{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_74988/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_74988","id":"gutenberg_74988","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74988","summary":null,"tags":["Category: American Literature","Category: Novels","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Romance","Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy","Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction","Science fiction"],"text":"THE TUNNEL THRU THE AIR\n  _or_\n  LOOKING BACK FROM 1940\n\n  BY\n\n  W.D. GANN\n\n  _Author of \"Truth of the Stock Tape\" and\n  \"Speculation a Profitable Profession\"_\n\n\n  FINANCIAL GUARDIAN PUBLISHING CO.\n\n  80 WALL STREET, NEW YORK\n\n\n\n\n  Copyright, 1927\n  By W.D. GANN\n\n  _All Rights Reserved_\n\n  _Including that of translation into foreign languages,\n  moving pictures and drama_\n\n\n  _Printed in the United States of America_\n\n\n\n\n  DEDICATED\n\n  TO THE MEMORY OF MY MOTHER\n\n  SUSAN R. GANN\n\n  AND\n\n  TO AN OLD SCHOOLMATE IN TEXAS\n\n  MY NATIVE STATE\n\n\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n \"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth\n understanding.\"--_Proverbs._\n\n\nA book, to be worth reading, must do more than amuse and interest. It\nmust be instructive to be of real value to the reader. This book has a\nthree-fold purpose:\n\nFirst, It is an interesting romance.\n\nSecond, It teaches a moral lesson and proves the natural laws laid down\nin the Bible.\n\nThird, It shows the value of science, foreknowledge and preparedness.\n\nIt has been well said that truth is stranger than fiction. This story\nis founded on facts and events, many of which have happened or will\nhappen in the future.\n\nThe \"Tunnel Thru the Air\" is mysterious and contains a valuable secret,\nclothed in veiled language. Some will find it the first time they read\nit, others will see it in the second reading, but the greatest number\nwill find the hidden secret when they read it the third time.\n\nYou will read it the first time because you are interested in the love\nstory and for amusement. This will create a desire to read it a second\ntime for instruction and knowledge. The second reading will unfold some\nof the hidden meanings and you will gain knowledge thru understanding\nwhich will stimulate an incentive to put knowledge gained into action.\nYou will read it the third time because you want to make your dreams\nand ideals become real and find how to start knowledge into action.\n\nWhen you read it the third time, a new light will dawn. You will find\nthe hidden secret, the veiled meaning and will understand why the Bible\nsays, \"Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.\"\nYou will want to understand more about the Bible. Then read the Bible\nthree times and you will know why it is the greatest book ever written.\nIt contains the key to the process by which you may know all there is\nto know and get all that you need to supply your demands and desires.\nYou will appreciate why Solomon said, \"Wisdom is the principal thing:\ntherefore get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding.\" The\nfuture will become an open book. You will know that by following the\nlaws laid down in the Bible, man's last great enemy, Death, will be\novercome and will understand why Jesus rose on the third day and rested\non the seventh day. Robert Gordon's seven days will no longer be a\nmystery because you will have gained understanding.\n\nI believe this book will prove interesting and valuable to men and\nwomen in all walks of life. If it does, you will be thankful to the\npower that guided my hand in showing you the way to eternal Truth. My\nobject will have been accomplished and I will have my reward.\n\n  W.D. Gann.\n\n  May 9, 1927.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TUNNEL THRU THE AIR\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\n\nIn the extreme northeastern corner of the Lone Star State of Texas,\nabout eight miles west of Texarkana, in a lonely farm-house on Sunday\nmorning, June 10th, Amelia Gordon turned over in her bed and watched\nthe sunlight streaming thru the window on the head of her new-born son.\nShe had always hoped that this, her third son, would be born on Sunday,\nbut he was born late Saturday night, June 9th, 1906. A few months\nbefore his birth, his mother had suffered a severe shock on account of\nthe death of her oldest son in the San Francisco earthquake in April,\nand for a time it was feared that her third son might never be born to\nlive. She was happy this Sunday morning when she looked at her bouncing\nbaby boy, dreamed of his future, and thought of what his name should be.\n\nCalvin Gordon, the baby's father, had been a Captain in the U.S. Army\nin Spain. He had won distinction for his cool courage and daring nerve,\nand after the close of the Spanish-American war, moved from Tennessee\nto Texas. Capt. Gordon had been very much depressed after the loss\nof his eldest son in the San Francisco earthquake, and was very much\ncheered up at the birth of this boy, and hoped that the youngest son\nmight fulfill the ambitions he had for his first born.\n\nIt had always been the custom of Calvin and Amelia Gordon to go to the\nlittle country church every Sunday morning, but this morning Capt.\nGordon remained with his wife so that they could talk over the naming\nof their son. Capt. Gordon suggested the name \"Robert,\" which was the\nname of his father, and his wife quickly acquiesced, so the baby was\nnamed Robert.\n\nAmelia Gordon was a great Bible student, and had always hoped that she\nwould have a son born who would be a preacher, so she thought that\nlittle Robert might fulfill her hopes and ambitions.\n\nCapt. Gordon was a farmer, growing mostly cotton crops on the Red River\nbottom lands. The following year, 1907, after the birth of little\nRobert, Capt. Gordon's crops were almost a failure. The Spring was late\nand overflows damaged cotton. This, together with unfavorable financial\nconditions, caused a panic in the United States in the Fall of 1907.\nThus the first year of the boy's life started under unfavorable\nconditions.\n\nWhen Robert was a little over two years old, his mother gave birth to\na girl, the first born to her, but still she showed great interest in\nRobert; talked much of his future and took great interest in teaching\nhim to live according to the Bible.\n\nAt about the age of five, his mother began to teach him the alphabet.\nHe learned very quickly how to read and write, before he started to\nschool. He was always willing and glad to go to Sunday School with his\nmother, took a great interest in the sermon, and what the Sunday School\nteacher had to say about the creation of the world, and about God's\ngreat plan.\n\nLittle Robert went to church one day and the preacher took his text\nfrom 1 Thes. 4:16-18, \"For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven\nwith a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of\nGod; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive\nand remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to\nmeet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.\nWherefore comfort one another with these words.\"\n\nRobert was very much interested in this sermon, and asked his mother to\nexplain how the Lord could descend from Heaven and what kind of vehicle\nwe would ride in if we were caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in\nthe air. His mind puzzled over this for weeks and months, and he was\nanxious to understand more about it. He said, \"Mother, I should like to\nmeet the Lord in the air.\"\n\nHis mother said, \"You will be able to do so some day, Bobbie.\"\n\nWhen in Sunday School one day, the teacher read from 2 Thes. 1:7-8,\n\"And to you who are troubled rest with us; when the Lord Jesus shall\nbe revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking\nvengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of\nour Lord Jesus Christ.\" The preacher said that the Lord had placed the\nrainbow in the sky as a testimony that he would never again destroy the\nworld by water, but explained that God would come again in a flame of\nfire and thus take vengeance on those who did not believe and destroy\nthe world by fire. Robert wanted to know if the good Lord who loves\nus so much would destroy the world and all of those in it. His mother\nexplained that God would destroy those that were sinners and rebelled\nagainst him and had not accepted his word.\n\nBobbie was in Sunday School again and heard them read from 1 Tim.\n2:11-14: \"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I\nsuffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but\nto be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was\nnot deceived; but the woman being deceived, was in the transgression.\"\nHe asked the Sunday School teacher to explain what this meant,--by\nlearning in silence and subjection. He also wanted an explanation of\nthe statement that a woman should not teach, because he said that his\nmother had always taught him and loved him, and his father had paid no\nattention to him and had no desire to teach him. He wanted to know if\nit was wrong for his mother to teach him, and if God would punish her.\nThe teacher replied that the Lord said, \"Suffer the little children\nto come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of\nGod.\" She explained that his mother set an example more by her love\nand devotion than by words; that a mother's actions would influence a\nchild more than anything she could say, and this was the great silent\nteaching.\n\nRobert often visited the colored mammies on the plantation and listened\nto the ghost stories they told, and the fear was created in his mind\nof the spirits that walked in the night. He was often afraid that the\ngoblins would get him if he didn't watch out. One Sunday at church,\nthe preacher took for his text Gen. 1:7, \"For God has not given us the\nspirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.\" When\nRobert heard this, he wanted to know how it was that we should fear\nthings, if God had not given us the spirit of fear nor created the\nspirit of fear in us, but gave us a spirit of power and of love and of\nsound mind. His mother explained to him that the ghost and the fear\nof the dark which the old darkies told him about, were nothing but\nsuperstition, and he should banish it from his mind.\n\nA few Sundays later, the minister took his text from 2 Tim. 3:1, \"This\nknow also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.\" Robert was\nanxious to know when the last days would come. His mother told him it\nwould be at the time of the end of the world and God would again come\nto destroy the world by fire.\n\nThe minister continued to read from 2 Tim. 3:15, \"And that from a child\nthou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise\nunto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.\" Robert was\ndesirous of knowing if children could teach more about the scriptures\nthan grown people. His mother told him that the Bible said, \"A little\nchild shall lead them,\" and that anyone who would harm little children,\ncan in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\n\nIn 1913, Robert suffered a severe illness in the Spring, and for a few\nmonths his life was despaired of, but he quickly recovered. Soon after\nhis recovery, his father took him on a fishing trip to Spirit Lake. The\nold darky of slavery days went along, and while he was putting worms\non Robert's hook, told the story about this lake and why it was named\n\"Spirit Lake.\" The old darky said that the spirit of a beautiful lady\nwalked on the waters of the lake at night and that was why they called\nit Spirit Lake.\n\nLong, long years ago, the daughter of a wealthy planter fell in love\nwith a poor but honest boy and after many years of courtship, in which\nthey spent many moonlight nights rowing on the beautiful lake, the\ntime came when they felt that they could no longer be separated. The\nyoung man pleaded with her father to consent to their marriage, but\nhe stubbornly refused and threatened to kill the young man if he ever\ncalled at his home again. They then planned to elope one night, and as\nher sweetheart was placing a ladder under the window and helping her to\nget down, her father shot her lover and killed him. When she found that\nhe was dead, she ran to the lake and drowned herself. They searched for\ndays for her body and one moonlight night they saw her walking on the\nwater. They rowed out on the lake and found her body floating on the\nwater. He said that the fish would always bite better at full moon,\nbut the darkies were afraid to fish there because the spirit of this\nbeautiful young lady walked on the water.\n\nBobbie came home very much interested and excited and told his mother\nall about the fish they caught at Spirit Lake and about the story old\nMoses told him about the spirit walking on the water. He told his\nmother that the Sunday School teacher had read in the Bible where\nChrist walked on the water, and he wanted her to explain how this could\nhappen. She told him that all of those things happened in the days of\nmiracles which had passed and no longer happened in these days. Bobbie\nhad a great desire to walk or ride upon the water, and was enthusiastic\nabout bicycles. He told his mother that he intended to build a bicycle\nsome day that he could ride on the water.\n\nIn 1914, when war broke out, Capt. Gordon, who had once served in the\nSpanish-American War, became very much interested in the conflict and\nfollowed it very closely, reading the papers daily and talking about\nit. Robert soon began to take great interest in the war and asked his\nfather and mother many questions about the foreign countries which were\ninvolved in the great struggle. He would sit for hours, listening to\nhis mother read the Bible, from the Book of Revelation, the prophecies\nof the Great War, where it says that nation shall rise against nation.\n\nRobert's mother told him of his grandfather who distinguished himself\nin the Civil War, and the great hardships her mother had to go thru\nduring the war days; how her great-grandfather fought in the War of\n1812. She talked of his grandfather, Colonel Robert Gordon, for whom he\nwas named, and how he became famous during the Civil War, and how later\nRobert's own father went with Colonel Roosevelt and became a Captain\nin the Spanish-American War in 1898. Robert's oldest brother, Herbert,\nwas born in 1894, and his second brother, Ralph, was born in 1898\nafter his father went to the war. His mother spent many anxious months\nand worried with the children while Capt. Gordon was away at war. She\nprayed that war would be ended for all time.\n\nShe said, \"Bobbie, you come from a generation of fighters on both\nsides, but I hope that you will be a minister and preach against war.\nWhile the tragic death of your brother Herbert in San Francisco was a\nshock that I have never fully recovered from, yet I had rather know\nthat he went that way than to have him go to war and lose his life. I\nremember well the many sleepless nights that I have passed thru while\nyour father was away at war and how happy I was when he returned. I\nprayed to God then that war might be ended and that none of my sons\nwould ever have to go to war.\"\n\n\"Mother,\" said Bobbie, \"when I get to be a man, I will be a preacher\nand tell the people to be peaceful and stop fighting, but why doesn't\nGod stop the war?\"\n\n\"My son, war is the work of the devil, not of God, and the Bible tells\nus that the old dragon has to be loosed for a little season, but in the\nBook of Revelation, we read that Satan is bound for a thousand years.\nI hope I live to see that day and I feel sure you will. A few nights\nbefore you were born I had a very strange dream. I thought I saw San\nFrancisco and Los Angeles destroyed in two days by some war machine,\nand that one of my sons came near losing his life there, but was saved\nand afterwards he saved his country and made peace with the world. I\nsuppose I dreamed about San Francisco because Herbert lost his life\nthere but, somehow, I feel that it was more than a dream, and that you\nare born to be a peacemaker.\"\n\nBobbie was greatly impressed with his mother's dream and her hopes and\nambitions for him, but his brother would quarrel and try to fight with\nhim. Bobbie would tell him that Dad wanted him to be peaceful and that\nhis mother wanted him to be a peacemaker and that he would not fight.\nHis brother called him \"Cottonhead\" because his hair was so white, and\naccused him of being a white-livered coward, but Bobbie was patient and\ndid not lose his temper. His mother would commend him for this and tell\nhim that the Bible said to control your temper and not let your angry\npassions rise.\n\nAbout this time some of the prejudice which little Robert had inherited\nfrom his grandfather and from his father, began to show forth.\nUnfavorable conditions thruout the country and the low price of cotton\nleft Capt. Gordon practically penniless, causing him and all of his\nchildren to labor hard in order to support themselves. He tried to\nforce young Robert to work in the fields and help cultivate the cotton,\nbut he stubbornly rebelled. He would play around the house, use his\nfather's tools and talk about the great inventions that he was going\nto make. His mother was always in sympathy with Robert and tried to\nencourage him, but she could never get him to take an interest in\nworking on a farm. He talked of being a preacher, talked of great\ninventions and discoveries, but would not work at hard labor.\n\nIn 1917, when the United States entered the World War, young Robert\nwas eleven years old. He had great ambitions to join the Army and go\nto the war. His older brother Ralph joined the Army. Young Robert said\nthat if he could not go and fight for his country he would stay at\nhome and work on a patent which would help them to win the war. He did\nnot agree or get along with his older brother and was glad when he had\ngone away to war. His parents were still in poor circumstances but they\ncould not induce young Robert to do any work on the farm. He continued\nto tinker around and work with his father's tools, trying to make a\nbicycle which he could ride upon the water in the lake nearby. He tried\nvarious kinds of lumber to build wheels for the bicycle but none of\nthem worked successfully. Finally his mother suggested that he use thin\ncedar boards because cedar was durable in the water, was light and\nwould float easily. He finally succeeded in building the wheels out of\ncedar and after heating pine rosin hot and pouring it into the cracks,\nhe was able to ride successfully across the lake, but in a short time\nthe wheels sprung a leak and the bicycle sunk with him in the lake,\nbut he swam out and brought the bicycle with him.\n\nBobbie was not the kind to be discouraged by obstacles and later his\ningenuity overcame the difficulties. After trying to put inner tubes\nfrom bicycle tires on the inside of the wheels of his water bicycle and\nfailing again, he finally got some inner tubes from an automobile and\nplaced them inside his wooden wheels and pumped them up. When they were\nfilled with air, they pushed against the wooden sides of the wheel,\nbuoying up the wheel, and he was then able to ride his bicycle around\nover the lake without any trouble.\n\nHis mother was very proud of him and said \"Bobbie, one day your dream\nof becoming a great inventor will be realized. You have not been\nwasting your time tinkering around with your father's tools trying to\nmake things.\" His brother, Ralph, continued to call him \"Fool Bobbie\"\nand \"Mother's dream\"; said he would never amount to anything because he\nwouldn't work on the farm like the rest of them. Bobbie always found\na willing listener in his mother. She helped him with his studies in\nschool and encouraged him in every way and showed that she believed in\nhim and had faith that one day he would be a great man. This encouraged\nhim to do greater things.\n\nThe success with the water bicycle had kindled his ambition and created\na desire to complete other inventions that he had in mind. He told his\nmother of a dream he had of a white-winged bird that flew across the\nocean thru the air; that he was riding the bird and that he received a\ngreat triumph and reception when he visited the foreign countries, and\nhow his own people received him in great glory when he returned. His\nfather called these stories \"pipe dreams,\" but his mother took great\ninterest in them and always encouraged him. Robert talked very little\nto his father or brother but always went to his mother and talked over\nthings and confided in her. She encouraged him because she felt that he\nwas an answer to her prayer, after her eldest son had died,--that God\nmight give her another son who would live and that she might have her\ndesires and hopes realized which were lost thru the death of her eldest\nson.\n\nRobert was entirely strange and different from other boys. He never\nseemed to want to play with them, but kept very much by himself; talked\nalong different lines, and made a confidant of his mother only. She\nseemed to understand him as no one else did and he always came to her\nfor an explanation of his problems, and for consolation in time of\ntrouble.\n\nRobert's mother often talked to Capt. Gordon about him--told him that\nhe was a peculiar and most unusual child and that she thought that his\nrefusal to work at manual labor was not because he was lazy but because\nshe believed that he had a superior mind, and that if properly educated\nand trained, he would become a great man some day, an honor to his\nparents. She told him that Bobbie had advanced ideas fully a hundred\nyears ahead of his time and that he should be educated and allowed to\nfollow his own ideas. His father, failing to understand him, agreed\nwith his mother and decided when Robert was about thirteen years of\nage, that there was no use trying to keep him on the farm, but that he\nshould be sent away to Texarkana to school, to learn something and to\nbecome interested in the things along which his mind seemed to lead.\n\nWhile in this school he met his first real boy chum, one who seemed to\nunderstand him and one who proved to be a help to him in school. Walter\nKennelworth was the son of a wealthy lumberman. He had every advantage\nthat money could bring and was far advanced in his studies, thus being\nable to render help to Robert, who had no interest in grammar but took\na great interest in history and mathematics. Walter would help him with\nhis work in grammar and geography. They became fast friends. Robert\ntold Walter of his plans for the future; that he hoped to be a great\ninventor; wanted to get an education and travel around the world to\nsee the country and learn about things and develop the ideas which he\nthought would help his country in time of war. He had heard so many\nstories about his grandfather's adventures in the Civil War and his\nfather's experiences in the Spanish-American War that he had the desire\nto be a great soldier and serve his country. He spent nearly all of\nhis time reading the newspapers and following the progress of the war.\nHe was extremely interested in the victories of our boys overseas, and\nwhen they began to turn the tide against the Germans, he was greatly\nelated and told his mother that he knew that the Stars and Stripes\nwould never trail the dust and that victory was sure as soon as the\nAmerican boys went on the other side.\n\nWalter Kennelworth also had ambitions of becoming a soldier and of\nmaking new discoveries and inventions along chemical lines. His hopes\nand aspirations were to one day become a great chemist. The vast\ndifference in the environment and conditions under which these two boys\nhad been brought up seemed to make no difference in their friendship.\nIt ripened as the years went by. Robert and Walter were often together\nand Walter often invited Robert to his father's home. Walter's father\nand mother became very fond of Robert.\n\nWhen the armistice came in 1918, Robert talked with his mother and\nfather, asking them if that would be the last war. They, of course,\nexpressed the hope that it would be, and Robert said that he had read\nthe Bible and thought that the greatest war in history was yet to come.\nHe began to express ideas about new inventions, years ahead of the\ntimes. He begged his father and mother to let him leave school and go\nto work in an automobile factory where he could learn about machinery\nand understand how to complete the inventions which he was always\ntalking about.\n\nSchool was over in the Summer of 1919, and Mr. J.H. Kennelworth,\nWalter's father, offered Robert a position in his office during the\nsummer months. After business, Walter and Robert would often go out\nautomobile riding. Along in July, he met with a serious accident.\nThe automobile was overturned and Robert's arm was broken, and he\nsuffered internal injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he lay\nfor several weeks before recovery. His mother was very much worried\nand alarmed over this accident, and thought it was best for Bobbie to\nreturn to the farm and not work in the city any more.\n\nHis brother Ralph had just returned from France, where he had met with\nmany obstacles in the war but had received no serious injury. Robert\nwent home for a rest after the accident. He had many disagreements and\nfights with his older brother, and it seemed to be impossible to get\nalong. All of the trouble occurred over the fact that Robert would not\nwork on the farm, or help his brother.\n\nBobbie prevailed upon his mother to let him go back to school in the\nFall because he was making great progress and hoped to have a big\nposition some day with Mr. Kennelworth's firm.\n\nIn the Fall of 1919, he returned to school, but made slow progress in\nhis studies. His health was not good; he seemed unable to concentrate\nor make much progress. He barely passed his examinations at the end of\nthe year, but continued to study hard and make progress in mathematics\nand history. In grammar, writing and geography he was always falling\nbelow his marks, and Walter Kennelworth had to help him out.\n\nIn the Spring of 1920, just before the close of school, Robert's father\nobtained help to cultivate the cotton plantation. He thought it best\nthat Robert should come home that summer and help to work on the farm,\nbut again the boy refused, and met with stubborn opposition and abuse\nfrom his brother, who called him \"the fool inventor\" and said that he\nwould never amount to anything because he refused to work on the farm.\nHe said that he wanted to be \"Gentleman Robert,\" and called him the\n\"white-collar boy.\" These disagreements and disputes with his brother\nwere very annoying and disappointing to Robert's mother, because she\nwanted the children to get along in peace. Robert told his mother\nthat on account of his brother he would never live at home again;\nthat he would continue to stay in Texarkana and go to school until\nhe had finished his education, and then he would go to work for Mr.\nKennelworth. His mother had great faith in him and told him that she\nknew everything would come out all right for him, and that he should\nstudy hard, make the most of his opportunities, and prepare for the\nposition Mr. Kennelworth was going to give him upon completing his\nstudies.\n\nCapt. Gordon had been very successful during the war growing cotton.\nPrices had gone very high and he had accumulated quite a little money.\nBut in 1920 cotton prices declined rapidly and his cotton brought very\nlittle, which again reduced them to poor circumstances. Robert became\nvery ill again from malaria during the Spring and Summer of 1920, so\nthat he was unable to work even if he wanted to. Up to this time he had\nshown no ambition for any kind of work, except to try to make something\nwith his father's tools; talk about inventions and some of the great\nthings he was going to do in the years to come. His mother had always\npetted him because of his severe illnesses and accident, and his father\noften referred to him as his mother's burden or his mother's problem.\nBut she had great faith in young Robert because he clung so strongly to\nreligion, believing in the Bible. Robert would spend days and hours\nreading the Bible and talking to his mother and asking her questions\nabout it and its meaning. He had a great desire to travel and see the\nworld and was always planning to visit strange places. While he showed\ngreat affection for his mother, his desire was to get away and see the\nworld.