The Signal, 1910-12-1, Page 1010 THCit wAV. i►Itc'titusil 1,' 1910'
THE SIGNAL : GOTbERTUH. ONTA RIO
E. STO&Y 'tc;/*
By Luke Thrice
A Itnry' rhp?' •Ifrta•'/, .ppall 1) 00 ".."10 rat'.4
110d un•mpht. 01.10/ fat skill Au Late, 7 hri to ll•r
"paltry ltnyur" arrira artiltre e►peeiallgt 11r 11ir1!
Pagel.
ft•,rn.•'eh. 1910. ,ar Ihr i.. Y .K rbn:d On All r ab•.'ra.rvM
AXTIIN," said the master sternly, "don't
CG(hely 1t. You're Mowry and 1.•a nest
sI
1:11 e.
The visitor ru`d.w1 -hi+ chin with drpre-
cnting gesture and an une►A), smile as he
moved bark oui of the sweep of the billiard,. table
lights. "Ali right, all 111;11t, I won', " be mumbled.
Hun it stented over. d-agg'ng his rue. Anil studied'
lho "S,imewhnt rnutpled met disordered figure pre -
seated by Ute guest, so different from the sleekly
pr,sperouc• npp N rilire a 1144 Was 0rdinaelly his.
"Where_ou enroll have you leen the last two week.,
told whirs arcing with }••u'':_lw APmsnelet shary,ly.
t.on, Birch." protested Laxton. "The throe
men,1 hired to cut my ennp'nr cin'' %Pen 10 get
Ib"rnlgh. for all their working on day and eight
obit's. Au.l 1 forgot the Icy- word% to my fngrtern
rife r1r1,n.1t t-au;t..'!
• )-nu're brnk*.." Paid the rn:lster
f1..w'41 y.•n gtu•ss It':"'ariunrd the other .
ldun•h et:lope► Ills -lan.lr and tris, the-J1piteoe,
rhatie1t nnlseicssly tut.• view Woe a..nsat' demon fry
0 trap. ".'i1..• Id m." meial the nlnatv•r. neelrltn: at hat.
• to•1, :'itioril•m'I Lriitt-him Irt•k (yarn nntl: he's pros n•-
eble- bath. Anthea a fel fowl - ender:; roar'" Ota
.s Lite 1. 1 4 11011 [10111.1 11:11-.• rl•tueert.
''1 (11111'1 cnnle'f,.r a Ila 11110111,” he began.
• What's -that st..41,144,4 the moister Ktiarply.''.'1:,Ti'vo.
got straw In your'hair. 61e1•+n.•k at those shries"'
• t came to tet( cunt wnnethinS:' s fal !Axton.
wl i et1ly finishing "his remark. (til •i hail 4lim by
the ann with n gentle. sleoltie nt grip and Ito sur-
/
reeulered. The two disoppear.•d into the enter nt,thie
• nniont-filic elevator nod nureh resumed 111'; unlet: sk1l-
- rairmnntontatinn of the Ivories.:
Established 1n the roof nrlo,r 1 to the evening
' o•:,11 the master opposite In -tan( silence, lapped
in the a"ruilire comfort. Mfee more, a g!owtne Corona-}
I l.•ti het w .ren his Lor+.i,a •ane, Inxnrland, 'sighing con.
baler ly•"j:1401'0.• n tl•L-ia." .he remarked, pr,)"
foundlcryiT w•.• di,fu't :' ,e other entre Mott'while we,
wmitt11n't npprerlate this.
les a yarn lwarly strong:tough (iv line up wills
yoar o1cn:" w -as l.oxion's expansl.ve introduction.
!'tyro. with li nl.prnar11:11.1.' slyuevs, he added! --"How
tr,nld It srrlke you toonake g1eld, d'ye Aar? Heaps of
goI41. 1. Pour fn rx•ks et one end and ph'4 out ynnr
nt'i:geto ray the fistful at the other. How doe+ that
listen?" -
'i he master smiled. "Whiter nut of your line, lan't
1,r be esker'. "ITnve you boon going In for alchemy?"
