Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-05-01
The Elixir Of Life.

met my old college chum Disbrow. We
hadn't met since we left college, TWEEN
U-flve years before, and would not
have known each other had we not
been introduced. Disbrow was known
to me by reputation. for Ne had become
eminent In physics. also followed
science and have achieved some repu-
tation In bacteriology When the bride
and groom entered the drawing room
for the ceremony, Disbrow and fol-
lowed.
what perfect picture of youthful
beauty!' l whispered to Disbrow, re-
ferring to the bride.
"How old would you take her to beT'
he asked.
twenty-five or twenty three"
| A singular expression passed over
his face
do you think her older than thatT
Suppose should tell you she is
over forty"
II would doubt your sanity"
At this point the marriage service
commenced, and our remarks ceased.
When It was over and we had offered
our congratulations, Disbrow and
went to the supper room to partake Of
the delicacies displayed there. Help
ing ourselves, we found coy corner
and sat down to chat and eat.
"Estwick," said Disbrow to me. I'm
going to celebrate our meeting after so
many years by letting you into a Sc
cret We are brother scientists; there
fore don't consider what / am about
to tell you a breach of confidence, or,
rather, consider the professional con-
fidence superior to the Individual obii-
CATION. Do you understands"
Perfectly"
"Weil, the girl we have just seen
married is forty-two years old"
| gave gasp of establishment.
| "But must go back to the begin
ming. You know when I left college
something was expected of me-"
You were considered a prodigy" l
interrupted.
ut wasn't the prodigy; 1t was luck,
just as 1t was with Roentgen, only my
luck came long before his. made a
similar discovery years ago. have
applied 1t as no one else has applied
it. Now, you know that from the mo-
ment we begin to live we are attacked
by microbes. Cancel the microbe, and
you cancel old age. From experiments
on insects found that by exposing the
larvae to a ray since called radium l
arrested decay. But at the same time
l arrested growth. From insects ex-
perimented on frogs, kittens, dogs and
other animals have pet collie If
teen years old as lively as a puppy"
@'Disbrow, has your learning made
you madY sl&
"No; am as sane as you. But
knew that II offered any such ideas
to the world I'd be put In limbo, and
as / dread lunatic asylums and value
my freedom have kept my mouth
shut"
For heavens sake, go on"
"This is no place to give you any
thing more than preface to what l
have proposed to tell you about the
bride. did make my discoveries
known to one man. old VolImar. our
professor of chemistry at college. That
was just as had made up my mind to
try to arrest decay In human beings.
| Not long after that Vollmar came to
me and told me that two multirnillion-
aires desired to join their vast for
tunes by the marriage of a son of the
one to daughter Of the other, but the
boy was but two years of age. while
the girl was twenty four. If they wait
ed till the boy became of age, the
girl would be too old to produce an
heir. At least such an event would
not be likely. Besides, the difference Of
age would be great obstacle to their
marriage. The old man asked me If
would make an effort to arrest decay
on the part Of the girl"
| Come, come. Disbrow. what non
sense Is thisT'
! 4Your incredulity demonstrates the
necessity of keeping my secret. II you
tell It sooner or later they'll have me
behind closed doors. You haven't the
scientific head old Vollmar had. He
tumbled to tie idea at once"
go on with your yarn"
"Pm not going to try amid this clat-
4 va VI NASACS AAN WIVES W tCn JOu NY
process. win only say that the STUN
bling block In my way was the fact that
the electrons discharged from radlum
are INSTRUCTED In their passage through
air. / was therefore obliged to put the
subject In receiver and exhaust the
air.
| (which means DEATH"
'Ahl There's where the wonderful
power of radium comes In. 1t is suf-
ficlent to keep life In the subject for
an indefinite period"
'But where did you get your appa-
ratus7 Sufficient radium for the pur-
! pose would cost fortune"
'The girls father opened his bank
account to me-"
'swellY'
my subject was a bit frightened
and her father-the only one except