Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-18

Inc driver Dnaliy stopped III the IulC-
die of the street. 1 opened the door
and asked:
wen. have you found Merton ave
nue?"
This IS Merton avenue. sir was the
reply. but can find the number"
He drove back and forth. while it
seemed to me that I should go wild
with impotence Then. suddenly catch
ing sight Of number in a lighted
trausom-7S-I jumped from the hack
and hurried along the street till !
found No. So. The house stood by
itself no other being within hundred
yards. l ran up the steps and tried
the door. II was locked. Desiring to
enter without ringing, | went around
to the rear and fortunately found a
window unlocked Entering, l ran
into the lower hall and stole softly up
stairs. / heard voices.
The only weapon l had brought with
me was small rope. Armed with
this, 1 suddenly appeared at the door
of the room within which l heard the
voices and exclaimed:
"a message for the emperor OF the
air.
III Tue IotLAls kdSlAiE haNA anu Abi ~
and brandishing knife was Il young
man about twenty years old \ Cirl
Of eighteen was following him about.
talking with him in a voice OF great
distress. Both turned at once on hear
ing my voice.
Are you the emperor or the ARR
l asked of the man.
81 am"
space. the realms of infinite ether. to
guide you to a new machine, a ma
chine that will bear you not only to
Mars. a neighboring planet, but TO
Neptune. the most distant, and thence
to the fixed stars"
Ny reference TO his proposed trip to
Mars awakened confidence at once.
Where is this machlne?" he asked.
Il am deputed by the king of space
to conduct you to it. Come. l have
carriage below. You must depart
before the break OF dawn"
The knife dropped from his hand.
Instead of using IL on the girl he kiss
ed her and followed me down TO the
carriage. Having whispered to the
cOaChman 10 drive US to a police sta
ton, l got in beside the emperor. On
arrival at the station I beckoned to a
policeman. who came to the carriage.
This is the emperor Of the air." l
said, pressing the pollceman's arm by
way of warning. Remain here while
go inside I'll be out directly"
! told the sergeant at the desk my
story. We hunted up the address OF
an insane asylum. and in half an hour,
without even using the rope weapon l
had provided, we had him under con
fnement.
From the asylum / drove back TO
the house from which I had removed
the patient. Though II was late, /
knew the young lady would be wait
ing for report OF what had happen
ed. On arrival ! rang the bell and
was admitted by her. She questioned
me eagerly with her eyes. l told her
that the young man was where he
would be safe from himself and could
not injure others. Then / asked her
to explain matters.
He is my brother" she said. I'm
fortunately he has sufficient means TO
indulge in aviation. His ambition has
been to sail higher in the air than any
one else. Last Saturday he broke the
struck a telegraph pole. which broke
his machine and injured him severely.
Within the past few days he has acted
so strangely that the servants became
afraid of him, and all left us in "A
body yesterday. Tonight, or. rather,
last night, be became violent ! at
tempted to call up my brother-in-law,
John Gooding, but somehow got you
by mistake-at least You heard me"
After locking the house | escorted
Miss Ethel Houghton 10 the home Of
her brother-in-law, awakened the fam
fly. and she remained there for the
night. The next day l called upon her
to assure myself that she had not SUI
fered from her distressing experience
but found that the reaction had kept B
her in bed.
The rest OF this story IS not TO be :
told except 50 far as II concerns the
young aviator He recovered within
a brief period, but was persuaded by
his sister TO let aviation alone She
had had enough Of il. and her brother
understood that 81 would be impOssi
bic for him TO indulge In II without /.
great distress to her. TO say nothing Of F.
the proba bili'y of its undermining her .
health.
As To that part Of the story which .
I have said is rot 20 be told. ! will
simply say that / owe the great hap
piness and success Of my life 10 that .
witch formally decried-a party tel
ephous wire