"That'+ It." Mold !Axton readily: ";hat's just what I
alive been dndng. -It': a gond ,graft. almnat. It begins
111.. Ode- -
type following the postman down --th street
1e, for West two fi giros on his hat 'delivery. nn the
. 'entre he mlglit.lenve something to a front door box
ter behind n bngcinentgrntr--. 1. got two letters and
ipoilged 1'1•ut quick with alcohol. bet there wasn't se,
mneh n. n postage stomp inside. Then he shoved 0110
fhmngh the grating at it r'gnlntion Irrowt, Stolle ntld
nnl,ndy nn.werd the ieli. The brown stone wan
lirarded up, malt enlranre and wled0w., but there
were signs of life in the basement. I was ready to ad.
fell the Tetter we,: prnhildy for the caretaker, n touch
from the old country like ns not, but I went after It.
It wax typewritten, and nd trrs,:e4 to 'Prnfeesur Max
.11'r'sknmp; at the, number.
The Long Haired One.
', me:lilted the, Ie114.r, hilt could see no (-heel: or at.y-
1,.1,,e of filo 1.1n1. 1 y finejnst 0110111 10 tnsa It bark
1111'(. thrnngli the thin paper of the envelope. mndo
tnneparenl by the nlrnhcl• 1 eats l t name qt,e words.
S»mething nhnut geld. 'shlpmenta of para shot 1 reach
•r -will
, lila. IM
fed >,
1
o IC
-s 1c n
.-• pelt' 11
ar'1:
Il
1 I
v.'r r. h supply
be ferthrnnting immediately for Pxix•n.tlim.' 1 hnven't
an; the phreeee pat. hitt 1t was :demi like Hot. The
1►nelmark ten+ city.
";fell. other people's rorreapnndence never held the;
tait:' on me, enpeelafly when (1 gave off the Mounting
Ise fume of money. 1 opined the letter, stuffed the
. n( elope In my pocket end ptnrtod to improve my
mind when the hnn.inent drew came open and A
yoLug 'chap ts4111 n pale fere and long hair eyed (00
film behind the gate. /
' 'iiia you ring''' he said. lnolaug r'.t•ry e,1 at the
f )l ted short of paper In my hand. -
i
1% (1.1 .ingt nbosht If. n1,011siee'fnr my rnistake and
11 on the wing when- booked over my Mumbler
int %{rotted n cop f raft tile- tYgineentlrpreclnet str'nll
hog nlnug the lo - re side .f the alreet and miring
111•.1 In Wtr.11reetlors. I lit vrr Imus any ore for nuv-
Irod.y-frons the I.:ig1111pulhs since 1110 MPdeorthy nffnIt-.
e i that parilculnr top had a raiment. look abort bpm.
1 r11nee the tounk+(hap vi 1111011 a wink.
'•Why, yes,' 1 Maid. tinting airend.. notedthat the
.a name, hognus with n repetition of OW " 1'rofeseor 4
ne .us' nhrl ad,iress before the, 'Dear Mr.' 'Thr fact la'
1 r..111o4 oil glibly, '1 just picked this up tut the mud
ti:ar the I;raud 1'erstrfil after n trolley ranunol a
Uu' pd Slates 'molt wagon and cut up son:o of tis.•
054 1.s. 1 thought I'd bring it around.' -
-it es. a flabby tale met I dtdn't tell 11 well. ha.-
tag an iye 011 tbe'utton• ncrntlm the way. Itut 1 heal
nothing not the young rhnp for nervy. w11011 he got n
nearer perp at 140 1..1 ler. Ile tusrued from pale to the
.t.,^ ion see on the muter side of n flounder. ,
.• 10 Ill r r you rani tt'% he at:rttiniered.
to be gnite tree's, 1 hive.' 1 rept-le.l Inking
the Hut from hip's, ar,- 1 fill. And .11104411 leto,,one
mar* Mlle fib for the sake of consistency. 1 *Ink
real,' for a yell and a scramble, liming the distance
Mil of the yard and down to.ebe , when the
gale gate way- underneath my hand And 1 almost
fel, into the areaway and the arms of the young cheep.
t wan turning et my hip pocket and holding Mw off
when by npsaed olw inside door and waved for me to
;flet,
'''Qooee.' bP aald; and h.eaase the cop was wotelt-
flag the tableau With unpleasant tatarest i came, a
good deal ttlpbtesN, sad wooden°. what the tap*
imp. 1 Mewed Ms tate the basement ares MA&
at
ALCti E N1IS T
anti when In. asked ole for the letter l let him have it
like a lamb. He read It through, then turned to me.