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\n\nIn the Spring of 1921, Robert began to make greater progress in his\nstudies, which greatly encouraged his chum, Walter Kennelworth. Robert\nwould study and read early and late. Walter would often call on him\nin his room and find him there deeply engrossed reading the Bible and\npuzzling over the interpretation of the meaning of many parts of the\nScriptures.\n\nOne Sunday in the early part of June, Robert and Walter went to church\nand the minister took for his text 1 Cor. 13:2, \"And though I have the\ngift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and\nthough I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have\nnot charity, I am nothing.\" Then the minister read from the 7th verse,\n\"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth\nall things,\" and again from the 11th verse, \"When I was a child, I\nspake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but\nwhen I became a man, I put away childish things.\" The minister further\nread from the 13th verse, \"And now abideth faith, hope, love, these\nthree; but the greatest of these is love.\" Again he read from 2 Cor.\n5:7, \"For we walk by faith, not by sight,\" and concluded the reading\nof the text from Gal. 5:14, \"For all the law is fulfilled in one word,\neven in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.\"\n\nThe minister preached a great sermon. Robert thought it one of the best\nhe had ever heard and one which impressed him the most. The minister\ntalked about the great work of faith and said that faith without works\nis dead; but that there could be no faith without love because love was\nthe greatest of all things. That God was love, and that love was the\nfulfilling of the law, \"For God so loved the world that he gave his\nonly begotten son that whomsoever believeth on Him might not perish,\nbut have everlasting life.\" He added that God loves children who\nhonor and obey their parents, wives who love and obey their husbands,\nhusbands who love and protect their wives, and admonished each man to\nlove his neighbor as himself. Because love is the law of harmony, and\nthe power that created the universe, it is the only power that can\nprevent destruction, war and human death, but with true love we can\novercome the last great enemy, death.\n\nWhen men love each other as God loves them, there will be no longer\nany strife or contention. Man will no longer covet what belongs to his\nneighbor. True love will deal justly and do unto others as we wish to\nhave them do unto us. He preached about the ambitions, the love of\ncountry and patriotism which inspires men to go to battle and give\ntheir lives for the protection of their home and country. He said,\n\"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his\nfriend,\" and that a great reward was sure to come to those who love and\nobey God. He talked of God's great command, \"If you love me, keep my\ncommandments.\"\n\nThis sermon stirred Robert's ambition as nothing else had ever done\nbefore. It made him realize the love that he owed to his mother, whose\ngreat faith and love had helped to lay the foundation for his future\ncareer. He thought about what the preacher said--that a man deserts\nfather and mother to cleave unto his wife, and that this was as it\nshould be. He had always felt his greatest love for his mother, but now\nfor the first time in his life he began to think of love for another\nwoman.\n\nHis mind turned toward the many beautiful girls that he used to meet in\nSunday School and those who were in his class. Robert's chum, Walter,\nhad already had a puppy love affair in school with a girl by the name\nof Caroline Oglethorpe. Robert had laughed at Walter about this and\nthought it was all foolishness. But now he began to think that maybe\nthere was something more to love than what he had heretofore believed\nit to be. Walter Kennelworth's family being one of the most wealthy and\nprominent in Texarkana, they were at all the social functions, at which\nRobert met all the younger set in the city.\n\nA few weeks after the minister had preached this sermon on charity and\nlove, Robert was in church one morning, and after Sunday School, was\ntalking with Caroline Oglethorpe, and with her was her chum, Marie\nStanton. Walter introduced Robert to Marie. Marie was the daughter of a\nwealthy and prominent family. Her father, Colonel Stanton, had made a\nfortune in building railroads. He was now a big lumberman, and one of\nthe most prominent in Texarkana. Marie was a beautiful young girl of\nabout thirteen years of age when Robert met her. She was of the true\nbrunette type, with glossy black hair and dark eyes that sparkled like\ndiamonds.\n\nAbout this time, Robert began to read novels and love stories and\nbecame very much interested in them, always taking strong sides with\nthe hero and becoming very much agitated and aroused against the\nvillain. He saw Marie frequently after this, as she attended the same\nschool as Robert and Walter. Every time that Robert saw Marie, she\nlooked more beautiful to him. Robert soon began to lose sleep thinking\nabout Marie, and realized that love was the greatest thing in the\nworld. He confided his secret to his friend, Walter.\n\nBeing very bashful, he had never said anything about his love to Marie.\nFinally he made up his mind one night that he would write her about it,\nso this is what he wrote:\n\n  Wednesday Eve.\n\n  DEAR MARIE,\n\n You probably remember several weeks ago, when I was introduced to you\n in church, the sermon that the minister preached and his text from St.\n Paul where he said, \"The greatest thing in the world is love.\" I agree\n with St. Paul; that is why I am writing to you.\n\n I liked you the first time I met you, and every time I have seen you\n since, I have liked you more. Now that I know I love you so much, I\n feel that I must tell you. I hope that you are going to love me some\n day.\n\n  Your friend,\n  Robert.\n\nMarie replied to the letter as follows:\n\n  Dear Robert,\n\n I received your nice note. This is the first time that anyone has\n ever written to me about love and I am all excited over it. I never\n thought that you liked me, Bobbie. I always thought that you were\n making eyes at Kitty Anderson in school. I do like you and think that\n you are a nice boy.\n\n  Yours,\n  Marie.\n\nWhen Robert read the last line, he felt his heart jump right up in\nhis throat. His hopes and ambitions soared higher than they had ever\nbefore. He began to dream of the future with Marie as his wife. He\ntalked of his plans to Walter, and his hope of being a great inventor\nsome day and making a lot of money so that he could marry a wealthy\ngirl like Marie.\n\nThe following Sunday, he went home to the country to see his mother,\nand told her the story of the new love affair. \"Bobbie,\" said his\nmother, \"you are little over fifteen years old, and this is only puppy\nlove, or what they call school-boy and school-girl love. It will soon\npass away, but there is no harm in it. Love is a great thing and some\nday you will meet the right girl, but there is no use being in any\nhurry about it.\"\n\nBobbie told his mother that Marie was the only girl in the world for\nhim, and that he would live and work for her; that if he couldn't marry\nMarie he never wanted any other girl. His mother laughed at this and\ntold him that they all thought that way over the first love affair, but\nthat after a while, as the years went by and he met the real one, this\nwould all pass away. However, she did tell Bobbie that she had never\nforgotten her first love, as there is something different about the\nfirst love, even tho it doesn't last.\n\n\"Stick to your studies,\" said she, \"and do not let your love for Marie\ninterfere with your progress.\"\n\nShe saw that this love was a great stimulator for Robert and that his\nambitions were greater than ever. He told his mother that he was going\nto Sunday School every Sunday and that he was studying hard, reading\nthe Bible and learning a lot, and that he was preparing to be a great\nman. His mother said, \"Bobbie, I have always had great faith in you,\nand I know that one day my dream will come true, and you will do\nsomething that will make me very proud of you.\"\n\nIn June, 1921, Robert Gordon and Walter Kennelworth were in the\ngraduating class. Altho Walter was one year younger than Robert, his\nearly advantages enabled him to graduate at fourteen, while Robert was\ngraduating at the age of fifteen, and would not have been able to pass\nall of his examinations except for the help and assistance rendered him\nby Walter. Marie Stanton, who was then thirteen years of age, graduated\nthe following year.\n\nAfter Robert graduated, he at first decided to secure a position and\ngo to work, but after consulting with Walter, he decided that it would\nbe best to enter High School and get thru as soon as possible. So in\nthe Fall of 1921, he and Walter began High School. Here is where his\ngreatest work began to show forth. He took a great interest in physics\nand higher mathematics, studied day and night, making very high marks\nin these studies. Also took an interest in chemistry, which Walter was\nspecializing in, because he knew that it would be useful to him with\nhis invention, which he was still talking so much about, and his plans.\n\nThe time passed by quickly and in 1924 Robert Gordon and Walter\nKennelworth graduated from High School in Texarkana with high honors.\nIn the meantime, the love affair between Robert and Marie had continued\nwith the usual interruptions, obstacles and petty quarrels existing\nbetween young people of their age.\n\nIn the Fall of 1924, it was finally decided that Walter should go to\nColumbia College in New York to begin his course. Robert's parents\nwere unable to finance him through College, and it was decided that he\nshould go to work for Mr. Kennelworth in his office. Robert hated to\npart with his old friend, Walter, but they thought it was for the best\nand talked of the future in New York, hoping that one day Robert could\njoin Walter there.\n\nIn the following year, 1925, Marie Stanton graduated from High School\nwith the highest of honors. Robert was at the graduation exercises and\nthought that Marie had grown more beautiful every year, and was anxious\nfor the day to come when he could claim her for his wife. Soon after\nher graduation from High School, there was much talk about the College\nMarie should enter. Her father and mother finally decided that she\nshould go to the Kidd-Key College at Sherman, Texas, as this was nearby\nand Marie could go home occasionally.\n\nAs the time neared for Marie to go away, Robert became more anxious.\nHe thought Marie would fall in love with someone else. He talked with\nher about the future, and for the first time, spoke of marriage. He\ntalked to her of the difference in their station in life, and said that\nhis mother thought that a marriage between a wealthy girl and boy of\npoor circumstances could never result in harmony and happiness. He told\nMarie the story that the old darky had related on the fishing trip,\nabout the love affair between the poor country boy and the wealthy\nplanter's daughter, and their tragic death. Marie thought her father\nwould never consent to their marriage, but she said she really loved\nRobert and when the time came, she would elope with him if necessary.\nThis greatly cheered Robert and made it easier for him after Marie went\naway to College.\n\nLove letters passed between them during the first year she was at\ncollege, and all went well. Robert worked hard in his new position\nin Mr. Kennelworth's office. He was a willing worker, an expert\nstenographer and secretary. Robert continued to show expert mechanical\nability and could fix anything that was wrong with an automobile.\n\nWalter corresponded often with Robert and also wrote to his father\nasking how Robert was getting along. Mr. Kennelworth replied that\nRobert was making great progress, that he was a very brilliant boy and\nhe was going to help him all he could for he thought Robert had a great\nfuture.\n\n1926 was to be one of the most eventful years in the life of\nRobert Gordon. In the Spring his father died suddenly, and after a\nconsultation with his mother, it was decided that he should leave his\nposition, return to the farm and help them to get things straightened\nout. He encountered the usual obstacles and opposition from his\nbrother, because he knew nothing about farming and of course did not\nlike it. The result was that he put all of his savings into helping to\nmake the crop. While it turned out to be a good crop, the low prices of\ncotton in the Fall of 1926 left them in debt.\n\nWhile on the farm, he contracted malaria fever and a severe spell\nof illness followed, during which time he received many consoling\nletters from Marie. Soon after he was able to return to his position\nwith Mr. Kennelworth, he met with another severe automobile accident,\nthis time breaking his right arm. This necessitated six weeks in the\nhospital before he was able to return to work again. One disappointment\nfollowed another, but Robert had learned to practice patience. He read\nthe Bible, especially the story of Job, continued to go to church,\nand while he was suffering many trials and tribulations, his mind\nwas expanding. He could not accept the theory preached and taught by\npreachers, because he knew that the things they taught were wrong.\n\nMarie returned home for her vacation. She was now eighteen years old,\nand had grown more beautiful and began to attract more attention from\nyoung men. As the Kennelworths and Stantons had been friends for years,\nWalter suggested to his parents that they give a party in honor of\nMarie Stanton. A young man by the name of Edward Mason, the son of a\nvery wealthy northern family, was there, and showed marked attention\nto Marie. Robert became very jealous and after the party had a quarrel\nwith her. Then followed long weeks of agony. Many letters passed\nbetween Robert and Marie.\n\nWhen the end of August drew near and Robert knew that Marie was to\nreturn to school soon, he was anxious to make up before she went away\nand wrote the following letter:\n\n  Dearest Marie,\n\n I am very sad. I feel the reason you refuse to make up with me is\n because you are in love with Edward Mason. I have never loved anyone\n but you and never will. If we are not reconciled before you go back to\n school, I fear we never will be. I am sending you two poems, \"Parting\"\n and \"Yesterday,\" which express how I feel.\n\n  Sorrowfully,\n\n  Robert.\n\n\nPARTING\n\n  Kiss me! The spell is broken,\n    The dream we dreamed is gone;\n  Nothing remains but memory--\n    Memory, and dawn.\n\n  Kiss me!--and then your hand, dear,\n    Do you not feel the beat,\n  The rhythm of our pulses?\n    It does not spell defeat.\n\n  It spells the song that life sings,--\n    The message of the heart--\n  Pathways meet but to widen\n    And lips meet but to part.\n\n\nYESTERDAY\n\n  Dreams--just dreams of yesterday,\n    When love to me was sweet,\n  Romance has now gone astray,\n    No other love will I greet.\n\n  It was short--my little romance,\n    Short--but God--how good!\n  Went along as smooth as a dance,\n    Part us? It seemed no one could.\n\n  But someone did--tho' I forgive,\n    He loved her as did I,\n  For her only--did I live,\n    And now--for her I'd die!\n\nWhen Marie received the letter, she replied:\n\n  Dear Robert,\n\n Your letter and poems received. You are again accusing me wrongfully.\n You are all in the wrong and until you can see your mistake, I will\n never think of making up.\n\n  Sincerely,\n\n  Marie.\n\nIn September, 1926, Marie returned to school at Sherman, Texas, leaving\nRobert very much broken-hearted because she refused to make up. She\ntold Robert his jealousy was wholly unfounded, but he persisted in\naccusing her of being in love with Edward Mason. Feeling this way,\nshe was unable to reconcile herself and make up, so she went away,\ndisappointed herself and leaving Robert in the same fix.\n\nFollowing her return to school, Robert spent many long weeks of\nanxiety, becoming very blue and dejected. Many letters passed between\nthem. He wrote much poetry to Marie, all without avail. Finally, he\nwrote a letter and told her that it would be the last; that he knew she\nwas in love with Edward Mason, and that there was no use going on.\n\n  Dear Marie,\n\n This is to be my farewell letter to you, for I have given up hope.\n Ever since I first met you, you have been my ideal and my one\n inspiration. I have lived for you, worked for you, thought of nothing\n else but you. Your love has given me great encouragement to go on, and\n now I realize that I have lost you and that your love has been given\n to another. I shall always love you and hope that you will some day\n change your mind, and your heart turn to me.\n\n  Sorrowfully, your own\n\n  Robert.\n\nWith this letter he sent the poems \"Loved and Lost\" and \"Good-bye.\"\n\n\nDEDICATED TO MARIE:\n\nLOVED AND LOST\n\n  It isn't failure to have lost\n  A girl of whom you have nobly thought,\n  If buffeted and tempest tossed,\n  You fail to win the girl you sought.\n  It isn't failure, though the prize\n  In another's hand is placed;\n  A hero very often dies\n  If dying keeps him undisgraced.\n\n  To bow unto a better man\n  Is not the worst thing I could do,\n  Success is not in the things we scan,\n  But in the heart forever true,\n  It takes more courage for to fail\n  Than win a girl undeserved.\n  To bear the taunts of those who rail\n  Than from your purpose to be swerved.\n\n  When a girl frowns darkly\n  And hope is on the wane\n  Be constant, true and patient\n  Defeat will blossom into gain.\n  If your aim is high and honest\n  In victory it will tell,\n  For before the pearl is gotten\n  There must be a broken shell.\n\n  Robert.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTo Marie,\n\nGOOD BYE\n\n  And now I fly to bear my wound away,\n    Haply the future heals me of this hurt,\n  Since, sorely wounded, I still keep today\n    Mine honor as an armor around me girt.\n\n  But these last words, fair lady, bear in mind:\n    Ere for your sport another heart you break,\n  Forbear the triumph dear to womankind\n    And spare your victim, even for my sake.\n\nWhen Robert had finished this letter, he wrote to his old chum, Walter\nKennelworth, in New York, that he had written a farewell letter to\nMarie and that it was all over. Walter replied:\n\n  Dear Robert,\n\n I have received your letter filled with gloom. Now, cheer up, old pal,\n the sun will shine again and Marie or some other girl just as good\n will smile on you. You are too young to let a girl wreck you. Stick to\n business and keep up your studies.\n\n I enclose a poem which I think about fits your case, and it will\n probably work out about that way.\n\n With all good wishes,\n\n  Your friend,\n\n  Walter.\n\nA BROKEN VOW\n\n  It was a broken hearted boy who vowed a solemn vow,\n  I will not write a letter to that pretty little Editoress anyhow;\n  I will not do that fearsome thing, I will not pen a jest,\n  About the beautiful Hostess who mocks the staying guest.\n\n  He made a postscript to his vow, he made a codicil,\n  He was serious as tho he formed his will,\n  And then he sat down and smiled with all his might\n  About all the love letters he did not have to write.\n\n  But in a day or two he felt exceedingly queer and strange,\n  A restless something filled his mind, he longed for a change;\n  He asked the doctor what was wrong, the doctor gave a pill,\n  And made a memorandum to add twenty to his bill.\n\n  Then the pictures of all the girls he knew,\n  Came flocking to his brain;\n  Marie's lovely angel face marched sternly in the train,\n  And each of them and all of them compelled him to think\n  Just as a man thinks when he quits smoke or drink.\n\n  At last a little disappointing note came--then he said:\n  Just one more farewell love note I'll write;\n  It shall not be serious, something fancy and light.\n\n  He wrote a love letter,\n  Just as a man who says he has sworn off;\n  Takes Rock and Rye or some such thing to stop a cough.\n\n  But why pursue this sorry tale,\n  Why tell of what he did;\n  'Twas like the one more smoke or drink\n  That throws away the lid.\n\n  He wrote of the things she'd wrote and said,\n  Of memories of sweet caresses that haunted the heart and head;\n  He wrote of how much better she was than the other girl of the South,\n  Of her beautiful eyes and ruby mouth.\n\n  He wrote of love for her,\n  And how well she had served cocoa and consomm\u00e9;\n  He wrote of love lost and debauched,\n  Until the break of day.\n\n  And when they came and found him ill\n  And sought to nurse him thru,\n  They said, \"Here taste this chicken soup\n  She made, it will be good for you.\"\n\nRobert became very despondent. He no longer took an interest in his\nwork. Mr. Kennelworth finally wrote to Walter in New York, telling him\nof Robert's lack of interest in business, and that he wondered what had\nbrought such a change in him. Walter, of course, had received letters\nfrom Robert about his break with Marie, so he wrote his father frankly\nand told him to have patience with Robert, that when this love affair\npassed away, he was sure he would be all right again.\n\nUpon receiving Robert's letter, Marie wrote:\n\n  My dear Robert,\n\n This is to be my farewell letter to you. I quote from Solomon, 2:5,\n \"Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of\n love.\" Robert, I would rather have green apples and a stomach-ache,\n like Solomon says, for I am sick of what you call love. I want you\n to read St. Paul again, and see if the way you are acting is the way\n love acts. Paul says that \"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love\n envieth not, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is\n not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.\" Robert, if love is founded\n on faith and trust, it cannot be jealous. Love is the foundation of\n understanding, and if you understood me and if I thoroughly understood\n you, we would be in love yet, and be happy.\n\n  \"Love seeketh not its own to please\n    Nor for itself hath any care,\n  But for another gives its ease\n    And builds a heaven in hell's despair.\"\n\n So long as you persist in jealousy and accuse me falsely, how can I go\n on loving, because you are not the old Robert who first loved me and\n taught me to love all of these years, and was never jealous before.\n Love that has been founded on years of confidence cannot change in\n a moment for another, and my love has not changed to Edward Mason,\n as you think. I still love you, but you have been wrong in your\n accusations.\n\n I am sending you a little article, \"Love,\" and hope that you may some\n day see how wrong you have been, and when you do, if you feel that\n way, write and tell me so.\n\n  Regretfully,\n\n  Marie.\n\n\nLOVE\n\nThe spark of love gives more light than the universe of truth; yet\ntruth is in love, and in order to act the truth, you must make love the\ntruth, for remember that the handshake of friendship, or the kiss and\nlove of an innocent child, will do more to lift a soul to the light\nthan the strongest and wisest argument even when rightly understood.\n\nBeyond the boundaries of love no thought ever passed for love is\neverywhere. Love is a prophecy of freedom, and its song of melody is\nheard in the rhythmic motion of the ocean.\n\nEach \"fowl of the air, each fish of the sea, and every living thing\nthat moveth upon the earth\" is the manifestation of love, for in their\nsubsistence love has said, \"As I create so I provide.\" Thus\nin every conceivable thing with form or without, with harmony or with\ndiscord--there love is manifested.\n\nLove is the life of every plant, of every sunset, of every soul. It is\nthe inspiration in the happy mind, and the voice that speaks to us in\nthe time of temptation.\n\nLove is the foundation of all understanding, it transcends all\nreasoning, for it is the fulfillment of the greatest.\n\nLove gives faith to all things, for love believeth in its own.\n\nLove symbolizes the everlasting, for it is the spirit of the beginning,\nand its wonderful radiance of color decks each sunrise and sunset.\n\nLove is the breeze that blows away the clouds of doubt making the\nlandscape of the soul radiant with joy and gladness. Each heart\nkeeps time in unison to the rhythmic harmonies of love, for each is\nLove in All.\n\nLove has thrown into the shapeless void the breath that has given life\nto worlds and this vital spark or the life of man, illuminates the\npicture that love has painted.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV\n\n\nWhen Robert received Marie's letter, he began to see himself in a\ndifferent light. He read again the Book of Job, and realized what Job\nmeant when he said, \"I had a great fear, and it has come upon me.\"\nRobert realized that he had been fearful of losing Marie, and that\nas soon as there seemed to be a possibility of someone else being\nattracted to her, that that fear had come upon him and caused him to\nbecome jealous without cause, and that he had lost or was about to\nlose, Marie, who had been more than life to him. So he replied to Marie\nas follows:\n\n  Dearest Marie:\n\n Your sweet letter received. It has opened my heart to understanding\n and made me see myself as I am. I have read St. Paul on the greatest\n thing in the world and find that I have not been patient, have not\n been kind or generous. Above all, I have been jealous without cause.\n All of these things are not a part of true love. Paul says, \"Faith,\n Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love.\" If I had had that\n great faith which never faileth and which is founded on love I would\n not have been jealous. I have been selfish; have sought myself to\n please, and have not thought enough about you.\n\n I am sending a little poem that I have written, entitled \"The Garden\n of Love,\" which I think will express to you fully just how I feel and\n how I see things now. I have tried to enter the Garden of Love through\n the wrong gate, and now I want to enter it through the right gate. I\n will be happy and trusting, loving and thinking only of you.\n\n No more doubts or jealousy will ever be in my mind again, because love\n will be there, and these foul weeds can never remain where love is.\n\n I want you, Marie, and only you. Please forgive and forget and make me\n happy again.\n\n With all the love my heart can send, I am\n\n  Hopefully,\n\n  Your own Robert.\n\n\n DEDICATED TO MARIE STANTON, WHO INSPIRED IT.\n\n THE GARDEN OF LOVE\n\n Many enter the Garden of Love thru the wrong gate while there really\n is only one perfect gate. Imagination often leads us into the wrong\n path.\n\n SELFISHNESS\n\n We enter thru the gate of Selfishness and immediately find ourselves\n in the dark Valley of Doubt where the foul weeds of deceit, lack of\n confidence, malice, greed and jealousy abound. Just on the other side\n of the Valley of Doubt lies the Mountain of Jealousy, which springs\n from lack of faith, understanding and forgetfulness. From the Mountain\n of Jealousy flows the river of Hate which has its source in the Valley\n of Doubt. This river leads to the Sea of Unhappiness, Sorrow, Despair\n and Death.\n\n UNSELFISHNESS\n\n We now enter the right gate to the Garden of Love, where we see a\n golden sign \"Unselfishness\" which can only lead to Love. We enter the\n Garden thru the Gate of Understanding where a beautiful bed of white\n lilies grow in all their fragrance. Grasp one quickly and carry it\n thru life, for these are the lilies of faith which smother out all the\n foul weeds in the garden.\n\n Next you will see a fountain of pure water. Touch your lips to it for\n it is the Water of Forgetfulness and it feeds the Lily of Faith. After\n this you are ready to pass on thru the Garden and enjoy the flowers\n which blossom forth nurtured by the Water of Love. Among these are\n Self-sacrifice, which is the basis of real love. Then you will find\n a beautiful flower that many never see at all, Confidence. It is\n beautiful and fragrant and stands near the Flower of Happiness.\n\n You will find the flower of Kindness in full bloom beside the Rose\n of Charity, then near the end of the Garden there is a tiny flower\n blooming all alone. It is pale and delicate and few appreciate it\n until late in life,--_it_ is Unrewarded Kindness. But we do reach it\n just before we pass into the Vale of Content, and we realize that the\n path which leads to Love and Happiness is only found by helping to\n lead our fellow travelers thru the Field of Content.