Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-11

and delicately wrought skeleton from his
pocket. Tipped with platinum he OBJ
served. Rather gem of a key, l think.
You see. there must have been some action,
even through the keyhole. or he wouldn't
have used a metal of this kind. But the
crew was rich in certain qualities, it seems.
which | failed. stupidity, to recognize In my
acquaintance with them. Both Pull and
Perdosa appear to have been handy men
where locks were concerned. First Pull
sneaks down and has his turn at the chest.
He gets it open. Small profit for him in
that; the next we know of him he is scam
dalizing Handy Solomon by having fit on
the deck
That is what l couldn't figure out to
save my life" said Sade eagerly.
IF you recollect. I told you Of the pro-
fessor's plunge in the cold spring, in a sort
of paroxysm, one day." said barrow. That
was the physiological action of the celes
tium. At other times. l have seen him
come out and deliberately roll in the creek,
head under. Once he explained that the
medium he worked in caused a kind of I'M
comfortable longing for water; something
having none of the qualities of burning or
thirst. but an Irresistible temporary mania.
1t worried him good deal: he didn't UNI
derstand 1t. That, then, was what allied
Pulz. When he opened the chest there was.
as l surmise. trifing quantity of this stuff
lying in the inner lid. 1t wasn't the celes-
tium itself. as imagine. but sort of by
product with the physiological and radiant
effects of the real thing. and 1t had been
set there on guard. a encouragement to the
spirit of investigation. as it were. So, when
the top was lifted, our little guardian gets
In its work. producing the light phenomenon
that SO puzzled Slade and inspiring Pulz
with a passion for the rolling wave which
is only interrupted by Handy Solomon's
tackling him. AS he fed he must have
pulled down the cover
He did" said Slade Il heard the clang.
But saw the radiance on the clouds. And
the whole thickness of a solid oak deck
in between the sky and the chest"
''Oh, a little thing like oak deck
wouldn't interrupt the kind of rays the
doctor used. He had his own method of
screening you understand. However, this
lncons iderable guardian AFFAIR must have
used itself UP, which true celestium wouldn't
have done. So when Perdosa sets his genius
for lock picking to the task. the inner box
full of the genuine article, has no warning
sign-post. SO to speak. Everythings peace
full until they raise the compound filled hol-
low layer of the inner cover. which serves
to interrupt the action. Then comes the
general exit and the superior fireworks
That's when the rays ran through the
ship" said Slade. 1T seemed to follow the
deck lines
THE stuff had a strange affinity for tar"
said barrow Il told you of the circle of
fire about Prof. Schermerhorns waist the
day he gave such scare. That was
the celestium working on the tarred rope
he wore for belt. 1t made a livid circle
on his skin. Did I tell you of his expert
ments with pitch? 1t doesn't matter.
Where was -"
AT the place where we all jumped" said
Slade.
ooh. yes. And you dove into the small
boat trying to reach the water.
Wait a Bit" said Barnett. If that was
the exhibition Of radiance we saw. it died
out in few minutes. How was that! Did
they close the chest before they RAM
Probably not replied barrow. "Slade
spoke of Pull taking to the maintop and
being shaken out by the sudden shock of
wave. That may have been volcanic bill
low Whatever 1t was it undoubtedly heeled
the ship sufficiently to bring down both
lids, which were rather delicately balanced"
Yes, for Billy Edwards found the chest
closed and locked" said Barnett.
"Of course; it was spring lock. You
sent Mr. Edwards and his men aboard. No
such experts as PulZ or Perdosa were in
your crew. Consequently it took longer to
get the chest open. When at length the lid
was raised there was a repetition of the
tragedy Mr.. Edwards and his men leaped.
Probably they were paralyzed almost be-
fore they struck the water Your bos'n,
whom Slade picked up. was the only one
who had time even to crap life preserver
before the impulse toward water became If
resistible. There was no element of fright,
you understand; no desertion of their post.
They were dragged as by the sweep of
tornado" Darrow spoke direct to Capt.
Parkinson. If there is any feeling among
you other than sorrow for their death. 1t is
unjust and unworthy.
THANK you, Mr.. Darrow." returned the
I'VE found the chest closed again when
the empty ship came back" observed Bar
nett.
yaw." continued barrow. THE first time
she came about would have heeled her
enough to shut the chest. Now came the
turn of your other men,
lives and MCGUIRE said the captain, as
Darrow paused.
THE glow came again that night, and the
next day We picked up Slade." said Bar
nett.
You know what the glow meant for your
COMPANIONS" said barrow.
But the ship. The Laughing Lass, man.
She's vanished. No one has seen her
since"
You are wrong there said Darrcw. Il
have seen her.
In common impulse the little circle
leaned to him.
Let me bring my story back to the cave on
the island After the volcanic gases had
driven me to the refuge l sat near the
mouth of the cave looking out into the
darkness. That was the night OF the 1th.
the night you saw the last glow. 1t was
very dark. except for occasional bursts of
fire from the crater. Judge Of my incred-
ulous amaZement when. in an access OF TINS
ly mile Off shore, coming in under bare
poles"
Under bare poles?" cried Slade.
The halliards must have disntegrated
iioH SoHue SioW dCtlON OF the celeStluHl IL
could be destructive; terrifical!y destructive.
You shall judge. There was the schooner,
naked as your hand. Possibly l might have
thought IT hallucination but for what
came after. Darkness fell again I sup
posed then that Handy Solomon's crew
were managing or msmanaging the
Laughing Lass without the aid Of their
leader. whom had satisfactorily buried I
hoped they would come ashore on the rocks.
Yes l was vengeful then.
"Of sudden there sprang from the dark
ness a ship of light. You have all seen
those great electric effects at expositons
Some one touches button = You