Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-25
THE VACANT WORLD
By GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
copyright. 1916. By Frotk A. Musey Company

spring, These edbles. with the blackest Of
black coffee, soon had them in fine fettle.
"I certainly have begun to put on
weight" laughed the man after dinner on
the fourth day, as lie lighted his fragrant
pipe with roll of blazing birch bark.
MY bearskin is getting tight. You'll
| have to let II out for me, or else stop such
magic in the kltchen"
She smiled back at him sitting there at
ease in the sunshine by the window, sip
| ping her coffee out OF a gold cup with a
solid gold spoon.
Stern. feeling the May breeze upon his
face hearing the bird songs in the forest
| depths felt well-belng, glow OF health
and 10y such as he had never In his whole
| life known--thc health of outdoor labor and
sound sleep and perfect digestion the joy
of accomplishment and OF the girls near
| presence,
II suppose we do live pretty Well" she
answered surveying the remnants OF the
feast "Potted tongue and peas fried squir-
rel, partridge and coffee ought to satisfy
anybody. But still"
what is IT."
II would like some buttered toast and
some cream for my coffee, and some sugar y
Stern laughed heartily,
you don't want muchl" he exclaimed.
vastly amused, the while he blew Il cloud
OF Iatakla smoke well. YOU be patient,
You mustn't expect me to do magic. on
the fourth day you don't imagine I've had
| time enough to round up the ten thousandth
descendant of the erstwhlle COW. do you?
"Or grow cane and make sugar? or find
grain for seed, clear some land, plow, har-
row plant, hoe. reap. winnow, grind and
bolt and present you with bag Of prime
-four? Now reRlly2'
She pouted at his railery, For moment
there was silence. while he drew at his pipe
At the girl he looked q little while. Then
his eyes bit far-away. he remarked in
tone he tried to render casual;
by the way. Beatrice II occurs 70 mo
that we're doing rather well for old people
very old"
She looked up with Startled glance
Very she exclaimed You know how
old theny
VERY, indeed :" he answered. Yes, I've
got some sort Of an idea about IL, hope
Il won't alarm you when you know
'Why-how so? Alarm me?" she querisd
with a strange expression
"Yes. because. you see, It's rather long
time since we went TO sleep. quite So You
see I've been doing little calculating, on
and on, at odd times. Been putting two and
two together, as II were.
"First, there was the matter OF the dust
in sheltered places TO guide me. The rate
of deposltion Of what In one or two spots
or star-dust Is fairly certain.
Then again, the rate OF this present
deterioration OF stone and steel has fur
nished another index, And last night had
little peek ut the pole star through my
telescope while you were asleep.
THE good old star has certainly shifted
out OF place a bit Furthermore, I've been
observing certain evolutionary changes in
the animals and plants about us Those
have helped. too"
"And--and what have you found out7'
asked she with tremulous interest.
Well think I've got the answer. more
or less correctly. OF course. it's only an
Approximate result, as We say IN engineer
ing But the different items check up with
some degree OF consistency.
And I'm safe IN believing I'm within al
least a hundred years Of the date one way
or the other. Not 3 bad factor OF safety,
that, with my limited means OF working"
The girls eyes wldened, From her hand
zen the empty gold cup; It rolled away
across the cIeap-swept floor.
eWhat7" cried she. You've got L with
IN a hundred years Why then-you mean
it's more than e hundredT
Indulgently tue engineer smiled.
.coae. now - coaxed, 'vuat Evssz. fer