\n\n When we have progressed thus far we look for the other entrance to\n the Garden and find that the Gate of Selfishness has disappeared and\n the Valley of Doubt is now covered with the Lily of Faith, and the\n Mountain of Jealousy has been melted into a Valley of Self-sacrifice.\n Where the River of Hate flowed we now find a Sea of Kindness flowing\n into the Ocean of Happiness. When we reach the end of the Garden we\n find the flower of all flowers, its beauty and radiance far outshining\n the noon-day Sun. Seek no further--it is the Flower of Love. Place the\n Lily of Faith beside it, nurture it with the Water of Kindness and you\n will have it always.\n\n  Robert.\n\nThis was the letter that won Marie, because she agreed with St. Paul\nthat love was the greatest thing in the world. She did not wait to\nwrite, but telegraphed Robert:\n\n YOUR SWEET LETTER RECEIVED--YOU ARE MY OLD ROBERT AND I AM YOUR MARIE\n AND ALWAYS WILL BE\n\n  MARIE.\n\nMarie then wrote the following letter:\n\n  Dear Robert,\n\n I have just wired you because I am happier now than I have ever been\n and I know that we are always going to be happy. You are going to be\n my ideal Robert, the way that I want you to be, and I am going to love\n you and make you so happy that you'll always be that way.\n\n I knew all along that it was useless for us to make up until you\n saw things in the right light and realized that there was no cause\n for jealousy and that my long years of devotion should have proven\n my love. Until you could see it that way and make up under those\n conditions, it would only invite more trouble later.\n\n There is really nothing more to say, but to let bygones be bygones,\n live and love each other and make the future everything we want it to\n be, because love creates everything and made the world. God is love.\n\n The little poem you sent, \"Loved and Lost,\" seems very appropriate now\n for in it you said that before the pearl is gotten, there must be a\n broken shell. You did have the broken shell, Robert, and now we are\n going to mend it. I believe that your aim has been high and honest,\n and now in future it will tell.\n\n I can hardly wait to see you, Robert. I want you to come over next\n Saturday afternoon, and spend Saturday evening and Sunday with me. I\n want to look into your trusting eyes again and know that you still\n love me in the same old way. I want to make you know that I have never\n loved Edward Mason or anyone else, but have always loved and trusted\n you.\n\n With all the love my heart can give, I am\n\n  Your\n\n  Marie.\n\n\n P.S. I am enclosing a poem, \"The Land of Beginning Again.\" We are\n really going to begin again, aren't we, Robert, and be more happy than\n ever?\n\n\n THE LAND OF BEGINNING AGAIN\n\n  I wish that there were some wonderful place\n    Called the Land of Beginning Again,\n  Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches\n    And all of our poor, selfish grief\n  Could be dropped, like a shabby old coat, at the door,\n    And never put on again.\n\n  I wish we could come on it all unaware,\n    Like the hunter who finds a lost trail;\n  And I wish that the one whom our blindness had done\n    The greatest injustice of all\n  Could be at the gates, like an old friend that waits\n    For the comrade he's gladdest to hail.\n\n  We would find all the things we intended to do\n    But forgot and remembered--too late,\n  Little praises unspoken, little promises broken,\n    And all of the thousand and one\n  Little duties neglected that might have perfected\n    The day for one less fortunate.\n\n  It wouldn't be possible not to be kind,\n    In the Land of Beginning Again;\n  And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged\n    Their moments of victory here\n  Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp\n    More than penitent lips could explain.\n\n  For what had been hardest we'd know had been best,\n    And what had seemed loss would be gain;\n  For there isn't a sting that will not take wing\n    When we've faced it and laughed it away;\n  And I think that the laughter is most what we're after\n    In the Land of Beginning Again!\n\n  So I wish that there were some wonderful place\n    Called the Land of Beginning Again,\n  Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches\n    And all of our poor, selfish grief\n  Could be dropped, like a shabby old coat, at the door,\n    And never put on again.\n\n  Louisa Fletcher Tarkington.\n\nOn a beautiful sunshiny Saturday afternoon on the 23rd of October,\n1926, as the train wended its way across the prairies for Sherman,\nTexas, Robert kept watching out of the car window, his face beaming\nwith smiles as he thought of his meeting with Marie. He counted every\nturn of the wheels because he knew they were bringing him closer to her.\n\nWhen he arrived in Sherman that night, Marie welcomed him with open\narms. They spent Saturday and Sunday together and were happier than\nthey had ever been before. He confided to Marie his future plans. Told\nher that he was working on an invention, and also planning to make some\nmoney speculating in Stocks and Commodities. That he hoped to make a\nlot of money and prove himself worthy of her, so that her father would\nconsent to their marriage. That he would return with all the hope and\nfaith a man could have in a woman, and with that faith and her love\nfailure was impossible, as there wasn't anything in the world he\ncouldn't do. Marie assured him of her faith and confidence. So long as\nhe had that faith and her love, she knew he could do great things. Said\nshe would willingly wait until he made a success.\n\nAfter Robert returned, he began to study the Bible more than ever, and\nwork out things according to science. He read the Book of Ezekiel, and\nplanned on building an airplane along the lines outlined by Ezekiel.\nFigured that there must be a way to build a plane of this kind which\nwould be the greatest ever, and felt that the day was coming when his\ncountry would need the protection of the greatest invention of the age.\nFrom reading of the Bible, war seemed inevitable, and Robert believed\nthat the next war would be in the air.\n\nHe began to read all the magazines along the lines of science and\ninvention and studied the Bible in order to understand natural law and\nknow how to apply it.\n\nRobert wrote to Walter telling him that he had been to Sherman to\nsee Marie, that they had made up and that he was supremely happy. He\nconfided to Walter his hopes of a great discovery and told him that\nwith the love of Marie and her faith in him there was nothing he could\nnot do.\n\nHe had figured out from the Bible that a time of trouble such as the\nworld had never seen would begin in 1927, and would continue until\n1932. There would be war, famine and pestilence all over the earth,\nand that except the time be shortened every human being on the face of\nthe earth would be destroyed according to the Bible. He was anxious\nto make money to complete his invention to protect his own country\nbecause he knew that the United States was yet to face the greatest\nwar in history, and every nation would rise against us. The great gold\nsupply that was gathered by the United States from the beginning of the\ngreat World War had caused commercial jealousy of all other nations and\nit would only be a short time before we were at war. Unless we were\nprepared with modern inventions we were going to lose the next war. He\nknew what was coming and wanted to prepare to meet the emergency that\nwas to come.\n\nMany letters passed between Robert and Marie during the latter part\nof 1926. Her letters of love and encouragement helped Robert to make\nprogress in his work. He saved his money and planned for their future.\n\nChristmas, 1926, was the happiest that Robert had ever known and\nwanting Marie to share it with him he sent her a beautiful ring, wrote\nher that he had saved his money and was now in position to buy it. The\ndiamond, he said, represented purity, firmness and faith and symbolized\nall those things in her and his great trust in her. He told her that he\nwas anxious to get in shape to go to New York to continue his studies,\nand work and make money and be near his old chum, Walter, who had\nalways been a great comfort to him and encouraged him in so many ways.\n\nIn thanking Robert for the ring, Marie wrote that so long as she lived,\nshe would wear it in honor of him, and as an emblem of faith and trust\nin the greatest man in the world. That she knew there was nothing he\ncould not do. The little poem entitled, \"It Can Be Done,\" which she\nsent along was a great inspiration to Robert when trials, troubles and\nobstacles arose in the years that followed.\n\nIT CAN BE DONE\n\n  Somebody said that it couldn't be done,\n    But he, with a chuckle, replied\n  That maybe it couldn't, but he would be one\n    Who wouldn't say so till he tried.\n  So he buckled right in, with the trace of a grin\n    On his face. If he worried, he hid it,\n  He started to sing as he tackled the thing\n    That couldn't be done, and he did it.\n\n  Somebody scoffed: \"Oh, you'll never do that:\n    At least it has never been done,\"\n  But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,\n    And the first thing we knew he'd begun it,\n  With the lift of his chin, and a bit of a grin,\n    Without any doubting or quiddit,\n  He started to sing as he tackled the thing\n    That couldn't be done, and he did it.\n\n  There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,\n    There are thousands to prophesy failure;\n  There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,\n    The dangers that wait to assail you;\n  But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,\n    Then take off your coat and go to it;\n  Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing,\n    That cannot be done and you'll do it.\n\nOn the 1st day of January, 1927, Robert received a beautiful letter of\ncommendation from his employer, Mr. Kennelworth, in which was enclosed\na check for $500 as a bonus, and also notice of an advance in his\nsalary of $50 a month. This was very gratifying to Robert, because he\nfelt that he was making progress, and that a man who had made the great\nsuccess that Mr. Kennelworth had, must have been watching him closer\nthan he thought. He thought that Mr. Kennelworth had seen something\nin him worthy of advancement, so he only worked harder to show his\nappreciation. He wrote a letter to his friend Walter in New York\ntelling him of his father's generosity and how much he appreciated it\nnow that he was working, planning and saving his money, hoping to be\nwith Walter in New York soon where he could start speculating and make\na lot of money so that he could complete his great invention and do\nsomething to benefit the world.\n\nRobert wrote Marie of this good fortune which had come to him in\nthe new year and how it had stimulated his hopes to greater things\nin the future. He was sure that with her love, he would continue\nand accomplish every desire that he had hoped for. Marie wrote him\nbeautiful letters of encouragement, filled with love and admiration for\nthe man that she was living for,--her ideal. She told him that she was\nmaking great progress with her studies and hoped to graduate in a few\nyears and be an honor to him and assist him in his work. She sent a\nlittle poem, entitled: \"Act the Man and Face It Out.\"\n\nACT THE MAN AND FACE IT OUT\n\n  Should life's storms be blowing gusty, or the road be hot and dusty,\n    Don't give up and pull a face all glum and blue;\n  Cheer up, man, and tackle trouble. If your efforts you redouble\n    There'll be brighter days ahead awaiting you.\n\n  Where's the use of whining, moaning, or of wasting time in droning\n    Never yet have such things pulled a fellow thru,\n  When you've trouble you must meet it, that's the proper way to treat it,\n    Always bear in mind results depend on you.\n\n  Never heed the whiner's chatter, 'tis right deeds that matter,\n    That will pierce the clouds--the roughest pathway span,\n  Every trouble is made lighter, and you'll find your outlook brighter\n    If you tackle things and face them like a man.\n\n  If you mean to conquer trouble, you must take it at the double.\n    You must act the man and face the matter out;\n  Tackle trouble, gamely fight it. Shirking it will never right it,\n    Face it bravely, and your trouble you will rout.\n\n  _Tid Bits._\n\nMarie wrote of her plans for the future. How she hoped to live to see\nhim the greatest man in the world; how she wanted to one day bring him\nbefore her father and show him what her love and confidence in a poor\nboy had done for him. She wanted her father to be proud of Robert as\nshe was. After all the success she wanted them to be able to enjoy the\nclosing years of their lives in peace and quiet together, where they\ncould reminisce over the trials, troubles and obstacles overcome which\nhad led to the victory which is always the fruit of true and lasting\nlove. Here follows a poem--\"After the Years--Quiet.\"\n\nAFTER THE YEARS--QUIET\n\n  At last--after the years have wrought their will,\n  Go build a house of solace for thyself;\n  With things that pleasure thee its rooms upfill--\n  Turn thy soft light; a rose jar on thy shelf.\n\n  Have there the books thou wilt not read again,\n  So well thou knowest all of their magic old;\n  Have there the lute that silent shall remain,\n  Thy heart all music from its tones of gold.\n\n  And dream beside thy fire; dream of the guest\n  That cometh now no more--yet he is there,\n  If so thy soul would shape him, and thy rest\n  And dream--within a dream with thee will share.\n\n  Have there all things thou countest as thine own;\n  And what thou wouldst have had--there let it be.\n  But what thou wouldst not let it pass unknown,\n  After the years have wrought their will on thee.\n\n  And take no more a burden on thy heart,\n  Wrestling--if this be good--if that be ill;\n  And strive no more to better what thou art;\n  With consolation thy whole being fill.\n\n  And so with quiet lapping thee around,\n  A presence like a God's thy house shall fill,\n  But question not thereof nor even pray,\n  For importuning words such joy might mill.\n\n  Build thee that house of solace--out of sight;\n  A charm above the door and on the sill,\n  And trouble shall go by thee. 'Tis thy right--\n  At last--after the years have wrought their will.\n\n  Edith M. Thomas.\n\nRobert sent Marie an article entitled, \"A Standard\" by Christian D.\nLarson. He told her that this was going to be his standard for the\nfuture, and that following this standard with her love and faith he\nwould accomplish everything that she hoped for him to.\n\nA STANDARD\n\n To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.\n\n To make all your friends see that there is something in them.\n\n To look at the funny side of everything and make your optimism come\n true.\n\n To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect\n only the best.\n\n To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are\n about your own.\n\n To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater\n achievements of the future.\n\n To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living\n creature you meet a smile.\n\n To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no\n time to criticize others.\n\n To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear;\n and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.\n\n To think well of yourself and to proclaim this face to the world, not\n in loud words but in great deeds.\n\n To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as\n you are true to the best that is in you.\n\n  Christian D. Larson.\n\nMarie continued to write him encouraging letters from time to time.\nTheir love affair continued smooth with no troubles or interruptions.\nMarie was a great reader and was studying carefully, always collecting\npoems and articles which she thought would help and encourage Robert.\nOne was entitled:\n\n\"WHY THE SAINTS WERE SAINTS\"\n\n  Because they were cheerful when it was hard to be cheerful;\n  And patient when it was hard to be patient;\n  And because they pushed on when they wanted to stand still;\n  And kept silent when they wanted to talk,\n  And were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable.\n\n  AUTHOR UNKNOWN.\n\nand also another one by Herbert Kaufman, reading as follows:\n\n  Don't let busy-bodies turn you from the path you have selected,\n  Incredulity and unbelief are quite to be expected,\n  What if butters-in do scold you?\n  What if fools try to remold you?\n  If you aren't streaked with yellow such\n  Discouragement won't hold you.\n  Some will doubt you.\n  Lots will flout you.\n\n  More than one will lie about you.\n  They'll deride you\n  And decide you.\n  Need an \"Older\" hand to guide you.\n  Do not listen to the croakers--fight it out once you have commenced it.\n  If you meet with opposition simply run your head against it.\n  All big things that we know about were won by self-believers.\n  Quitters, never have been, nor can they be, achievers.\n\n  Herbert Kaufman.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V\n\n\nMarie's love and devotion for Robert were bearing fruit. He studied the\nBible day and night, worked on his plans for the future and continued\nhis investigation of science, for he believed that the Bible was the\nkey to the process by which man may know all there is to know. He\nrealized that by studying it he might be able to forecast the future\nand benefit himself thereby. Above all things he was interested in\nairplanes, inventing and improving an airplane that would be useful in\nthe future wars. He had found the plan for a great airplane in Ezekiel\n1:4-16:\n\n And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great\n cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and\n out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of\n the fire.\n\n Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living\n creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a\n man.\n\n And one had four faces, and every one had four wings.\n\n And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was\n like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the colour of\n burnished brass.\n\n And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides;\n and they four had their faces and their wings.\n\n Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they\n went; they went every one straight forward.\n\n As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man,\n and the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face\n of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.\n\n Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two\n wings of every one were joined one to another; and two covered their\n bodies.\n\n And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to\n go; they went; and they turned not when they went.\n\n As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like\n burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up\n and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out\n of the fire went forth lightning.\n\n And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash\n of lightning.\n\n Now, as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the\n earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.\n\n The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour\n of a beryl; and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and\n their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.\n\nRobert felt sure that this was the prediction and description of an\nairplane that Ezekiel was talking about. He thought that an airplane\ncould be built with four wings, which would be more powerful and useful\nthan any of the airplanes yet built. It was his great desire to build\nan airplane of this kind.\n\nRobert read Ezekiel 5:2 and 12:\n\n Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when\n the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part,\n and smite about it with a knife; and a third part thou shalt scatter\n in the wind; and I will draw but a sword after them.\n\n A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine\n shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall\n fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part\n into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.\n\nAlso Ezekiel 7:2 and 12:\n\n Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of\n Israel. An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.\n\n The time is come, the day draweth near; let not the buyer rejoice, nor\n the seller mourn; for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.\n\nRobert thought he saw in this the coming war and famine on the earth\nfrom the cycle, that a greater portion of the earth would be destroyed\nby war and famine, and that the end was near. Ezekiel 7:13:\n\n For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although\n they were yet alive; for the vision is touching the whole multitude\n thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself\n in the iniquity of his life.\n\nEzekiel 8:1 and 14:\n\n And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the\n fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of\n Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.\n\n Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which\n was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.\n\nEzekiel 10:9-11:\n\n And when I looked, behold, the four wheels by the cherubims, one\n wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the\n appearance of the wheels was as of the colour of a beryl stone.\n\n And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a\n wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.\n\n When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as\n they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it;\n they turned not as they went.\n\nRobert felt sure that it was an airplane which Ezekiel was talking\nabout and which was going to be made in the future. He thought the one\nreferred to with \"the face of an eagle\" referred to the United States\nGovernment. He hoped to build some day and help win the great war in\nthe air and make peace when the days of the \"End\" come and the great\nair battles would be fought. Ezekiel 10:19 and 21:\n\n And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth\n in my sight; when they went out, the wheels also were beside them; and\n every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and\n the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.\n\n Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the\n likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.\n\nEzekiel 12:22:\n\n Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel,\n saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?\n\nEzekiel 14:14, 16 and 21:\n\n Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they should\n deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.\n\n Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God,\n they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be\n delivered, but the land shall be desolate.\n\n For thus saith the Lord God. How much more when I send my four\n judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome\n beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast.\n\nEzekiel 16:1 and 44:\n\n Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Behold, every one\n that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is\n the mother, so is her daughter.\n\nEzekiel 17:3 and 7:\n\n And say, Thus saith the Lord God, A great eagle with great wings,\n long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto\n Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:\n\n There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers;\n and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth\n her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her\n plantation.\n\nEzekiel 20:46:\n\n Son of man set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the\n south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field:\n\nRobert interpreted this to mean that the day was coming when there\nwould be a great air fight from the southern part of the United States.\nEzekiel 20:47:\n\n And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord, Thus\n saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall\n devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flame\n shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall\n be burned therein.\n\nHe thought this meant the South would be destroyed by airplanes with\nliquid fire and poisonous chemicals when the war would take place.\n\nRobert read Ezekiel 21:14, 26 and 30:\n\n Thou, therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together,\n and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain;\n it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into\n their privy chambers.\n\n Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown;\n this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that\n is high.\n\n Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the\n place where thou wast created, in the land of the nativity.\n\nEzekiel 28:3:\n\n Behold thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can\n hide from thee:\n\nRobert had great faith in the prophecies of Ezekiel because the Lord\nsaid: \"Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel. There is no secret that\nthey can hide from thee.\" He understood from Ezekiel's prophecies that\na great war was coming and that it would be fought in the air by the\ngreat airplanes as described by Ezekiel 32:1 and 2:\n\n And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the\n first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,\n\n Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say\n unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art\n as a whale in the seas; and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and\n troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers.\n\nFrom these predictions of Ezekiel and others in the Bible which Robert\nbelieved was a repetition of previous battles, he interpreted it to\nmean that there was to be a great flood during the year 1927. He\npredicted terrible floods along the Mississippi Valley, which would\ndestroy the cotton crops and would lay waste vast acres of fertile\nland. He wrote that it would be one of the greatest floods in history.\nEzekiel 32:7:\n\n And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the\n stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon\n shall not give her light.\n\nRobert understood this to mean the two great eclipses that would occur\nin June, 1927.\n\nEzekiel 33:21 and 33:\n\n And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth\n month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of\n Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The City is smitten.\n\n And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come) then shall they know\n that a prophet hath been among them.\n\nRobert felt that he knew the Scriptures and was prepared to prophesy\nthe future and warn the people of the famine, pestilence and the coming\nwar.\n\nEzekiel 35:1 and 8:\n\n Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,\n\n And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and\n in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain\n with the sword.\n\nEzekiel 36:1 and 34:\n\n Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and\n say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.\n\n And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the\n sight of all that passed by.\n\nEzekiel 37:9, 16, 17, 19 and 22:\n\n Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man,\n and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from the four\n winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live,\n\n Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it,\n For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take\n another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and\n for all the house of Israel his companions:\n\n And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one\n in thine hand.\n\n Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the stick\n of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel\n his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah,\n and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.\n\n And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of\n Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no\n more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms, any\n more at all.