Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-17
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7 he Morning Story
THE GOLDEN EGG.
lIy VI. j. Phillips.

fcin. TO the marriage OF iha, young
man and kinfe!n's niece Donna, he en-.
pectcd that there would re cNtraordi :
nary conditions attached 10 kinfeiu's
e" approval Kinfein was d wealthy and
cccentrict scientist. mCtallursist and
physician. who dabbled in various
strange matters for his amusement
Buckley, his assistant, had grown in
time TO understand tn. old mans Oddi-
81. ties. and to have profound respect
FOR the intellect which had already
made several valuable scientific dis
corcries.
kinfein smiled bcnevolen,ly and
comhed his long white beard with hts
singers when tho Younger man spoke.
We'll. John" lie began, Donna is
twenty-five, and of course. she VIII
marry some time ] suppose YOU are
: no worse than other mon. Now. If |
impose d task upon YOU before | give
my consent, you will agree 10 perform
IF can. replied Buckley. cautious,
~.
The old gentleman chucklcd II,
won't be very hard. lohn.' From a
private compartment beneath tho lab
ora;ory shelf he drew out a box and
handed IL to Buckley. open it, he
said
John did So and revealed an oval
yellow object nearly the size OF :, foot
ball. and practically thc same shape.
II seemed Ia hc OF metal.
Nov. John, there's your golden egg
went on the scientist. Il iiNcd il up
for YOU in my leisure moments II
YOU open ii inside % a month you get
Donna and a wedding present, too. Il
not. youli have to Malt awhile.
What tools may | use in opening IT,?
That's the point. John. You may
use your own two good hands. and amy
Instrument which doesn't weigh Owe:
itfty grains"
Fifty grains" repeated John,
amazed. Why, that's less than quar-
ter Of an ounce"
Exactly.
John stared nrs; a, The egg and then
At the scientist, But, professor" ne
cNpos;ulatcd. IAN instrument weighing
SITS grains Will be practically useless.
Why, ihc blade OF small penknite
weighs that much. y thin latchkey
-Bu, at ins;-un,en, much less in
wei sht will open that egg
fohn looked dubious. "But suppos-
Fns use something which weighs
more
You vouldn, 90 it. John. i: YOU
asrecd no, TO-" responded the profess
sor comfortably, and Id catch YOU
"a; i YOU did
John VAS Young. in love and cner-
Sctic. His three years work om the
various hobbies which the scientist ar
:cc;sd had given him an unusual tech
"--rscal education. great confidence IN
hinsei: and "a certain delicate manual
dcatcrity which almost surpassed that
of his employer, clever as the olde,
man Was. il was very natural that
nc should accept the challenge and bear
AWAY the egg
~@-fe found Miss Donna In the parlor
and explained the situation. II IS hard
y sermane 10 mention that when the
girl placed her elbows on the table and
settled her chin il hey pink palms 10
listen, that she looked distrcss!n Z -
pretty--so pretty. in fact, that John
was compelled 10 Interrupt his nara
tive while he kissed her
:, When he had finished his account OF
The condition, she rose. You are 10
r., 20 right TO your room. john she com.
mandcd. land open that egg. I'm dying
10 see what's in it. No; YOU can't stay
here with me ana work on Il. would
disturb YOU With the war.ness OF
long experience she dod@ed around the
f't1ible At this moment. anticipatinG by
the fraction OF q second a lungc on The
part OF John From place Of safety
behind a chair. She pointed to the door.
'Avaunt. And tell Inc 10 morrow morn.
ing VIVA, you found" John reluctantly
ss,-Save up chase which promised 10 he
. ..u!tlcss, and ohcycd.
Settled Ia the easy chai, ia his own
! Dom. he paid the professor the com
: pliment OF cXaminin: the egg Very
: carefully before bcginH.u. operations.
$ lie Went over il with his fingers but
i could feel no points beneath the yellow
u paint which covered the metal There
was no depression OF the surface !,
was his thcvC. 'thAi4-a hidden spring
would open tile Sphere. and he spent
the balance OF the evening in searching
for IL ~ midnight the sccrc, was
SIM undiscovered. and ne gave Il up
Tor the time being.
Donna was inclined 10 poke fuH ~
his failure the next morning. rs the
chucilinE professor readily allowed her
10 try her hand, she spent an hour and
broke two hairpns N an cquall: fruit
less effort.
The egg was rather lirh, than other.
wise for its SIZE, but John felt certain
that machinery OF some description
h!dden within it, controlled the s!tua-
( ton. Hy shaking It pcFsistcntly. he
7 was finally rewarded by tho sound OF
i, a very faint clicking. That evening he
!. made sort OF cats cradle Of string.
and placed the egg therein. With the
:. ccntrivance Inc VAS able 10 whirl the
egg over and over ia this way hoping
9 10 start Tho machinery. occasionally he
reversed tho motion. hut he tired his
arms with the monotonous labor to no
4 purpose
: Nca, Inc cssaycd to saw his va,
through Tho metal lie secured q burg
lars saw of the fncst steel hut was
. compelled TO dispense with the handle
!. IS IL pIoHtHt inc weight OF iiit iittl.
4 instruments UP 10 ucarly.l0 LOO grains.
I, intcrmiiteri labor for the next three
a GNenings with the saw. 4 bit Of cIo,r
7 serving handle. resulted in baGl,
Il Mustered fngcrs and the scratching OF
: the paint IN several places. That was
all, II the fact tjiat tie egg was proven
!. 10 be stcci as md ana hard Is the saw
s IS excepted In desperation Eucklcv at,
tempted TO crush the obstinate oval be
: tween his hands, and failed again
We mad" UP NIX mind To get til.
q raint Off he announced 10 Donna
!. Then can toll where were at"
, Were 81 sea-" Sic replied dclcCully
= 'ehderly kissing ono OF the bistcrcc
Z. fingers.
Buckley secretly agreed with her. bu
: his pride had boon aroused 10y rcpca,
: cd failures. and the whole souled chuck
!. ling OF the professor, whose side
= seemed 20 he shaking coustau,Iv viii
merrimcnt over lis assistants prcdica
= nent lic would opcn the egg nov, o
q HE