The daily Alaskan., 1913-04-08
InLeague With
 the Devil
ByEA MITcHEL

somo four or i've hundred years ago student in the University of Bonn bad Che misfortune to lose an eye. Ho was devoted to alchemy. on obsolete branch and forerunner of the science we now call chemistry While bend Ing over a crucible containing a com pound it exploded and, striking him In Che left eye. burned lt 80 badly that be was obliged to have it removed Els face md hB other eye were saved from Injury, being protected by an iron mask. for he was working upon a mix ure to produce gunpowder and pro- tocted himself against an explosion an except one eye
 The name Of this young man was BcrthoId Schwartz. The loss of his eye was tbe greater misfortune to him becuuso be was In love with Gretchen Becker whose father, already preju- diced against hIm, had now the more cause to refuse hlm his daughter
 That was an age before glass eyes were made, SO Berthold Schwartz In selecting a substance for an nrddciar eye chose gold Gretchen did not de. scrt him on thIs account Indeed, she was an tbc more drawn to blm on ac. count of his misfortune. But she said nothing about the loss of hls eye to her father shrinking from giving him thls additional lever against her lover.
 One day old Becker met Schwartz on the street and noticed bis golden eye
 "What means this, BerthOIdT be said. ast0ulshed Are you turning to goIdG have been aware Of your ez- perlmcuts In alchemy and fancIcd that you, like the rest Of your craft were hunting for a process for producing the precious metals, but l dld not suppose you would work upon your own per, son."
 "That was ucclicntal' replied Schwartz.
 Accidental Have you rculIy dlscoy- cred a process by which you can turn acsh Into goldT
 "My inventions are a secret" an. Bwered the chemist wishing to eyade a direct reply, and to avoid being fur ! ther questioned he passed on.
 When Becker went home be said eZ. citedly to hIs wife and daughter: "Gott lu blmmel BcrthoId Schwartz has dis covered Che secret of turning objects Into the precious metals. But he has been unlucky, for accidentally he turn. ed ono of bis eyes into gold" "uow was that3" asked his wife, ! throwing uD her hands In ostonisb. mcnt
 "I don't know. ] suppose that any object exposed to bis process is turned to gold, and [ don't understand it"
 That evening Gretchen heard her father and mother discussing whether, | since Bertholl had discovered this SC. crlt that SO many at that period were hunting for they had not better give ] him their daughter after all The re- suit or their conference was that they would wait and see If he really had made such a discovery The next day ! the girl went to her lover aud reported what bad occurred BcrthoId laughed, but, claspInE Gretchen ln bis arms. said to her:
 "You may so back and tell your par. ents, and that with truth, that ! have ! discovered a method by which l can turn base materials Into gold, for l con ! produce mixture that win explode with great force and am experimenting how to use it"
 Gretchen told her mother that it was indeed true that Berthold had discover. ed the ort of turning objects Into gold, and there was another conference be, tween Becker and bis wife, after which Gretchen was told that It Der. tboId would turn some ordinary object into gold before them they would give her to him to wife. When Gretchen bore tho message to her lover ho b0dc her say that his secret was bis own and he would not give it to any one else But be suggested that she say to her parents that ho chose he could turn their eyes Into gold as ho had done bis own
 ! When Gretchen spoke of thls to her parents they turned pale. Suppose Schwartz should mrn the eyes of el tber ono or both Of them Into gold they would be stone blind They did not believe that any one could do 50 wonderful a thing without the aid of Che devil. and they shrank from giving their daughter to such a person. Sc ! they concluded to charge BerthOld witb ! witChcr0ft
 Unfortunately for thls plan, Gretchen overheard it and went at once with ll to Berthold. who told Der that he had conceived Che idea Of putting bis mix. ! ture l0to an Iron tube closed at one end and a lump of metal against the mixture. By heating Che closed end he could send thc lump with such force as to kin a man. Tho inventor was go ing to show tbls Implement to the king and asked Gretchen to marry hlm and go with him. She consented. and Che two departed without a go0dby to old Becker and bis wife
 A yelr later the couple returned to . Gretchens home clad In rich garments