\n\nRobert interpreted this to mean the coming of the great war when the\nUnited States should be the one great nation that would rule the world;\nthat there would be no more divided kingdoms and no more divided\ncountries; that it would be the United States of the World, which would\nbe the land of liberty where freedom exists.\n\nEzekiel 38:19:\n\n For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath, have I spoken, Surely\n in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.\n\nRobert understood--\"the jealousy in the fire of wrath\"--to mean\nchemical elements which would be used in the coming war and the use of\nairplanes.\n\nEzekiel 39:2:\n\n And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and\n will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee\n upon the mountains of Israel.\n\nRobert's interpretation of this was that the last great battle of the\nwar was to be fought in the northern part of the United States.\n\nEzekiel 39:8 and 9:\n\n Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the\n day whereof I have spoken.\n\n And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall\n set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers,\n the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the spears, and they\n shall burn them with fire seven years.\n\nHe thought the 9th verse where it says that everything should be burnt\nwith fire seven years, meant either seven years of war, or seven days.\nHe had read where it says, \"I will appoint a day for a year and a year\nfor a day.\"\n\nEzekiel 39:11, 12 and 14:\n\n And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a\n place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers of the\n east of the sea; and it shall stop the noses of the passengers; and\n there shall they bury Gog, and all his multitude; and they shall call\n it, The Valley of Hamon-gog.\n\n And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that\n they may cleanse the land.\n\n And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through\n the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face\n of the earth, to cleanse it; after the end of seven months shall they\n search.\n\nRobert thought all this referred to the war yet to come, in which the\nUnited States was to play the final and principal part, and the use of\nthe airplanes should reach its greatest perfection.\n\nEzekiel 43:1, 2, 3, 4 and 10:\n\n Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward\n the east:\n\n And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the\n east, and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth\n shined with his glory.\n\n And it was according to the appearance of the vision that I saw when I\n came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I\n saw by the river Chebar: and I fell upon my face.\n\n And the glory of the Lord came into the house, by the way of the gate\n whose prospect is toward the east.\n\n Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may\n be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.\n\nEzekiel 44:1, 4, 5 and 26:\n\n Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary,\n which looketh toward the east, and it was shut.\n\n Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house; and I\n looked, and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the\n Lord; and fell upon my face.\n\n And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with\n thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, all that I say unto thee\n concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the\n laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every\n going forth of the sanctuary.\n\n And after he is cleansed they shall reckon unto him seven days.\n\nRobert thought this referred to the last seven days at the end of the\nGreat War in the Air.\n\nEzekiel 45:25:\n\n In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he\n do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin\n offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.\n\nRobert thought this referred to the 15th day of July, 1932.\n\nEzekiel 46:1, 2 and 17:\n\n Thus saith the Lord God, The gate of the inner court that looketh\n toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath\n it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.\n\n And the prince shall enter by way of the porch of that gate without,\n and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare\n his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at\n the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall\n not be shut until the evening.\n\n But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then\n it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the\n prince; but his inheritance shall be his son's for them.\n\nEzekiel 47:5, 6, 8 and 9:\n\n Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not\n pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that\n could not be passed over.\n\n And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? then he brought\n me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.\n\n Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country,\n and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought\n forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.\n\n And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth,\n whithersoever, the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a\n very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither:\n for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river\n cometh.\n\nEzekiel 48:14 and 15:\n\n And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the\n first fruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord.\n\n And the five thousand that are left in the breadth, over against the\n five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for\n dwelling, and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI\n\n\nRobert wrote to Walter in New York and told him about his plans for\nthe future; how well he was getting along, about his new discoveries\nand how he had worked out the future from the Bible. He asked Walter's\nadvice about sending an article to Walter's father in regard to his\nfuture predictions based on the Bible. Walter thought it the opportune\ntime, in view of the fact that his father had confidence in Robert.\n\nAfter he had worked out his cycle theory according to the Bible, and\ndecided that he could forecast the markets and make money, he wrote to\nMr. Kennelworth, his employer.\n\n  Texarkana, Texas.\n  January 15, 1927.\n\n  Mr. J.H. Kennelworth,\n  Texarkana,\n  Texas.\n\n  My dear Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n I want you to know how much I appreciate the bonus you gave me on the\n 1st of the year. While I want to use it wisely, together with a little\n other money I have saved, I feel it is my duty to tell you what I\n intend to do with it.\n\n I have been studying the Bible night and day for many years, and I\n believe that I have found in it the key to all prophecy,--the rules\n fortelling the events in the history of the country, the progress in\n invention, and also rules for forecasting the future of stocks and\n commodities. I have been reading some books and studying commodities\n and stocks and have applied the rules as I understand them from the\n Bible. I feel sure that I am able to foretell what is going to happen\n in stocks and commodities, and I am very anxious to make some money\n out of it so that I can go to New York and join Walter there, where I\n will have greater advantages and can study and experiment with some\n inventions which I have in mind.\n\n From the teachings of the Bible and the methods which I have worked\n out, I feel confident that the price of cotton is going very high this\n Spring. I figure that there are going to be some heavy floods along\n the Mississippi River, and that there will be a late, wet Spring,\n and that the demand for cotton will greatly increase, helping to put\n prices very high. Therefore, I have decided to use the $500.00 which\n you gave me and another $500.00 which I have saved up, to buy cotton\n to hold for the Spring and Summer. I would like to have your opinion\n of this venture.\n\n Assuring you of my appreciation of your advice, I am\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  Robert Gordon.\n\nAbout this time Mr. J.H. Kennelworth received the following letter from\nhis son, Walter, in New York:\n\n  New York City,\n  January 12, 1927.\n\n  Dear Father:\n\n I have just received a letter from my good friend, Robert, and he\n tells me that he is anxious to join me in New York in a few months,\n that he has figured out some new discoveries and inventions from the\n Bible, and that he wants to do some speculating in order to make\n some money. He asked my opinion of putting before you some of his\n discoveries and getting your opinion on them. I wrote him that I was\n sure he would find a sympathetic listener in you and advised him to\n put his plans frankly before you.\n\n Father, I hope that you will give Robert your best advice and\n co-operation because I have great faith in him. He is a brilliant boy\n and is going to have a great future. He is loyal and honest, you know,\n and a hard worker, and I would hate to see him leave your employ. At\n the same time I would like to see him in New York as soon as possible.\n\n I am getting along nicely with my studies, and hope to graduate in a\n couple of years.\n\n Give my love to mother, and all,\n\n  Your son,\n  Walter.\n\nWhen Mr. Kennelworth received Robert's letter, he dictated the\nfollowing reply to his stenographer:\n\n  My dear Robert:\n\n Your very interesting letter received. I have the greatest faith\n in your ability and believe that if anyone can work out anything\n valuable from the Bible, you can do it. I have watched very carefully\n your persistency, and am much impressed with your loyalty and\n determination. It is admirable the confidence and faith that you have\n in yourself, as well as having great confidence in the greatest book\n of all, The Holy Bible.\n\n But when it comes to speculation, Robert, I want to give you some\n advice from my experience. It is a very dangerous game. It may be\n inviting, but it is not a business, Robert. It is a gamble. Of course\n I know that some men make it a business. Most men cannot control\n themselves when they get into it, the result--they gamble, and in the\n end, lose all.\n\n I will give you a little experience that I had. I went to New York\n many years ago, and on advice and information from some friends of\n mine, was induced to buy some oil stock. This was in the Fall of\n 1919. Oil stocks advanced rapidly, and along in October, my friends\n advised me to buy more. I had some handsome profits and did buy more.\n I confess that I knew nothing about oil stocks or any other stocks,\n but simply followed my friends' advice in buying them. In November,\n 1919, the market smashed all to pieces, and the oil stocks declined 50\n to 100 points. I had big profits at the top, but before the break was\n over, I not only lost all of my profits, but about $50,000 or $60,000\n of my capital.\n\n This taught me a lesson. I had made my money in the lumber business\n and in railroading. I had now gone into something that I knew nothing\n about and suffered a heavy loss. My friends and brokers tried to\n induce me to hold on and put up more margin; said that I would\n eventually come out all right, but I took the loss and charged it up\n to experience. Had I held on to these stocks, I would have lost my\n entire fortune, because they continued to go down during 1920 and\n 1921, and were 50 to 60 points lower than where I sold out. So you can\n see, Robert, what a costly experience this would have been and how\n wise I was to stop in time.\n\n The best advice that I can give you is, to stop before you start. You\n will save time and worry, aside from the loss of what little money you\n have saved up. I want to encourage and help you in every way possible,\n and I feel that I am helping you in giving you advice of this kind.\n\n Wishing you all success in your studies, I am\n\n  Yours very truly,\n  J.H. Kennelworth.\n\nRobert's second letter to Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n  January 24, 1927.\n\n  My dear Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n I have read your letter with a great deal of interest. I appreciate\n your fatherly advice and know that you have my interest at heart.\n I appreciate your telling me of your experience in speculation and\n know that this can be the only result where people only guess at the\n market, or follow tips. I have secured some books from New York and\n read a great deal about the market, and I feel that I already know\n that there are many pitfalls in the game of speculation, but if it can\n be made a science and followed according to the rules laid down in\n the Bible, success and profits are sure.\n\n Sir William Crookes said: \"To stop short in any research which\n bids fair to widen the gates of knowledge, to recoil from fear of\n difficulties or adverse criticism, is to bring reproach upon science.\"\n I feel that I have my own life to live; that I must have faith\n in myself and above all, have the faith which is instilled in me\n through the study of the Bible. I must neither fear difficulties nor\n criticism. I must put my theories and my discoveries to the test. The\n only way that I can do that, is to follow what I think is right.\n\n I have already made arrangements and sent my money to a broker in New\n York, and have today bought 200 bales of July cotton at 13.80. I am\n going to hold this cotton. If it goes up, as I am sure it will this\n Spring and Summer, as my profits accumulate, I am going to buy more on\n the way up.\n\n I believe in what the Bible says:\n\n  \"Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.\"\n\n Jacob said:\n\n  \"I have read in the tables of heaven whatsoever things shall befall\n  both of you and your children.\"\n\n I believe in the stars, I believe in astrology, and I have figured out\n my destiny. The Bible makes it plain that the stars do rule. 147th\n Psalm, 4th verse:\n\n  \"He tellest the number of the stars, he callest them all by name.\"\n\n Dante said:\n\n  \"Follow thy star--thou shalt see at last a glorious haven.\"\n\n Napoleon and many other great leaders of olden times followed their\n stars, and believed in them.\n\n Mr. Kennelworth, I have gained a great deal of knowledge by following\n the Bible. I have gone into secret places to pray, and have kept my\n discoveries to myself. I believe in the saying:\n\n  \"In silence, by silence, through silence were all things made.\"\n\n Daniel makes it clear that the stars influence:\n\n  \"And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and\n  setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to\n  them that know understanding.\"\n\n  \"He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the\n  darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.\"\n\n I have followed the teachings and admonitions of Solomon, and realize\n that knowledge is the greatest of all things. I have tried to get\n understanding and believe that I have received it from the Bible, and\n that I must use it.\n\n I refer to Daniel:\n\n  \"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a\n  kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be\n  left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all\n  these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.\"\n\n Mr. Kennelworth, I believe this prophesy is yet to be fulfilled. I\n believe that the United States is the kingdom which is never to be\n destroyed; that we will eventually see the United States of the World,\n and that this country, which is the land of love and liberty, will\n rule wisely all other nations.\n\n I quote from Daniel:\n\n  \"And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy\n  kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known\n  that the heavens do rule.\"\n\n I have demonstrated this to mean that the planets rule our destinies.\n It is right for us to understand them as Daniel did and interpret the\n secret and hidden things.\n\n I believe the wise men of the East, the astrologists before the birth\n of Jesus Christ, knew where and when he would be born by the study of\n the stars. St. Matthew, Chapter 2:2--\n\n  \"Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen\n  his star in the east, and are come to worship him.\"\n\n This shows to me that the wise men believed that certain stars arising\n would indicate a great man would be born, a savior of the world. St.\n Matthew, Chapter 6:6 and 8--\n\n  \"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou\n  hast shut the door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret; and thy\n  Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.\"\n\n  \"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what\n  things ye have need of before ye ask him.\"\n\n I have prayed and studied in secret, and I believe I am going to\n receive my reward. I believe that our heavenly Father, the ruler and\n maker of this universe, does know our needs, and that he gives us\n understanding according to the way we would receive it.\n\n I was much impressed when I read St. Matthew 6:33--\n\n  \"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all\n  these things shall be added unto you.\"\n\n I have sought that kingdom and I have found it where the good book\n says it is: \"The kingdom of heaven is within you.\" Again the good book\n says:\n\n  \"If ye believe in me, greater things than these shall ye do.\"\n\n I believe that I can and will do great things.\n\n Ever since I was a small boy, and used to kneel at my mother's knee,\n and she taught me first to pray, I have believed in that great book\n and in God's power to guide me right and give me understanding of all\n things. My own father never understood me or had any sympathy with me\n or my ideas, which I feel were far advanced. My own brother was my\n worst enemy, and I find that the Bible bears me out in this\n\n  \"And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.\"\n\n My father and brother opposed me because they did not understand me.\n\n I firmly believe that the Bible and the Scriptures contain the key to\n all knowledge, and that all a man has to do is to seek and he shall\n find, knock and it shall be opened unto him. I believe it is best for\n me to go away to New York as soon as I can, away from my own people,\n for the good book says:\n\n  \"A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his\n  own house.\"\n\n The Bible points the way to read the signs and the stars. St. Matthew\n 12:38, 39 and 40--\n\n  \"Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Master,\n  we would see a sign from thee.\"\n\n  \"But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous\n  generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to\n  it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:\"\n\n  \"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly;\n  so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart\n  of the earth.\"\n\n I have read the Book of Jonah thru very carefully, and I believe that\n I understand what the Saviour meant when he said:\n\n  \"No sign shall be given, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.\"\n\n I believe there was a secret meaning in what he said; that the Son\n of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. I\n believe that a man who understands the meaning of that has all the\n power under heaven and earth, as the Bible says he shall have. I\n believe that that is the key to the interpretation of the future. I am\n sure I have found it and know how to apply it.\n\n I do not wish to burden you further with this long letter, Mr.\n Kennelworth. I am very much interested in my work on future cycles,\n and if you are interested in what I can work out on the future\n cycles, I will be glad to send them to you and let you watch them. I\n have figured out the repetition of each cycle when wars will come. I\n believe that the wheat prices forecast coming wars. Through my study\n of the Bible, I have determined the major and minor time factors which\n repeat in the history of nations, men and markets.\n\n I trust that you will understand me and not feel that I do not\n appreciate your advice when I started speculating. If my new\n discoveries work, as I hope they will, I look forward to the day when\n you can join me in a great campaign for making money.\n\n Assuring you of my deep appreciation of all your kind advice, I am\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  Robert Gordon.\n\nOn the same night, January 24th, after Robert had received a telegram\nfrom his broker in New York, stating that he had bought 200 bales of\nJuly cotton at 13.80, Robert figured that this would margin him to\n12.80. He was sure from his study that July cotton would never decline\nto 13.25.\n\nHe sat down and wrote:\n\n  My darling Marie:\n\n Love is the greatest thing in the world. It is all powerful, and your\n love for me is going to make me the greatest man in the world. Today\n I have started on the road to fame and fortune. When we were together\n last, I told you about my discoveries of the cycles from the Bible and\n said I was sure that I could figure out what the stock, cotton and\n grain markets were going to do; that I was going to start speculating\n as soon as I got the money.\n\n You discouraged me. Recently I wrote to Mr. Kennelworth about the\n matter, and he also discouraged me. He told me what a hazardous and\n dangerous business it is. I hope that you won't scold me, because I\n have already bought 200 bales of July cotton at 13.80 and put up $1000\n as margin. I am sure that I am going to make money, and that it is\n going to be the means of bringing us a great deal of happiness. If I\n can make money, I can complete my invention and discoveries, go to New\n York where I will have all the advantages, and we can soon be married\n and realize our dream.\n\n Ever since we made up last Fall, and I was sure of you and your love,\n I have been very ambitious and have not wasted a minute, have studied\n day and night. Wanted to prove to you that your faith in me was not\n to go unrewarded. I believe that the great success of many men has\n been because some good little woman placed a hand upon their shoulder\n and said: \"I trust you and love you.\" I have read a great deal of\n the history of the men of great achievement, and every time I found\n back of the success the love of some good woman. It is the love of my\n mother and the love of you which has inspired me to greater things. I\n am sure that success is going to crown my efforts. Won't you give me\n your good wishes in my start on the road to success?\n\n With all my love, I am\n\n  As ever,\n  Robert.\n\n  Sherman, Texas.\n  January 26, 1927.\n\n  My own dear Robert:\n\n Your sweet letter just received. No, Robert, I am not going to scold\n you, because I believe in you. I know you are doing what you think is\n right, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I love you all the more\n because you have confidence in yourself, and above all, confidence in\n the Holy Bible. I want you to know, Robert, that should you lose your\n money and should things go wrong, disappointment befall you, my love\n will never waiver. My confidence in you is supreme, and I look forward\n to the day when I may bring you before my father and show to him that\n my confidence was not misplaced and that you have sustained my faith\n and hope.\n\n I love you and will always love you, Robert, if you never make a\n dollar. It is not the money that counts with me, but it does count\n with my father and mother, and I want you to prove to them that\n without the help of anyone you can make as much money as father has. I\n know you can, and I will always love you and stand by you.\n\n  Devotedly,\n  Your Marie.\n\nOn January 27th Mr. Kennelworth wrote to Robert:\n\n  My dear Robert:\n\n I have read your letter with a great deal of interest and\n understanding. You are a deep thinker and a great reader. Success is\n bound to come to a mind which interprets the meaning of things. I\n shall be very happy to have you write me about the future cycles as\n you interpret them, and shall watch them with a great deal of interest.\n\n Now that you have taken the step, Robert, and started in speculating,\n I want to wish you success. I admire your courage in following your\n convictions and the faith you have in yourself, and if it is possible\n for you to win, I believe and hope you will.\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  J.H. Kennelworth.\n\nRobert's reply:\n\n  My dear Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n My great desire to make money, I want you to understand, is to do some\n good with it and benefit my country, when she will need the benefit\n most. Please read Ezekiel very carefully, for I believe that Ezekiel\n is the greatest of all prophets. He aptly describes an airplane which\n I can make that will be a great aid in time of war. I believe that\n Ezekiel plainly foretold the war yet to come which will be fought in\n the air, and that the United States will be in great jeopardy, but\n will finally win out. So you see, my object in speculating is not a\n selfish motive altogether, but to help others and to help my country.\n\n The following verses show that Ezekiel was predicting something to\n happen in the future and was carrying out God's instructions. Ezekiel\n 13:2 and 3--\n\n  \"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy,\n  and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye\n  the word of the Lord\";\n\n Ezekiel 14:14, 16, 18 and 21--\n\n  \"Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they\n  should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the\n  Lord God.\"\n\n  \"Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God,\n  they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be\n  delivered, but the land shall be desolate.\"\n\n  \"Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God,\n  they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be\n  delivered themselves.\"\n\n  \"For thus saith the Lord God, How much more when I send my four sore\n  judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome\n  beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?\"\n\n Ezekiel 17:3--\n\n  \"And say, thus saith the Lord God, A great eagle with great wings,\n  long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto\n  Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar\":\n\n Ezekiel 21:30--\n\n  \"Shall I cause it to return unto his sheath? I will judge thee in the\n  place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.\"\n\n From this, I believe that more famines, earthquakes, pestilence and\n wars are yet to come and that the noisome beast referred to is the\n airplane. If we make calculations from the date and place of birth, I\n think we can determine what our future is to be, and in this way live\n according to cause and effect, which is God's divine law.\n\n When I stated that I believed Ezekiel the greatest prophet of all, my\n authority is found in Ezekiel 28:3--\n\n  \"Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel. There is no secret they can hide\n  from thee.\"\n\n Daniel was known to be a great prophet and astrologer. In his\n prophecies, he foretold war, pestilence and famine to come upon this\n earth, and by a proper study of the repetition of cycles we can\n determine the time when important events will take place in the future.\n\n I am enclosing an article which I have written on Future Cycles, and\n also one on the Cycles of Transportation.\n\n Thanking you for your interest in my work, I am\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  Robert Gordon.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII\n\nFUTURE CYCLES\n\n\n  January 28, 1927.\n\nIn making my predictions I use geometry and mathematics, just as the\nastronomer does, based on immutable laws.\n\nI am a believer in the Bible. It is the most wonderful book ever\nwritten, a book of science, philosophy and religion. I claim that all\nscientific laws are laid down in the Bible if a person knows where to\nfind them. Refer to St. Matthew 7:7, which says:\n\n \"Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it\n shall be opened unto you.\"\n\nI hold that the Bible contains the key to the process by which man\nmay know all there is to know of the future, if he will only seek\ndiligently for the rules laid down in the Holy Book.