The Argosy, March 1907 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

ey ‘4 — agg _ een “e - HIS WINGED ELEPHANT. 3 ‘ee BY HOWARD R. GARIS. — : = Professor Jonkin turns his inventive powers to uniting the little and the big, with the ae : usual outcome. ‘ Adams had heard oe | OR six months nothing from his scientific friend, Professor Jonkin. Not since the learned gentleman’s successful attempt at produ-— cing a rival to the beanstalk, associated with the fame of one Jack, had Adams received an invitation to call. ‘For all Adams was aware, Professor Jonkin might be crossing species of plants and raising rhubarb already made into pies as the stalks came from the earth, or he might be producing, by means known only to himself, some new and strange form of animal. Adams never knew where the professor would break out next. So, after half a year of silence, Ad- ams resolved, whether invited or not, to pay the professor a visit. His ring at the door’ was answered by John, the gar-— dener. 3 | “Oh, it’s‘ you, Mr. Adams, is it?” said the professor's factotum. ‘“ Well, I’m glad you’ve called. Maybe he'll come out and speak to you.” ‘“What’s the matter?” asked Adams. ‘““Matter enough,” replied John. “I haven’t laid eyes on the master for goin’ -on three months now.” “You don’t mean to say he’s disap- peared ?”’ “The next thing to it. He’s built himself a big bungalow sort of a house down at the end of the garden, and there he’s lived, night and day, for the last three months, never comin’ out once, and me passin’ in his meals through a hole cut in the door.” “ Why—why—what in the world can be the matter with him?” inquired Adams. © “Oh, he has one of them queer invent- ‘jn’ streaks on,” said the gardener, with a shake of the head. “If it wasn’t that he speaks to me now and ag’in through a hole, askin’ me to bring him somethin’ _ from the laboratory, sure I’d never know he was alive.” - come out for you. John came a little closer to Adams and whispered: ‘““T say, you don’t s’pose he’s gone and played any tricks on himself, now, do ye?” “What do you mean?” “I mean he hasn’t changed himself into some plant, or some animal, like that feller in the book ‘ Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde,’ you know. Perhaps he’s got into some new shape by mistake, and is afraid to show himself.” ‘““ Nonsense! ” exclaimed Adams, though the idea rather jolted him. “The professor is probably engaged on some dificult problem and does not like to stop experimenting until he has fin- ished. Why, look at Edison. He goes without eating for a week, I’m told, when he’s inventing.” “Maybe you're right,” agreed the gar- dener, with a sigh. “ But it’s queer he doesn’t show himself. Sometimes I’m al- most afraid to speak to him, for fear I’ll be answered by some wild beast out there.” ‘Qh, come now,” said Adams, “ you mustn’t be foolish.” ‘“ I wish you’d go out and talk to him,” went on the gardener. ‘ Maybe he'll Think of it, three months in there and never a step outside to see the sun except at night, and then he can’t see it, which isn’t what I meant to say at all.” “ Humph! It is a little queer,” com- mented Adams. “I believe I will go out and speak to the professor. If he is of- fended at being disturbed, I can make some excuse.” He walked toward the rough shed, al- most as large as a barn, where Professor Jonkin had shut himself up. As he was about to knock on the door he heard a queer buzzing sound from within. “Must be a new kind of sawmill the professor is working on,” said the visitor. “Oh, indeed, it’s nothing as simple as 9 Ss en ae Eomicbooks.com_ ee ee ge ° - * as 3 5 PP le Se . . 2 < a ~ a a ene i ain om < ae 7x a os pe Oe = Jy