1 was getllug bulk my Wind by this time. for he
looked !wetly soft end not at all like a lad who knew
he'd got the drop, •
"'flow much d.i you want?' he naked Just like
the'. Mentally I WWI staggering fur the nearest
1111110 plf.t. 1, hadn't more than a .hnd,twy tip oil what
1 wan expected to knoll', NO how could 1 put n p•rlce
on 1t? But from the few 'Messes and hie own actions
1 was reasonably sure that 11 wan 'tormenting on the
crook. no i phMMrl a hnrd face.
"'You've got to count 'me In, thrll'e my price,' I
enewersl, r,s,l n. A contptea$. lie regarded me fear-
fully, but 1 o'aorved nn Immedlete wynlptum+ of a fit,
such ma 1 half expected.
"Thep; a a lig eomu,isalon,' he said; 'the Protease"
will have to be conceited.'
• just on the Verge.
"•%V.H., It's n big thing, and I think 1 could likely
be neeful,' 1 -rapped back. 1 wee pushing the thing
for fill it was worth now.
"The young chap appeared greatly' agitated, par -
In bark and forth with hie. heeds gripped behind
Is n. He beaked like n elan who'd seen more of bugs
and Art4.111101 through a nifernticnls• tllnn he had of
people through him two .'yea. Thts b. most annoying,
mom' suni•yiug,' he kept murmuring. 'Just vie we are
os tie verge of the great Fent; but why nett.? Ile
threw him firms' wide.- 'Why not? There will be
enough for all, old if the alarm were given suer It
would 1e fetnL,-fntnlr
"'Yell bet It would.' I put In cheerfully, to help
hien• njoiCg. 1 rnudn't quite make film out. and T
Net -him down an aomethlug of a nng i)liuself. But
jou never ,.an tell whmt an mmottenr will do, and title
lad ward a •t log like n ti edieal student. .'aught In hie first
body .notrhing plan. He Mopped In front of 1118.
"'1 happen to know that the Professor needo the
all of another poet nt presetit; he mall. '1'm Ma only
Helper a1 this end. He blight nae yon snrnewhere.'
'"Not nt Denver.' I anewereal boldly. •
'•'No 1►enver in attended tn.' he .Md. with a
`queer gime.. -'Yalu would dove to he omit dMrn'et,'
he lidded -
'• "rtier1 my lruslneaa; I, told btu pretty truth-
fully.
" "rhe Professor is 111 ti,, sttitra.' toe w.'111 on. 'He.
ran Poe no oil' putt Inyaelf. Remain here while 1
11 (1)1iut Idol with rite atruage chant.' Inst ' luta
tlmowl% you Into Ih1r affair. i fro --1 fear the remelt
in Illy 1remerlt .•olldi(1,.t, • And he went out, shaking
ht. head sod leavIng me alone in the dining room.
"1 mull have seen him bask more willingly If, ho
lint left Itint confounded letter Iwldml, but 1
despnh•he" myself is.. a flying squadron on an ex-
pinratl.n of the ground floor. looping to get s line on
• the game. 'flee dining roma wee dungy, frowsy and
pinlnly fittnlatied. One corner of the kitchen was Just
a Inasy 1111.'r of greaey pante, broken victuals and
unwaelted mtrn.hIi. in the other stood is meke,hlft
laboratory tilde, healed with queer, Mutated bottles,
glwea pipeline systems; -salt meridiem, like ttwtllpw. It
wan all a perste to me 1111 I dragged out three *ware
woodeu ieag.•r from ulster taw bible.
