The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1910-05-21

down their pens men talking IN lnousanu
places suddenly came upon grotesque possr
bility In those words, 1T Is nearer II nu'
r,ed along awakening Streets 1t was shouted
down the frost-stilled ways of quiet villages.
men who had read these things from the throo-
hing tape stood in yelow-lit doorways shout
inc the news to the passersby. ut Is nearer
pretty women flushed and glittering, heard
the news told jestngly between the dances and
feigned an intelligent interest they dld not
feel "Nearer Indeed. How curious! How
clever people must be to find out things like
that"
Lonely tramps faring through the wintry
night murmured those words to comfort them
selves-looking skyward. ut has need to be
nearer, for the nights as cold as charity.
Don't seem much warmth from 1t II 1t is
nearer, all the same"
What Is a new star to me-" cried the
weeping woman kneeling beside her dead.
The schoolboy rising early for his exami-
nation work, puzzled 1t out for himself-with
the great white star shining broad and bright
through the frost-fowers Of his window. Gen
trlfugal, centripetal" he said, with his chin on
his fist stop planet In It's flight, rob 1t OF
It's centrifugal force. what then? Centripetal
has It. and down 1t falls into the sun! And
this"
do we come in the way, wonder"
The light Of that day went the way OF It's
brethren and with the later watches or the
frosty darkness rose the strange star again
And It was now so bright that the waxing
moon seemed but pale, yellow ghost OF Itself,
hanging huge In the sunset. In a South Afri-
can city n great man had married and the
streets were alight to welcome his return with
his bride. Even the skies have Illuminated
said the fatterer Under Capricorn, two negro
lovers daring the wild beasts and evil spirits,
for love Of one another crouched together In
n cane brake where the frehies lowered. That
is our star" they whispered, and felt strangely
comforted by the sweet brilliancy OF It's light
The master mathematician sat in his pr
vate room and pushed the papers from him.
His calculations were already finished In
small white phial there still remained little
Of the drug that had kept him awake and
active for four long nights Each day, SERENE
explicit and patient as ever, he had given his
lecture to his students and then had come
back at once to his momentous calculation.
His face was grave, a little drawn, and hectic
from his drugged activity. For some time he
seemed lost In thought Then he went to the
window and the blind went up with a click.
Half wav up the sky, over the clustering roofs,
chimneys and steeples of the city, hung the
star.
He looked at 1t as one might look into the
eye OF brave enemy You may kill me-" he
said after a silence; "but can hold you--and
all the universe. for that matter-in the grip
of this little brain. ! would not change Even
now
He looked at the little phial. There will
be no need Of sleep again" he said. The next
day at noon, punctual to the minute he en-
tered his lecture theater. put his hat on the
end Of the table as his habit was, and carefully
selected large piece Of chalk. 1t was joke
among his students that he could not lecture
without that piece Of chalk to tumble In his
fingers and once he had been stricken to I'M
potence by their hiding his supply. He came
and looked under his gray eyebrows at the
rising tiers Of young. fresh faces and spoke
with his accustomed studied commences Of
phrasing circumstances have arsen-cir-
cumstances beyond my control" he said, and
paused (which will debar me from completing
the course | had designed. 1t would seem,
gentlemen. II may put the thing clearly and
briefly that-man has lived In vain"
The students glanced at one another. Had
they heard Alright? Mad? Raised eyebrows
and grinning lips there We're, but one or two
faces remained intent upon his calm gray
fringed face 1T will be interesting" he was
saying. ito devote this morning to an exposi-
ton so far as | can make 1t clear to you of
the calculations that have led me to this con.
clusion. Let us assume
He turned toward the blackboard, medlta
ting a diagram In the way that was usual to
him What was that about lived In vain'?'
whispered one student to another Listen,
said the other. nodding toward the lecturer.
And presently they began to understand.
That night the star rose later. for It's proper
eastward motion had carried It some way
across Leo toward Virgo and Its brightness
blue as II rose and every star was hidden In
It's turn, save only Jupiter near the zenith
Capeila. Aldebaran. Sirius and the pointers
of the Bear. 1t was white and beautiful. 1r
many parts OF the world that night a palid
halo encircled 1t about 1t was perceptibly
larger; In the clear retroactive sky OF the trop
les II seemed as II II were nearly a quarter
the size OF the moon. The frost was still or
the ground In England but the world was a:
brightly Iii as If 1t were midsummer moonlight
One could see to read quite ordinary print b,
that cold. clear light, and in the cities th'
lamps burnt yellow and wan.
And everywhere the world was awake tina
night, and throughout Chrstendom sombe
murrnur hung in the keen air over the country
side like the hellng Of bees in the heather
and this murmurous tumult grew TO a Clango
In the cities 1t the tolling OF the bel
in n million belfry towers and steeples, sum
moning the people TO sleep no more, TO sin NJ
more. but to gather in their churches and pray
And overhead growing larger and brighter, a
the earth rolled on its way and the nigh