The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-09-29
Ole Nose of Gold
IOriginall

shall call Macmillan, loved q girl
named Julia, the daughter of covet-
Gus old man, Jerome. SO long as Max
and Julia were simply playmates Je-
rome did not object, but when Max
went to the university and returned
during his course there, having taken
great honors in mathematics, and
showed plainly that he loved Julia,
and Julia showed plainly that she loved
Max, the old man objected. He was
looking for wealth, not intellect, for
his daughter.
MAX is mad" he said. 'Why, he
says the earth is globe and revolves
on it's axis, that it is no bigger than one
of the stars we call planets, that the
earth and planets revolve around the
sun, whereas any fool can see the sun
and stars rise in the east in the morn
ing and go down under the earth in the
evening. / have no use for such an
idiot"
Max told Julia to wait and returned
to the university, where he found him.
self compelled to defend his strange
views at the point of the sword. In a
duel his nose was cut clean off. After
that he was obliged to content himself
with a gold nose, which he stuck on
. with cement and wore spectacles to
secure it.
In due time Max was graduated and
became an astronomer. He collected a
quantity of instruments and took them
to an island where he watched the mo-
tons of the stars. The people there
came to regard him as magician.
This idea was fostered by his gold
nose. Women especially were afraid
of him and when he appeared would
snatch their children away for fear he
would turn them into cats and dogs.
One day a man Who knew Of MaX's
reputation went to Jerome and told
him that Max possessed the power of
divination, or sorcery; that he could
turn whatever he liked into precious
metals; that he had already turned his
own nose into gold The old man
pricked up his ears. So long as Max
did nothing more practical than give
out his wild notions he was no match
for his daughter; but if he could
change things into gold, that was a
different matter He told Julia to go
and find out if the report was true,
intimating that if it was perhaps she
might marry Max after all.
Julia made the journey and return
ed in due time
"Well," asked her father, sis it true
that Max can turn things into precious
metals?''
81 don't know, father; his nose is of
gold"
"It must be the devil" unused the
old man. ''Do you think he can turn
my boots into gold?"
''He says he is turning darkness
into light every day"
''That is nothing to me. Go and tell
him that if he will turn my boots into
gold he shall have you for his wife"
Julia carried her fathers message to
Max.
'Tell him." said Max, ''that this day
week 1 will marry you in his house.
If he objects I will turn his eyes into
gold"
When Julia delivered this message,
Jerome paled. Gold eyes were no
compensation for the loss Of sight.
Nevertheless he was very stubborn
and would not give his consent. Six
days passed. Julia made haSty prep
arations for the wedding. On the
seventh day, which was bright and
beautiful, Max drove up to the house.
He was followed by a wagon contain
ing queer looking instruments. Jerome
looked out of the window and saw
his would be son-in-law, his nose glis-
tening in the sum- followed by persons
bearing brazen circles, disks, tubes
and spheres. Jerome trembled. Max
had evidently brought the implements
with which to shut out the old mans
sight forever.
Max stood out where the sun
could strike him and, looking up at
the house, saw Jerome at the window.
A bright spot was dancing about on
the wall, and Max seemed to have the
power to direct it. In a moment he
brought it to bear on Jeromes eyes.
With shrek, the iniser cried:
II consent"
Every good" said Max. ''Then /
withdraw the curse"
Jerome rubbed his eyes and, finding
that he could still see, staggered to
meet the astronomer and, falling on
his neck, begged him not to make an
other attempt-that he should have
Julia on his own terms. This was
easy for Max to promise and per-
form, for he had simply filed small
plane on the tip end Of his nose and
FURNISHED it. Catching the reflection
of the sun on it, he had directed the
vivid rays to the old 4an's eyes.
Preparations for the wedding having
been made, there was nothing to do
but send for a priest, who came, and
the couple were married. Max asked
the miser what dowry he intended to
give his daughter. Jerome trembled,
and going to his bedroom returned
with a bag of gold. Then Julia got
into the carriage with her husband,
the instruments were put back into