Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-10

rope in lieu of his suspenders, which /
had been repairing. About his waist
fiickered a sort Of aura Of radiance
which was extinguished as he flung
himself headforemost into the cold
spring. l hauled him out. He seemed
dazed. To my questions he replied on
ly by mumblings, the burden Of which
was:
81 do not understand. 1t is not to
be comprehended accident 1t appears
that he didn't quite know why he had
taken to the water, or il he did he
didn't want to tell.
Next day he was as good as new.
just as silent as before. but it was a
smiling, satisfied silence. So 1t went
for weeks. for months. with the ac-
cesses of depression and anger always
rarer. Then came an afternoon when
returning from a stalk after sheep
heard strange and shocking noises
from the laboratory. Strict as was the
embargo which kept me outside the
door, l burst in, only to be seized in a
suffocating grip. OF sudden l real
lied that / was being embraced. The
doctor flourished hand above my head
and jigged with ponderous steps. The
dismal noises continued to emanate
from his mouth. He was singing. l
wish 1 could give you a notion of the
amazement. the paralyzing wonder with
which No, you did not know DR..
Schermerhorn. You would not under
stand.
eve polkaed into the open. There
he cast me loose. He stopped singing
and burst into a rhapsody of disjoint
ed words. Mostly German. 1t was
wondrous tumble of the scientific and
poetic Eureka occurred at intervals.
Then he would leap in the air 1t was
weird; it was distressing. Crazy? Oh,
quite! For the time. you understand.
II any of us should suddenly become
the most potent individual 10 the
world. wouldn't he be apt to lose bal
ance temporarily? One must make al
Iowances There was excuse for the
doctor. He had reached the goal.
Percy, you shall be rewarded he
u. IOu Hdt ilhC Ndt "a
stuck by me- You shall haf riches.
gold. what you Will You are young:
your blood runs red With such riches
nothing is beyond you. You could the
ancient tombs of Egypt explore. 1t is
open to you such collections as have
never been gathered to make. What
shall it be-scarabs. missals. pre-.
mein kind. We shall be able the bills
with usurious interest to pay. What
| will you haf?'
81 said I'd like a vacation IL con-
venient
Presently he replied. There yet
remains the guardianship to be per-
fected. Then to a world astonished
and respectful we return. Tonight we
celebrate. / play you rubber of pin
ochle'
1--WE played. With the greatest Sc
cret of science resting at our elbows
we played. The doctor won. My
mind was not strictly on the game
In the morning the doctor sang once
more. l shall never hear its like again
Was it week or q month after thati
cannot remember. l fancy I was ex.
cited. Then, too there was something
in the atmosphere about the laboratory
don't know; imagination possibly
Once we had a little manifestation
the night that the niger and Slade
| were terrified by the rock fires. Days
of excitement and pleasant work, with
the little valcano grumbling more sulk
| lily all the time. l have spent worse
days.
| "Such indifference as the doctor dis
played toward the volcano l have new
er known. If ventured to warn hin
he would assure me that there was NJ
cause for alarm. l think he regarded
that little hell's kitchen as merely /,
feed spout for his vast enterprise. HI
felt sort of affection toward it. H.
was tolerant of its petty fits of temper
That he completed his work before the
destruction came was sheer luck
nothing else. The day before the out
burst he came to me with tiny via
of complicated design.
percy, 1 will at reasonable price
sell this to you,' he said.
"'How muchr / inquired, respond
ing to his playfulness.
ga bargain" he cried gaily. 'Fiv,
millions dollars! No! Shall / upon {
needy friend hard press? Never! On,
millioni One little million dollars!
"T haven't that amount with me-
began.
"'Of no account he declared airily
Soon we shall hat many more time
as that. Gift me your c. o. d.
"My / o UP inquired.
ait makes no matter. See! will
gif it to you gratis
HE handed me the metal contri
vance. 1t was closed.
Inside iss a little, such a very lit
tie. Not yet ISIS it arranged the motiv,
Ipower to give forth. One more chang
to be made that shall require. But TIL
Iother phenomena are all in this littl
half grain comprised. Later I shall
tell you more. Take it. 1t ISIS withou
lprice.' He laid his hand on my shout
der. Like the love of friends he sal
gently"
Feeling in his upper waistcoat pock
Il