Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-11-23
THE EMPEROR'S EMERALD
How DIR. NitzhoefTcr Completed
Story of Peru 1000 Yenrs Old.
U'rom the New York SUM

DR.. Aloph Ritzhoeffer. as far ms Is
known, has gone to Baraboo, Wis. to in
spect some serpentine Indian mounds
that lie out back of the cemetery there.
Before he left he spent an evening at the
Discovercrs' club. What occurred there
enables one to give in advance the one
item of vulgar interest that lies buried
in the address to be delivered in Copen-
hagen next spring.
The DISCOVERIES club Is not down in
the club directory of New York, because
Its members would not have II so. 1t
would be nard to find unless some mem
bers whom you had met at dinner and |
who had once listened with you to the |
Filipino band playing in the Alhambra |
out on Buhblng Well road at Shanghai |
had not said, Come along over to the |
DISCOVERIES club tonight" Even then /
If that friend had not led you across
Washington Square park, down one
street, around two corners, and up two !
flights of stairs to the club-rooms, It
would have been impossible to accept the
invitation.
It's very cozy. the DISCOVERIES club.
They have a fire in the CRATE, the light
Is smut out by fine Ningu serapes that
drop in soft folds Of green and indigo
over the square panes in the attic win
dows. over the fireplace is stand of
Maori arms, and dried and tattoeed
Maori head forms the base for the read
ing lamp on the center table in the
library. There is an Aleut feather coat
drdpod over the framed likeness of Dir.
COOK on one side Of the CHEEKY room.
Caribou artlers from Labrador flank
stuffed rhinoccros head that old Guy
tri,,
into Rhoiesia or some other borderland
down on tne Uganda frontier
The clup members Were circhng The
fire waiting for Written. the Peruvian OK
pert, to bring around Or. Ritzhoeffer.
There We're only six. excepting the in
vited CUES.
Be forc the doctor came, talk was natu-
rally of his exploits in the Peruvian ruins
of the Andes These men said III him
that he knew no fear, no failing test of
hardship. 70 turning back from pro-
iect once undertaken. The member who
Wore strange piece of hammered gold
for a watch rob--it was a Peruvian ton
que weight for the dead. he said-declared
that once. when the Peruvian govern
mont had sent detail of soldiers 10
rescue Dr Ritzhoclfer from the Nilcanota
B
he had been cap .Gred by the native
tribes. it had been Ri,zhoeffer himself
who had rescued Inc soldiers from a
seemingly impossible cul de sac in the
mountains.
Whtten came with the doctO" Just in
time to interrupt the climax Of lEis 'ale
/ Introductions We're hearty and 90 a Ger
tain wholesome familiarity as between
Ia an Il
ped his great bulk into the largesr and
softcst Morris chair when he was asked
to name his liquor. He said Vodka"
and he GOT it there in the DISCOVERIES
club. whereas he might have criea
through the streets for a mile there
about and not found Vodka.
One may sketch the doctor with three
strokes All Teutonic with great
weight not cogging great strength;
fiery red hair and beard, blue eyes and a.
voice like a ,ocsin. Above all a presence
reelng a definite air of mastery and in
domitabe will.
In 10 minutes the doctor was brother
to all With his thickly buried speech he
rolled and rumbled little bits Of story and
anecdote His blue eyes smiled through
clouds of cigarette smoke and his beard
waR1ed humorously
81 hat promised you ht;le interesting
thing tonight, my fuonds,' he finally
said, after half an hour mad brought the
warmth of comradeship up TO a ca!oric
maximum. 1t is leed, experiment
which | will make before youl eyes /
do not know how she Is coming ouJ 10
more as do you; so we are all equally
interested, hey"
n Hhnils
lcloser and eager propping OF chins on
elbows. The doctor let his merry eyes
run over the faces marked clear AMI
white by the freight. and he smiled.
Then he reached back into the pocket of
the ridculously tenJlke frock coat that
he wore. and brought from il package
about as large as his two fists. lie tool,
many wrappnes Of tissue paper from il,
and finally SET down in the lampli circle
on the table an outlandish, eartheuWare
object.
1t was shaped roughly in tie sculhlance
OF bird. like bird sproutinG from a
potato Wings We're traced in the baked
clay: Their" was head and bill, which
had at It's tip a round opening. In The
middle of the back a little square cover
a fitted into another openuc. The clay
bird stood Erotesquely on four Pc feet
: like a duck with sleeping sickness.
See this lidde beauty. gentlemen the
r doctor exclaimed. 1T is Peruvian
I whisting jug-iust q whistlus Jug as you
and | look at IT, But haf an idea gem
tlemen; ! hat an idea tha' IL is some
thing many time moro interesting ana
We are here tonight to Soc
The German took up one of he glasses
Loo