The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-01-10
THE SWORD
 4 OF DAM0CLES
tOrlginaL

"pru.c.sDr suid thr emperor, "it b a uSs--.lHe Co our royal self as vel ss to yoI that you are implicated lr ta.s cousp.ucy."
 lam Innocent. your majesty"
 But your uccuser says that you ar' Iallty" s.
 That Is because be would be bene htci by my death"
 The emperor trowncd He was turn ing the matter oyes ln hls mlnd Pres ently he spoke again:
 "Gentlemen. no university in ths world holds two such eminent mathe. maticiaus You. Schenglar. accuse Guenther of conspiracy against our royal person. You. Guenther. accuse Schenglar of bearing false witness in order Co get you out of hls way, a crime scarcely less atroclous than Urea son. What proof have you of your charger
 None that | can bring forth without injury Co another"
 ~Geutlemcn." sald the emperor. eve have thc trial by combat. but lt ls not fitted for scholars ] shall institute O new test Co to your rooms which wln be carefully locked and guarded Calculate bow dne a wire will be re quired Co hold ln suspense a sword weighted Co a hundred poundA When you have finished. hand your figures to the grand chamberlain. who VIII have the wires forged and the swords weighted Then they win be suspend cd. one by a wire made on Schenglar's calculation and one on a wire made on Guenther's calculation Each mathe- matlcian shall deliver a lecture on hour long under the sword held by his own calculation. tf neither sword falls. the man who stands under the finer wire shall be believed; the other shall de. !"
 The emperor motioned to the captain of the guards, aud the prisoners were taken away.
 The professors handed in their cal culations-Guenther within a week. Schenglar within a month. Then mouths were spent in making the wires. which were each run through a mathematical instrument to discover that it answered the calculation; and. lastly. the swords were made ready to be suspended. each by It's proper wire. over a desk In the throneroom of the emperor's palace. From the first great interest was manifested throughout the empire In this advance method Of trial The people hailed the departure as a new evidence Of the wisdom Of thelr beloved sovereign.
 It was on a bright spring morning that the emperor. the imperial family. the rot !"S the faculty of the universi- c. tho rpnerals of the army and other notablcs nilcd the throneroOm Co over flowing. When the audience was seat. ed. the emperor entered. followed by his suit. Iu the suit of the empress was a maid of honor whose Intense e1- citemeut showed plainly in her face and her dcmeanor. When the prison CTS were led In. she was observed to cast upon Schenglar Q look Of hate. upon Guenther a look of Intense solicl- tude. When an was ready, lots were drawn as Co which professor should lecture first The lot fell to Schenglar
 With thc greatest care a sword was suspended over hls desk. every enort being made that not the least extra strain should be put upon los wire dur Ing the proceSs When it was hung the time was carefully noted, and schc.gllr JeLaa Co speak. During the lecture. especially the last few min- utes there was Intense excitement in the audience. and the lecturer. as be finished. while the last sands ran from the glas,. fell back exhausted Then Gueuther. after all had been arranged for him. stepped Co his desk and deliv- cred bis discourse with as much con adence as lf be were simply speaking ln hls classroom.
 ~Wonderful." said the audience. -what confidence that man has in hls calculations"
 He. too. finished without the sword falling upon hlm. and the test now lay between the ineness Of the two wires silence was Imposed and the chanecl Tor Of thc rmplre. opening two Taekets containing thc original computations ln each case. rad:
 'The strength of the wlres Is repre- se,ted by the following dcciaals of the unit Of measure;
 "Profcssor Schcuglar. .O5I49.
 .Profess-r Gusuther. .O5l3G
 -Profrssor Guenther's wire Is the hn rr by more than six-thousand;hs Of the unit of measure
 There was a mOmentary hush which was broken by sound of one failing on the floor. A maid in the empress suH had fulUted The emperor looked nsi,le and. s,cing V hJt had occurred. said: "Therc lies the cause Of the nc cusatIon. Is lt not SO. Professor Sehcn glarT
 aNow that l must de. confess. | love thc woman and would have de stroyed my rival
 s.Take hlm away" said the emperor.
 sehenglar was led out of the throne room. the emperor and the audience remaining seated Meanwhile the maid of honor had recovered and was en-
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