\n\nMy calculations are based on the cycle theory and on mathematical\nsequences. History repeats itself. That is what I have always\ncontended,--that in order to know and predict the future of anything\nyou only have to look up what has happened in the past and get a\ncorrect base or starting point. My authority for stating that the\nfuture is but a repetition of the past is found in the Bible.\n\nRead Eccl. 1:9:\n\n \"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which\n is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under\n the sun.\"\n\nAgain\n\n \"That which has been is now and that which is to be hath already been.\"\n\nThis makes it plain that everything works according to past cycles, and\nthat history repeats itself in the lives of men, nations and the stock\nmarket.\n\nWe are told that the great continent of Atlantis, for centuries\nsubmerged under the Atlantic Ocean, possessed a civilization greater\nthan ours of today. The people of Atlantis had their telephones,\nwireless, radios and airplanes. There is considerable truth in that\nstatement. According to mathematical sequence, the wonderful inventions\nthat brought comfort and convenience to the Atlantians are due to\nappear again, and we are now only on the threshold of another great age.\n\nRemember, everything in this universe is elliptical or circular in\nmotion; that applies both to the abstract and the concrete, the mental,\nphysical and spiritual. Every thought you think makes a circle, and it\ncomes back to you. It may take years but you will get the effects, good\nor evil, according as the thought was either good or evil. That is a\ntruth we should learn, and the world will be the better for it.\n\nIn making my calculations on the stock market, or any future event,\nI get the past history and find out what cycle we are in and then\npredict the curve for the future, which is a repetition of past market\nmovements. The great law of vibration is based on like producing like.\nLike causes produce like effects. Wireless telegraphy, the phonograph\nand the radio are based on this law. The limit of future predictions\nbased on exact mathematical law is only restricted by lack of knowledge\nof correct data on past history to work from. It is just as easy to\nfigure 100 years or 1000 years in the future as one or two years ahead,\nif you have the correct starting point and know the cycle which is\ngoing to be repeated.\n\nA few years ago even scientific men, not alone the public, would have\nlaughed at such a thing and refused to believe it. But mathematical\nscience, which is the only real science that the entire civilized world\nhas agreed upon, furnishes unmistakable proof of history repeating\nitself and shows that the cycle theory, or harmonic analysis, is the\nonly thing that we can rely upon to ascertain the future.\n\nSometime ago an article appeared in the _New York American_ commenting\non the writings of Sir Arthur Evans, foremost English archeologist, who\npublished \"The Palace of Minos,\" a book concerning the ancient City\nof Minotaur. He described the excavation on the Isle of Crete in the\nMediterranean Sea, in which they found modern apartment houses, bath\ntubs and corsets, the same as used today. The plumbing that they found\nwas so excellent that it is still working after thousands of years. It\nis estimated that the ancient city was destroyed over 5000 years ago,\nor about 3500 B.C. The fact that a long time elapsed before\napartment houses became popular again is another proof of history\nrepeating itself and shows\n\n \"There is no new thing under the sun,\"\n\nbut that we simply resurrect the old ones.\n\n\"How do I forecast future cycles?\" you may ask. In order to forecast\nfuture cycles, the most important thing is to begin right, for if we\nhave the right beginning, we will get the right ending. If we know the\ncause of the effect, then there can be no doubt about predicting the\nfuture event or effect.\n\nI have always looked for causes and when once I determine a cause I can\nalways be sure of the effect or future event which I predict. IT IS\nNOT MY AIM TO EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF CYCLES. The general public is not\nyet ready for it and probably would not understand or believe it if I\nexplained it.\n\nIn every law of nature there is a major and a minor; a positive, a\nnegative, and a neutral. Therefore, in cycles there must be a lesser, a\ngreater and intermediate cycle, or cycles within cycles. Like Ezekiel\nsays: \"Wheel within a wheel.\"\n\nTime is the great factor that proves all things. The measurement of\ntime first originated and is based on the earth's motion upon its axis.\nOne of the smallest cycles, or time factors, which repeats regularly\nin things that are very active and have a high vibration, is the\nfour-minute cycle. The reason for this is that the earth moves one\ndegree every four minutes. The next cycle is 24 hours, the complete\ntime required for the earth to make one revolution upon its axis. That\nis how man measured his cycle of a day. The next important cycle is\none year, the time required for the earth to move around the sun. This\nbrings about the four seasons of the year. These are the minor cycles.\n\nThe major cycles run in 100 and 5000 years with variations based\non minor cycles. In order to be sure of world events and important\nchanges, it is necessary to go back at least 1000 years and prove up\nthe cycles. We find ample proof of the 1000-year cycle in the Bible:\n\n \"A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation;\n I the Lord, will hasten it in his time.\"\n\nAlso\n\n \"One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as\n one day.\"\n\nAnother evidence of the 1000-year cycle:\n\n \"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil,\n and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.\"\n\nIf we go back 1000 years, we can find ample proof of how history has\nbeen repeating itself in the past few years. From about A.D.\n916 to 923 Europe went thru about the same conditions that prevailed\n1000 years later or around 1914 to 1920. During the first period\nreferred to, Europe experienced wars, panics and crop failures. History\nshows that in 916 agriculture in the British Isles was at its lowest\nebb and that there was great scarcity of wheat and corn. Very few\npeople were engaged in tilling the soil on account of wars. The same\nconditions prevailed 1000 years later in 1916 and 1917, when this\ncountry was called on to furnish food to starving Europe and send men\nand money to save their armies from defeat. In 917, Constantinople was\nbesieged by the Bulgarians and war continued to 919. We know that war\nprevailed in Turkey and all over Europe between 1914 and 1919. In 923\nthere was Civil War in France and 1000 years later, or in 1923, France\nagain had her troubles and is still having them.\n\nAnother proof of the 1000- and 2000-year cycle is evidenced by a\nlecture given by Prof. Hans Delbruck of the University of Berlin at the\nUniversity College of London, just before the outbreak of the World War\nin 1914. He said:\n\n \"One of his first observations in comparing the phenomena of the\n history of wars in the different ages was the likeness between the\n battles in which the Swiss conquered Duke Charles the Bold, and the\n battles in which the Greeks overcame the Persians. They had in an\n interval of 2000 years exactly the same arms and the same political\n institutions fighting against each other.\"\n\nWhat proof of the 100-year cycle do we get from 100 years ago of what\nhas happened in the past few years? In the United States, between 1814\nand 1822, we had crop failures, war and yellow fever, especially from\n1819 to 1822. In 1821 Persia was visited with Asiatic cholera. In 1823\ncholera broke out in several ports along the Mediterranean. During the\nsame period, corresponding to 100 years ago, the United States had the\nterrible epidemic of influenza and in Europe, Russia was visited with\nfamine, cholera and all kinds of diseases, killing millions. In 1822\nthere was a famine in Ireland and 100 years later they were winding up\ntheir troubles and trying to make settlement and peace with England.\nIn 1922 China and Russia were both suffering from famines, another\nproof of the 100-year cycle. Some more important evidence of this cycle\nis found by going back 100 years in history, in which we find that\nin 1819 the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In 1919, 100\nyears later, the British dirigible R-34 made a successful flight from\nScotland to Mineola, Long Island.\n\nWhere do we find proof in the Bible that the great World War was coming?\n\nThe proof that it is possible to make predictions of wars, famines,\npestilences and general world events thousands of years in advance, is\nplainly substantiated by the Bible. The great World War was prophesied\nin the Book of Revelation.\n\nWhat proof do we find in the Bible of what events or conditions will\nfollow wars? What does the Bible say of the great World War which St.\nJohn the Divine foretold in the Book of Revelation?\n\n \"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;\n and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers\n places.\"\n\nAgain the Bible says:\n\n \"Immediately after the tribulation of these days shall the sun be\n darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall\n from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.\"\n\nAgain, it says:\n\n \"The Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the\n land seven years.\"\n\nAnd seven years from the close of the World War, Europe had the\nterrible crop failures, strikes, business depression and calamities,\nwhich occurred in 1923 to 1926.\n\nSome evidence of long-range predictions which have been fulfilled, that\nhas attracted attention, appeared in the _New York American_, January\n29, 1922. The article refers to an amazing prophecy of the twelfth\ncentury made by Malachy, a priest, in A.D. 1139, in which he\nforetold accurately the personality of the Papal succession by means\nof mottoes and numbers. He foretold the long struggles which Ireland\nwould have to go thru and the eventual peace, which has been recently\nsigned. His prophecy on the future Pope is No. 266. Fides Intrepida,\nwhich means--\"Unwavering Faith, unshaken belief in the face of danger;\nunfaltering devotion.\" To those who understand numbers, \"266\" reveals\nsome remarkable events that are to follow the election of the new\nPope. It shows that wars are not yet over and that Europe will have\ntroublesome conditions, and in fact, the entire world must yet pass\nthru a very evil period between 1926 and 1932. It also confirms both\nthe major and minor cycles which indicate that the years 1928 and 1930\nto 1932 are to be years of famine, depressing business conditions and\npanic, not only in Europe, but in the United States. The maximum evil\nof the great 1000-year cycle, which will not be completed until 1932\nto 1934, will bring serious troubles to the United States. Another bad\nperiod for the United States will be 1940 to 1944.\n\nThe question arises:--If we can know the future, is it of value to us?\nIt has been well said: \"Forewarned is forearmed,\" but I prefer to look\nto the Bible for authority and proof. When Pharaoh had his wonderful\ndream, he went to Joseph to have it interpreted. Joseph said:\n\n \"And the seven thin and ill favored kine that came up after them are\n seven years; and the seven empty years, blasted with the east wind,\n shall be seven years of famine.\"\n\nListen to the advice Joseph gave him:\n\n \"Let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay\n up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the\n cities. The people throughout the land should take warning and prepare\n for the unfavorable years to follow.\"\n\nThe Bible is the BOOK of all books, and if we only study it and\nunderstand it, we can gain a proper knowledge of all things. I believe\nit the duty of any man who understands science and mathematics and the\ncycle theory, and knows what is coming, to warn the people in order\nthat they may prepare for trouble ahead. Many will scoff and laugh and\nrefuse to believe until it is too late. The Bible is full of references\nwhere God has given us signs by which we may know what is coming, if we\nwill only believe them. He says:\n\n \"O, ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not\n discern the signs of the times?\"\n\nAgain the Bible says:\n\n \"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament, of the heaven\n to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for\n seasons, and for days, and years.\"\n\nHow few people are willing to study the Bible in order to understand\nthe signs and discern the future and profit by it.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII\n\nCYCLES OF TRANSPORTATION\n\n\nThe coming mode of transportation will be by airplane and I feel sure\nthey will be used in the great war to come. The Bible tells us that\nEnoch, who was the seventh from Adam--a number generally referred to\nas divine--was translated to heaven for his faith at the age of 365\nyears. This event took place about 3017 B.C. I believe that at\nthat time they had all modern inventions and that Enoch went up in an\nairplane. The writer of the book, probably not having seen an airplane\nbefore and seeing Enoch go into the sky, thought that he had gone to\nheaven. We are now in the 5000-year cycle, from the time that Enoch was\ntransferred to heaven, and this indicates the progress of the airplane\nat this time. Elijah was also translated to heaven in a cloud of fire,\nin 896 B.C. I believe this, too, was an airplane. Since the\nchariot was seen blazing with some kind of fire or gas, the recorder\nthought it was just something to take Elijah to heaven.\n\nMan first traveled by land, then conquered the water and last, the\ngreatest feat of all, is conquering the air, which was plainly foretold\nin the Bible.\n\nIn 1602 there was a railway built in New Castle, England, operated\nby horsepower. In 1776, the first iron rails were laid, the first\nimportant step leading to railways. In July, 1801, there was a\ncompleted tram road from Croyden to Wandsworth, England. In 1802,\nthe first high-pressure locomotive was invented. In 1813, William\nHedley built a locomotive. In 1824, the first locomotive, by George\nStephenson, traveled six miles per hour. In 1829, the Rocket made a\nspeed of fifteen miles per hour. In 1834, the Firefly Locomotive made a\nspeed of twenty miles an hour, and in 1839, the North Star made a speed\nof thirty-seven miles per hour.\n\nMan used the air as power for sailing vessels long years before he ever\ndreamed that it could be used to travel thru by airplane. The first\nidea of steam navigation was patented by Jonathan in 1713, and later\nin 1783, a steamboat by Fitch. In 1793, the first real steamboat by\nFulton. On August 9, 1803, Fulton's steamboat, \"The Claremont,\" made\nits first trip up the Hudson. In 1807, Fulton started a steamboat\nline on the Hudson. On July 15, 1819, the first steamship made a trip\nfrom New York to Liverpool in twenty-six days. In October, 1829, a\nlocomotive by steam carriages started in Liverpool. In June, 1838, the\n\"Great Western\" made a trip from Bristol, arrived in New York, making\nthe voyage in eighteen days. The next record for ocean travel was made\nin 1851 when the \"Pacific\" crossed the Atlantic in 9 days, 19 hours and\n25 minutes. In 1917, a German submarine boat made a successful trip\nfrom Germany to Baltimore.\n\nThe advent of automobiles, or gas engines, began in 1877, when the\nfirst gas engine was invented by Otto. In 1879, a gasoline motor was\ninvented by Selden. In 1892, the first automobile was operated by C.A.\nDuryea. Note that this was repeating the 500-year cycle, and 100 years\nbefore the first attempt was made to start an iron railway, and in\n1783, the first time a balloon went up which carried a passenger.\n\nIn our modern times the first attempt by man to conquer the air by\nmeans of plane or balloon was in June, 1783, when Joseph and Stephen\nMontgolfier built the first balloon, but it carried no passengers. In\nNovember, 1783, for the first time man went up in a balloon that sailed\nover Paris. In 1859, John Wise sailed in a balloon from St. Louis to\nHenderson, N.Y., in twenty hours; the greatest distance accomplished\nup to that time. In 1900, Count Zeppelin flew the first dirigible. In\nNovember, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made their first flight in an\nairplane which rose under its own power. Note that this was 100 years\nafter Fulton's first steamboat went up the Hudson, again repeating\nthe 100-year cycle. In July, 1908, Glenn H. Curtiss flew his first\nairplane. In July, 1909, Charles K. Hamilton flew from New York to\nPhiladelphia--seventy-four miles. Note 100 years before this, in 1807,\nFulton started the first steamship line up the Hudson.\n\nFrom 1914 to 1918, airplanes were used in the great World War; 100\nyears before steamers began crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the\nfirst time. In June, 1919, first non-stop flight from St. John's,\nNewfoundland, to Ireland. In July, 1919, the R-34 made a successful\nflight from Scotland to Mineola, Long Island. The R-34 made the trip in\n64 hours and 13 minutes. One hundred years previous to this the first\nfast steamship crossed the Atlantic.\n\nIn May, 1923, Lieut. Macready and Kelly made a non-stop flight from New\nYork to San Diego, California. In July, 1923, sunrise to sunset flight\nfrom New York to San Francisco. The flight was made by Russell L.\nMaughan. March 17th to September 28, 1924, L.H. Smith and Lee Wade flew\naround the world the first time. May, 1926, Richard E. Byrd circled the\nNorth Pole with the dirigible. May 21, 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh made\nthe first successful flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris.\n\nNote how the airplane followed 100 years later after the fast steamer\nacross the Atlantic. As railroad and ocean transportation made rapid\nprogress from 1807 to 1838, so is airplane transportation making rapid\nprogress and I predict that in 1938, airplanes will be traveling at\nthe rate of 1000 miles an hour to all parts of the earth, carrying\npassengers and freight. My interpretation of the cycles to repeat in\nfuture indicates that from 1928 to 1932, one of the greatest battles\nof all history will be fought in the air. In the next few years\nairplanes will be making successful trips around the world and carrying\npassengers.\n\nMan has succeeded in traveling on the earth by steam, gas and\nelectricity. The automobile solved the problem of motor transportation\nwithout rail. The water was first conquered in a crude canoe, next\nwith a sailing vessel, then the fast steamers and later the submarine\nby which man can travel secretly under the water. The next and last\ngreat conquest was the air, and as nations have fought battles on\nthe land, on the water and used the submarine for successful warfare\nunder the water, the next and last great step in transportation will\nbe in the air. It is but natural to expect that the greatest battle\nof all will take place in the air when all modern inventions will be\nused to destroy human life. As stated in the Bible, unless the time be\nshortened, no human being will be left on this earth, but the Good Book\nhas promised that the time will be shortened. Nations will try this new\nmode to conquer each other before the United Kingdom, spoken of in the\nBible, can be realized.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX\n\n\nSupplementing his former letter, Robert Gordon wrote:\n\n  Dear Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n I am anxious to make some money in my cotton deals and get into wheat\n for the big advance that I figure is coming this Spring and Summer.\n Then I want to be in position to buy some Right Aeroplane and sell\n Major Motors and other stocks short, because I believe that in the\n next few years I can make a fortune buying Right Aeroplane stock and\n selling short Major Motors.\n\n Just as the railroad locomotive attained great speed from 1834 to\n 1839, and the big steamers cut down the time between New York and\n Europe, so will airplanes 100 years later cut the time around the\n world and to all points of the world. Just as the automobile has\n supplanted the railway passenger trains in carrying passengers across\n the country, so will the airplane take the place of railroads and\n automobiles in transportation through the air, because it will be much\n faster and safer. I believe that the airplane described by Ezekiel is\n going to be the model of a great plane in the future and I would like\n to make money enough to be the man to build the first plane according\n to the plans laid down in the Bible.\n\n Mr. Kennelworth, I want to help you and show my appreciation for all\n your kindness to me. I would like to help you make back the money\n that you lost in the big slump in stocks in the Fall of 1919, and\n believe that if you will buy some July or October cotton right now,\n and hold it, you will make a lot of money. To show your faith in me,\n buy at least 100 bales. Then along about the 5th of April, we will\n have a lot of big profits made and can buy some wheat and corn as I\n figure that wheat and corn are going to start up the early part of\n April and advance twenty-five to thirty cents per bushel. Haven't you\n faith enough in me and faith enough in the Bible to risk a few hundred\n dollars and make back all the money you have lost? Of course you don't\n need it, Mr. Kennelworth, but it would make me very happy to see you\n make some money, anyway.\n\n  Sincerely,\n  Robert.\n\nAfter reading over Robert's letters and explanation of the cycles, Mr.\nKennelworth answered:\n\n  February 1, 1927.\n\n  My dear Robert:\n\n Your amazing letter and forecast of the future cycles, received. I\n am surprised to find one so young possessed of so much knowledge. It\n shows that you are a deep student and have been searching for the\n hidden mysteries. You will receive your reward.\n\n I have faith in the Bible and in you, Robert. In 1919, I followed tips\n and lost a lot of money. Now I must have enough faith in you to risk a\n little money on your predictions, based on the Bible, so I telegraphed\n my brokers in New York today and bought 500 bales of July cotton at\n 13.70. If it goes up, I am going to hold it and the money I make on\n it, I am going to give to you and Marie when you are married as a\n wedding present, or if you need the money to promote your invention, I\n will let you have it to use for that purpose.\n\n Please keep me posted on your studies and on your new discoveries.\n Always feel free to come and talk your matters over with me. I am\n always interested in anything that you have to write or talk to me\n about. Have faith in you and believe you are right about the great war\n to come.\n\n It is plain that the nations in Europe are rapidly getting ready for\n war, and, of course, it will be with airplanes. While I hate to think\n the United States will again be called into war, at the same time I\n realize that all of the foreign countries are jealous of us, because\n we have such enormous gold supply and have grown so prosperous. The\n United States is now the banker of the world, and while it was no\n fault of ours that the great World War occurred, which resulted to our\n benefit by transfer of gold from other nations to us, at the same time\n they are jealous and have a real hatred for America.\n\n So you are probably right in preparing to build a great airplane to be\n used in defending your country. Such noble intentions, my boy, fill\n my heart with pride. I am going to drive out to the farm to see your\n mother next Sunday if I can get time. Want to have a talk with her and\n tell her of your brilliant achievement. It makes every mother's heart\n glad to know that her boy is trying to accomplish something. I feel\n sure that you are going to accomplish your aims, Robert, and I am with\n you always.\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  J.H. Kennelworth.\n\nAfter hearing from Mr. Kennelworth, Robert was very happy, and of\ncourse, had to share his happiness with Marie.\n\n  February 5, 1927.\n\n  Sweet Marie:\n\n I am very happy on this Saturday night, and nothing could make me\n happier than to be with you. I feel that I have won a great victory. I\n have put my theories up to Mr. Kennelworth, explained all that I could\n about my discoveries of the cycles in the Bible, and urged him to buy\n some cotton and make back the money that he lost in 1919. He said that\n he had faith in me and the Bible so he bought 500 bales of July cotton\n at 13.70 as I suggested.\n\n While the market hasn't gone up much since I bought mine, at the same\n time it is holding steady and I am sure that it is going up. I believe\n Mr. Kennelworth is going to make a lot of money on his cotton and I\n want to see him make it because he is an honest, whole-hearted man\n and has done everything he could to help me. The $500 bonus he gave\n me in January enabled me to have margin enough to buy the cotton, and\n if I make a great success I will feel that I owe him a great debt of\n gratitude, because he has really helped me get a start.\n\n Don't think I fail to appreciate all you are doing, my little\n sweetheart, and the faith that you have in me. I am looking forward to\n the day when I will make Wall Street hum with you standing by my side.\n Nothing would be left for me to work for if it wasn't the hope of\n having you, and the happiness that you can bring. Money will not mean\n anything except to accomplish my purpose, help my country and buy the\n things that will make you happy.\n\n Love is indeed the greatest thing in the world and you are the\n greatest woman in the world. With your love, there is nothing that I\n cannot do. You are my last thought when I go to sleep at night and the\n first when I wake in the morning. Everything I do, I always think is\n for you. Your sweet little letters are always so encouraging and your\n supreme faith in me urges me on to greater things.\n\n With all the love that my heart can send, I am as ever\n\n  Your loving\n  Robert.\n\n  Monday, February 7, 1927.\n\n  My own dear Robert:\n\n Your letter received this A.M. It is the happiest Monday\n morning that I have ever had. Am glad to know that Mr. Kennelworth is\n backing up your judgment. If I had some money I certainly would send\n it to you to buy some cotton for me. Maybe I will have some in a few\n months, because I am saving something every week from my allowance\n which Papa sends me.\n\n Every night when I kneel to pray, I ask God to give you strength and\n confidence, Robert, and I know that he can and will help you. It makes\n me very happy to know in all of your plans for the future, you think\n of me, and I am going to try to prove worthy of that great love.\n You are so noble, pure and unselfish; always thinking of others and\n thinking of what you can do to help protect your country in time of\n war.\n\n I do hope and pray as your mother does, that the days of wars may pass\n away; that man may cease to fight and may know and understand each\n other, settling their differences on the basis of love. I will welcome\n that day, and hope that I may stand by your side, when there will be\n no more wars and our loved ones will not be taken away to war.\n\n Write me often, Robert, and know that you have all the love that the\n heart of one little woman can send.\n\n  Your own\n  Marie.\n\nThe month of February slowly passed away. Cotton was very slow and\ninactive, but on February 23rd, it started up and went up fast. On\nMarch 2nd, July cotton had advanced to 14.80, and Robert had a profit\nof $1,000.00 and Mr. Kennelworth had a profit of $2,500.00. Robert was\nvery much elated over his progress and the profit for Mr. Kennelworth.\nHe wrote Marie how the market was working out according to his\nprediction; how the money was piling up; and that he would soon have\nmoney to start on his invention and new discovery. Marie was very happy\nover Robert's success and wrote encouraging letters. Mr. Kennelworth\nwas also very happy and congratulated Robert on being able to buy\ncotton very close to the low level in January.\n\nMarch was the month to bring disappointment to Robert. Cotton started\nto decline and by the middle of the month had declined to around 13.75\nwiping out all Robert's and Mr. Kennelworth's profits, but still\nleaving their capital intact. Robert was not discouraged. He told Mr.