Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-09-25

| YNA
The kings eyes acre glued on the fnirrOred
VteaD Of the capitol.
glance toward the west. Tho rolling
clouds had become more dense, and the
rumbling and booming in the distance
were growing more frequent. A thin
gray cloud passed before the sun and Q
dim shadow fell over the city.
"That is natural cloud" said
Thorndyke. 1T comes from the steam
that rises from the pit"
1T is exactly like our rainclouds, u
returned the princess, "but it comes
from the steam. us you say. But let Us
60 into the electric auditorium and hear
the news. As soon as anything is done
we will hear Of it there" The Others
had no time to question her, for she was
Fastening into the corridor outside. She
pilOted them down flight of stairs into
O large circular room beneath the sur.
face Of the ground It was filed with
seats, like o modern theater, and in the
place where the stage would have been
stood q mighty mirror over 100 feet
square.
She led them to a private box in front
OF the mirror. The room was filed from
the first row Of chairs to the rear with
q silent. anxious crowd. In the massive
frame Of the mirror were numerous bell
shaped trumpets like those on the ordi-
nary monograph. though much larger.
Watch the mirror" whispered Ber-
nArd1no a. she sat down
And at chat instant the surface Of the
great glass began to glow like the sky
at dawn, and all the lights in the room
went out Then from the trumpets in
the frame came the loud ringing Of
musical bells.
"They are ready" whispered Ber-
nardino. "Now, watch and listen"
The pink light ON the mirror faded,
and lifelike reflection appeared-the
reflection Of o young man standing on o
rock In bold relief against dark back
ground Of rugged, slabbering cliffs and
the forbidding mouths Of caves.
"Waldmeerr' ejaculated the princess,
and she relapsed into silence.
The young man held in his hand a
cup shaped instrument from which ex-
tended q wire to the ground. He raised
1t to his lips, and instantly q calm, de-
liberate voice came from the mirror,
soft and low, and yet loud enough to
reach the most remote parts Of the great
room.
1.-THE ocean," began he, els pouring
into the Volcano of the Dead in q grad
ually increasing torrent Prince Maren-
tel hopes temporarily to delay the crisis
by partially turning the torrent away
from the pit into the lowlands Of the
country. For that purpose portion Of
the endless wall is being torn down
and Marentel's forces are placing their
explosives. After this is done an at
tempt will be made to stop the original
break. There is. however, little hope.
The prince has warned the king to be
prepared for the worst. -
At this point the speaker turned as il
startled toward the red glare at his right
He quickly picked up another instru-
ment attached to q wire and put it to
his ear. A look Of horror changed his
face as he turned to the audience and
began to speak:
1.-The opening in the wall is not pro-
crossing rapidly. Workmen are drown
ing and the tunnel Of the sun is filing
with water. It will be impossible for
the sun to 60 through to the east"
Just then there was q faraway crash,
and instantly the mirror was void.
There was now no sound except the low
groans Of women in the audience and
the subdued curses of maddened men.
The silence was profound. Then the
mirror began to glow, and the image Of
another man took Waldmeer's place.
1T is the mayor Of Telmantio. u
whispered the princess. "a place near
the western limits Of Alpha"
He held q like instrument to the one
used by Waldmeer. and through il
spoke:
"Venus, one Of the great stars, has
been shaken from the armament. II
fall In the suburbs Of Telmantio, and
many lives were lost.
That was all. and the figure vanished.
Presently WAldmesr reappeared HI
seemed to be standing nearer the pit
for the entire background was aflame
Volumes Of black smoke now and thea
hid him from view, and q thick show
er Of ashes and small stones was fall
ing round him. He spoke, but his voiol
was drowned in deafeniug explosion
and the whole landscape about hin
seemed ailre. In the semidarkness hun
dreds Of protectors could be seen strug
Cling in the rushing water, movin(
stones and building Q dam. Waldmeel
again faced his faroR audience ant
Spoke:
prince Marentel has turned tn,
course Of the stream. All now depend
on the success or failure Of his final tes
with explosives, which will take plac,
in about half an hour.
1--WE ought to go outside again." sug
gested Bernardino as Waldmeer's i'm
age disappeared. my father nigh
want Us. -
Seeing no one In the kings apart
ment, they passed through it to the bal
cony. half the sky was now covered
with mingled fog and smoke, and tn
sun could be seen only now and then
A drizzling rain was falling, q rain
that brought down clots Of ashes anl
soot, but this made no difference to tn,
throngs in the now muddy and slipper,
streets. They stood shivering in damn
and soiled clothing. their clearing eye
fixed hopelessly on the lowering sign
in the west.
Johnston noticed O bent figure crouch
ed against q wall beneath them.
It was Branasko.
"Who is it?" inquired the princess.
"Branasko, the companion Of my ad
ventures" he replied.
Call him to us, she said eagerly
and the American went down to tn.
Aghian.