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Had he been a religious ion, he would have prayed that its use should never be called upon,--but he had trained himself into an attitude of such cos of life, that to him it seemed useless to pray for what did notin its truth, flashed across his brain that the force he had discovered and condensed within sht as easily destroy half the world as a nation! The fabled thunderbolts of Jove were child's play co, thimble-like cylinders which contained such terrific power!

A touch of hesitation--of pure human dread affected his nerves for the moment,--he shivered in the sultry air as with cold, and looked about hi some hidden witness of his actions There was not sodeep breath of relief The day was treading in the steps of daith the full blazonry of burning Californian sunlight, and away in the distance the ridges and peaks of distant ainst the intense blue of the sky There was great stillness everywhere,--a pause, as it seemed, in the mechanism of the universe The twitter of a bird or the cry of some wild anih accustoh with this at once"--he said, aloud--"Now that a safe place is prepared" Here he looked at his watch "In a couple of hours they will be sending up fro--Irish Jake or Manilla will be co on some trivial matter--I'd better take the opportunity of complete secrecy while I can"

For the next few minutes or so he hesitated With the sudden fancy that he had forgotten so for he scarcely knehat The contents werethem was a crumpled letter which he had received some days since from Sam Gwent He se-"I think the States will never get involved in another war, but I am fairly sure Germany will If she joins up with Russia look out for squalls In your old country, which appears to be peopled by ht in Russia, not long enough to know the ins and outs of a village, yet assuest territory in Europe, and the press is puffing up his ignorance as if it isdoer on the spot--so perhaps your stuff will coet that if you make up yourAnd many other countries besides So think it well over,--more than a hundred times! Lydia Herbert, whoht her 'ancient mariner'--that is to say, herto the wedding, including yours truly I had expected Morgana Royal to grace the function, but I hear she is quite engrossed with the decoration and furnishing of her Sicilian palace, as well as with her advising artist, a very good-looking Marquis or Marchese as he is called It is also whispered that she has invented a wonderful air-ship which has no engines, and creates its own oes! Sounds rather tall talk!--but this is an age of wonders and we never knohat next There is a new Light Ray just out which prospects for gold, oil and all ores and minerals, and finds them in a fifty-mile circuit--so probably nobody need be poor for the future When we've all gotleft to work for, I wonder what the world will be worth!"