Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-02
.GbeGOLDEN
EGG
BY NJ. j. 2biIiipS
Copyright. 1896. by Bcatrix Reade
neutrality-suspicious.

| his employer. Professor Rudolph hln-
| fein TO the marriage of that young
man and Kinfeim's niece. Donna. he ex-
pected that there would be extraordi-
nary conditions attached TO kinfein's
| approval knfein was wealthy aud
eccentric scientist. metallurgist and
| physician. who dabblcd In various
strange matters for his amusement.
| Buckley. his assistant. had grown In
| time TO understand the old mans oddi-
ties and to have Il profound respect for
the intellect which had already made
several valuable scientific discoveries.
| Knfein smiled benevOlently and
combcd his long white beard with his
fingers when the younger man spoke
well. john" he began. Donna is
| twenty-five, and Of course she will
marry some time. suppose you are no
worse than other men. Now. II i'm
pose Il task upon you before give my
consent you will agree to perform III"
III can" replied Buckley eau
tlously.
The old gentleman chuckled. "It
won't he very hard. John" From a
| private compartment beneath the lab
oratory shelf he drew out box and
handed II to Buckley. open It," he
said.
| John did so and revealed an oval
yellow object nearly the size OF foot
ball and practically Of the same shape.
II seemed to be OF metal.
"Now. John. there's your golden egg"
went on the scientist IL fixed II up for
you In my leizure moments. II you
open II inside of month you get Don
ma and wedding present too. II not.
| you'll have To wait awhile
"What tools may use In opening
IT."
That's the point. John. You may
use your own two good hands and any
instrument which does not weigh over
fifty grains"
Fifty grains" repeated John.
amazed why. that's less than a
| quarter of an ounce"
Exactly"
John stared first nj the egg and then
ut the scientist. But. professor" he
eXpostulated. ian instrument weighing
| fifty grains will be- practically useless.
Why, the blade of a small penknife
| weighs that much. A thin latchkey
weighs more"
"But an instrument much less In
weight will open that egg"
John looked dubious. But suppos-
ing | use something which weighs
mOrc?"
you wouldn't do II, John, II you
agreed not to-" responded the profess
sor comfortably. and I'd catch you ut
II II you did
John was young. In love. and ener-
getic, His three years work In the
various hobbies which the scientist af-
fectcd had given him an unusual tech
meal education. great confidence In
himself. ana II certain delicate manual
deXtcrity which almost surpassed that
of his employer. clever as the older
man was. II was very natural that he
should accept the challenge and bear
away the egg
He found Miss Donna IN the parlor
and explained the situation IL Is hard.
| ~ germanc to mention that when the
girl placed her elbows on the table and
settled her chin In her pink palms to
listen she looked distrcssingly pretty
SO pretty. in fact. that John was com
PEELED TO interrupt his narrative while
lie kissed her.
When he had finished his account of
the conditions. she rose You are 10
go right to your room. John" she com
manded land open that egg. I'm dy-
ing TO see what's In II. No: you can't
stay here with me and work ON IL; |
would disturb you" With the wari-
ness of lOn- experience she lodged
around the table at this moment. AN
ticipatlng 10y the fraction of Il second
lunge on the part OF John. From
place of safety behind chair, she
pointed to the door. "Avaunt. And
tell me tomorrow morning what you
found" John reluctantly gave up Il
chase which promised to he frutless.
and obeyed.
Settled In the easy chair in his own
room. he paid the professor the com.
pllment OF examining the egg very
carefully before beginning operations.
He went over IL with his fingers. but
could feel no joints beneath the vel.
low paint which covered the metal.
There was no depression on the sur
face. II was his theory that hidden
spring would open the sphere. and he
| spent the balance OF the evening In
searching for II. AZ midnight the
secret was still undiscovered. and he
gave 1t up for the time being.
Donna was inclined to poke fun NJ
his failure the next morning As the
chuckling professor readily allowed
her 10 try her hand she spent an hour
aud broke two hairpins In m equally
frultless effort.
The eng was rather light than other
wise for Its size. but John felt Ger
tain that machinery of some descrlp
ton. hidden within IT, controlled the
situation. by shaking Il perslstently
he was finally rewarded by the sound
of very faint clicking. That even
Ing he made sort OF eats cradle