Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-05-16

fused patent for his eighth perpetual
motion machine. And Hatfield, on
president-he had to resign from tire
other clubs because he insists tina
Shakespeare was really James /.
Eyes, it's a queer world, lieutenant
and the oldest thing of all is tina
when one has something of the utmos
importance to the human race to max,
public, not a single man will take thu
least interest In Il. l can't induce :,
single member to listen to me. How
ever, we live and let live; and, as
said, the organization helps. But car
you dine with me2"
1--WE nothing particular to do thi;
evening-for the first time in years
"Then do come in and have dinner
with me-" said the old man eagerly. -
won't pretend that I'm not going tC
try and enlist your aid to save the
human race in spite of those benight.
cd, besotted. blind-as-a-bat blasto-
derms in the admiralty Office, because
/ am. But l believe that Providence
has sent you to me, and if / can't
make you believe me, at least don't
want it said that Jonathan Roderick
Masterman went down into his grave
without warning the human race of
what was coming.
"Sir, If the public knew a 1.-THE Of
what know, they would make peace
with Franee-Germany? Thank you)
and arm themselves against the most
relentless enemy that ever threatened
mankind. Sir, you will yet live to see
old Jonathan Roderick Masterson's
statue in gold, standing in front of the
capitol"
Paget, now quite convinced that his
old friend was raving mad, followed
him into queer little building, appar-
emily a combination of club and hotel.
The smoking room, which, was stu
ated on the ground floor Immediately
behind the clerks desk, was crowded
with members, all talking at once at
the top of their voices. AS the captain
paused to enter his guests name in
the book, Paget looked in through the
drifting smoke clouds.
A dozen men had the floor, and were
gesticulating furiously.
Captain Masterman, having en-
tered his guests name, touched him
upon the arm.
They're all mad. my lad, said the
old man, surveying the assemblage
with look of pity. mo doubt you
wonder how / can associate my name
with theirs. If it wasn't for our mag
azine, in which our articles appear, and
our excellent organization, couldn't
bring myself to it."
"Who edits the magazine" inquired
Donald.
"That was a matter of some diff
Guilty" replied Masterman. ut proved
to find a member sufficient
Iy broad-minded to consider the others !
and allow them space, and nobody I
would accept my own offer to become
the editor, simply out of professional (
Each wanted to utilize
the entire available space for his own
crazy ideas. SO we drew lots for it.
l won the edltorship last
month. Here is d copy" he added,
picking up an attractive little publica-
ton that lay on the clerks desk.
"But 1 am not going to talk to you
n the smoking ROOM" continued Mas
.erman, "for that atmosphere would
prejudice you against believing what
am going to say And l must con-
fnce you, my dear boy, because those
rnoffoc aro ,,fforIx- havord fha houndc
# reason, and much is at stake. A
ataclysm is impending which viii In
vitably destroy humanity unless we
Ievote our common energies to the
of our lives, our liberties
nd our civilization"
Paget nodded, and resigned himself
o his friends guidance.
EVEN have a little dinner first"
aid the captain. eve have an excel
emit chef here, and, between ourselves, 1
have eaten nothing but ships biscuit
or the past three weeks. And after |
-ard, when we have got our cigars
light, I'll take you into the cardroom, ]
hitch is never in use, and give you my !
lessage to the world 1t is embodied {
lore fully in my manuscript, which | {
hall hand you before you go. And t
ow let us forget that melancholy ex- t
ibition of human folly and fall to-" '
Pleased with his phrase, he led the Q
ay into the dining room, where he S
Id full justice to an excellent meal. S
After dinner the two lit their ci-
lrs, and the captain led the way ont I
! the dining room across a small hail 4
nd into the cardroom, little, de- L
,rted place, through the opposite r
Dor of which they could see the 6
noking room and hear the noisy cries d
the members.
Masterman closed it, and the sound Il
Ibsided to distant rumble. a
"The cardroom was built to be Z
he explained. ut is,
,cept in the case of voices of I'M n
iual timbre" "
"Quite so,p said Donald. s.
The old sea captain hesitated queer o
tried the chairs, and at last D
retched himself out in a comfortable p
ia haforo fbr Ero f,..ftf,. T,n,I1 ! 81