River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-11-08
A Sweet That
Turned Bitter
~
fcopyright, 1917. Western Newspaper UniOn.l
By JAMES BRAINARD


at the Faraday Scientific school the
fact was published all over the United
States that prodigy had been
launched who would astonish the
world. But greatly to the disappoint-
ment of his classmates years passed
and he was not heard from. More
over he had disappeared.
Hedrick inherited a fortune and 1t
was supposed that this was quite
enough to spoil any genius, for even
phenomenon requires the spur of
necessity. But Hedrick's fortune did
not account for his disappearance.
The truth is that soon after gradua-
ton Hedfick was impressed with
statement Of scientific investigation
that live body had in it the elements
of perpetual youth. But unfortunate
ly there is a microbe that enters into
the material part of the being which
causes what we call old age; just as
worm will cause a tree to wither and
/ die.
Hedrick resolved to devote his abil-
tiles to finding a way to eliminate this
microbe without injuring the subject
| on which it was feeding. He pur-
chased a huge estate and in it's center
built a laboratory which he furnished
with every article used in scientific
research. His citadel of science he
protected by pack of dogs of fierce
breed scattering them all over his do
main.
| &o1
years on animals, beginning with the
lower grades and ascending till he
reached the anthrOpOid ape. The age
producing microbe was not affected by
any of Hedrick's antitoxins until he
experimental on this animal next be-
low man. Here after many trials he
found an antitoxin that killed the mi
crobe without injury to the ape.
The very day that he made this dis
covery he was walking back and forth
on the porch of his laboratory thinking
of the next step in his experiment.
an attempt to eliminate decay in hui
man beings when he saw approaching
a marvel of beauty. A girl about six
teen years old was passing among his
|
in behind and followed her. When she
reached Hedrick she stopped and said:
"I understand that you are able to
preserve youth"
"Who told you that?" said Hedrick.
"a little Bird
"As good a reply as might be ex-
pected from a woman. What can !
do for your
''Keep me always as / am"
A desire seized upon Hedrick TO pre-
serve this remarkable beauty, and to
appropriate her to himself. He began
to apply his antitoxin and by the aid
of microscope at the end of year
felt assured that not the faintest
change had occurred in the girls fair
! skin, not the slightest mark Of age had
fastened itself upon her.
Meanwhile he wooed and won her.
Hedrick was thirty years old when
he married the girl, whose name was
Constance, an age when man most
admires beauty. Ten years passed and
he began to pine for companion.
Constance was still the girl she was at
seventeen, both in body and mind, en-
tirely untitled to entertain him.
After having rendered her immune to
! decay he concluded to observe the
effect upon her before practicing it
upon any one else. It required but lit
tie time to discover that he was not
comforting blessing. All the rest of
the world was growing old while Con-
stance remained young.
When she had lived twenty years
with her husband they separated by
mutual consent, and Constance married
another man a few years her senior,
but since he was growing older while
she was still child he finally tired of
her and divorced her.
While Constance's nature had not
changed from youth to age, as the
years passed the mold Of experience
settled upon her. She was like an old
woman who continued to wear the
same apparel as when she was a young
girl. People who met her remarked:
"What a queer person. She acts like
a girl but if it were not for her mar
velous beauty would sometimes think
her an old woman"
All this had it's effect upon Con-
stance. Over her beautiful face there
slowly gathered a melancholy. Then
she shut herself up in her home. But
there still remained in her the element
of youth.
She met man of nineteen. He was
enchanted with her beauty, but when
she responded to his proffered love
there was something IN the response
that repealed him. 1t was like a posy
made up Of buds and withered flowers.
He fed from her. Slowly and in
tears she returned to her home. She
wished that she could find Hedrick and
induce him to take away her immunity
from age. She made inquiries for him,
but received no response. Then she
went to the laboratory where he had
made her immune from age and found