The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

464 THE GOLD DELUGE, beer. In answer to his knock an irritated voice at last called out ‘‘ Come in!” Professor Dickmann reclined on a lounge, puffing at a cigar. ‘The daily paper lay on the table, and next to that was a half empty bottle of beer. Below the lounge could be seen another ‘‘ battery ’’ of about ten full bottles of the sane beverage. When the professor heard footsteps he simply turned his head. ‘“ Oh, it’s you, Poulsen? Be so good as to take a chair,’’ he said. ‘“ Professor,’’ began Erik, without any further circumlocution, but with the respectful tone of old times, although he knew it would be only a question of saying one word to attain the popularity of ten such professors, ‘‘I have made a great discovery.”’ The answer Erik had hoped for came not ; the professor simply grunted quietly, and paid not the slightest attention to his visitor’s words. ‘‘ I have discovered how to convert base metals into gold,’’ Erik continued, laying stress on each word. A second grunt, but now sounding rather contemptuous, came from the professor, who grasped his beer glass and emptied it. He replaced the glass slowly on the table, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, murmured, ‘You don’t say so,’’ took up his daily paper and began to read. ‘' Professor, it is neither a joke nor an absurdity; I have really made that discovery,’’ exclaimed Erik, becoming excited. Oh, by the way, Poulsen,’’ replied the professor, without glancing at Erik, ‘‘ would not a glass of soda do you good? ‘There is some in the corner there ; help yourself.’’ | Hrik pretended not to have heard.. He drewa small phial from his pocket , and noisily placed it on the table before the professor. ‘‘ Do you see that ?”’ he asked. The professor quietly took the bottle, examined it, and shook its contents. ‘“ Hm, yes,’’ he remarked carelessly, ‘‘I see very well that it is amorphous gold; but you do not mean to tell me that you shook that out of an old apron ?”’ ‘“No, but from nitrate of bismuth.’’ ‘‘ Nothing else? Listen, Poulsen, I want to tell you something. You may be a very bright fellow, but if you are under the impression that I have taken any more than is good for me this morning, then you are decidedly barking up the wrong tree. Go and see my colleague Rasmussen ; he’ll swallow the tale whole.”’ The professor having thus plainly indicated his utter unbelief in his caller’s statement, lazily turned his back. Erik’s face flushed ; he was nonplussed and discomfited for a moment, and finally decided that it was superfluous to venture any additional information. ‘‘ Adieu, professor,’’ he said, smiling to himself now ; ‘‘ we will perhaps speak of the matter some other time ; then perhaps you will be less incredulous.” ‘The devil !’’ answered the professor; ‘‘ we want optical and palpable evidence in such matters.”’ : When Erik reached the street, he was irresolute as to his next step. His first thought was to call on Professor Rasmussen, but would it be to any pur- 3 ONNICLOOOLKS EO)