The Lamar register., 1915-01-06
BARTOA'S EXPERIMENT
BY FRANK FILsoN.

selves In MS mlnu. Once theie' 'HSJ
had taken root and fiourished, so that
not even the new interest in his life
could prevent their development
The idea possessed him, body and
soul Since boyhood the temptation
had come to him at idle moments
when he was vaguely dissatisfied with
life. But he had always fought II
down and conquered with sheer Will
power.
He knew. however. that the law
could never touch him. He knew that
he could carry out this design with
impunity. holding the narrowing
knowledge OF it in his own soul until
the day OF discovery
Love comes unexpectedly enough.
and cartons soul was torn in twain
after Lucy had promised to be his
wife Yet fight as he might, he could
not withstand the prompting of that
impulse within He had given rein
to 1t too long
He had months vacation every
summer That would be ample time
in which to set his purpose, though
his plan would not come to full frui-
tion for two or three months longer.
However II was only necessary to
start. and. automatically. the train
that he had fired would smolder until,
without Intervention upon his part.
the ripe fruits OF his enterprise be
came manifest
Barton had rented little furnished
cottage in remote region OF the
Adirondacks. where his only neigh
bors were a few woodmen.
He made some miserable excuse to
Lucy to cover his absence for so long
period and disappeared from the
haunts OF his friends And, the even
ing after his departure from the Grand
Central station found him in the little
cottage alone. staring out moodily
across the lake.
The clay-colored chemical which
was so essential feature OF his de
sign stood on the little bare table
in the room which he had selected for
his operations.
He had the formula calculated to
nicely. All that was necessary was
time for the chemical combinations to
become permanent and to produce
ment had been performed many times
since man emerged from barbarism,
but less and less often as he became
enlightened. and OF recent years so
seldom that its very infrequency was
John Barton's greatest asset OF safety
II was on the fifth morning after his
arrival that he received letter from
Lucy.
My dearest john she wrote. Il
am becoming very uneasy about your
going up to that out-of-the-way place
In the Adrondacks. where you are
all by yourself Mother wants you TO
come back at once and spend the rest
OF the month with us at Atlantic
Reach
i am greatly concerned about you,
dear and unless you write me that
you are coming op the next train, I
shall begin to think you do not love
me"
The sight OF Lucy's delicate hand
writing brought back to him with a
rush all the memory OF their love
How fond they had been Of each 9TH
err How the knowledge that she
lNNtu MN ndu leUlpOEbTllN uTlNen tne
thought OF his purpose out OF his
mind. And how miserably he had
striyen 20 avoid that insistent tempta-
ton that came knocking at his heart!
But the experiment was under way.
and. m re. it was succeeding. There
was no doubt Of that Science was in
iallibl5. and her laws absolute. And
he had u I'd oulv tenth part OF the
clay-color' d rheml,al. with its faint,
arcmatic smell SO subtle an agent
in his great task and yet apparently
so inuoCuous
John answered Lucy's letter excus
ing himself on the ground that he
p eded perfect ret and remained in
bis cottage.
Then the day OF decision dawned
There was a letter from Lucy. John
could hardly steady his fingers to
tear it open
My dear IChu 1t began, since re
ceiving your last letter have felt
very much hurt at your refusal to
spend your holiday with Us. ! hoped
that you would write asuin and
have waited every day to hear from
You, ! vus too proud 10 answer you
Put now dear Ohm. ! have come
to tho conclusion ra' YOU could not
have treated ma 'hrs uulees some.
thin,y s,rfOus ypra .k- ,,..ft,- ,,J