The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-20

question. Sir David here is a close
| friend of the king, and a friend of my
| own. therefore we will return to the
castle and get the kings warrant,
| which, trust, win open any door in
Stirling
The warder seemed nonplussed at
! this and looked quickly from one to
the other; finally he said:
will you allow me moment to con-
/ suit with my master?"
Every well so that you do not hold
us long," replied the Master of Ballen-
| geich.
II shall do my errand quickly, for at
| this moment. ] am keeping the whole
nobility of Scotland waiting"
The man disappeared. taking. how
/ ever the gold with him in bag. In n
| short space of time he returned. and.
| bowling to the two waiting men, he
said:
My master is anxious to please you.
| Sir LINDSAY. and viii accept the money
| of your friend" WhereupOn the two
! placed upon the table i've gold pieces
! each, and the amount was credited Op-
posite their names upon the parch-
ment
The experiment was, carried on pre-
cisely as Sir David had foFetold. but
| there was one weird effect which the
poet had not mentioned. When the
/ necromancer added to the melting-pot
huge Jumps Of what appeared 10 be
common soil from the field, the mixture
glared each time with a new color
| Once a vivid violet color famed up,
| which cast such a livil death-like hue
on the faces of the knights there pres
| ent that each looked upon the other in
I obvious fear. Again the flame was pure
white: again scarlet; again blue; again
| yellow. When at last the incarnation
| was complete the bellows work was
stopped The coruscatfng caldron was
| lifted from the fire by an iron hook
and chain and set upon the stone floor
TO cool, bubbliDg and sparkling like a
thing of evil; but the radiance became
duller and duller as time went on, and
finally its contents were poured out into
| mold of sand. and there. congealing,
the result was lifted by tongs and laid
upon the scale. The bag Of gold was
placed again IN the opposite disc. but
the heated metal far outweighed1 it.
The wizard then unlocked a desk end
threw coin after coin I'm the pan tat
held the bag, until at last the beam of
the scale hung level. The secretary
now pushed forward n table to the edge
of the platform, and on the table placed
a rush light which served but to il
illuminate the parchment before him.
l
gold pieces which were not in the bag.
then whispered to his master.
The room was deathly still as the man
in scarlet stepped forward TO make his
announcement.
Il regret" he said. that our expert
ment has not been as successful as
had hoped. This doubtless has been
caused by the poverty of the earth
I from which I took my material 1 shall
a
ing, and then we may look for better
i results. Tonight I can return 10 ycu
but double the money you gave to my
/ treasurer
At this there went up what seemed
to be sigh of relief from the audience,
which had been holding its breath with
| all the eagerness of n gambler who had
made stake and awaited the outcome
OF the throw.
The necromancer. taking the parch-
ment, called out name after name. and
as each title was enunciated the bearer
Of il came to the edge Of the platform
and received from the secretary double
the amount of gold pieces set down on
the parchment As each man secreted
his treasure he passed along out of tho
hall: and so II came about that Sir
David and BaIlengeich. being the last
on the list. received the remaining coins
on the table and silently took their de-
parture
The king spoke no word until they
had entered the castle and were with
in his private room. Once there the
first thing he did was to pull from his
pouch the coins he had received and
examine them carefully one by one.
You will find them genuine" said
Sir David. II had them tested by a
goldsmith in Edinburgh and was as
| sured the pieces are just what they
claim: 10 be- ~
Prudent mani" exclaimed the king
throwing himself down on a seat and
jlngling the gold pieces. well. Davie
what do you think Of it all? Give me
/ an opinion as honest as the coin. Has
cur visit tonight taught you nothing
! DaVid?"
Nothing but what / knew before
What has it taught your majesty
In the first place. our charlatan does
not want the king TO know what ne is
| doing. because when his subordinate
refused me admttance and l said t
, him l would appeal 10 the king. he saw
at once that this was serious and
! wished to consult his master. His mas
ter was then willing TO admit anyone
so long as there was no appeal to the
king /. therefore, surmise he is mos
anxious to conceal his operations from
me. What is your opinion, Davie?''
IT would seem that your majesty is
; in the right"
Then again IL he is a real scientist
and has discovered an easy method OF
: producing gold and is DESTROYS TO enrich
) scotland, why should he object to .
plain farmer like the Guidman of Bal
iengeich profiting by his production?"
That is quite true. your majesty
but l suppose the line must be draw
5 somewhere, and 1 imagine he purposes
TO enrich only those of the highest rank
2 as being more powerful than the yeo-
. men,
Then we come back, Davie, to what
b I said before; why exclude the king
{ who is Of higher rank than any nOble?'
Il have already confessed. your ma.
Jesty. that cannot fathOm his mo.
tiYes"
We'll, you see at what we have ar.
rived This foreigner wishes to inAu.
l ence those who can influence the king
He wishes TO have among his audience
none but those belonging to the court
4 He has some project that he dare no
place before the king We will nov
3 return TO the consideration Of that prof
ect. In the first place. the man is no
2 an Italian Did a scholar like you
2 Davie, fail to notice that when he wa,
in want Of a word. it was a French
e | word he used? He is therefore no ItaI
r ian, but Frenchman masquerading az
j | an italian. Therefore. the project
= whatever u is, pertains 10 France. an,
. II Is MS desire that this shall not b,
= | known Now what does France mos
/ ! desire Scotland IN do "a THE r,,o,,,a,,+ o.