The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-10-03
or Dead?'
The Strange Disappearance OF
Gerald RathbOne.
~ GUY THoRNl.
~ v THoRNI.

world. And everybody knew that not
only was the reception given In Sir
William Gouldesbrough's honor, but
that he would say something more OF
less definite about what he had In
hand. In short, a pronouncement was
to be made, and the ear OF everyone
were tingiing to hear 1t.
Among the idle and frivolous section
OF society the promised revelation
had become the topic of the hour,
Everything else was quite forgotten
Gerald Rathbone's disappearance was
already a thing OF the past; Eustace
Charliewood's suicide had not lasted
for the p~roverbial three days as a
subject OF talk. But here was some
thing quite new-something all the
more attractive because Of its mys-
terry.
Some people said that Sir William
had invented a way in which anyone
might become invisible for a few
pence. This suggested delightful pos.
sibilities to everyone, ave only the
newly rich, whose whole endsavor was
to be
On the other hand, there "a a con.
siderable section of people who as
serted that Cir William had succeed.
ed in supplying the lesion in the brain
Of the ape, and that o that intelli-
gent animal would be able to talk,
own property, and become recognized
as a British citizen. Every one began
to read The Jungle Book" again, and
a serious proposal was made in an
i~mperialistic journal that England
might thus colonize and secure the un-
explored forests of Central Africa by
means OF drilling and civilizing the
monkeys of the interior.
A gorilla general was to be appoint
ed who should know the English Ian
guage but no other, and it was thought
that by this mean the British domin-
ions and population would be enor
mously increased. The smart set
especially welcomed this recruitment
of their numbers. In city circles both
these conjectures were secuted. The
well informed insisted that Sir Will
lam had discovered a method Of solidi-
flying alcohol, so that In future one
would buy ones whisky In chunks
and ones champagne in sticks like
barley sugar.
Lord Malvin lived In Portland Place,
in one of those great stone houses
which, however somber without, are
generally most pleasant and attract
i've within. He was unmarried, and
his niece, Dorothea Backhouse, acted
as hostess, and generally controlled
his domestic affairs. The stately
rooms we're crowded with we'll known
people Of all sorts and conditions. Yet
this assembly differed from others In
a marked n All the society
people who lived solely for amusement
had been invited and were there. But
mingled with the butterflies one saw
the ants and the bees. BY the careful
ly-groomed and not Ill looking face Of
a young and fashionable man-about-
town could be seer the domed fore
head and the face, gashed and scored
with thought, of some great savant or
deep thinker.
1t was indeed an unusual assem-
blage that passed through the large
and brilliant Vol laughing and talk
ing. In the blue drawing room
Kubelik had just arrived and was be-
ginning to play. Every one crushed
in to hear the young maestro. Melba
was to sing a song, perhaps two, later
on in the evening. and the ball room
was filled with supper tables.
In so much Lord Malvin's party did
not differ in any way from that Of any
other famous and wealthy London
host. There was the same light and
sparkle of jewels. The warm air was
laden with perfume, the same beauti-
full and tired faces moved gracefully
among all this luxury. But the men
and women who worked and thought
for the world yer in this Portland
Place palace also. They talked to-
gether In eager and animated groups.
they paid little or no attention to this
or that delight which had been pro-
vided for them. All such things were
PhohNOAho Ghu " thCoC pCOplc.
The real things were taking place
within the brain as they conversed to-
gether. The army of intellect was
massing within the citadel of thought
to wrest new territory from the old
queen Nature, mistress of the kingdom
Of the Unknown.
Lord Malvin aid his niece had re-
ceived their guests at the head of the
great staircase, Now, when almost
every n had arrived, the great sci
enlist had withdrawn to an inner room
at the end Of a long series of apart
ments. and stood there talking with a
small knot of friends. This inner
drawing room was the eliminating
part Of the suite-the throne room.
as It were; and the people standing
there could look down a long and
crowded vista Of light and movement,
while the yearning and sobbing of
Kubelik's violin came to their ears In
gusts and throbs of delicious sound.
Lord Malvin. a tall, upright old man
with q long white beard, a high white
brow beneath his velvet ~skullcap, and
wearing a row Of orders. was talking
to Sir Harold oliver. Sir Harold was
the principal Of a great northern uni.
versity. a slim. hard-faced man of mid,
die age. and the pioneer In the move
ment which was allowing a place to
both philosophy and psychology In
modern science.
a-