Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-03-06

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open. In a moment some door below
was opened also, and scrap of con-
versation came up to US very clearly.
you hat dem finished?' the doc
tors voice inquired. 80, that ISIS
WELL" Papers rustled for few mo-
ments. and the sult-ah-exactly
lit ISIS that exactly. Percy, mein son,
that maigs the experiment exact. We
hat the process
81 don't see, sir, quite" replied the
voice of Percy barrow, with tinge
of excitement. II can follow the logic
of the experiment, of course: so can
follow the logic of trip to the noon
But when you come to apply 1t how
do you get your re-agent? There's no
known method
DIR. Schermerhorn broke in: Zach, 1t
iss that hat perfected. Pardon me.
my boy; 1t ISIS the first I hat worked
from you apart 1t ISIS for a surprise.
hat made In small quantities the
missing Ingredient. 1t will form per-
feet interruption to the current. Now
we CO.
do you mean to say" almost shout
ed barrow, "that you have succeeded
In freeing 1t in the metal?"
EYES," replied the doctor simply.
could hear chair overturned.
"Why, with that you cam
II can do efferything." broke in the
doctor. ''The possibilities are enor-
NOUS"
"And you can really produce 1t In
quantity?''
II think SO. 1t ISIS for US to discov-
err"
A pause ensued.
"Why!' came the voice of Percy
barrow, awestricken. with fifty
centigrams only you could-you could
transmute any substance why, you
could make anything you pleased al
most! You could make enough dia-
monds to I'll that chest. 1t is the
philosophers stone"
Diamonds yes-it is possible" In
terrupted the doctor impatiently, "if
1t was worth while. But you should
see the real Importance
The ship careened to chance swell.
A door slammed The voices were cut
off. looked up. The nigger's head
was thrust forward fairly into the
glow from the companionway. The
mask of his sullenness had fallen. His
eyes fairly rolled In excitement. His
thick lips were drawn back to expose
his teeth. His powerful figure was
gathered with the tensity of bow.
When the door slammed he turned ST.
lently to glide away. at that instant
the watch was changed and in mo-
ment found myself in my bunk.
Ten seconds later the niger, de-
tanned by Captain selover for some
trihing duty, burst into the forecastle.
He was possessed of the widest .ex-
element. This In itself was enough
to gain the attention OF the men, but
his first words were startling.
II found de treasurer he almost
shouted. II know where he kept!''
They leaped Mt him-Handy Solo,
mon and Pulz-and fairly shook out of
him what he thought he knew. He
babbled in the forgotten terms of al
chemy, dressing modern facts in the
they were scarcely to be recognized.
"And so he say dat he fine him, de
philosopher stone, and he keep him In
DAT heavy box we see him carry
aboard, and he don have to make gol'
j with the can make diamon's-dia-
mon's-he say 1t too easy to I'LL dat
J box plum full of dlamon's'
\ They gesticulated and exclaimed and
breathed hard, full of the marvel of
such thought. Then abruptly the
clamor died to nothing. felt six
eyes bent on me, six unwinking eyes
moving restless In motionless figures,
! suspicious, deadly as cobras.
II Up to now my standing with the
men had been we'll enough. Now they
drew frankly apart. One of the most
significant indications of this was the
increased respect they paid my Office
1t was as though by prompt obedi
ence, instant Difference and the EN-
I phasizing of ships etiquette they in
tended to draw sharply the line be
tween themselves and me. There was
much whispering apart, many private
talks and consultations in which had
no part. Ordinarily they talked free
IL enough before me. Even the read;
Ing during the dog watch was inter
mitted-at least 1t was on such days
as I happened to be IN the watch be
low. But twice caught the niggel
and Handy Solomon consulting to
gether over the volume on alchemy.
was In two minds whether to re-
port the whole matter to Captain Sci
over. The only thing that restrained
me was the yagueness of the inten
ton and the fact that the afterguard
was armed and was four to the crews
1--WE. An incident, however, decided
me. One evening I was awakened
by sound Of violent voices. Cap
tain Seloyer occasionally juggled the
watches for variety's sake, and I now
had Handy Solomon and Perdosa
The Niger, being cook, stood no watch
you drunken greaser swab" snarl
Yaqui! I'll learn you to step on {
seaman's foot, and you can kiss the
book on that! I'll cut your heart GU,
and feed 1t to the sharks!'
"Potha!' sneered Perdosa "Yor
cut heem you finger Wild your knife"
They wrangled. At first thought
the quarrel genuine, but after md
ment or SO could not avoid n sort o.
! rssmtniscent Impression Of the eheal
mslodrama. Il seemed Incredible, bu
soon I could not dodge the conclusion