The Winslow mail., 1918-09-20
A Sweet That
Turned Bitter
By JAMES BRAINARD

Copyright, lsl7. Western Newspaper Union.)
When Orville Hedrick was graduated
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 fortune and it
was supposed that this was quite
enough to spoil any genius, for even
phenomenon requires the spur of
nece 4a:ty. But Hedrick's fortune did
not account for his disappearance.
The truth Is that soon after gradua-
ton Hedrick was impressed with a
statement of scientific investigation
that live body had In 1t the elements
Of perpetual youth. But unfortunate
~ there is micrObe that enters into
the material part Of the being which
causes what we call old age; just as a
worm will cause a tree to wither and
die.
Hedrick resolved to devote his abil-
tiles to finding way to eliminate this
microbe without injuring the subject
on which 1t was feeding. He pur-
chased huge estate and In its center
built 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.
Hedrick Investigated for several
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 hu-
man beings when he saw approaching
marvel Of beauty. A girl about six
teen years old was passing among his
dogs, who fawned before her, then fell
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 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 a man most
admires beauty. Ten years passed and
he began to pine for q companion.
Constance was still the girl she was at
seventeen, both in body and mind, en-
tirely unified to entertain him.
After having rendered her immuAe to
decay he concluded to observe the
effect upon her before practi.dng it
upon any one else. It required but lit
tie time to discover that he was not
comforting a 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 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
L SoIIlSu upon 1or. Suc Wds Ilho du OIu
woman who continued to wear the
same apparel as when she was a young
girl. People who met her remarked :
"What queer person. She acts like
girl but If 1t were not for her mar
velous beauty I would sometimes think
her an old woman"
All this had its effect upon Con-
stance. Over her beautiful face there
slowly gathered O 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 repelled him. 1t was like posy
made up of buds and withered flowers
He fed from her. Slowly and in
tears she returned to her home. She