The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-07-08
CHAPTER VII.
AT HApLEY

AT HADLEY MANOR.
Hadley Common lies north Of Lon
don by about ten miles. On the verge
of this lonely understanding common
stands a high, square mullioned-win-
dowed house, built in Elizabeth's day,
with dark red walls n a steep tiled
roof surmounted by clusters Of great
chimneys.
In one of the upper rooms of this 81
lent and solitary old manor house, a
vast, high-ceilinged apartment. a man
sat at an immense table Uttered with
papers. books. drawings n designs.
Bottles containing all kinds OF chem
icals, jars, the skins of serpents, fishes
and snakes. the hbers Of exotic plans,
models Of apparatus. moulds. and
strange shaped Instruments. either
stood on brackets, hung on the walls.
or lay In hopeless confusion on the
floor.
To judge by the volumes that. row
upoa row, lined the walls. the occu-
pant was a man whose mind found
room for the study of widely differing
branches of knowledge.
AL the far end of the room stood a
furnace. rows of electric motors. coils
of wire, and machinery of different
| kinds.
Whatever the experiment was that
at the momen engaged the occupant
of the room, he was SO absorbed that
he failed to hear the knock at the door.
1t was only when 1t was repeated that
he started suddenly, his strong hands
clasping the arms of the chair, his fine
head With its mass of iron gray hair
thrown back. his blue eyes flashing In
NeXation. for it was understood that
while in this room he was never to be
disturbed save in cases OF urgent i'm
p%ortance.
Who goes there?" he asked in 1tal-
ian.
Father, it is l." came the nswer
i'm the sweetest and gentlest Of voices,
spoken in the same language.
You. my Roma" he said, changing
his tone of b~rusqueness to affection.
"What do you want. my d~aughter?'
Count Sasari has just arrived"
"Sasar here?" exclaimed her father,
Lorenzo Neneto. "Ah, but 1t is good to
see some one from our land. say l shall
be with him Immediately"
Taking the liquids with which he had
been experimenting. he carefully locked
them in a safe. unfastened the double
doors OF his study, and in turn secured
them, and then hurried down stairs to
a sparsely furnished room where his
visitor awaited him.
Count SaSari was a man just over
thirty. middle sized and stout. Not
withstanding the sq%uareness Of his fig.
ure, an indefnable air OF breeding gave
his appearance a certain distinction.
My friend, my friend. 1t warns my
heart TO see you. for you bring witt
you the sunshine of our Italy" Venete
said enthusiastically, as he burst into
the room.
t You see have disturbed you.'' SAID
the younger mar when their affection
ate greetings had ended.
Would that such a happy disturb
! ance occurred every day. But tell me
how is my beloved country"
+ Don't let us talk politics, but tell M
what you are working at?" said Sasari
anxious to turn the conversation.
j am working at many things" re
: piled Neneto. readily complying wifi
his friends request. Il am always div
e ing into natures secrets"
You are a strange combination,
n Sasari replied. You who are a politi
cal refugee, an electrical engineer, a
inventor, an analytical chemist. n
e dreamer all In one"
e ".tll that and something else Venet
o replied laughingly, for there is alway
e more in a man than his friends see o
d than he acknowledges"
y What may that be in your case, m
friend?"
Neneto laughed once more.
q Seriously he said, Il will tell yo
what chiefly occupies me just now.
am haunted by an idea which may lea
y to AN invention that will direct an
control the energy stored In coal, whic
is now lost in the heat that escape
through the chimneys. A successf,
result would have been incalculable II
g huence upon the world"
l. THAT is practical. But have you lai
ie aside the great clock scheme?"
y mo, no. But I relieve the effort ],
"a labor in one direction by following
l. io another