Rock Island Argus., 1911-03-18

Inc driver finally stopped IN the mio-
die of the street. 1 opened the door
and asked:
wei. have you found Merton ave
nueg"
This is Merton avenue. sir" was the
reply. but 1 can find the number"
He drove back and forth. while it
seemed to me that I should go wild
with impatience Then. suddenly catch
ing sight Of a number in a lighted
transom-TS-I jumped from the hack
and hurried along the street till l
found No. 50. The house stood by
itself. no other being within a hundred
yards. l ran up the steps and tried
the door. 1t was locked. Desiring to
enter without ringing. l went around
to the rear and fortunately found a
window unlocked Entering. | ran
into the lower hall and stole softly up
stairs. | heard voices
The only weapon | had brought with
me was a small rope Armed with
this. 1 suddenly appeared at the door
of the room within which 1 heard the
voices and exclaimed:
- message for the emperor OF the
airr'
IN the room. pacing back and forth
and brandishing knife. was a young
man about twenty years old. A girl
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 OF the airT
l asked of the man.
Il am"
81 have been sent by the king OF
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"
My reference TO his proposed trip to
Mars awakened confidence at once.
where is this machineF he asked.
Il am deputed by the king Of space
to conduct you to it. Come. have
a carriage below. You must depart
before the break Of dawn"
The knife dropped from his hand.
Instead of using It on the girl he kiss
ed her and followed me down to the
carriage. Having whispered 10 the
coachman TO drive US to police sta
ton, got in beside the emperor. On
arrival at the station l beckoned to IA
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
I 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 I
had provided. we had him under con-
finement
From the asylum / drove back TO
the house from which I had removed
the patient. Though it was late. 1
knew the young lady would be wait
ing for report Of what had happen
ed On arrival ! rang the bell and
was admitted BIZ her. She questioned
me eagerly with her eyes. 1 told her
that the young man was where he
would be safe from himself and could
rot injure others. Then / asked her
TO explain matters.
He is my brother" she said. "Un-
fortunately he has sufficient means 10
indulge in aviation. His ambition has
been to sail higher in the air than any
one else. Last Saturday he broke the
record. but in touching ground he
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. he became violent. ! at
tempted to call up my brotherin-law,
John GoOdinE, but somehow got you
by mistake-at least yOu heard me-"
After locking the house | escorted
Miss Ethel HOugbton 10 the home Of
her brothcr-inIaw, 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 suf
fered from her distressing experience.
but found that the reaction had kept
her In bed
The rest OF this story IS not TO be
told except 50 far as II concerns fhc
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 IL would be impossi-
bic for him TO indulge I'm II without
great distress to her, 10 say nothing OF
the proba ability of its undermining her
health
As to that part Of the story which
7 have said is not 10 be told. ] win
simply say that I owe the great hap
piness and success Of my lifn TO that
which formally dncried--a party tel
ephore wire