The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

‘THE HERO. . 541 parvula, and the baronet with him. With much difficulty I prevailed on them to follow me. When they saw the building, their astonishment and delight knew no bounds. Uncle tore a page out of his note book, and wrote: ‘““My dear Gertrude, you are the first to discover a selenic monument, and thus to place beyond the shadow of a doubt the fact that the Moon has been inhabited. It is a more important discovery than any archeology has nade in our days.’ ‘‘T did not understand very well at first why the discovery was thus im- portant. But when I had thought about it, whilst Sir Bucephalus and uncle examined the mural decorations, I saw that such a monument must have been the work, not only of intelligent beings, but also of beings who had arrived at a high degree of civilization. ‘For just as you said, speaking of the Pyramids, the very cutting and lifting of such gigantic stones is evidence that the workmen must have had a profound knowledge of mathematics and the allied sciences. So now a doubt- ful matter is cleared up for us all. The dead Moon was inhabited, and the inhabitants must have been experienced architects and engineers. What a privilege, dear papa, to have been the instrument of such a grand discovery ! ‘(On our return to the observatory uncle lost his high spirits. When he came to examine his Brieta parvula under the microscope, it turned out to be identical with a terrestrial plant whose name I forget, but which is most common in polar regions; and this is, moreover, only a stunted specimen of the kind. Poor uncle is dreadfully disappointed. “Tt was in vain that I tried to console him by telling him that, at all events, it was the sole vegetable left upon the Moon. He answered that nothing but an absolutely new species would be accepted in the way of proof by terrestrial botanists; that they would look with suspicion on the origin of the Brieta, and say that we had brought it here with our mountain. Uncle believes his colleagues capable of anything in order to decry original work.’’ A. Laurie. (TO BE CONTINUED. ) THE HERO. A Ball Room Batliad. Her looked so handsome, proud, and brave As he stood there, straight and tall, With his steadfast eyes so gray, so grave, The beau of the Hunt Club ball. Ah me! Full many a white breast sighed _ For the favor in his hand— For the love of heart so true, so tried, For life—you understand. He looked a hero—he was more, A martyr, too, perchance, For he went to the oldest girl on the floor And led her out to dance. COnnicloooks.€