"Theo 1 wan hep.. They were !lett filled with llttlo
Y•emetal.petese lump+ of metal. some emitted. 0 0.1:11
h
ebitry, yt•llowlmh •,urfa, re,. Iron h:.-1tem. I knew nil
als1111 '1'rufeasor 1''enkauyi without 'pilot; tiny Ne-
ther, 1 hrlraal '.t1' N'Iae 0414.0 011 . 1arletinl aids
usual 'sweating' pro•paa. 11,• II0141 pvrh.a 1n a fake
combined meeker and compressor of M own IPvit.,
conInialug o 1114deo interior errangemenl for drib.
tiling 11 stream of pure gold. The moans Pew the
pyrites goite...aml the gold cath*. oat. it cont them
$rnl,an) 1,r dlsr•oter that the pyrites had no connection
with the gold. '
"It all titled as mall► as the part. of a jigsaw.
The '1'r feaaol' had taken a small bonne for hie
plant and had caught one sob fall any with a
ts.►dern vet'alrro of the eletemlal racket. The letter
i had opened was from tae vipUu. @thitpalsaa of
lata Deaver ts Barb erg I -sou jr moot
1e hal will Ne ktbttl iso,
etnee ass was the phloem I lend. '!►111 1e
"I've been bit, badly bit on this gate' Tbefore.
tortIi'upliug immediately for expenses.'
' "1 had counted myself in at the right moment, just
before the big bent Was to be made. Evidently the
letter 1 wan supposed to have read gave away the
whole game. As for the other hate, about the ship-
ments. and 'feeding the supply slowly,' they Meowed
how thoroughly the comeon had been tnught the
usual patter. 1 remembered how careful 'Al' Wise
bad been to exple'n to the 'ayndfnte' he milkers thnt
they must not fined the gold !market all at once, and
tont they must feed their product by degrees from
note natural point, so that instant pante and Inves-
tigation would not occur.
Springing the Trigger.
"I was waiting for the young chap with a broad
grin when he came downstairs again. 'Well?' I
netted. 'I►Peialonr -
"H. w dWTierI t me, but I was on both feet with
him now. 'If the Professor had only been nble to con-
front you hltn.+elf you wouldn't have forced yourself
so easily ml us,' he mail fiercely. Vol not capable of
handling such it thing properly myself.'
believe you. my son,' I said.. T Pound well
imagine -how the 't'roteasor' liked taking in another
partner at this stage Apparently be had picked this
nue on form as a harmless fool.
"'Ymt're to "stay, of cour+e; he' said. 'The ."Prs-
feenor" had a bad attack when 1 told hint. But he
i-an't stand and you've only me to deal with, so we're
practically st your mercy.' -
"I never saw anything eo refreshingly simple in
my life ea that young man. Ile was a gem. 'And
of course you can't very well call the police to throw
me out,' 1 suggested.
"He gave a gesture of assent 'You'll gal your
Muir** be amid.
• 'Thanks I'll see to that,' I told him: 'Now
where's the machine?'
"'in the cellar.'
"'And when do we spring the trigger?'
"'flub?'
• 'When does the Mg show open•; when do wees-
hl hltr
"'oh, the demonstration la this evening.. You
mull hero seen that in the letter. Mr. Savage said
he wcmld. ter hpr,. die Maenad come any minute ..ow.'
age was clearly the writer of lee lettef.
'"Ilasn't he wren It before?' I ventured.
''No. Ile was anxlonl enough, but our results
would not have convinced Mm. Everything le work-
ing perfn'tly at prevent.' He rubbed his hands, an
ex,•iied as n child over, the prospect. I felt relieved.
At least, no payments had yet been made.
"'Is he Join* to fork over to -night?' I Asked.
•"If he M aarlafiel he will give us .$10.000 to go
Ahead wltb-expenses for further work'-- A
JA gling of the baermeot tell interrupted him. "rhere
he 1s now,' he cried, and tushed to open. -
' It wily twilight In the dining room, and' I could
make little 0f Mr. Savage when he was uabeted lu.
He wan to little, stout malt and seemed all on wire..
fusing all assort:ng and btstl'ng aroma. sak:og ter
the 'Professor.' denut!ng the 'Peofeetnr' when the
young[ ohap en1,1 !ie wan 111. 'I've got Pa. iolnures, just
Are minntpo. to get throng,' with this,' be auappod.
