The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD DELUGE. 463 gravity, as well as the atomic weight. No, dearest love, Iam as clear headed as ever I was ; I know you thought I was ill and spoke irrationally. It isa fact that everything turned round me when I realized that my experiments were ended and positively knew that everything was as I had surmised and wished. I have made the greatest discovery of the century, and all my dreams of fortune have been transmuted into fact.’’ ‘Then it is really true !’’ Erik’s wife took a long breath. ‘‘ You cannot imagine how apprehensive of evil results I was; how could I believe such a thing to be possible? It was too overwhelming. But now I am happy and contented. I have you again, Erik, and all the dark shadows have vanished. I will no longer have to go walking over the mountains alone to watch the sunset. Dear husband, you said we were to travel; yes, let us do so—I will follow you wherever you go, although I would be just as happy to remain here—here where we were so very happy. But that would be unreasonable —I will be proud and glad that I have such a celebrated man for my hus- band, and we shall always be happy, shall we not ?’’ CHAPTER III.—Tur DiscovERrY ANNOUNCED. EARLY in December Erik and his wife reached the city of Copenhagen, after he had resigned his position as chemist at the factory in Roenninghof. They had agreed to impart no information of the great discovery to any members of the family or their friends, but to make the facts public suddenly and surprise all alike. Their common sense told them that first of all they must derive some practical benefit themselves from the discovery. ‘They could not deny that when the facts were made public, gold would lose its value as a means of pay- ment, and that the discoverer as well as every one else would be the loser thereby. His gold was accepted and paper given to him in exchange at the banks, and for this Erik purchased real estate; that at least was something which was not artificial and which in spite of any financial revolution would, within certain limits, retain its value. The earth meant bread, and real meant life. The chemist, Erik Poulsen, consequently became a landed proprietor in Fuenen, owner of houses in Copenhagen and of property in foreign countries. He appointed a manager to look after all this, as well as the factory in Roen- ninghof, which he upon a sudden impulse had purchased, by securing all the shares, The manager was instructed not to mention the name of the owner, at least for the present. When Erik had thus made certain that he would not, as he expressed it, get into trouble on account of a little chloride of platinum, he considered that the time for making public announcement of his discovery had come. One day he sauntered down to his old professor’s residence—Director Dickmann of the Polytechnicum, and editor of the Danish Chemical Times. That was the man he wanted ; he had a:reputation in scientific circles. He had one grave fault, however—a predilection for clubs and a good glass of EOMIGDOOKShE