The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-10

man had risen in life until he obtained
the command Of ship fitted out, part
ly by private subscription. partly will
the aid Of government subsidy. To-
the purpose Of deep-sea exploration.
In this and subsequent expedition!
be had made q name for himself By
the remarkable nature Of his disc0v
cries. He had discovered the prolOn
CATION Of the submarine spur Of thu
continental shelf, extending from TIT
Norwegian coast toward the Faroes
he had invented an improved net fol
scooping up the larger denizens Of the
ocean depths; and then he had multi
fed all the personal appreciation and
fame which he had acquired during
his various voyages by asserting tint
mammalian life existed on the sea
floor. and by championing the cause
Of the sea serpent.
That was the end of Captain Mas
terman's activities so far as the gov
eminent was concerned. In q f1nal IN
terview the secretary of the navy had
said to him:
PERSONALLY l believe In you. Mas
terman. But 1t isn't the discoveries
that count. It's getting the scientific
world to believe In them. 1 believe in
the sea serpent, myself. because I've
seen three of them; but l wouldn't
dare to admit 1t. even in my club
smoking room. and we can't get you
another subsidy.
The secretary's confession duly ap-
peared In a newspaper article, and the
cartoonist illustrated it with a draw
ing showing him as a sea serpent with
three heads. In the course Of his ex-
PLANTATION, Masterman consigned the
entire staff of the navy department to
that place where birthstone is unmolli
fed with molasses.
That ended the secretary's career,
and it would have ended Masterman's
il his had not been ended already.
After that the old man became
known as bore who buttonhOled pub
lie men and tried to induce them to
subscribe to the fitting out Of new
deep-sea exploration expedition. For
years he haunted the Hobbies of the
capitol and the clubs, growing more
logged and obstinate and vituperative
as he met with disappointment after
disappointment.
Then, when his case seemed hope
less, he had succeeded in interesting
an American millionaire, with whose
the Shetlands and Faroes, from which
he had apparently just returned. Lieu
tenant Paget gathered from his ram
bling words that he had lost his ship,
and had returned, the sole survivor,
in one Of the ships boats, which he
had rowed for several hundred miles
across the stormy waters of the North
Atlantic.
"But l brought my specimen home
with me, lad" he exclaimed, clutching
at his companions arm. "Think of
that, lad. She didn't want to eat.
They don't eat after they're mature,
Donald. THAT simputied matters con-
siderable. And SO | brought her, and
got her safe to my home. Donald"
The old mans voice failed him. He
again, No doubt his terrible expert
ence had 'unhinged his brain. Lieu
tenant Paget had always known Mas
terman to be a natural eccentric. but
never before had he talked like this I
about the safety of humanity, and
some awful and imminent danger
which only he could avert. The lieu
tenant could see that the old mans
cheeks were sunken; his eyes were
Wild, and under his long coat the
AIDED blue uniform was shrunken and
stained with sea water.
Lieutenant Paget felt well disposed
Oward the whole world just then. He
lad been summoned home from serv.
ce with the Atlantic fleet to receive
lis commission as commander Of the
F55. And Miss Ida Kennedy, the
laughter of the American consul gen.
raj In London, whom he had met
here the year before, had written him
hat she was sailing in company with
Ter aunt by the Beotia for New York.
At such a time, when his profess
iOnal and personal interests were be-
ng served so well by fortune, Paget
cit that fate had played wretched
rick upon Masterman, whose lifework
lad utterly failed of recognition owing
o his defects of temperament. Though
e was sure that the old sea captain
vas crazed. he admired him as q dar-
ng seaman and an original genius Of ,
high order.
my dear lieutenant, am extremely
lad to have met you. Nothing could =,
ave been more fortunate" said Mas p.
erman, recovering his equanimity :
18th q suddenness that surprised his
Fiend. Can you ind the time to
ONE into my club and have q little ,
hat with met It's the Inventors, but
hey call 1t The March Hares,' l BE- =.
eve, because Of some Of the queer
haracters there. In fact. between
urselves, I believe that I am the only
lAsvahoo -AN II AAhA~>l- ii.