Evening star., 1920-03-21
THE LEADEN BOX

peril.
II have said that we had three
frst-rate intellects with US. Undisput-
ably the greatest of these was James
Staining McMarsh. He had favorite
saying that the best weapon with
which to fight the Moloch Of war was
a weapon Of war SO terrible in its
effects that 1t would make the thing
impossible. With this not one Of US
could agree. 1t had been put forward
SO often, and always with such fu-
tility.
"Yet McMarsh stuck to his idea, and
before long we understood why. He
had been applying his extraordinary
genius for years to the combination of
certain elements which should pro-
duce an explosive force far greater
than any known. So far he was en-
tirely candid with us. We remon-
strated and though at times he SEEM
ed to agree, yet we began to suspect
that he was in reality drifting from
us.
FINALLY 1t was decided that Nc
Marsh should be placed under obser-
walton.
ITO insure secrecy for himself and
safety for his neighbors he had rented
q cottage on a desolate part of the
east coast, and here worked with his
acids and alkalies. At that time he
was frank and loyal with us all
More than one OF us had visited him
there. The cottage was built with Its
back right up against a cliff. Behind
1t was the open sea; in front, vast
waste Of wind-bitten grasses. 1t must
have been used by smugglers years
ago, for McMarsh had found, in tho
cellar, well-concealed ingress to
cave in the cliff behind the cottage;
and in this high and dry cavern,
which looked out upon the ocean, he
performed many Of his experiments.
But 1t was not his experiments
which we secretly observed. We sus-
pected that he entertained an idea Of
offering his invention in the military
market. If he had what he claimed,
then he could scarcely name too high
a figure as his price for it. He may
have argued that 1t would make war
impossible. but others who have fash
ioned frightful engines Of destruction
pOSSlUly 6OOlHcu tnclL SOHcClChSCo
with like reasoning.
you, Mr.. Tredways, who have
delved into many secret societies,
must know the effect Of fierce, Of
burning zeal which is there engen-
dered. Now our little fraternity had
gradually assumed the nature Of one
of those brotherhoods and increasing
power had possibly introduced into
our midst an influence not entirely
beneficent. The original six had be-
come at least as many hundreds. al
though the names 1 have mentioned
still represented the executive and
we alone knew of the thing McMarsh
meditated."
Shaws stopped, looking at Tired
ways with heated and appealing
eyes
ut is an old story said my friend,
gravely. II understand. McMarsh
was obdurate. Some one limited severe
measures. You became enflamed. A
fire Of fanaticism burned at your
meetings. / see, I see. The argument
that one mans life was nothing COM
pared with the vast host his inven-
ton would destroy. was adduced--''
And was it? Was it?' cut in Shaws
with a touch of wildness.
Then he controlled himself and
continued in his previous monotone:
'McMarsh had drawn up a proper
formula containing his secret. He
guarded this in an unusual and char
acteristic fashion. He kept it in a
leaden and hermeticallys box.
1t was not alone there, for with 1t
was a charge Of this new explosive,
and it was impossible for any one
to open that box without blowing it
and himself to atoms.
II will not, and cannot, attempt to de-
scribe the repeated hours length dis
cussions among us which led at last
TO the one and only possible way out
from the menace to whole world 1t
was agreed that Staining McMarsh, in
the interest OF civilization, should be
removed altogether from existence At
those discussions Margaret Scott was
not present.
"A somewhat unusual arrangement
was decided upon. Some one was to
act. and another would assume respon-
sibility for It. Some one was to remove
. McMarsh, and another was to bear the