Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-05-30

operation in Mars for 1,001 years been
trying to get you for years past; have
had regular service to Venus for over
100 years. Our airships been trying to
reach you for centuries past. Ether is
the only trouble. Piles of money in 1t
If we can only make connections"
How wonderful" came from Miss
Wfnstone and several of the other pas
sengers at once.
do ask him what the men are like,
please" interjected Miss Winstone.
And the ladies, too," asked Sir Ar
thur
With pleasure" said Ridgrave, and
at once licked off the message.
Suddenly, amid the excitement there
was a loud report, followed by a series
OF clicks, and the peculiar smell Of
fusion.
Sorry, ladies'" said Ridgrave, turn
ing round, 1.-THE generators burnt out.
Perhaps we will get better results next
trip"
Congratulations were showered on
Ridgrave and presently we withdrew,
and, needless to say, that from that
moment until we landed Ridgrave was
the hero of the hour. Gathered in the
large stateroom, Sir Arthur Bentham
made speech, referring to Ridgrave's
wonderful powers of invention (better
than he thought, by the way, and
then I saw Miss Winstone lean over
and whisper In his ear.
on6 rontIor,O-,
Sir Arthur, Miss Winstone has Just
suggested to me, and l agree with her,
that we should raise a subscription to
| aid Mr.. Ridgrave in protecting and per-
fecting his patents and incidentally
form the nucleus of a company-Shall
l call it Mars Wireless Limited? She
has generously handed mo a check for
Mr.. Ridgrave for 100000 and I ask
any gentleman here who would like to
get in now on the groundest of ground
floors to come in right now. take
pleasure (stopping to fill out check
after the request of so charming a
young lady as Miss Winstone in hand
ing Mr.. Ridgraye my check as we'll for
100000 (cheers), and now | ask our
mutual friends, Mr.. Whimple and Mr..
Stiffenheimer, if they won't come in"
You just bet I WILL" said Mr.. Whim-
pie. Il take an almighty interest in
science. Here's my check for 100000,
provided you'll make me the first pres
ident of the company. I see big money
in it. We might work up a fine bust
ness with that ere flying orb if we can
once bust the ether with an airship"
After this, Stiffenheimer and several
others "chipped in" and MARS Wire
less" on paper was an accomplished
fact, with arrangements for the first
regular meeting for the appointment
of officers to be held in London on the
following week.
The excitement was at its height
when we reached the Mersey and soon
after locked
The usual partings took place, espe-
cially tender as between Miss Winstone
and Sir Arthur Bentham and Mr. Whim-
pie.
Professor Lofflin stroked his beard
meditatively and then proceeded:
Well There's not much more to re-
late. Wonderful double-leaded headers,
Wireless to Mars" and so forth, ap-
peared in the dailies next day in Liver
pool, London and elsewhere, from par
ticulars most likely furnished by some
Of the officers Of the Smeltic, or her
passengers, but, as you know, from the
night they landed until got the letter
you called to see neither Miss Win
stone, the charming California heiress,
nor Mr.. Tom Ridgrave, the wireless
operator, have ever been seen again.
The Professor opened a small locked
cabinet and produced a letter enclosed
in an envelope with a Japanese stamp.
This is what it says: It is written
from Nagasaki.
"My Dear Professor-For the sake
Of old friendship, as lie dying, having
been mortally wounded by a splinter
from a Russian shell, l must write YOU
few lines That Mars business was
all a put-up job. I was hard up and
l and Galena wanted to marry-we
had waited long enough. 1t was her
idea. She posed as an heiress, got the
young milliOnaires on board interested
while worked the fake messages. I
had some answers all ready, but broke
connections as soon as the answers
were not likely to suit. Galena and I
met in London, cashed the checks cher
own was bogus, Of course) and raked in
over $750000. We crossed over to
Paris disguised, and for two years all
went we'll, when my wife died, leaving
me miserable. l gave most Of the re-
naming money to CHARITIES and came
out here as a war correspondent, being
known as Tom Ridley The doctor tells
me my days are numbered, and so l
write to say goodbye.
Goodbye, old friend, and forgive.
tom RTDGRAVE."
On the envelope, signed by Japan