'Hur-y up and let's get It over,
"'The yonug elup etatnmpr.d end fell e11 over him-
m.'!f. but I Maw uuw why the 't'ru'eseor' had chow•u
Wet. N., stip could 0•ni•.;'•t Knelt at, Idiot ret belug a
crook. Ilr-tinatty tmtho ed thnt Mr. Saregp !humid
Kehl hlulaelf to the cpilsr, while I should come up-
stairs seal help early down vie 'thicken •Professor.'
in
Mr agitation Ilse 1•Iuo•ent forgot to offer an ex-
p enntioe1 for my presence, which s0P1111d to bother
P(arnge, fur he kept peering at me thrn.agh the dark.
"Tee young elute ;mapped un the Ilgh;. as t fol-
lowed him up through !Ise braise, empty and bare as
a hare, to ter a.rund boor. I wee euriona shout tee
'I'r•rfeertor,' bat lee wasn't 'Al' Wiwi, me 1'11 rather
doped out. He was long and thin but white, wasted
t.o A string, lying on a cot. Only his Bereft, burning
eyes moved behind hie what tangle of hair and beard
as we lifted 4,1111 on at rtreteber. ile disin t say a
weld or rata a hand, but If he eoald bare teethed
toe with those eyes I'd never have breathed again.
'Jed. how these ayes hated mei
s careelld him down, the yam chap sad 1. t.
the cellar. The setting was more l.1 les• f: ntil:ar.
The two gas Jets 'showed o tinge u1.'e1 (mite .•cupving
most of the goitre under the kltell,tl. Heavy c e'tr e
rabies .'onnect.sI with It ihr. high n switchhuard, anti
thick steel band+ operated with worm nn't screw :per.
on both sides to deprpua n horhuni111 lid. now raimel
un slides, .1 draining funnel over a fixed metal basin
net•apled Imo pilot. n nmusive, cy-iln.l.•rlikc arrnngenlPnt
the other. It wag fi good plant, wtmr•ehin; like 1�'Ime'm,
•
- The Mysterious Cube.
"Savage was fuming and fretting around as we
plaeei the 'I'rolpss.,r'u stretcher Orangeade the era-
ehhw. He came running up to (he ,white. old man,
and. then, for the first time. i got n felsh of him fare.
The next instant I ducked around to the other side of
the cube, making toward the tear shire thnt led up
into the kltehen. The `I'rofeoeor' •had hooked n p'or
victim. Savage was one of the 'Syndleate' thnt 'Ai'
WIMP had plucked the time I helped him. I hoped 11P
indn't seen me. I rather think he did, but he began
to talk nen-mealy with the 'professor: and 1 sneaked
away.
"As i got to the Madre the young chap came dawn,
enrryhlg the bezel,' of pyrites and nn armful of little
ilnks1 Id bottles. ifP .Pt the pyrites sites nate but under
the dlrertlon of the'Professor,' 11 1111 while Savage
fussed and pried around, sticking his heed ander the
lid to feel and wateh, he began to pour various ingredi.
este Into the crucible from' the top of the cutoff. I didn't
follow very closely-. 1 waft busy stealing up the rear
minim to make my getaway. When the Young chap
had flnishevl Savage went hock and tent Ater the pros-
trate, motIonleatt figure oil the stretcher. I' eanght
nothing from the mumble of their eonversntinn.. fine-
age ward •ttettltng more stmt m010 exelted-1 thought I
knew why jprktng and twitching and mopping his
round, red face. I ernuchel nt the top of the stairs
to see the last of It. The young chap, at a sign from
the 'Professor,' crooned to the switchboard and threw
several handler. Presently a dull. red glow grew In-
side the rube, and a low, humming note. of motors
arose.