\nKennelworth that the flood was sure to come in the Mississippi Valley\nduring April and May, the Spring would be late, and the price would be\nsure to advance. He had no thought of selling out his cotton and urged\nMr. Kennelworth to hold his, which he did.\n\nMarie had become very much interested in the market and was reading the\npaper every day and watching the prices. She saw the price decline to\naround 13.75 and knew that Robert's profits would now be wiped out. She\nfelt very sorry for him and wrote him:\n\n  March 15th, 1927.\n\n  My dear Robert:\n\n I have not heard from you in several days. I see that the market has\n declined to where you now have no profit left on your deal. Do not get\n discouraged; I have great faith in you and believe that you are yet\n going to come out all right and make a lot of money. Why don't you\n hold your cotton, and tell Mr. Kennelworth to hold his, because my\n intuition tells me that you are certainly right?\n\n I have been saving money every week from my allowance. A few weeks\n ago I wrote Papa and told him that I had to have some extra money and\n asked him if he could let me have $300.00. He sent the money at once,\n so I now have $400.00 and I am sending it to you. I want you to buy\n me 100 bales of July cotton. I was talking with a broker from Dallas\n a few days ago, and he says that he believes cotton will go up even\n tho it may be slow for a while. Take the money, and if you can get the\n broker to buy a hundred for me, do so. This is my faith in you, and in\n the Bible. So don't be afraid to buy for me, Robert. I am just as game\n as you are.\n\n With all love and wishing you luck,\n\n  As ever, your own\n  Marie.\n\nThis letter was a great consolation and encouragement to Robert. He had\nbegun to feel a little blue because cotton had declined. Not that he\nthought it wouldn't go up again, but he was sorry that he had failed to\nget the profits.\n\nHe took Marie's money and on March 17th bought 100 bales of July cotton\nat 13.90. The cotton market was slow during the balance of March, but\nit did not decline, and Robert was greatly encouraged. The market was\nslow again during April, but prices were holding steady and Robert felt\nencouraged that they did not decline. On April 20th a flood started\nin the Mississippi Valley. The Spring was late and planting delayed.\nCotton started to advance and went up fast, July reaching 15.40 by\nApril 25th. Robert's profits were now piling up fast, and Marie had a\nprofit of over $700.00 on her 100 bales. Mr. Kennelworth had held his\ncotton and profits were accumulating fast for him. He congratulated\nRobert on his wonderful prediction that the flood came as he forecast.\nMarie was watching the papers so she wired Robert as follows:\n\n YOU ARE A WONDER THE MARKET IS MAKING GOOD AND WE ARE GOING TO WIN I\n AM WITH YOU ALWAYS LOVE\n\n  Marie.\n\nRobert now began to see possibilities of his dream being realized, and\nthought in a few months he could resign his position and go to New\nYork and continue to speculate in order to make money enough to build\nhis airplane and work out ideas for his other discoveries. So he wrote\nMarie this letter:\n\n  April 30th, 1927.\n\n  My darling Marie,\n\n The Lord has been good to us. Fortune is smiling on us. Cotton is\n on its way up. In a few weeks will be up around 17c a pound, and we\n will have a lot of money made. I bought another 100 bales today and\n Mr. Kennelworth bought 500 bales more. It won't be long until I have\n money enough to go to New York. When I go, I want you to go with me,\n because I cannot go there and succeed alone without you. I need your\n love and encouragement, and want you to marry me and start to New York\n together. Of course I don't like to have you leave school before you\n graduate, but I feel it is best for you to go with me.\n\n Write and let me know what you think about it.\n\n With all my love,\n\n  Your Robert.\n\nMarie's reply:\n\n  Sunday, May 1st, 1927.\n\n  My dear Robert,\n\n I have just received your letter, and I am happy to know that the\n cotton is moving your way. I know that you love and trust me and\n I want you to know that I love and trust you, so please try to\n understand me. While I have the greatest faith in you and know that\n you will succeed, I feel that marrying you just now might handicap you\n and prevent your success. When once I am yours, Robert, you will have\n realized your fondest hope, and possibly your ambition may wane. You\n will fight harder to win if you still cling to the hope of winning\n me. They say that hope and anticipation are greater than realization,\n Robert. Never cease to hope for I am with you. Even when I am not with\n you, trust me as I trust you, for I love only you.\n\n I am going to tell you a dream that I had a few nights ago. I saw\n you a great success. Fortune was smiling on you. The world was at\n your feet, but I seemed to see a great tragedy follow this. It seemed\n I left you in a mysterious way and then came back to you just as\n mysteriously. Now, don't think that I do not want to go with you,\n Robert, and don't think that I believe in dreams, but somehow it has\n made a great impression on me.\n\n Of course you know that father would never consent to me leaving\n school to marry you, and if we married, we would have to run away.\n Would it not be best for you to go to New York, as you have planned,\n work on your invention, and let my love and faith guide you to\n success? You could live for my love, which you have always said was\n the greatest thing in the world. You have all my love and will always\n have it.\n\n I could continue in school and later, if you became despondent and\n could not get along without me, remember that I would have faith and\n love enough to give up father, mother, and everything else and come to\n you. I want to do what I feel is best for your future, Robert, and I\n hope that you will believe me and see it that way. I want you to come\n over to see me next Sunday, so we can talk over all your future plans.\n\n With all of my love for you always,\n\n  Your Marie.\n\nWhen Robert received Marie's letter, he was disappointed, but felt that\nwhen he saw her and talked matters over, he could get her to change her\nmind, give up school, if necessary, marry him and go to New York with\nhim. He had heard and read much of the pitfalls of the great City of\nNew York and felt that he did not care to venture there alone without\nMarie with him as his wife. While his old school-mate and chum, Walter\nKennelworth, was in New York and could work with him and be a great\nhelp and comfort, he felt that Marie, his one great inspiration, was\nabsolutely necessary to his success and that he must persuade her to go\nwith him to New York.\n\nOn Sunday, May 1st, Robert went to visit his mother in the country.\nHe found that Mr. Kennelworth had been there and told her of Robert's\nsuccess and his faith in him. Robert's mother was very happy when he\ntold her that cotton was advancing and he was making money rapidly and\nMr. Kennelworth was making money; that Marie had such great faith in\nhim that she had put up her only $400.00 and bought 100 bales of cotton\nand now had a profit of about $1,000.00.\n\nRobert told his mother of his plans. That he expected within a few\nmonths to go to New York, establish himself there, and speculate in\norder to make money so that he could build his great airplane according\nto Ezekiel's plan and prepare to help his country in time of war. Mrs.\nGordon was very happy to learn of her boy's success. She was sad when\nhe began to talk about war. Robert assured her that the Bible plainly\nforetold the great war which was to be fought in the air and that it\nwas his duty to help protect his country. While his mother admired his\npatriotism, she again referred to the dream that she had had years\nbefore, about a great war which would come and in which she thought\nthat Robert lost his life in San Francisco.\n\nShe talked to Robert of his future and told him she hoped he would be\na preacher. Robert confided to her that he could never be an orthodox\nminister, for he could not preach and teach the things which the\northodox ministers were teaching. He did not believe in a personal\ndevil or believe in Hell, but believed in a God of Love and Justice. He\ndid not believe that God would inflict upon any of his children eternal\npunishment but thought that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he\nalso reap and that we receive our reward here upon earth.\n\nHe told her that the Bible plainly said that the kingdom of heaven is\nwithin us and he believed it. If we kept our conscience clear and did\nunto others as we would like to have them do unto us, he believed we\nwould find our heaven and our reward here upon earth. Said that times\nand conditions were changing rapidly; that the new inventions and\ndiscoveries caused men to think differently than in the old days; that\nthe old religious ideas would pass away and give place to more liberal,\nadvanced ideas. He hoped to live to see the day when men would not\nonly be too proud to fight, but would be too full of love for their\nfellow-men to settle disputes with the sword. This was God's plan and\nit would come to pass this way, and he believed that he could be a\ngreat power for peace and hoped to live to see a world of peace with\nall nations united under one kingdom and one God, the God of Love and\nJustice.\n\nMrs. Gordon felt that her faith in Robert had been justified and that\nshe understood him better than his father and brother. He told his\nmother of his hopes for an early marriage with Marie and that when he\nwent to New York, he wanted to take Marie with him as his wife. His\nmother was not in favor of an elopement. She wanted him to make good,\nact in an honorable way and ask the consent of Mr. Stanton to his\nmarriage with Marie, but she felt at this time Mr. Stanton would not\ngive his consent because he wanted Marie to complete her education and\nit was right and proper she should. His mother asked him if he didn't\nthink it would be best to continue his position with Mr. Kennelworth\nfor a few years longer, after he saw that he was making a success\nbefore going to New York where he might fail in a strange city. Robert\nwas filled with a great determination to go. He wished to make a\nsuccess and knew he would, because he read the Bible and had learned\nhow.\n\nThe week ending May 7th was the greatest week in Robert Gordon's life\nup to that time. Cotton advanced rapidly about $4.00 per bale, and by\nMay 7th Robert's profits were about $2,500.00. Marie had a profit of\nover $1,000.00 on her 100 bales which Robert bought for her, and Mr.\nKennelworth now had a profit of about $7,000.00.\n\nOn Saturday morning, May 7th, Mr. Kennelworth called Robert into his\nprivate office and asked him if he knew what the cotton market was\ndoing that morning. Robert said he hadn't heard what the price was.\nMr. Kennelworth told him that July was now selling around 16 cents per\npound, and that while he had some nice profits, the money was not the\nthing that counted with him, but the fact that Robert was right on the\nmarket made him happy that he had faith in him and encouraged him.\n\nRobert then confided to Mr. Kennelworth that he was very anxious to\ngo to New York just as soon as possible. He had been reading about\nthe contemplated flights of the airplanes from New York across the\nAtlantic, and he wanted to be in New York by his birthday in June,\n1927, because he figured by that time the airplanes would have crossed\nthe Atlantic and there would be great excitement in New York.\nHe wished to be there and get all the information he could about\nairplanes, because he wanted to start building his own just as soon\nas he had money enough and felt that he could do so. He asked Mr.\nKennelworth what he thought about him resigning in a short time to go\nto New York. Mr. Kennelworth told him that he would regret very much\nto lose his services, but that he had great faith in Robert's study\nof the Bible and what he thought he could do, and that if he wanted\nto do so, he would let him go and not only that, but would aid him\nfinancially. Robert confided his hope and desire to take Marie with\nhim. Mr. Kennelworth didn't exactly agree with this but told him that\nthis was a problem he would have to solve for himself; that if Marie\nhad faith enough in him to take the step, he was sure it would work out\nall right; and that he could always have his old position back any time\nthat he wanted to return, and could have any help that he could render\nhim in New York.\n\nAfter his conference with Mr. Kennelworth, Robert wired Marie as\nfollows:\n\n EXPECT TO BE WITH YOU SUNDAY WILL COME OVER ON AFTERNOON TRAIN TODAY.\n\nRobert arrived in Sherman, Texas, Saturday evening, and Marie met\nhim at the train. She was overjoyed at Robert's success. They spent\nSaturday evening and Sunday together. It seemed to them the happiest\ndays of their lives. Robert talked over his plans and Marie was\nenthusiastic about his future. He told her that if the market worked\nas he expected, he intended to trade in wheat and corn in the near\nfuture; that he hoped to go to New York by the early part of June, as\nhe was very enthusiastic about the air flights from New York across the\nAtlantic to Paris, and get started on his studies and invention. Marie\nwas willing to give him all the money she had made to help him out but\nhe told her that the one thing he wanted was her and her love, and that\nhe wanted her to go with him to New York.\n\nShe knew her father would never consent to their marriage and the only\nway would be to elope. While she thought it best to finish her studies\nin school and join him in New York later, said if he insisted, she\nwould go with him. Robert left for Texarkana on Sunday afternoon, May\n8th, with Marie's promise that if he decided to go to New York within\na few weeks, they would make arrangements to elope and be married in\nSt. Louis on their arrival there. Robert had his Bible with him and\non his way back home Sunday night, spent several hours reading it and\ngoing over the predictions by Ezekiel and the plans outlined by Ezekiel\nfor an airplane, which Robert hoped and expected to build in the near\nfuture.\n\nDuring the next ten days, cotton was slow and reacted 40 to 50 points.\nBut this in no wise discouraged Robert, as he felt sure that a big\nadvance was coming the latter part of May and during the early June.\n\nOn May 19th, July cotton was again up around the 16 cent level. Robert\nfelt that now was the time to start buying wheat and corn. He wired\nhis broker in New York to buy 10,000 July wheat and 10,000 July corn,\nand to raise the stop loss order on his cotton and also place a stop\nloss order on the wheat and corn, to protect the broker and himself.\nThe broker wired that he had bought 10,000 July wheat at 1.38-1/2 and\n10,000 July corn at 92 cents. On May 20th Robert bought 10,000 July\ncorn at 92-1/2 cents for Marie's account. He told Mr. Kennelworth that\nhe figured wheat and corn were now going to have a big advance, and\nadvised him to buy some, which he did.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X\n\n\nMay 21st was a red-letter day in the life of Robert Gordon. Wheat, corn\nand cotton all advanced to the highest levels of the season. Robert\nhad read reports in the paper that Charles A. Lindbergh had started on\nhis lone flight from New York to Paris. He went down to the telegraph\noffice in the afternoon to inquire if there was any news about the\nsuccess of Lindbergh's flight. The operator said that nothing had come\nover the wire yet, but there had been a report that Lindbergh had\npassed over Ireland early that morning. Robert waited in the telegraph\noffice until about 5 P.M. when a flash came over the wire that\nLindbergh had landed in Paris. This fired Robert's enthusiasm, and he\nwas very much excited. Right then and there decided that he was going\nto New York in the very near future and start to build an airplane\naccording to his own plans. He went immediately to the home of Mr.\nKennelworth and told him about his plans and desire to go to New York\njust as soon as possible.\n\nMr. Kennelworth was also very enthusiastic about Lindbergh's flight\nacross the Atlantic, and told Robert that he contemplated going to New\nYork to be there for the reception when Lindbergh returned, and that\nhe wanted to visit Walter and see how he was getting along anyway.\nSo Robert tendered his resignation to Mr. Kennelworth to take place\non May 31, 1927. Mr. Kennelworth accepted the resignation with the\nunderstanding and promise from Robert that if anything went wrong or\nhe should lose his money or meet with disappointments in New York, he\nwould immediately return and assume his old position. Robert thanked\nhim for his kindness and told him that he would feel free to call on\nhim but that he felt he would never have to return to take up the\nposition again. In view of his discoveries of the cycles in the Bible,\nhe could make money in the market, but his object was not alone to make\nmoney for selfish purposes, but to use it to benefit others and for the\nprotection of his country at the time of the coming great war which\nwould be fought in the air.\n\nOn Sunday, May 22nd, Robert wrote to Marie:\n\n My dearest Marie,\n\nThe past week has been a great one for us, and yesterday, the 21st, was\nthe greatest day in history. Lindbergh, the lone aviator, crossed the\nAtlantic and landed safely in Paris. Wheat, corn and cotton went up and\nwe made more money. Profits are piling up fast, and I will soon have\nplenty of money to build my airplane.\n\nI had a long talk with Mr. Kennelworth yesterday afternoon after we\nreceived the news of Lindbergh's flight, and resigned my position, to\ntake place on May 31st. Expect to go to New York some time in the early\npart of June, and of course I want to take you with me as my wife. With\nthe profits we now have made in the market, there will be no trouble\nabout us getting along all right in New York and I am sure that I am\ngoing to make a lot more money.\n\nCotton is going away up in the early part of June and wheat is going\nvery high in the latter part of May and early June. I will sell out and\ntake some of my profits so we can get started in good shape. Will see\nyou next Sunday and talk the matter over and plan the best way.\n\nYour love and faith has sustained me thus far and helped to make me\nthe success that I am, and with that love, there is no height which I\ncannot reach.\n\nI love you more than ever. You are all and everything to me.\n\n  Lovingly,\n  Robert.\n\nDuring the week ending May 28th, Robert watched the markets very\nclosely because he figured that wheat and corn would be top around May\n28th to June 1st. He wanted to sell out and get the profits so that he\ncould go to New York. Cotton advanced to the highest level that week\nand on Saturday, July was up to 16.40. Robert had a profit of over\n$3,000.00 in his cotton. He sold out his July wheat on May 28th at\n$1.50 and sold the corn at $1.03-1/2, making about $2,300.00 profit.\nThis, together with his stock profits, gave him about $6,000.00. He\nsold out Marie's corn at $1.03-1/2, making a profit of about $1,100.00\nthere. She also had a profit of about $1,200.00 on the cotton which\nshe was still holding because he believed it was going higher. Marie's\nprofit now amounted to about $2,300.00.\n\nRobert was going to Sherman, Texas, on Saturday afternoon, and Monday\nbeing Decoration Day, he would not return until Monday night. He had\na talk with Mr. Kennelworth before leaving and Mr. Kennelworth told\nhim that he had been buying more corn on the way up and more cotton;\nthat he now had a profit of about $25,000.00, all of which was due to\nRobert's advice.\n\nRobert said that he was going away to see Marie and confided that he\nwas going to try to get her to elope with him and go to New York. Mr.\nKennelworth told him that he could take the good news to Marie that he\nwas going to give them a wedding present of $10,000.00, which was less\nthan half of the profits he had made. He was going to continue to hold\nthe cotton until Robert thought it was time to sell.\n\nOn the afternoon of May 28th, Robert boarded a train for Sherman,\nTexas, with the lightest heart that he had ever experienced in his\nlife. Now that his dream was really going to be realized, he was never\nso happy. He figured that with the money he had made and with Marie's\nmoney, and the $10,000.00 which Mr. Kennelworth was going to give them,\nhe would have about $18,000.00 which would give him capital to continue\nto speculate in the market and money for his plans on his great\nairplane.\n\nAs the train rolled across the plains of Texas and Robert watched the\nsun setting across the prairies on that Saturday afternoon, he dreamed\nof the day when he, like Lindbergh, would cross the country in his\ngreat airplane. He could think of nothing else but Lindbergh's great\nflight and what it meant to the world. He realized that Ezekiel's\nprophecy of that war which was to come and be fought in the air, was\ncoming true, and the great plane described by Ezekiel, the eagle with\nwheel within a wheel, would one day become a reality. He could now\nsee the possibilities of his dream being fulfilled and he was sure of\nsuccess.\n\nMarie welcomed him with enthusiasm and open arms. She was so proud\nof him and so happy that he made good in the market. He had been so\nthoughtful to buy cotton and corn for her and sold out the corn with\n$1,100.00 profit. She told Robert that he was a wonder; that he was one\nof the greatest young men in the world and a genius, and that he would\nbe a greater man than Lindbergh when he was as old as Lindbergh.\n\nRobert said that on June 9th, he would be 21 years of age, and on that\nday he wanted to be married and start on his career as a real man. He\nwanted to go back to Texarkana after the holidays, wind up his affairs\nand get ready to go to New York. Wanted her to go with him, starting\nSaturday, June 4th, so they would arrive on Sunday, June 5th, in St.\nLouis, be married, and proceed immediately to New York. He asked Marie\nwhat she thought about going to her father, telling him he had now\nmade good and had enough money to start out, and ask his consent to\ntheir marriage. Marie said that it was useless; that her father would\nnever consent to her leaving school and being married, no matter how\nmuch money the man she was going to marry had to take care of her. Her\nfather was bent on her finishing her education and she knew it would be\na hopeless case. There was no use talking about it.\n\nShe asked Robert if he didn't think it would be better for her to\nremain in school for another year or two, to finish her education, and\nthen she could join him in New York and be married. She thought it\npossible that he might get along better for a while without her. But\nRobert would not listen to this and told her that he would never go\nwithout her. His future happiness and success depended upon her love\nand encouragement. Her love had guided him safely thus far and would\nlead him on to greater things. He had dreamed of the time when he would\ncome home at night from his work or study, to find her there and see\nher beautiful eyes, the lights that would guide him on to success.\nShe could either make him the most miserable man in the world or the\nhappiest. His entire future and fate were in her hands and she could do\nwith him as she willed. Marie agreed to keep her promise she had made\nto him long before,--that regardless of money or conditions, she would\nleave father, mother, brothers and sisters, and go with him anywhere,\neven unto the ends of the earth, and that if he insisted, she would\nelope because she knew that was the only way since her father would not\ngive his consent.\n\nOn Sunday, May 29th, Robert and Marie went to Dallas, Texas. They had\nplanned when they were ready to elope, that Marie would leave from\nDallas on the \"Sunshine Special\" in the afternoon of June 4th. She\nwas to keep her plans absolutely secret and Robert was to board the\nsame train that night at Texarkana, and after the train was out of\nTexarkana, he was to find her, go on to St. Louis together, be married\nthere on Sunday morning, and leave Sunday noon for New York. Robert\nwas extremely happy and talked of nothing but the success that was to\ncome to them; of his great plane that he was to build and the part it\nwould take in protecting the country in the great air battle which he\nwas sure was yet to come, when foreign countries thru their jealousy,\nwould attack the United States from the air and do great damage to\nthis country. He told her that in the end Uncle Sam would win; that\nthe Stars and Stripes would proudly float from the great buildings in\nNew York, and that they would live to see that day and he wanted her\nthere with him when his great \"ship\" would help win the victory for\nhis country. Walter Kennelworth was in the city and they were going to\nwork together on inventions and discoveries that would help win the war\nwhich he knew was sure to come.\n\nIt was the most interesting and pleasant Sunday that they had ever\nspent together. They drove around Dallas and talked over their future\nplans. Sunday afternoon they returned to Sherman, and Monday forenoon\nRobert spent with Marie. They went out to the cemetery and placed some\nflowers upon the graves of soldiers who had lost their lives in defense\nof their country.\n\nRobert talked of the great feat of Lindbergh and of the honors that he\nwould receive from the foreign countries, and told Marie what a great\ntime they would have, as Mr. Kennelworth was going to New York and they\nwould all be there at the great reception when Lindbergh returned.\nHe said good-bye to her on Monday afternoon and started back for\nTexarkana, knowing that the next time he would meet her, would be on\nboard the train for St. Louis, where she would become his wife.\n\nFrom that time on, Robert counted the minutes, in anticipation of the\ngreat happiness of the following Sunday when they would be married in\nSt. Louis. He was strongly attracted to St. Louis because Lindbergh had\nleft from there in the \"Spirit of St. Louis,\" on his successful flight.\nHe thought it would be good luck to marry in St. Louis and start from\nthere to New York to spend their honeymoon.\n\nOn Tuesday morning, May 31st, Robert started early to Mr. Kennelworth's\noffice as that was to be his last day in the office and he was anxious\nto clean up all the business necessary and render Mr. Kennelworth\nall the service possible before he went away. He confided to Mr.\nKennelworth the arrangements of eloping with Marie. Mr. Kennelworth\ntold him that he would arrange to go to New York about the 11th of June\nand was sorry that he couldn't make the trip with Marie and Robert and\nsee them married in St. Louis. But he said to Robert, \"That is the time\nwhen two young people like to be alone, and I am afraid that I wouldn't\nbe a very good chaperon on the trip. So it is all for the best and you\nwill get along all right without me.\"\n\nRobert told Mr. Kennelworth that he figured according to his cycle\ntheory, cotton should be sold out about June 1st or 2nd, that there\nwould be a reaction. He had also figured that it was time to sell wheat\nand corn for a reaction.\n\nOn June 1st, Robert sold out his July cotton at 16.80 and also sold\nout Marie's cotton. Robert's profits and capital together now amounted\nto $7,000.00. Robert sold 25,000 July wheat at 1.48-1/2 and 25,000\nJuly corn at 1.06-1/2 on June 1st. He went down to the broker's office\nto watch the market for that week, because he knew the next few days\nwould be very important and anxious days for him. He was thinking every\nminute of the day when he would start to New York and would make Marie\nhis wife. This would be the greatest start of all his life, as he was\nstarting it under favorable conditions and with plenty of money. He\nknew that success was certain and was never more hopeful.\n\nOn Saturday, June 4th, he closed his short contract in July wheat\nat 1.43 and his corn contract at 1.02. He had made a profit of over\n$2,000.00 on wheat which brought his capital up to $9,000.00. Mr.\nKennelworth had taken Robert's advice and gone short of wheat and corn\non June 1st, after selling out his cotton. Cotton declined from June\n1st as Robert figured it would. He told Mr. Kennelworth on Saturday\nmorning that he was going to buy in his wheat and corn, because he was\ngetting ready to go away that afternoon and was not going to make any\nmore trades until he had arrived in New York. He would have everything\nin cash and ready to make a new start after the honeymoon.