The Argosy, October 1906 — page 136: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= TE Ne ae there at all.” “Then as soon as I can make ar- E- rangements I shall go to America and . ~ hunt for him.” _ He shrugged his shoulders. “Took out, you, in that America. They have killed - one of our best citi- zens, M. de Watines. You look out for yourself. = I promised him to be careful, and then -went to Alexander to make arrangements _\for the care of my estate while eS gone. CHAPTER XXXVI. ANOTHER DISGUISE. Ir was spring again. The air was _balmy, the snows were melting fast, and again I stood upon the shores of Oneida Lake, whither news of my coming had preceded me. eS I had written to Josephine that I Se would appear as her cousin from Paris, come to take her home. I wrote the same to Mr. Poggitt. ; hy = I was a typical Parisian. My dis- == guise was so perfect that I felt absolute- vee ly no fear that I would be recognized. = I stood on the boat-landing at Constan- aa tia and gazed in amazement at French- _ xs man’s Island. : ae A high, tight fence surrounded it. 32 Smoke-stacks and roofs could be seen, =e and at the western end a great dome up- ~~ reared itself. The dome seemed to be = made of glass, so I supposed Mr. Pog- -——s git was putting on some of the last fine touches to his machine. ee The ice had gone from the lake, and _ boats were running. I hired a boy to ~ take me over to the island. a eo ~ “ He won't let you in,’ remarked my Zs youthful boatman. : 7 “Who will not?” — .- The loon—old Poggitt. He’s what 4 they call dippy. I don’t know what he’s doing. There was a man killed there = last October.” , “Indeed,” I said as we set out. ae - Poggitt kill him?” = “Naw, a young feller. He’s dead, too. Got drownded out to sea.’ — step on, a foot or two running outside Mr. Poggitt’s fence, and knocked on the gate. A workman opened it. £ “Did I stepped ashore on what was. left to THE. ARGOSY, Be ee See = == Take my card to the inventor, Mr. Poggitt,” I requested. a Mr. Poggitt’s face was somewhat ‘flushed as he received me, but he bore_ himself well. -“M. La Tour, I am pleased to see you,” he said. ‘I understand you are interested in aerial navigation.” ‘To a considerable extent,” I replied. “TI have heard of your new system and permitted myself to believe you would show me what you intend to do.’s “Certainly. Come with me.” We went into the glass-roofed room, the workmen gazing in astonishment at the only eS who had been admit- — ted. s _ Here was “indeed. an _air-ship. . Whether it would fly or not, I could not ‘tell. It was made to be raised and held in the air by a cigar-shaped contrivance of very thin aluminum. “There is a specimen of the material, x said Mr. Poggitt, handing me a piece about a foot square. = It was thin and seemed to have ees lutely no weight in my hand. Besides the balloon part there were wings and a steering apparatus, and near- by stood the car itself, in which three or four persons could ride with comfort. “There is,” said Mr. Poggitt, “ noth- ing mysterious or secret in the merely mechanical contrivance. I have discov- ered, however, a gas that can be manu- factured very cheaply, of such wonderful lifting power that this machine is but a plaything to it. The secret which I — have maintained is the manufacture of this gas. I shall try the balloon soon. I invite you to enjoy a trip with me.” “I accept with pleasure,” I said. In that way.we kept up the semblance of being strangers, but there was a tremor in Mr. Poggitt’s voice. From the glass room we went to the house, where we had a regular old-time talk. To repeat it would be to repeat weak I have written here.- The same boy rowed me back to. Cons stantia, and I hired a rig and had the = boy drive me to see Josephine. It goes — withou Saying that she was glad to see mes — Ss alked long and earnestly about. the ee s I had laid, and the estate, and — I -pronesed to come and take her for a sail on the lake the following fey z ea =