous, and there were n
more samples to test just then.
The chemist sat down.
There was a sound Of quickly tro
ting horses, Of gay voices, a shot
and a call, a rolling of wheels, an
an animated hustle before the reRl
cry door.
We've come to see you. Do So
you are glad" a rich mellow vol,
called TO the chemist, Iaughingly.
OF course, it was AurOre. Nobod
but Aurore ever had that wonderfl
vibrant voice. How cleyerly she ha
wheeled the bays and pulled them L
short at the tstep, while Fam
EIlerton screamed aud the men a.
plauded.
Miss Aurore says you LouisiaI
sugar people always brew a pune
when callers come 20 see you viii
you r grinding.
It was John Hartley who sPok