\n\nMr. Kennelworth had sold wheat and corn heavily and had made over\n$50,000.00 since he started to follow Robert's advice. He made back\nall the money he had lost in the slump in oil stocks in 1919 and\nwas very grateful to Robert. He handed Robert New York exchange for\n$10,000.00 as a wedding present. Told him that he could call on him for\nany additional help that he wanted in financing the building of his\nairplane or for any other purpose. Robert assured him that he would not\nneed any more help; that he could make all the money he wanted and that\nhis success was assured.\n\nRobert told Mr. Kennelworth that he made over $4,000.00 for Marie\non her little capital of $400.00 with which she had started. Mr.\nKennelworth was very much elated over this. This was the first time he\nhad heard about Marie putting up $400.00 to buy cotton. He told Robert\nshe was the kind of a woman to marry, the one who believed in him and\nwould back him with her money and everything else. He believed it was\nlove of the right kind--that success was sure to follow. Robert was so\nhappy that afternoon that he called Marie on the long-distance 'phone,\nand told her of his great success in the market in wheat and the money\nMr. Kennelworth had made; told her that they had now a working capital\nof around $25,000.00 and with that much money, in New York it would\nbe only a question of a few years when he would be a millionaire. The\nmain thing, however, was not money but the use he wanted to put it to\nin completing his invention. Marie was very happy and told him that\nshe was making arrangements to go to Dallas and would leave there that\nafternoon on the \"Sunshine Special,\" and after the train pulled out of\nTexarkana, he would find her on board. He was to keep everything quiet\nand not let anybody know anything about the elopement, as her father\nmight try to stop her. No one in Texarkana but Robert's mother and Mr.\nKennelworth knew about the secret elopement. Robert kept everything\nquiet about his resigning from Mr. Kennelworth's and going to New York,\nbecause he thought that there might be some leak somewhere and that Mr.\nStanton might find out about Marie's elopement and stop it.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI\n\n\nAt 7 P.M. June 4th, 1921, Robert walked into the Railroad\nStation at Texarkana and bought a ticket for St. Louis, with a\nreservation on the \"Sunshine Special.\" This was the greatest and\nhappiest moment of his life. He knew that Marie was already on her way\nand that in a couple of hours the train would arrive and he would go\naboard for St. Louis, where he was to make her his wife. After buying\nhis ticket, he went over to the Huckins Hotel and met Mr. Kennelworth\nfor a final conference and to say good-bye. He told Mr. Kennelworth\nthat he figured it would be time to buy cotton on a little reaction\nMonday morning, and also time to buy wheat again. Mr. Kennelworth\nassured him that he was going to plunge on his profits, and if he lost\nmoney now, it would be out of profits. He was going to get into the\nmarket and try to make a lot more money before he went to New York.\nRobert said that he intended to wire his broker from St. Louis to buy\ncotton and wheat for him on Monday morning.\n\nMr. Kennelworth bid Robert good-bye with all good wishes for success\nand said he was sure he was going to succeed, but that if failure and\ndisappointment should come, he should always remember that he could\nrely upon him; that a young man often had trouble and disappointment\nand made many mistakes before he reached his goal and that if anything\nwent wrong in the market, he could always come to him and ask for any\naid possible and he would gladly grant it. He thought as much of Robert\nas he did of his own son, Walter, and wanted them to work together in\nNew York, and was sure that they could be a great success. He wanted\nRobert to encourage Walter to continue his studies along chemical\nlines, because he believed that Walter would be able to make some great\ndiscoveries and they could work together to good advantage.\n\nThe \"Sunshine Special\" was a little late on Saturday night, June 4th,\nand Robert's heart was in his throat. He was anxious for that train to\nroll in. Finally, when the whistle blew and the signal light in the\nyard of the Texas Pacific showed the \"Sunshine Special\" was rolling\nin, the glare of the headlights on the train was the most welcome\nsight that Robert had ever witnessed thru all the days of his life.\nHe boarded the train as quickly as possible and sat down nervous and\nanxious awaiting the moment when the train would get about 20 miles out\nof Texarkana, so that he might go back and look for Marie.\n\nThe minutes passed slowly away and it seemed like years before the\ntrain crossed the Red River and Robert decided that it was safe to go\nback to the car where Marie was and see her. He found Marie all anxious\nand nervously awaiting his arrival. She flew into his arms and seemed\nthe happiest woman in the world and Robert was too happy for words.\nThey sat there and talked of their future plans until after midnight.\n\nMarie told Robert that she knew if her father found out she was\neloping, he would make every effort to stop her and prevent their\nmarriage, as she was not of age, and he was anxious that she complete\nher education. Robert asked her if she had any regrets in the steps\nshe was taking, and she told him she did not, that if she did have,\nshe would never have started. She thought it was wonderful that Robert\nhad been able to make money so rapidly and was very happy that he had\nstuck to the Bible and studied so hard, and now was getting his reward\nfor his faith and hard work. She expressed her supreme confidence in\nhim and the work that he intended to do. Robert hoped it would be a\nbeautiful sunshiny Sunday morning when they arrived in St. Louis, so\nthat they could be married and then proceed to New York.\n\nMarie seemed very enthusiastic over the prospect of getting to St.\nLouis. Robert had a little surprise for her, and she asked him to tell\nher what it was. But he said, she must wait until they arrived in St.\nLouis. \"Robert, just suppose the train should be wrecked and I should\nbe killed, or something should happen that I would never see you again,\ndon't you think you had better tell me about the surprise now?\" He\nsaid, \"No, there is not going to be any wreck. Good luck is following\nus, and the surprise will keep until tomorrow morning.\" She said,\n\"Robert, I may not be able to sleep. I don't think I can sleep anyway,\nafter all this excitement and happiness and everything that is to come\nin the future.\" Robert knew that he couldn't sleep either, but he\nwould go up to his car, lie down and try to get some rest before they\narrived in St. Louis the next morning. They agreed to meet early in\nthe morning and go back into the dining car for breakfast before they\narrived in St. Louis.\n\nRobert returned to his berth and tried to rest, but found that he\ncouldn't sleep. He thought over what Marie had said about--\"suppose the\ntrain should be wrecked, or something should happen that you should\nnever see me again.\" He thought that nothing could happen to separate\nMarie from him, but just the same it was the thought that she said\nsomething might happen. He felt lonesome being separated from Marie.\nShe was two cars back, but he felt that the good God who had endowed\nhim with faith would protect Marie, and that no harm would come to her;\nthat there was no danger of a wreck on the \"Sunshine Special\" and that\nthere was sunshine waiting for Marie and himself. In the wee small\nhours of the morning, Robert dozed off and had a few hours of sound\nsleep. He arose early and dressed. About 8 o'clock, he hurried back to\nMarie's car, to take her to breakfast. When he arrived at her berth, he\nfound it empty. He went back to the dining-car to look for Marie, but\ncouldn't find her there, and then went on thru to the end of the train,\nbut was unable to locate Marie. The Pullman porter told him that he\nhadn't seen her that morning and the last he saw of her was when Robert\nwas talking to her in the berth late that night. Robert then searched\nthe train again from one end to the other and became uneasy and anxious\nabout Marie. He returned again to her car and had the porter look for\nher baggage, and after looking thru the car, found that it was gone.\nRobert was now almost frantic and could not imagine what could have\nhappened to her, because her baggage was gone. The porter assured him\nthat there had been no hold-up of the train that night and that nothing\nunusual had happened. He had been up all night helping people get on\nand off at different stations but had seen nothing of Marie at any\ntime. The train conductor was notified and the Pullman-car conductor\nwas told. Both of them searched the train from one end to the other,\nand nowhere could Marie be found.\n\nRobert did not explain to the conductor or the porter that they were to\nbe married in St. Louis that morning. The conductor told him that it\nseemed plain that in some way during the night, she must have left the\ntrain because her baggage was gone. Robert was now almost in a state of\ncollapse. He imagined all kinds of things which might have happened to\nMarie. Thought that she might have become insane during the night, and\nhad thrown her baggage out of the window, and jumped out. Thought her\nfather might in some way have found out about her plans and had some\nofficer or someone secreted on the train who had taken Marie off at\nsome point enroute. But no matter what he thought or imagined, it was\nno relief to his mind because he did not know where Marie was. All his\nfuture happiness was blasted in a moment.\n\nBy the time the search was over, the train was nearing St. Louis.\nRobert began to think of all the things he could and must do to try and\nfind Marie. The first thing he thought of was to wire Mr. Kennelworth,\nand have him make a search and ascertain whether her father or mother\nknew anything about what had happened. The railroad conductor and\nPullman conductor had tried to cheer Robert up and assure him that\nnothing seriously wrong could have happened to her, and that for some\nunknown reason she must have left the train at some station during the\nnight without anyone knowing it, because they were sure that she could\nnot have jumped out or fallen from the window without someone knowing\nabout it and they thought there was nothing to worry about. Robert had\ndecided on sending telegrams and making every search possible to locate\nher. He put his hand in his inside pocket to find a pencil and draw out\na wallet. In the pocket was an envelope addressed to him in Marie's\nhandwriting. He did not know where it had come from or how it could\nhave gotten into his pocket, but he hurriedly tore the envelope open\nand this is what he read:\n\n  June 5, 1927--3 A.M.\n\n  Dearest Robert:\n\n According to your faith, be I unto you. Love will always have faith,\n understand and wait. Time proves all things. You will get everything\n you want. I will come to you when I mean the most and your need for\n love is the greatest.\n\n  Lovingly always,\n  Marie.\n\nWhen Robert finished reading this little note, tears were streaming\ndown his face. He was frantic. He knew that the mysterious letter was\nwritten by Marie's own hand and must have been written on the train\nand for some unknown reason she was leaving him. He at once thought\nof his great faith in her, and his faith in God and the future as he\nread. He wondered what this could mean: \"According to your faith, be\nI unto you--love will always have faith, understand and wait.\" Robert\nthought, \"How can I understand, how can I wait, when I left her only a\nfew hours ago supremely happy anticipating being married a few hours\nlater in St. Louis, and going on to New York to spend our future lives\ntogether. What in the world can she mean by, 'time proves all things.'\"\nTime had proved his faith and love for her. She had had faith in him\nand had encouraged him; had put up the $400.00 she had saved, not to\nmake money for herself but to try to help him. She told him that she\ndidn't want the money, but wanted him to use it in any way that would\nhelp him. Then he pondered the next line where she said: \"You will get\neverything you want.\" He thought, \"My God, there is only one thing that\nI do want, there is only one thing in this world that means anything to\nme and that is my Marie, and where will I find her.\" Reading the next\nline over and over, \"I will come to you when I mean the most and your\nneed for love is the greatest.\"\n\nHe almost exclaimed aloud, \"My God, my God, now is the time that I need\nher the most. I will never need her more. How can I go on? Life will be\na blank. I will be a dismal failure without her.\" He wondered if there\never could be a time in the future when he would need her more, when\nshe would mean more to him, than she meant at this moment.\n\nHe could imagine no unfriendly circumstances, no break of any kind that\nwould cause Marie to change in a few hours and decide to turn back from\nthe step she had taken. He could not understand how she could have\nslipped to his berth in the wee small hours of the morning and placed\nthis note in his inside coat pocket. It was her handwriting, and he\nknew that Marie had written it. But why! why! why!\n\nAs the train rolled into the Union Station at St. Louis he stood in\nthe car dazed, with her letter crumpled in his hand. With a heavy\nheart he made his way to the station and sat down to think what he\ncould or should do. Finally, he decided to send a telegram and lay the\ncircumstances of Marie's disappearance before Mr. Kennelworth and ask\nhis advice before making any move.\n\nRobert realized that he must have time to collect his thoughts, if he\never could think again. His thoughts turned back to the dream Marie had\ntold him she had, where some terrible tragedy had overtaken him and\nshe had gone out of his life in a mysterious way and came back into it\nin the same way. He wondered if at that time Marie had had any doubt\nthat she might not want to continue to carry out the plans agreed on.\nThen he thought of what she said just before bidding good-night in the\ntrain, when she had asked him to tell her what the surprise was he had\nfor her and said to him that the train might wreck and kill her or that\nsomething might happen to separate them. He wondered then if she had\nsomething in her mind which she thought might separate them during the\nnight, or if she intended to hide from him in some way.\n\nBut he must get all that out of his mind--must have faith in Marie,\nmust understand and wait. Then like a flash he became contented.\nThought it was all a joke that Marie had played on him, that she was\nhiding somewhere in the train and in a few minutes would show up, so\nhe decided not to send a telegram to Mr. Kennelworth but simply stay in\nthe station and wait. He opened his suit case and took out the Bible,\nand there began to read from St. Paul, who said that love suffers long\nand is kind, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked and thinks no\nevil. Robert resolved to have patience, to have faith in Marie, and\nnever doubt her, and never to think any evil of her no matter what\nhappened. His mind was relieved. He felt happy and more cheerful, and\nwas hopeful.\n\nHe waited a short time in the station, hoping Marie would join him. The\nseconds drifted away like weeks, the minutes seemed like months, and\nwhen an hour had gone by, to Robert it seemed like years. He waited and\nhoped; watched in every direction for Marie's beautiful eyes, the eyes\nhe told her he loved so much and always wanted them to greet him when\nhe came home from his work because they were an inspiration. Slowly\nthe hands on the great clock in the Union Station showed it was nearly\n12 o'clock noon. Robert listened attentively as the old clock tolled\ntwelve times for 12 o'clock and each time it seemed that the blood\nfrom his heart was slowly trickling away. Hope was fast giving away to\ndespair. Robert found his patience waning, but that was not to be. He\nmust trust to the word of God which said: \"O, ye of little faith, saith\nthe Lord,\" and must try to find Marie who meant everything to him.\n\nAs the last stroke of the clock died slowly away, Robert started to\nthink again. He finally decided that he would stay in the Union Station\nand have patience to wait one more hour for Marie. He thought that she\nwas really playing a joke on him and would surely come by 1 o'clock.\nWhile he waited he continued to read the Bible: \"The heavenly Shepherd\nis leading you in the right way to his own blessed fold. Leave all to\nhim, to his faithfulness, his love, his power, his watchful, sleepless\ncare.\" Robert decided to trust, to have faith and leave it all to God\nthat He might protect Marie and bring her safely back to him.\n\nThen he read the poem by Gerhart:\n\n  \"The prison where thou art\n  Thy God will break it soon,\n  And flood with light thy heart\n  In his own blessed noon.\"\n\nRobert thought how happy he would have been, as he expected by this\ntime to be married to Marie and happily on their way to New York to\ncelebrate their honeymoon. The hour had drifted slowly away and it was\nnow a quarter to one. Robert was troubled and discouraged, but had not\nlost hope. He opened his Bible and read--Job 6:8:\n\n \"Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the\n thing that I long for!\"\n\nRobert knew that he longed for Marie and believed that if he had faith\nGod would answer his prayers. He read again--Job 6:11-13:\n\n \"What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I\n should prolong my life?\n\n Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?\"\n\nThis was a great consolation to Robert. He realized that at last in\ndesperation like Job he must hope and have faith; that his wisdom and\nstrength was in himself and that if he had faith in God and trusted him\nthat he would find Marie; that he would be able to overcome trials and\ntribulations and would have wisdom and faith to hold on and hope until\nhe realized his dream and again found Marie. Robert remembered reading\nin the Bible where it said:\n\n \"Whom God loveth he chastiseth.\"\n\nHe thought that Marie was chastising him to try his faith and decided\nthat he would not lose patience no matter what happened, that he would\nseek her to the ends of the earth.\n\nRobert watched the movement of every woman who passed thru the gates\nof the Union Station for Marie, but each minute brought bitter\ndisappointment. His heart, which but a few hours ago was filled with\nlove and happiness, was sad. Robert looked up as the hands on the\nclock in the Union Station pointed to 1 o'clock,--the time that he had\nappointed unto himself to wait without taking some action to try to\nfind Marie. No Marie was in sight. He walked over to the news stand and\nbought a paper and decided to sit down for a few minutes and try to\nread. As he slowly turned the pages of the paper looking for something\nhe knew not what, suddenly his eyes fell upon the heading; \"The Best\nThing on Earth\" by R.L. Cole. The first thought that entered Robert's\nmind was that the best thing on earth was Marie and that the greatest\nthing in the world was love. He read the entire article.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII\n\nTHE BEST THING ON EARTH\n\nBy R.L. Cole\n\n\nJohn Wanamaker said: \"I have for the government, and in my own\nbusiness, made contracts involving millions of dollars. I have signed\nchecks for millions of dollars, but the greatest purchase I ever made\nin my life was when I was 11 years old. I saved every penny of my\nhard-earned money and bought a Bible that cost $2.75. That was my best\ninvestment and has had most to do with the rest of the riches of my\nlife. Every other investment I have ever made holds a secondary place\nto the first and greatest one of them all.\"\n\nLord Bacon, the literary genius and philosopher, lifted the Bible one\nday above his head, and said: \"There God speaks.\"\n\nGod speaks in the first verse, saying: \"In the beginning God!\" And all\nthrough the Book we find expressions as \"Thus saith the Lord,\" \"the\nword of the Lord came,\" \"God said,\" \"the Lord commanded,\" etc.\n\nThese expressions are used four thousand times in the Bible, thus\nindelibly stamping the divine mark.\n\n\"All scripture is given by inspiration of God.\" Inspiration means\nbreathed into. God breathed his thoughts into the Book. The Book\ncontains the breath of God, and lives because God lives.\n\nJesus said: \"Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not\npass away.\"\n\nThe Bible tells us things we get nowhere else. It tells us of the\nbeginning, for only God was in the beginning. It tells of the beginning\nof creation, the beginning of the human race, the beginning of the\nhuman family; the beginning of sin, the beginning of redemption; the\nbeginning of the arts, sciences, music, agriculture, of nations and\nlanguages. Of the Hebrews, of law, etc.\n\nMuch of ancient history of the earliest times is borrowed from the\nBible.\n\nThe Bible tells of things that are to occur thousands of years in the\nfuture. The destruction of Babylon, Nineveh, Tyre and Jerusalem was\nforetold in detail and has come to pass exactly as was predicted.\n\nThe first coming of Jesus Christ was foretold--that He would come\nto the tribe of Judah, would be born of a virgin, would be born in\nBethlehem, would come out of Egypt and would grow up in Nazareth, would\nbe despised and rejected of men, would work miracles, would be betrayed\nby one of his own followers, would be falsely accused, crucified.\nThat they would gamble for his garment; would be buried in another\nman's tomb, would rise again; that His gospel would be preached to all\nnations; that to Him would be given a name greater than any name. All\nthese prophecies have been fulfilled. The prophecies of the Bible are\nyet being fulfilled, and will all be fulfilled.\n\nIn Naomi we are told that in the day of His preparation the rivers\nshall be opened, the palace shall be dissolved and chariots shall be\nflaming torches, shall run like the lightning and rage in the street.\nNotice this prophecy: the bridges shall be opened. The suspension\nbridge opens our rivers. The palaces shall be dissolved. They have been.\n\nRussia and Germany are notable examples. We are living in an era of\ndemocracy. The flaming chariots running like the lightning so much like\nthe automobile.\n\nIn Isaiah we are told that with the coming in of the Gentiles to the\nbrightness of His rising they shall fly as doves to their windows. That\nsounds like the airships.\n\nThe Bible is a priceless book because it makes promises no other\nbook can make. It promises pardon, salvation, eternal life, soul\nrest, peace, comfort, strength and succor; victory over trials and\ntemptations; strength in the dying hour, and heaven for all eternity.\n\nThe Bible is priceless because it is indestructible. For two thousand\nyears the critics have hurled against it their anathemas, and it\nstill lives. Time and again it has been gathered up and burned, and\nits advocates for ages were persecuted and put to death, but it has\nsurvived fires and floods.\n\nA popular author of fiction boasts 9,000,000 copies of his book\npublished in eight years. 240,000,000 copies of the Bible have been\nsold in the same eight years.\n\nAnother publisher boasts that his book has been printed in 23\nlanguages. The Bible is published in 770 different languages and\ndialects.\n\n  Last we passed beside a blacksmith's door,\n  And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime,\n  Then looking in, I saw upon the floor\n  Old hammers worn with beating years of time.\n\n  \"How many anvils have you had,\" said I,\n  \"To wear and batter all your hammers so?\"\n  \"Just one,\" said he, then with a twinkling eye,\n  \"The anvil wears the hammers out you know.\"\n\n  And so thought I, the anvil of God's word,\n  For ages skeptics' blows have beat upon,\n  Yet thru the noise of falling blows was heard.\n  The anvil was unharmed--the hammers gone.\n\n  Last we passed beside, _etc._\n\nHume gone, Voltaire gone, Tom Paine gone, Bob Ingersoll gone. The\npresent-day enemies in the church and out of the church will wear their\nhammers out. God's word that has for two thousand years endured the\ntest, will endure and stand forever.\n\nThe individual or nation that believes the Book, and lives according to\nits teaching, will live as long as the Book lives, and the individual\nor nation that spurns it will go down.\n\nMartin Luther gave the Bible to Germany and for generations Germany\nrespected and loved the Book, and lived. Then Germany began in her\nschools to criticise and spurn the Book and brought on the World War.\nGermany by turning away from the Book, committed suicide, and so shall\nit be with any nation.\n\nGod forbid that America should ever turn away from the Bible!\n\n  \"Lord God of hosts be with us yet\n  Lest we forget, lest we forget.\n\n  We've traveled together, my Bible and I,\n  Thru all kinds of weather, with smile or with sigh.\n  In sorrow or sunshine, in tempest or calm,\n  Thy friendship unchanging; my lamp and my psalm.\n\n  We've traveled together, my Bible and I,\n  When life has grown weary, and death e'en was nigh;\n  But all thru the darkness of mist and of wrong,\n  I found thee a solace, a prayer and a song.\n\n  So now who shall part us, my Bible and I.\n  Shall isms or schism or new lights who shall try?\n  Shall shadow for substance, or stone for good bread\n  Supplant its sound wisdom, give folly instead?\n  Ah no, my dear Bible, revealer of light,\n  Thou sword of the spirit, put error to flight;\n  And still thru life's journey, until the last sigh;\n  We'll travel together, my Bible and I.\"\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThese statements agreed exactly with Robert's views. He had found his\ngreatest help in the Bible and knew John Wanamaker was right when he\nsaid that the greatest purchase he ever made in his life was when he\nwas 11 years old and bought the Bible for $2.75. As Robert read:\n\n \"Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away,\"\n\nhe remembered that the Bible said that whenever you pray, believe that\nyou have it and you shall. As he knew that all things are possible\nwith the Lord, he determined to pray believing that Marie would soon\nreturn to him. Robert was much impressed with the statement that all\nthe prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled and will be fulfilled.\nHe knew that every promise that God had ever made to man, he had kept.\nThis renewed Robert's faith and again he read Marie's note where it\nsaid: \"According to your faith, be I unto you,\" and Robert thought\nthat if faith would bring Marie back to him she would surely come. He\nknew that time would never change his love and that there was no other\nwoman but Marie for him. He would live, work and hope for Marie until\nhe found her, but if she had gone from him forever and such bad news\nshould come to him, he knew that he would bury all life and that hope\nwould depart from him and life would not be worth living.\n\nAt the end of the article he read the poem on the Bible and was much\nimpressed with these lines:\n\n  \"Ah no, my dear Bible, revealer of light,\n  Thou sword of the spirit, put error to flight;\n  And still thru life's journey, until the last sigh;\n  We'll travel together, my Bible and I.\"\n\nRobert felt that this article had been written especially for him when\nhe needed it most, making him realize the value of his Bible and the\ntrust he should put in it, applying its wisdom to his present problem\nand troubles.\n\nBy the time Robert had finished reading this article, it was after 1:30\nP.M. and he decided that it was hopeless to wait longer for\nMarie, that something radically wrong had happened and she had either\ngone away or an accident had befallen her. He must make some plans\nfor locating her. Decided to go to a hotel and call Mr. Kennelworth\non long-distance 'phone at Texarkana. With this plan in mind, he made\nhis way to the hotel, registered and as soon as he was assigned to his\nroom, put in a long-distance call for Mr. Kennelworth. Mr. Kennelworth\nwas at his residence and it was only a question of a few minutes until\nhe had him on the 'phone. Between sobs, he told his sad story to Mr.\nKennelworth about Marie's disappearance and asked his advice. Mr.