Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-07-02
THE ALCHEMIST

which my generosity hau ploNiueu hlIi'
that's the word. / might have been inn
mortal" His hand shook, probably with
drink
The Poet I began.
"Stop a bit" said the sccdy man.
"When / say immortal. I'm not talking
poetry or any of that sort of squish. l
mean the real, solid thing. o King, live
forever' and all that sort of business
YOU know
| said / was surprised; even that
seemed inadequate.
IF you'll listen. I'll tell you the yarn,
he went on. ut isn't every one I'm keen
on telling it to- But | like your face"
He crnnmed tobacco furiously into his
pipe. You look as if you might be the
sort of fool to believe it,"
| passed over the compliment in my
desire to hear more.
1T WAS when ! was younger than l
am" said he. II was a bit smarter than
| am, too, in those days" He glanced at
tie braidinc on his shabby coat. Il was
science master at the grammar school
| When | say science master, | mean that
/ taught the third form everything, from
Latin to algebra, and the other forms
used to come to me, to see me mix up
all sorts of things i'll bottles; things that
went in like water and came out bright
grecn-When they didn't come out III
flames and smoke and all that kind of
thing. / had some dandy explosions, /
can tell you. And the smells | made
would have brought up the nuisance in
spector in no time if he had ever done
any work at all.
N.as q lnuf that fi,na / 11ot no al
buffer. | was bit sweet on a girl in Il
tobacco shop in the town. Nothing very
much. YOU know, but used to 20 down
after school hours and lean over the
counter and talk rot to her Lord. what
rot | did talk, too! Well, | was getting
back to the school one evening. when |
came across him. He was leaning un
against the wall, with his hands to his
heart, sort of trying to suck in air. He
looked so funny, and old, and pinched.
and his nose kept working so, that
stopped by him. | couldn't do much. but
/ just looked serious and sympathetic,
and if you'll believe me, the sight of that
old chap fighting so hard to get his
breath had such an effect upon me that
| caught myself initiating him.
AT last he seemed to 90 bit easier,
and sort of perspired all over his fore
head. s\s soon as he could get his breath
! he gasped out My thanks, friend | am
/ better Oh, Lord. how longr lie tried
to walk ard nearly fell. Better or not, ,
] told him, I'm seeing you home
That was the beginning of it. We
struck up friendship. lie didn't often
come to my diggings. but used to mess
about in his. think | told you | knew
something about chemistry. Bless you.
was Il child to him. I told You | could
kick up Il bit of Il smell: it was altar of
roses and lavender water to his per
formances. He had room full of curl
Gus furnaces and retorts most of them
! didn't know the names of. And he
was always brewing and distillng and
precipitating in this room. while | sat
On the table and watched him. He didn't
have as many explosions a. | did but
the one he did have scared me away from
his place for n fortnight You see, he
was doing the thing ON big scale.
AT last | found what he was after.
What do you think it was? Youth never
guess. The old Johnnie was trying to
discover the Elixir of Life OF course
| knew from my history that lots of old
chaps in the Middle Ages went mad m
searching for it, but | never calculated
to meet with anyone quite so balmy in
my own time. But there it was. lie
wanted to get fluid which would make
him live forever.
OF course when | found this out !
used to chat the old boy. When you've
maize it, | used to say. III ION You In
~ small one, and T. take mine with
/ soda. He stood it we'll enough as a
rule but now and again he'd fire up.
oh, man, mani! he'd say 'thoughtless as
the fly that periShes with the approach
OF winter. will YOU dance and sing L
expect he meant smoke and drink, will
! you daily with women N'd been telling
him about the tobacco girl, while before
! YOU looms inevitable darkness into which
You must VanishP And a fat lot Won
| get out of life Id say. Then he'd reply.
! Let me first make it everlasting; then
/ You shall learn how l will enjoy it.
That's the sort of way we used to 60
on. | don't mind saving | GOT fond OF
! the old chap, in spite of his loose slate.
| should think | knew him for nearly
a year; and that brings me to the end
/ trottcd round to his place one after.
noon and Knocked Mt the door. As n
'"i'' NJ H'VNVN''Itl bptitu IL, out size
must have been out and | heard him
coming downstairs. He didn't seem to
he getting along overcast; when he
opened the door ! saw how weak he was.
hut saw something else, lie was i'm a
furious state of excitement. His ewes
kind of ghttered and his hand shook Ia
precious sight worse than mine does
now. and whom he tried 10 speak To me
'umy noises.
Look here. old chap l said. you're
not we'll I'm seeing you upstairs and
then I'm of for doctor
That fetched him lie found his
voice. 'DocterN he kind of Suueaked.
cIutch,9e my arm. What have | to do
with loctors4 Congratulate me. oh. my
friend I've found it. Through the
,-,4,.- ! l.y.r -s.,y5tt ,4