The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-12-28


any attempt to dodge the demoniac
inventions of Hawkins is about IS
thankless and hopeless task as SEEK
Ing to avoid the setting of the sum-
For two or three mornings, how
ever, l had been leaving the house
some 10 or Is minutes earl1er tnan
usual.
There had lately appeared the old, un-
canny light in Hawkins eye; and if
trouble were impending,1t was my fond,
foolish hope tc be out Of its way-until
such a time, at least, as the police or
the coroner should cali me up on the
telephone to identify all that was NOR
tai Of Hawkins.
Three days, then, my strategy had
been crowned with success. had
eluded Hawkins and ridden down
alone, the serene enjoyment of my pa
per unpunctuated by dissertations
upon the practicability of condensing
the clouds for commercial purposes, or
the utilization of atmospheric nitro
gen in the manufacture of predigested
breakfast food.
But upon the fourth morning a fuse
blew out under the car before we left
the station; and as I sat there fussing
about the delay, in walked Hawkins.
He was beaming and cheerful, but
the glitter in his eye had grown more
intense.
".Ah, Griggs," he exclaimed. i've
missed you lately!"
II hope you haven't lost weight over
it,"
well, no. I've been busy-very
busy"
Rush of business?"
"Um-ah--yes. Griggs!"
1t was coming.
Hawkins stared hard at me for mo-
ment; then / gave him another push,
Hawkins" l said, hurriedly, "have
you followed this matter of the Pan
anna canal?"
and he toppled into the canal and
wallowed about in it's waters until the
ride was over.
UnhSppily, my own place of business
is locared farther down upon the same
street with the Blank building, where
Hawkins has-or had-offices. There
forced to walk with him.
But the suppressed enthusiasm in
Hawkins didn't come out, and I felt
rather more easy. Whatever it was, I
fanciei that he had left the material
part OF it at home, and home lay
many blocks up town. I was SAFE
"Good-by, smiled when we reached
his entrance
mot MUCH" Hawkins responded.
Come in
But, my dear fellow"
You come" commanded. the in
ventor. There's something in here
I want you to see''
He led me in and past the line If
elevators
SO we were not going up to his Of
fees: We seemed to be heading for
the cigar booth, and for a moment I
fanciea that Hawkins had discovered
a new brand and was going to treat
me; but he piloted me farther. to
door, and opened it and we passed
through.
Then I perceived where we were
The Blank building people had been
constructing an addition to their i'm
mense stock of Offices; we stood in the
freshly completed and wholly unoccu-
pied annex.
There, sir!'' said Hawkins, extend
ing his forefnger. What do YOU see.
Griggs?''
Six empty barrels, about three wag-
on-loads of kindling wood, a new tiled
floor, and six brand-new elevators.
replied
"Oh, hang those things! Look
where I'm pointing!"
All! somebody's left a packing-box
in one of the elevator-shafts, eh?"
Certainly, more than anything else
that was what it resembled.
AT the first glance it appeared to
be nothing more than crude wooden
case about the size of an elevator car
standing in enc of the shafts and con-
trasting unpleasantly with the other
new, shining polished cars.
"Facking-ugh!" snapped the invent
or. do you know what that isl"
"You turned down my first guess" I
suggested, humbly.
''Griggs, what appears to you as a
pacl1ing-case is nothing more nor less
than the first and only Hawkins Hv-
9 dro-Vapor Lift!'
1.-THE which?'
y ''The - Hawkins - Hydro - Vanor
Lift" !
'.Hyd:o-Vapor? Imurmured. what
ever is that?. Steam?"
Certainly ,s
+ And lift, I presume, is English for
elevator?"
'The words are Synonymous" said
Hawkins, coldly.
Then why the dickens didn't you
call it a steam elevator and he done
. with it? Wasn't that sufficiently COM
pllcated?" - - -.
''Oh, Griggs, you never seem able to
understand! Now, a steam elevator
& SO ca!.ed-is an old proposition. A
Hydro-Vapor Lift is entirely new and