The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-06-13
The Future
Power
n
BY JOE H. RANSOM
(Copyright)

Jimmie Orm of the firm Of Strass
& Orm, brokers, was dining with his
friend, Dr. Edouard Enz.
Between the eyes fingered a pucker
that meant that his brain was still
digging coldly, mechanically at the
problem that had stared at him out Of
the tangled mass of facts that had
been the portion Of this day.
Rumors. contradictions, fiurries !;
quick, spasmodic leaps and counters Of
the fluctuating market; uncertainties,
panicky settings of nervous clients,
all had contributed to bring Strass to
the point almost Of collapse, and had
set the Junior partner, Orm, grim
faced, to clawing his hair.
There's going to be the deuce to
pay" Orm now spoke coolly, his eyes
wandering restlessly over the lighted
cafe, "if the conditions that have pre-
vailed today continue. Strass is about
all in. never saw him so upset. It's
a bad business for man with nerves."
He looked across at En-, who was
watching him under cover of cigarette
smoke.
II know very little about finance"
began Enz, but Orm interrupted.
FINANCE" he snorted. That's a
pretty name. It's chance, Ed, the gam
bler's god. 1 wish 1 were out of it
all. But I can't leave old Strass to
be buried in the ruins alone. He has
always been very decent to me. But
what can I do-what can anyone do
that's where butt into the stone wall
every time"
AS they ate, Orm delivered himself
Of the things that vexed and puzzled
him.
EnZ led him on, asking now and then
a question so pertinent that the broker
looked up quickly in wonder. Through
out the meal the conversation was
nearly one-sided.
| The conditions were boldly outlined,
| graphically depicted by Orm. And al
ways he came back to the elemental
point of mans ignorance, his moving
always in the narrow lighted space of
the hour, beating helplessly against the
| upreared something which marks the
unknown.
''If," he cried out in kind of mild
frenzy, clinching his fists, "if we could
only know, see."
Enz interrupted at last. He had fin
ished his coffee and was lighting a
| cigarette. His face was slightly
| flushed as he leaned closer to the CEN
| ter of the table and spoke in the low
| est of tones.
Foresight" he said. "That is what
| you mean. That expresses all that
you have said. Imprisoned in the con-
fines of weak, enslaving flesh, man is
a puppet, moving In spotlight, shut
In on all sides by elemental darkness.
ages have raised him from the
| skin-clad, herb-eating animal that
dwelt in caves and was prey to strong
err beasts. He has broadened the cir
Gle of the lighted space in which he
lives, but he Is still the helpless mote,
ringed round with mystery"
Orm sat with his cup raised half
way to his lips.
Jimmie" went on En-, in the same
voice, "do you want to know, would
you like to be able to see? Or would
you be afraid"
"When did you do it, Ed?" he whis-
pered.
Without replying, he suddenly
slipped his hand into the inner pocket
of his coat and took forth small wal
let.
From this he extracted folded pa
per, with doubled ends, such as ply
sicians affect for sleeping powders.
This he quickly unfolded, and, lean
Ing forward, spilled the contents deft-
ly into the coffee cup which Orm had
set before him.
Jimmie" he smiled, "you may now
finish your coffee"
When, at the usual hour the follow
ing morning, Orm awoke, it was to the
realization of a power that was in it's
strangeness, almost uncanny.
Coming out of a state of temporary
insensibility, he was terribly, singing
ly alive. His first realization of the
unusual came to him as he picked up
the morning paper. The market pages
were hardly more than a rehash of
the night editions. He glanced at the
date line and was surprised to find
that the paper was actually of the
present.
The things that IL recited seemed to
him ancient. Dimly his memory CROPPED
back to them, took account Of all the
facts that interviewed. Could 1t be
possible that these things that were
so clear to him were as yet unknown
to the world"
He began to chronicle his informa-
ton. Hunterton would begin his fight
today.
From his apartments he took taxi.
He could not wait, though the distance
was slight. He even urged the chauf-
feur to higher speed. He himself threw
open the door and pitched the driver
q dollar.
Reason told him that the elevators
would carry him faster than his legs,