The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-22
Euening Story
MoOnShine.
BY r. RAY BAKER

disk light up the night. she was IN
a romantic mood, but then, she was
always romantic. However, Nina was
especially sentimental this night. and
the fundamental cause of 1t was the
approaching return of Sylvester
Brown. She had been ready to retire,
when the yellow moon peeped thru
the window, and it reminded her of
days gone by when the same nocturnal
sentinel had gazed down on her and
one who was very dear to her. So she
renowned the bed, Temporarily, for
post where she could study the celes-
tial countenance that was formed of
mountains and craters.
How Sylvester used to admire the
moonl" Nina whispered, giving vent
to a deep sigh. How poetic he used
to become when influenced by its
light 1t was shining on us when
he asked me to marry him, and 1t
was keeping vigil when he told me
he was leaving and swore he would
come back to me. Now he must
know all about Luna. I really be-
lieve it was the fascination of the
moonlight that induced him to take
up astronomy; and 1 only hope ia
niliarity with the satellite has not de-
creased his respect for it,
1t was five years ago that Syl-
vester left the little city of Beaver
Falls for a course in college. They
had kept up a regular correspond
eDce, but not once had Sylvester re-
turned. That was hardly to his dis
credit, however. for he was obliged to
spend his vacations in the college
town tutoring backward students
whose money he needed to replenish
his fast dwindling funds. He had
been graduated with honors and i'm
mediately had stepped into an inn
portant position as head of a big
observatory in California.
Now he was TO have genuine
vacation of three weeks, and he was
coming home, to see his long neglected
parents-and Nina. The latter looked
forward to his visit with joy, altho this
joy was tempered somewhat by the
evident change in Sylvester. as indi-
Gated by his letter. When he went away
his epistles were full of sentiment,
but as time wore on they became more
prosaic, and various passages in some
of them had led the girl to think per-
Indeed, if his written words were to
be taken literally, he already was a
confirmed bachelor. with no ideas of
becoming welded except to his scien-
tific researches. Nevertheless he still
possessed Mina's heart. and she was
going to be glad to see him.
Realizing that her status in his re-
gard probably was altered, Nina did
not meet the train on which he came.
She felt sure he would be up to see
her in the evening, and she was not
disappointed in that respect.
But what a changed Sylvester! He
wore big-rimmed glasses and there
were numerous creases on his face.
He was still young, but seemed doing
his best to cast aside his youth and
convert his once strong body into
shell of parchment All of the senti-
ment appeared gone.
They sat at a window after Mina's
parents had retired, and she took
pains to select an east window.
There was Luna in all her glory, but
Sylvester paid the goddess no atten-
ton whatever, simply continuing his
discourse on scientific subjects. This
panied Nina, and finally she could
tolerate it no longer.
''See-there's our old friend. the
moon!" she said suddenly, as if sur
prised at its presence in the sky. She
clutched his arm and pointed to the
object in question.
He glanced out the window, but
that was all.
perhaps the Inhabitants are look
ing down On US now" she breathed,
quoting his own remark of one even
ing five years back.
Sylvester replied with scornful
laugh.
1.-The moon Inhabited? Ridiculous!
We have telescopes that bring that
old hulk only forty miles away, and
we have worned all its secrets from
it. The moon is cold and lifeless. It's
rdevoid of vegetation, being simply an
old volcanic shell, without an atmos-
phere and consequently without living
| and breathing human beings. The
moon ceased to interest me long
time ago. It's only a couple of hun
| bred thousand miles away, and I'm
interested in big suns whose distance
is reckoned in billions.
| For instance, with the aid of Pro-
fessor Michaelson's new measuring
device, we have ascertained that the
star Betelgeuse Cor sun, which 1t real
! " isl has a diameter of three hun
dred- million miles. -Betelgeuse is a
member of the constellation of Orion
and has long been subject of much
speculation. Think of it! Our own
sun is less than a million miles in
diameter, and if hollow it would con-
tain a million bodies as large as the
earth; and the earth would make
forty-nine moons. No. I'm not inter-
ested in Luna any longer; I leave that
for the children. How foolish 1 used
to be-"
and wished he would get foolish once
more. She still loved Sylvester, in
spite of the great change that had
| come over him with the learning he
had acquired.
| Sylvester's return to Beaver Falls
4
eminence to which he had climbed in
scientific realms; and Mrs. Clayton
Hill, one of society's leaders who did
| not even know him by name when he
was a resident of the city, conceived
the idea of entertaining in his honor
So she invited a select crowd to a
rather elaborate function at her home
and, learning that Sylvester and Nina
were supposed to be engaged, she fell
compelled to invite the young lady ir
question, altho the latter was not up
in society.
Nina enjoyed herself until middle
aged guest who was a semi-scientifiC
crank got into conversation with Syl-
tvester and caused the latter to neglect
her. If it had not been for another
young man Of her former acquaint-
ance. she would have been a wall
flower in the dancing part of the eve
ning's program. Still she was not an.
/ cry with Sylvester.
What is the spiral nebula theory
as to the origin of the solar system p