The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-06-17

ried along awakening Streets it was shouted
down the froststilled ways of quiet villages,
men who had fead these things from the throb-
bling tape stood in yellow-lit doorways shout
ing the news to the passers-by. 1T is nearer"
Pretty women, flushed and glittering, heard
the news told jestingly between the dances and
feigned an intelligent interest they did 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. 1T has need to be
nearer, for the nights as cold as charity
Don't seem much warmth from it If it is
nearer, all the same"
"What is new star to me-" cried the
weeping woman kneeling beside her dead
The schoolboy, rising early for his exami-
nation work. puzzled it out for himse1f-wth
through the frostfowers Of his window. Gen
trifugal centripetal," he said, with his chin on
his fist. "Stop planet in it's fight, rob 1t Of
its 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 its
brethren and with the later watches of the
frosty darkness rose the strange star again.
moon seemed but pale, yellow ghost of itself,
hanging huge in the sunset. In South Afri-
can city a 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
cane brake where the firefies lowered. 'That
is star" they whispered, and felt strangely
~%~lh ,v% h~~ h~{11 - to-
The master mathematician sat In his pr1-
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 ever, he had given his
lecture to his students and then had come
back at once to his momentous calculation.
His face grave, 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 click.
Half way up the sky, over the clustering roofs
chimneys and steeples of the city, hung the
star.
He looked at it as one might look into the
eye of brave enemy "You may kill me-" he
= said after silence; "but can hold you-and
all the universe, for that matter-in the grip
of this little BRAIN I 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 his habit was, and carefully
selected large piece of chalk 1t was a 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
+;
rising tiers of young fresh faces, and spoke
with his accustomed studied commences Of
phrasing. circumstances have arisen-cir-
cumstances beyond my CONTROL" he said, and
paused, (which will debar me from completing
the course I had designed. It would seem,
gentlemen, if l 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 were 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-
cluson. Let us assume"
He turned toward the blackboard, medita-
ting diagram in the way that was usual to
him. What was that about lived in vain'?"
whispered 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
was so great that the sky became luminous
blue as it rose and every star was hidden in
its turn, only Jupiter near the zenith,
Capella, Aldebaran, Sirius and the pointers
of the Bear. It was white and beautiful. In
many parts Of the world that night a pallid
halo enc1rcled 1t about. It was perceptibly
larger: in the clear retroactive sky of the trop-
les it seemed as if it were nearly a quarter
the size of the moon. The frost was still on
the ground in England, but the world was as
brightly lit as if it were midsummer moonlight.
One could see to read quite ordinary print by
that cold, clear light and in the cities the
lamps burnt yellow and wan.
And everywhere the world was awake that
night, and throughout Christendom somber
murmur hung in the keen air over the country
side like the belling of bees in the heather,
and this murmurous tumult grew to clangor
In the cities. It was the tolling Of the bells
in a million belfry towers and steeples, sum-
m0ning the people to sleep no more, to sin no
more, but to gather in their churches and pray
And overhead, growing larger and brighter, as
the earth rolled on it's way and the night
passed, rose the dazzling star.
And the streets and houses were alight in
all the cities, the shipyards glared, and what
ever roads led to high country were lit and
crowded all night long. And in all the seas
about the civilized lands ships with throbbing
engines and ships with bellyihg sails, crowded
with men and living creatures, were standing
out to ocean and the north. For already the
warning Of the master mathematician had been
telegraphed all over the world and translated
into a hundred tongues