Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-02-20
Blown Up!
BY RALPH HAMILTON
Copyright, 1918. Western Newspaper snIonl
TINT man still here?"

! perimentS down near the ravine.'
/ Miss Marcia Walden, spinster. shiv-
cred, shuddered and drew her shawl
( about her thin shoulders in protect
( ing way. THAT man" was Paul Dis
ney He had come to Alton three
! weeks previously, and had rented from
I Elva BiSsell's mother an old disman-
/ tied shed located on a barren seques-
! tered portion of the old farm near
where there was n deep rocky ravine.
Then he had put up signs on the trees
all about, bearing the ominous warn
( Ing word "Dangerw
J He had explained to Elva that he
was in the service of company man
1 ufacuuring high explosives and de
sired secluded spot where he could
experiment with no annoyance or peril
+ To others
Before he gets through he'll prob
ably blow himself up" Aunt Marcia
scolded now.
! "Oh, ! think not He tells me he
{ is very careful l hope not, Aunt
Marcia"
You seem considerably interested In
the young man. limited Aunt Marcia,
with a searching look
Il am" frankly confessed Elva. He
! is very kind to the children, insists
on saving mother going downtown for
things, and, as you know, is paying
us literally for the use of the old shed.
/ This was true. BisSel farm was
sterile, poorly watered in the dry sea-
son, as poorly drained in the wet sea-
son. Alton river, nayigable and yielding
to the rich soil over beyond the ravlne
/ the fruit of an inexhaustibe fertility,
was diverted and cut off by a great
! wall Of rock, and everything to the
east, like BiSsell farm, was designated
a part of the bad lands"
About noon, two days after that, the
brlght-faced, lllndly-eyed young fellow
/ answering to the name Of Paul Disney.
/ came around TO the rear of the porch to
! the BiSSell home, where Elva was iron
! ing.
Thought I'd tell you, Miss Bissell,-
he announced casually. MY expert
ments have succeeded and in day or
two I'll be going back to the city"
Elva's face fell so palpably that by
that Of Disney she noted that he read
its expression and FASTENED to say,
though blushingly: "The children viii
miss you"
II am about to make final expert
ment," proceeded Disney, "and thought
you might witness it, for it will be
something like Fourth of July fire.
works"
Elva accompanied Paul to the old
shed. The latter went inside, brought
out II clammy-looking tin canister, and
going over to where giant tree stump
was imbedded deep in the ground
placed it in among the fibrous roots.
He attached fuse and ran back to
where Elva was sheltered by lean
to of the old shed.
Now watch and see what half an
ounce of the new explosive have dis
| covered viii do, he said.
His last words were obScured by
deafening report. Elva thrilled, alarm
ed, put her hands over her ears and,
awed saw the great stump go hurting
! up into the air, leaving a hole In thu
ground, big enough to hold horse ana
! wagon.
1T must be terrible stuffr' she
tremored.
YES" replied Disney. early to-
mOrrou, rnornfpo an, oofn., 90 a,,,,x~
and explode the rest of II near the
dead water arm of the river at the
ravine edge. I'm through here and L
shall have some very pleasant mem
cries of the friends l have made"
ut has been break in the mo
notony, can assure you" murmured
Elva, and wisfully.
II was just at dawn the next morn
ng that the inmates of the BsseIl
home were almost thrown from their
beds by an explosion that ratified win
doWs for a mile around. Elva dressed
hurriedly and ran out.
"Oh, / heard-that is, | hoped-you
are safe ~ she stammered, with pallid
face, coming abruptly upon Disney.
"Oh, yes he said IN his easy, smiI-
ing way. 81 never get too near the
giant have created when 1t is likely
to growl Miss Bissell. "and his face
grew serious" the explosion has done
something I never counted on, and
am wondering if the township won't
prosecute me for malicious mischief"
why what do you mean, Mr. Dis
uey?7
THE explosion has blown away one
entire side of the rnvine wall and
look, p"
He caught Elva's hand and led her
beyond line Of trees. In maryellpg
wonder she stood. dumfounded. and
stared. The rayine wall was gone and
pouring over its lowest level was tor
rent almost n waterfall of rushing
sparkling water. The dry ravine had
become "a waterway new arm Of the
river had been created.
Property went up two hundred nar
cent along this new water course With
IN day. Favorable popular opinion
regarding Paul Disney arose unac.
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