'The three watc•iled in silence, bruken only by Say.
age's shuffling and rtsidg excitement, until the intense
glow flooded the cellar. Then the 'Professor; a weird,
gaunt, uaeartbly figure, In the strange light, suddenly
related himself to a sitting pcs.ture, hp+ tierce eyes
gleaming with it fire of their own. Ife spoke with
difficulty. ■lowly and hollowly. It was either great
acting or he wee a tough old bey to go on with his
game In much a condltloe. .
"'Mr. Sather,' he said, 'you are privileged to be
present at a demonstratiob of an invention that can
Soso mpllah all things. There is power In that cube
to crush natlone, uproot and destroy the Pcg 10'We and
industrial fabric of the world.' If used sparingly it
can give one man or any grolij, of men compete Plas-
tery of the bonen race: It can produce, wlttwut tlmlt,
the recognized standard of wealth.' He reached under
his cover; nod drew out n long, slender, rryrts! phial
with a 'sliver top, partly filled with a sparkling purple
fluid. 'Here,' he said, lmpreseively, but Pimply, 'Is the
vital mnhitats•e. the secret of my dlia•overy, kamplum,
the properties of which are beyond my own definition
except that It w111 accomplish what men have sought
lit vain to accomplish thruttghoat the age., the refin-
ing of the hamar metals Into gold.'
• "ilia voice was like a bane viol airing, gently snag
by the how. 1 wax on to hie. but 140 had tt/a bypnu-
tttted. I didn't ease if 1 never inade my getaway.
'1'he '1'rnfeweor' had Wke backed off the &lard for
linitis and merited. The young chap was charmed to
Mine, mouth open. It I.eearml to me how that he
probably believed every word of it. The 'Proteases'
would be Just wily enough to have such an assistant.
iMyngp was in a distrestitog plight, • ills eclat was
flying open. He was working hie hupdketrb:Pt over-
time.
vertime. His little, pig epee were eetsflth a gleamy stare
in his flustered. shiny lace. lfer kept Jigging arovod
on him heel's, fairly buretin'g with emotion, holding
himself In check only, Art the physeal contortions M
went through wig" Rage, the appetite of a vastly
lustful soul feer,'teroctees,actabWvessee. were tear-
ing at his vitals.
"'My dleeov.ry of kamplem was partly aecfdestel,
partly the result of • iitslaIns of NNW rimmed the
'Profranor.' '1 have produced, anally, about en none..
of It, sufficient, roughly, to uwuufactUre sixteen tons
of !Sure gold. from twenty tuna of the compound which
you have, aryl. fused In the crucible. Thal compound,
eonalytlug or certain cheap sod arallable metals,
costa less Than $.5e1 a ton.
The Lure of Uold.
"'There la nu need to go tutu the chCtulcal or bell -
Meal aspe•ts of the proves... You can readily verify
all the Atalenleltm 1 make. You have watched toy
moisten( place the prrllu.luary material li thq cub..
Ile will Ilett lower the 111 and subject the tn"Ibi,
mass to a considerable pressure. Then, by tise plunger
device at the end. also my own Inventiuu, hr will
fore*. a tiny drop of kamplum into the crucible. '1'lle
result will be at 'Combination and disintegration of the
el..ueuts ll. ilk masa wbleb I remain p,werteee to
ortalyae. A terrific eouvulslon will take ploy. %'Rhin
the steel cube, wtleh Is eunatrtlt•ted to withstand
enortuoua slralu'fromt the released games. After the
subsidence of the miniature upheave+ the opening of
■ eougaex valve sill allow pure, molten gold to dun,
Into flint buslu, In a pr,portluu, as I have said, of
about four parts to five of the base metals.'
"1 thought Savage w.,uld fly apart. The fut. fie+by
little Ivan raised a baud to Ms 'mouth, and i sew the -
teeth static lute, the wrist as be made 0110 ua-.re deeper,
ate sod succeesrul effort to hull himself in cheek.
epetc pblul' .nuttuued the 'Professor's' ,•t0 -e,1, -
uiusl, al lulce. 'contain, all the kamplum 1e, .tutee,.,•,
It is, lwyund n doubt, the most learnt stettance
ensue 11, enolate, img forces a tM,uaand dune more won-
dPrfulta_nd strange than those rt radium. Ile a -lints,-
nu the tuettili, UI eonJuncllou with tlse presents", and A
rsp1i. vibratory movement i,t the 1011++, Mane.•,1 by
the motors, le to readjust the urrungemeet or the -
molecule* to that of gold.
"Iffyoti'n Wart 1n lid* experiment is ttencrt"rite
to In• 1119(14' re,+y. l am all mad man. I hate, spent my
hat penny 1e, . t Ile researches of tlfty years, 1
eicodutely proved the theory and tweet ice .4 atehenly.
.l have .l.i by the penunl. Rut l tun nt he n
of my rrsLundoue e 1
+.-tlth.•rs, the drat int *h..m wilteterd
you. yl r. ti11.1n0', must unw C h. my aid it lite
•work 1, to go me 1 hate earned my reward. -
•• •!Theis 1 .11�1ve alltlstlel. y'on 1'alwll expect llls•r,tt
ady+u„•rs 1 'r the a y.slr'Ic;ioh of a new %ltd !asp. r
ill s hie•. I'r,u. tis.• tint prallI 1,a of that uwcl.'.ne l
Shull n.',pllrr real pru.I„'rty t" an exti•at Ihat will fel•
sure nu•'-Intur' anal pl -:.ty for the rest or my (lays.
I Insist upon this as n" si.f.„aurd, f•.r the hells• rine
inntr u,••..f the 111.ehootl w 1 111 !nuke the I"'-4u'ss12,u..
of owl,. toy wereth nee:.'mrd. Atter that you matt
int.• fel ,,,,stmt 11'.proceed':44 pet MC Olt t •h:lll
fure••r agree I•• furnlsti_yua with the formula for
ktatlt{.i,llll. w 11101 tt 111 reiaole g11 Iletin• to your :..
((.1. If 1 ‘v:175"...
'rr you tiger 1 wound nut tri ingnish t?t,
eonnn:tml, I1nc•• niy iucentton held colt the Ins'. o}
power to.use.- teiyter satl'lt.0 het tireaat,_•,f Tauter!a:ll_-.
no -mad c,+Inn ..f tyorlal empire ever" appn'm•h.d.
\.•w 1 am 'old. t::1eine eotatort and. rest. 'Phot is
alt 1 seek.'
"IHP was mega:ft•.'ut, the old 'Pr,,fesanr.' as he
Ptreleh st out his 11.1;1, we,+ted arm atld'hela idle WA!
Luv. :Irl the y0,1 hg 1.:141 11. 'Take 11, William. nod •,r,•
rw•al will, 1111' ,I an'.usfrltlou.- ATatert 'ciivw•;y, tl
Saysgt' that 'yotr moy ngderetnn4 the, sleuili. lioP,:
tee lirst step in tht.evolution wide!' I+ to make y,n
a de.11lionnalre'
"The young diem romtnc mit of fila trenee with is
start. rem -heti for tis. bi: of ••ryslnl. with Its lann!n'.ito"
purple Held. 11e had almost tolst•he.l It when Say:t_
tinnily broke from his retires -den with a se ream wit
hurled himself a••rna+ the +purr. snat'•t,Ir Ilya {.hist
from the 't'rofe+mor'; (remhtln0 b:uut. 1'hc n•mel
till) of a man, +wolleu by pa- :..Is, s:wklhg 111,:,',try,
tells fearo•i:ue sight ltd the bettlall ref ghee ••'+f •!n- .
rrnc Ii.I•.
'••n;:tv It to me.' he ,phed, s.•:I reale, old., to f •rte..
the /.1 111:11/1141 P."ands that forced from Ills throat
•t'rlrnir.al' Murderer' Ilow• r n :4 11111❑ do ••11,•h
lhIi. s. any ,1.,•11 things': I•n , alum. donee, 1
couId.,•law, tirn',I, -you old Impostor, you tnoetal.'r..
•"1'l,.' 'Protersur' awl \t lll:ntu held met;..hlesta with
terror le -fore this f ighthll, Inenn.' oatiom-rt. - Xe,: g".
trnnspo.r)e1; retool up nm! down before thein, shekel,: --
the phial above lit. 'tail. -
The Great Bleat.
"'1 know you.' he eereetneal. henping toward the
l'rnf, ssur' as If to crush nim. 'G1 c lawn Wt. 1.:1d:y
bit, on. lhjs gamy before. 110 you audrr.land: 1.
Morris -Savage,- ens (drake(' .e. 1k. you see w hot'+ `
going to hnppen to you now? And you alt there awl
'min your maddening atnry of wealth: tempting Ir„•1e,
aplte of myself, uttering much damning blasphemies,
to toy -me:'
"The man was essentially 11abaluneeed coneerulm
money. The, 'I'r,fes+or's' !Whelan.. of riches shoat
leynnd conception hod turned hits Into n ray --
maula '
sacrflege,' hP PhOrmed. 'ITldenu+ g. h•¢e.
1�'lth your furnace and your kartdpinnl and r,.er
lure of gold. 1'vP PfePu al, heart It, alt Is't,.r.'. 1
limpet you might turn out to Ise Wise. the matt who.
robbed Inc before. You're worse, much, wire,•.'. Itnt
I've got you, 1 hold y'on..40 you hear?'
, ( + 'the
t n
"The 'Pen IPPM)r' penstrap
w .1 1
gasp.
phial” he hundertrl, with sudden .trength; 'gIt, 155'
phial:' II. .ramped at It Impotently and a:llagc
spun ewny,
The phial." mocked the little man In another
opnatn, 'ask Inc police for your notal -your woh,lcrful
phial" He thrust a hand into a pocket. enstetted eat
a whistle, anal, thrusting it between his 1:pa, sounded
a long, shrill blast. 'To hell with your eider,he
shouted. And, still lashed by madness, he flung up 411
ae, and sent ttsu liegebit of crystal hurtling into •
the ret maw ut the rntclble .
'•'fisc world vanished In 0110 vast purple flare. .1 .
mighty blast stntek up through the night and 1 knew
nor mOtT, -
"When i got A line on things again 11 was lying In a
rustle of debris at the further end of the yard. with•
men calling and trampling about me. A cold shod:
of water aroused inc. and i crawled palntully to the
open, The 'Professor's' house was a mass of flames.
Firemen bad torn down fences and dragged in llttem
of hose from the rear, fighting hiupelPti,aty-aitaln.t tbt-
blaee, Under covet of their work I got awry through
it gap they had made and found myself finally In the
yard of a stable at the ,other aide of the block, 1
crept la and up to the hay loft. And there I've
stayed .Inre, lying low and sponging off the stable-
man's larder when he was away until I Judged it safe
to come out."
The master, hlddeu,:benlpd a Yell of cigar smoke,
made no e)moent and a pause hung between them.
"You might'tell me what the papers matte of the
thio.," sugg,ntecl t,axton
"A tare, eauited by a mysterious explosion, de-
.troyod a house where the pollee were shout to rim
duet a raid, supposedly upon counterfeiters," said
the master..
"Atty.-bodies?" anted Laxton. •
"Three" •
Again the pause bung between them. Burch broker .'.
1t thin time.
"Were you burl?"
"Not mueh.' griped Laxton. "But Illy, dkt /MI
rapr spp the efLe(tn of a scattering charge of nu••k
idiot. flied IMO a man? That's what my hack looked
tike, pitted and ru'ppored all over. 1 baths great flute
dating out the pieces."
What were theye'
"And that's a funny thing• too," aaM. Laxton.
"Most of them were Alta of the Iron pyrltPu. The
bleat must have scooped Mewl." and np before 11
struck me, driving the cobtenta of the poxes lfteJlall."
'Did you save any?"
"Sure: kept them for souvenirs of the 'Professor "-
Great old boy, the 'Prof.'" Laxton fumbled In him
twat and drew out three little cruatad pallets, which.
be handed to the master. Bareb eaaattaed them care -
full thea shot a twinkling dash at the visitor.
Kau can fly tba answer, Lats.." 1M mad. "1
tfaaa--are pare paid"
And whoa Lanese had beef revavod W Ota 11
b uw t tis Ilttll* they '►midst h.
el
•t
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