\nKennelworth told him that he thought for some reason Marie may have\ndecided to return to school and complete her education, and probably\nwas at that time on her way back to Sherman. The best plan would be\nto wait until the next night to see if she returned, altho it was\npossible that she might get back late that night. Mr. Kennelworth told\nRobert that he would go to see her father and find out any information\nhe could for him. Robert was to remain at the hotel and if he got any\ninformation, he would telephone him. He advised Robert to notify the\nrailroad authorities, and have them make a search and inquire at all\nof the stations where the train stopped that night on the way from\nTexarkana to St. Louis, in order to get a clue to Marie's disappearance.\n\nAfter talking with Mr. Kennelworth, Robert got in touch over the 'phone\nwith the railroad officials in St. Louis and notified them of Marie's\ndisappearance from the train. They promised to send telegrams to all\nthe station agents, to have all the trains watched and try to secure\nsome information for him. They were to communicate with him just as\nsoon as they had anything definite one way or the other.\n\nRobert now realized that he must go thru the greatest ordeal yet--that\nof waiting hourly for some news of Marie. He knew the hours would pass\nslowly and decided to formulate a plan in case Marie did not return to\nschool or to her home, and if no news came from her the next day what\nwould be his next move and what he should do to try to locate her.\n\nThe next time Robert noticed the time of day, it was after 6\nP.M. and he realized that he had had no breakfast, lunch or\ndinner, but his heart was heavy and he felt that he could not eat\nanything. The shock had been so great and had come so suddenly that\nRobert found it hard to adjust himself to it or to realize what it all\nmeant or what it might mean in case Marie should pass out of his life\nforever. It would mean every hope blasted, every sweet dream gone and\nwould leave him with an uncertainty of life, like a ship without a\nrudder. He decided to pass the time by reading and seeking consolation\nin the Bible.\n\nRobert had always been a great admirer of the poet, S.E. Kiser; always\nread his poems in the daily newspapers and a few months previous to\nthis time, had bought a little book entitled, \"Poems That Have Helped\nMe,\" collected by S.E. Kiser. He remembered that he had this little\nbook that he liked so much in his suit-case so he unpacked it to look\nfor the book and as he did, he came across the present, the surprise\nthat he had for Marie, that he had told her about before and refused to\ngive to her or tell her more about it until they arrived in St. Louis.\nThe present was a wedding ring set with diamonds and a beautiful brooch\nmade of two hearts woven together and tied with a cluster of diamonds\nand pearls. This was to be the great surprise for Marie and he was\ngoing to present it to Marie after they were married, as a token of the\ntwo hearts that now beat as one. Robert looked at this and thought of\nhow the diamonds represented Marie in all of her beauty and that she\nwas a pearl of great price.\n\nIt was too much for him. He broke down completely and wept like a baby.\nAlone he was--the most alone he had ever been in his life before--away\nfrom friends, away from mother, and above all, separated from Marie,\nwho meant more than life to him. He sobbed for hours. His heart was\nbreaking, but with a wondering mind, he realized that he must have\nstrength, and that he must have faith and hope on--hope and believe\nthat Marie was alive and he knew that if she were alive, there was hope.\n\nHe picked up his favorite little book, \"Poems That Helped Me,\" and\nstarted to read. The first one that caught his eye was, \"Faith\" by\nTennyson:\n\n  \"We have but faith; we cannot know;\n  For knowledge is of things we see;\n  And yet we trust it comes from thee,\n  A beam of darkness: let it grow.\n\n  Let knowledge grow from more to more,\n  But more of reverence in us dwell;\n  That mind and soul, according well,\n  May make one music as before,\n\n  But vaster. We are fools and slight;\n  We mock thee when we do not fear;\n  But help thy foolish ones to bear;\n  Help thy vain worlds to bear thy light.\n\n  Forgive what seemed my sin in me;\n  What seem'd my worth since I began;\n  For merit lies from man to man,\n  And not from man, O Lord, to thee.\"\n\nThis cheered Robert and he resolved to have more faith, realizing that\nwhile he could not see or understand Marie's action he must have faith\nand love and trust her, and trust that time would bring understanding\nand solve the problem.\n\nHe read another poem by Aubrey de Vere, and these words seemed to sink\ninto his heart as he read them:\n\n  \"Hid it; dropt it on the moors!\n  Lost it, and you cannot find it--\n  My own heart I want, not yours\n  You have bound and must unbound it.\n  Set it free then from your net,\n  We will love, sweet--but not yet!\n  Fling it from you--we are strong\n  Love is trouble, love is folly;\n  Love, that makes an old heart young,\n  Makes a young heart melancholy.\"\n\nRobert felt that love might be trouble, but that love was the greatest\nand sweetest thing in the world and that he would go thru any troubles\nin the world, suffer anything, only to regain Marie and her love. As\nRobert slowly turned the pages of the little book, his eyes fell upon\nanother poem, \"Courage\" by Thos. F. Porter:\n\n  \"What if the morn no joy to you shall bring,\n  No gleam of sunbeam shine across your way;\n  What if no bird one joyous note shall sing\n  Into your listening ear thru all the day!\n\n  What if no word of comfort you shall hear\n  As thru the hours long you toil and strive;\n  What if to you no vision bright appear\n  To keep your hungry heart and soul alive!\n\n  What if the blest companionship men crave\n  Come not to you thru all the day's long length,\n  But, bound and fettered even as a slave,\n  Within yourself you have to find your strength!\n\n  And if, when you have toiled and wrought alone,\n  The sweet reward you sought you do not gain,\n  And find the hoped-for bread is but stone,\n  In that sad hour for grief, should you complain\n\n  Ah no! It matters not if shade or sun,\n  Or good or ill, your efforts shall attend;\n  In doing you have but your duty done\n  As best you knew--and should do to the end.\"\n\nHe eagerly devoured the words one by one, because he was looking for\nsomething to give him courage to go thru this terrible ordeal. He\nthought that this poem would do. It surely had been written for him\nin this very hour of trouble and realized with Job he must find his\nstrength within himself and have courage, hope and faith.\n\nHe then read another little poem from the book; \"Not in Vain\" by Emily\nDickinson:\n\n  \"If I can stop one heart from breaking,\n  I shall not live in vain:\n  If I can ease one life the aching,\n  Or cool one pain,\n  Or help one fainting robin\n  Unto his nest again,\n  I shall not live in vain.\"\n\nRobert felt that he had tried always to be kind and considerate and\ncharitable towards others, and knew that he must go on regardless of\nwhat happened, and live his life hoping to find Marie. About this time,\nRobert, tired, hungry and worn out fell asleep. The next time that he\nremembered anything, he awoke on Monday morning with the sun streaming\nin thru the window of his hotel and realized that he had fallen asleep.\nThe little book, \"Poems That Have Helped Me,\" lay on the bed beside\nhim. Because the sun was coming in the east window he knew that he\nmust have slept thru some part of the night, and it was now morning.\nHis first thought was of Marie, and of any news that might have come.\nPicking up the little book, the first thing that struck his eye was the\npoem, \"Press On\" by Park Benjamin:\n\n  \"Press on! Surmount the rocky steps,\n  Climb boldly o'er the torrent's arch;\n  He fails alone who feebly creeps,\n  He wins who dares the hero's march.\n  Be thou a hero! Let thy might\n  Tramp on eternal snows its way,\n  And thru the ebon walls of night\n  Hew down a passage unto day.\n\n  Press on! If once and twice thy feet\n  Slip back and stumble, harder try;\n  From him who never dreads to meet\n  Danger and death they're sure to fly.\n  To coward ranks the bullet speeds,\n  While on their breasts who never quail,\n  Gleams, guardian of chivalric deeds,\n  Bright courage like a coat of mail.\n\n  Press on! If Fortune play thee false\n  To day, tomorrow she'll be true;\n  Whom now she sinks she now exalts,\n  Taking old gifts and granting new,\n  The wisdom of the present hour\n  Makes up the follies past and gone;\n  To weakness strength succeeds, and power\n  From frailty springs! Press on, press on!\"\n\nRobert hastily read this poem and found some consolation in it. He\nresolved that he would press on, and hastened down stairs to the hotel\ndesk to inquire if any telegrams had been received for him, or if any\nlong-distance call had come during the night when he had fallen asleep,\nbut again he met with disappointment. There were no telegrams and there\nhad been no 'phone calls.\n\nRobert felt very faint and weak because he was hungry. He had not eaten\nall day Sunday, and now realized that he must get something to eat, and\nstrengthen himself for the ordeal to follow. He went to the dining-room\nand ordered a light breakfast but when the food was served, he found\nit hard to eat because he thought of the breakfast the Sunday morning\nbefore that he had intended to have eaten with Marie on the dining-car.\nEverything he saw reminded him of her. Her smile was in the glittering\nsunshine which played upon the windows in front of him or appeared\nin the clear crystal water in the glass and the sweet odor from the\nflowers on the table brought memories of sweet kisses and soft caresses\nwhich haunted him. Finally, Robert managed to eat a little, because he\nknew he must if he expected to keep up and have strength to fight on\nand find Marie.\n\nWhen he had finished his breakfast, he returned to his room and decided\nto call the railroad office again and ascertain if they had any\ninformation for him. The general passenger agent was there, and was\nvery courteous over the 'phone to Robert. He had taken a great interest\nin the case and they had received reports from every station along the\nline, but nowhere had any trace been found of Marie. He assured Robert\nthat the railway company would use every effort to continue the search\nand report to him promptly any information that they received.\n\nRobert decided to call Mr. Kennelworth on the long-distance 'phone at\nhis office in Texarkana and soon got him on the wire. Mr. Kennelworth\nsaid that he had gone to see Marie's father, Mr. Stanton, soon after\nRobert's telephone message Sunday afternoon and had told Mr. Stanton\nof Robert's success since he had been with his firm; how hard Robert\nhad studied and planned and how he had figured out the cotton and grain\nmarkets and the large amount of money that he had made on such a small\ncapital. He confided to Mr. Stanton the secret of how Marie had saved\nup her money and how much money Robert had made on the $400.00 which he\nhad invested for her. Mr. Stanton and his wife were much impressed with\nthe story and felt that they had been wrong in opposing Marie's love\nfor Robert and their marriage. They told Mr. Kennelworth that when\nMarie returned they would give her their consent to marry Robert then\nor any time later. They felt that they might be to blame for any harm\nthat would come to Marie or for the sorrows that Robert was suffering.\nHowever, they were hopeful that Marie was either returning home or\nwas on her way back to Sherman, Texas, to complete her education,\nand, therefore, were not greatly alarmed and intended to wait until\nMonday afternoon to find out if Marie had gone back to Sherman. Mr.\nKennelworth stated that Mr. and Mrs. Stanton wished him to convey their\nsympathy to Robert and to tell him that they had great faith in him and\nwanted to help make him and Marie happy.\n\nThis message was great consolation to Robert because he felt that\nit was going to solve the problem, that no matter what had prompted\nMarie's decision to leave the train and not to go ahead and marry him\nwhen she found that her father and mother had changed their attitude,\nshe would be only too glad to return to Robert. They could then be\nmarried and continue on to New York where he could take up his studies\nand complete the building of his airship as soon as he had made enough\nmoney to do so.\n\nMr. Kennelworth told Robert that he would call him on the 'phone about\n8 o'clock that night and let him know if any word had been received\nfrom Marie or if news was received sooner, he would call immediately,\nbut at any rate would call at 8 o'clock. Mr. Kennelworth praised Robert\nand told him not to lose hope but take a philosophical view of the\nmatter. He felt sure that no harm had come to Marie, for had there\nbeen any accident it certainly would have been discovered by this time\nby the railway company. The fact that Marie's baggage had disappeared\nwas convincing evidence to him that in some way, at some station during\nthe night, she had left the train and had probably concealed herself\nand was waiting to return on another train, later. He believed before\nthe day was over they would have some good news in regard to Marie, and\nadvised Robert to get busy and go right ahead with his trading in the\nmarket and continue to make money, as he was sure that everything was\ngoing to come out all right.\n\nAfter Robert received this telephone message he was more hopeful.\nHe secured a morning newspaper and found the headlines filled with\nLindbergh. Read about the preparations for Captain Lindbergh's return\nto Washington and New York and the plans for his reception. Of course,\nRobert had looked forward to being there at that time and have Marie\nwith him as his wife. He had been looking forward to the day when his\nown dream would be realized and he would build one of the greatest\nairships of the age.\n\nReturning to his room, he fell upon his knees and breathed a prayer; a\nprayer that only a man whose heart is filled with love for a good woman\ncan pray. He prayed to the Universal Power that created the Universe,\nthe master of land and sea, who rides on the winds and walks upon the\nwater, to whom all power was given over heaven and earth. Prayed for\nstrength and for guidance to do only that which was right and that the\ngood God of the Universe would return Marie to him in safety. Prayed\nnot only for himself, or the strength to come to him, but for Marie,\nfor her happiness, for her safety. It was an unselfish prayer; the kind\nof a prayer that a mother prays when her child is lost, when she thinks\nnothing of herself but only of the child that she loves.\n\nWhen Robert arose from the prayer he felt better; felt that some of the\nstrength of that unseen guiding hand, which is ever a comfort and in\ngreat demand in time of trouble, had come to him. In God and his word\nalone he found comfort and consolation. He realized the significance of\nmoney and how little it meant; thought how quickly he had made money\non a thousand dollars in the market and now how he would give every\ncent of it for just a message from Marie; just to know that she was\nalive. He had never tried to make the money for a selfish purpose, but\nthought of the things that it could buy to make Marie happy and give\nher comfort, and what he might be able to do for his country in time\nof war when they would need service and inventions which would protect\nthem against the enemy.\n\nAfter he had time to collect his thoughts, he decided to call his old\npal, Walter Kennelworth, in New York on the long-distance telephone and\ntell him all that had happened in such a short time.\n\nRobert had not informed Walter that he was coming to New York at this\ntime. He intended to telegraph him from St. Louis on Sunday morning\nafter he and Marie had been married, and, of course, he knew that\nWalter would be at the train to meet them on their arrival. After some\ndelay he got Walter on the long-distance 'phone and told him as quickly\nas possible all that had happened. Walter was more amused than shocked\nat the news and said: \"Robert, Marie is just a little devil and full of\nfun. She is only testing your love. There is nothing to worry about. I\nknow her ways better than you do.\" He was sure that everything would\nbe all right. But Robert felt that too much time had already elapsed\nfor it to be a joke and that Marie was not waiting around St. Louis or\nhiding somewhere playing a joke that long. It was too serious a matter\nfor Robert to feel that Marie would punish him in this way so long.\nWalter begged Robert to come right on to New York, but Robert told him\nhe would never leave St. Louis until he had some definite news, one way\nor the other, as to what had happened to Marie.\n\nAfter his talk with Walter, Robert felt better because he was his\nclosest friend and it was always a pleasure to talk with him. He hoped\nthat Walter was right and that Marie would show up soon. At the same\ntime, he feared that something might have gone wrong, but every time\nthis thought occurred he would read Marie's letter again and this would\ngive him hope and courage because it plainly said she would come to him\nwhen he needed her most. Of course, he realized that she could not know\njust how badly he needed her now and felt that he would never need her\nmore than he did at that very moment.\n\nWhen Robert was troubled and blue it had always been his practice to\nread either the Bible or some other good book. He had a scrap book\nwhere he had collected poems and he took this book out and began to\nlook thru it. He noticed a clipping that he had pasted in only a short\ntime before headed: \"Tomorrow's Chance,\" by his favorite modern poet,\nS.E. Kiser:\n\n  I may not reach my goal today\n  Nor move one step ahead;\n  No effort that I make may pay,\n  I may lose ground, instead;\n  But I can try no matter what\n  Obstructions I shall find,\n  And let no thought\n  Of turning from the path I've sought\n  Take root within my mind.\n\n  There may be many reasons why\n  No effort I can make\n  Shall send my fancies soaring high\n  Or clear the course I take;\n  Mischances I could not foresee\n  May check me everywhere,\n  But I can be\n  Determined bravely, faithfully,\n  To keep my purpose fair.\n\n  It may be that at every turn\n  Discouragement shall lurk;\n  My lessons may be hard to learn.\n  Men may condemn my work;\n  My trust may be betrayed by those\n  Whom I have thought my friends,\n  But I can close\n  My mind against imagined woes,\n  And strive for worthy ends.\n\n  No matter how my hopes shall fail,\n  Or how I fall behind,\n  I'll not sit down tonight to wail\n  That God has been unkind.\n  But, with a duty to fulfil,\n  And with a proud, defiant glance,\n  I'll prove that still\n  I have the courage and the will,\n  And gird me for tomorrow's chance.\n\nThis poem seemed to fit his case and he read it over carefully. He\nresolved that regardless of discouragement or disappointment, blasted\nhopes, lost ideals or shattered dreams, he would still have the courage\nto exert himself for \"Tomorrow's Chance.\"\n\nAfter reading this poem he began to think about the future and his\nplans. He knew that he had intended to go into the market again on\nMonday or Tuesday, but the thought came to him--What good would money\ndo now, without Marie? However, he remembered her letter saying,\n\"According to your faith, be I unto you.\" Therefore, he braced himself\nand again determined to have faith to go on, watching and waiting for\nMarie.\n\nRobert bought the evening paper and looked over the financial page\nand noted that cotton had gone down as he had figured it would. The\nfollowing day was the time that his forecast indicated that it would\nstrike bottom so he must pull himself together and buy some cotton,\nboth for his own account and for Marie's. Wheat had also declined and\nhe felt that it was time to buy wheat for another advance as his cycle\nindicated an up-trend to run for the next ten days. Robert looked over\nthe stock page and noticed the heading: \"Major Motors advances above\n200, a new high level.\" Robert had figured out that Major Motors would\nnot advance much above 200 before it would be a short sale for big\nprofits. He figured out from the cycle of Major Motors that it would\nhold until along in June and July and that it would decline to a very\nlow level in 1928, so he decided he was going to go short to hold for a\nlong campaign and make a fortune.\n\nRobert was still holding his Right Aeroplane stock, which he had\nbought at 31 on May 21st, the day that Captain Lindbergh completed\nhis successful flight to Paris. He figured that he could make a great\nfortune by buying Right Aeroplane stock and holding it for years and at\nthe same time selling Major Motors short. The markets in Wheat, Cotton,\nMajor Motors and Right Aeroplane were all doing just exactly as he\nhad calculated they would. The fact that he was making money on Right\nAeroplane stock encouraged him to continue his work on his own plane.\n\nRobert did not forget sweet Marie or what she meant to him. At the\nsame time he realized what the study of the Bible had brought him and\nfelt that thru the aid of that book and the knowledge and wisdom he\nhad gained through its teaching, there would be a way to find Marie if\nshe were alive. He believed she was and he would hope and wait. But\nin the meantime he would try to make some money in order to provide\nall the luxuries and comforts for her when he found her. Since Marie's\nfather and mother had agreed to withdraw all their opposition to their\nmarriage, he thought that as soon as Marie heard this she would\ncertainly come to him or communicate with him.\n\nOn June 7th, Robert sent a telegram to his broker to buy 500 bales\nof October Cotton and 500 bales of December Cotton at the Opening on\nTuesday morning. He also ordered him to buy 100,000 bushels of July\nWheat and gave an order to sell 500 shares of Major Motors when it\nreached 203. After sending these telegrams he returned to the hotel\nfeeling some better and hoping that when he heard from Mr. Kennelworth\non the long-distance 'phone he would have some good news. So he ate\nhis dinner and returned to his room to wait for a message. Later he\ninquired for telegrams and 'phone calls and was informed that none had\nbeen received. He settled himself down in the room and concluded to\nwait for the long-distance call, hoping that it would bring good news.\n\nAt about 8:15 the telephone rang and Mr. Kennelworth was on the wire.\nRobert knew from Mr. Kennelworth's voice that he had no good news. Mr.\nKennelworth informed him that no word had been received from Marie by\nher parents, and that they had called up the school in Sherman, Texas,\nand not a word had been heard from her there. The school informed them\nthat she had left school on Saturday afternoon and had not been seen\nsince. Of course, Robert knew she had left Sherman to meet him and\nwas now more anxious and worried than ever and freely expressed his\ngreat anxiety to Mr. Kennelworth. Mr. Kennelworth was still hopeful\nand tried to cheer and encourage Robert. Advised him to go on to New\nYork and wait him there. He had followed Robert's advice and bought\nWheat and Cotton on Monday afternoon and Robert told him that he was\ngoing to buy the next morning at the Opening. Mr. Kennelworth said that\nhe planned to leave for New York at the end of the week. Robert then\ndecided to stay in St. Louis until he got some definite word, or anyway\nremain there until Mr. Kennelworth arrived and then go on to New York\nwith him. He was anxious to see Walter as soon as possible but wanted\nto know something about what happened to Marie before leaving for New\nYork. Mr. Kennelworth was confident that the next day would bring some\nnews from Marie, one way or the other, and advised Robert to keep\ncheerful; that he would inform him just as soon as news came.\n\nAfter Robert had time to think over the matter, he decided to place\n\"Personal Notices\" in all the newspapers of St. Louis and the towns\nalong the line between Texarkana and St. Louis. If no news was heard of\nMarie by Tuesday evening, he would place it in the papers the next day.\nHe then wrote out the Notice.\n\n Miss Marie Stanton--I found your little note in my pocket on\n Sunday morning. Have been waiting for you in St. Louis. My faith in\n you is supreme. It will never change. Months and years cannot change\n me, no matter what I hear or do not hear or what may happen, I will\n always have faith in you and love you. Will never need you more than\n now. Nothing else that I can get, or money that I can make matters\n or means anything to me without you. Come to me or communicate with\n me and explain all and I will understand and agree to anything you\n may desire. Marie, relieve my anxious heart. Let me hear from you.\n Your father and mother have agreed to withdraw their objections and\n consent to our being married. I will have faith and wait in St. Louis\n until I hear something from you.\n\n  Robert Gordon,\n  _Address_--Planters Hotel.\n\nRobert decided to read and study some before he retired that night. He\nread the poem, \"How to Live,\" by William Cullen Bryant:\n\n  So live, that when thy summons comes to join\n  The innumerable caravan that moves\n  To that mysterious realm where each shall take\n  His chamber in the silent halls of death,\n  Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night,\n  Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed\n  By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave\n  Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch\n  About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.\n\nRobert wished that he might be able that night to lie down to pleasant\ndreams but he knew that he would lay down with an unfaltering trust in\nMarie, that he would have the faith in her which would move mountains,\nthat he would never doubt her no matter how long a time passed and\nwould prove that his love for her was supreme and his faith unfaltering.\n\nRobert read another poem on \"Perserverance\" by Goethe:\n\n\nPERSEVERANCE\n\n  We must not hope to be mowers,\n    And to gather the ripe gold ears,\n  Unless we have first been sowers\n    And watered the furrows with tears.\n\n  It is not just as we take it,\n    This mystical world of ours,\n  Life's field will yield as we make it\n    A harvest of thorns or of flowers.\n\nHe realized that perhaps all the good things of life do not come to us\neasily and that we might have to go through sorrows and trouble to try\nour faith. Robert decided to persevere and try to be philosophic and\nhope, no matter what happened, and to continue to watch and wait for\ngood news from Marie.\n\nBefore he retired that night, Robert read \"The Golden Hour\" by James W.\nFoley:\n\n  I'm sending you one golden hour\n    From the full jeweled crown of the day;\n  Not sorrow or care shall have power\n    To steal this rare jewel away.\n  I'm bidding you join in the dreaming\n    I had in that hour of you,\n  When all of the old dreams, in seeming,\n    Were gold like the hour, and came true.\n\n  So let's dream like a child in its playing,\n    Let's make us a sky and a sea,\n  Let's change the things 'round us by saying\n    They're things that we wish them to be;\n  And if there is sadness or sorrow,\n    Let's dream till we charm it away,\n  Let's learn from the children, and borrow\n    A saying from childhood: \"Let's play!\"\n\n  Let's play that the world's full of beauty,\n    Let's play there are roses in bloom,\n  Let's play there is pleasure in duty,\n    And light where we thought there was gloom.\n\n  Let's play that this heart with its sorrow\n    Is bidden be joyous and glad,\n  Let's play that we'll find on tomorrow\n    The joys that we never have had.\n\n  Let's play that regret with its ruing\n    Is banished forever and aye,\n  Let's play there's delight but in doing,\n    Let's play there are flowers by the way.\n  However the pathway seem dreary,\n    Wherever the footsteps may lead,\n  Let's play there's a song for the weary\n    If only the heart will give heed.\n\n  Let's play we have done with repining,\n    Let's play that our longings are still,\n  Let's play that the sunlight is shining,\n    To gold the green slope of the hill.\n  Let's play there are birds blithely flinging\n    Their songs of delight to the air,\n  Let's play that the world's full of singing,\n    Let's play there is love--everywhere.\n\nRobert knelt and prayed before he went to sleep, always asking for\nMarie and her protection. He said: \"Lord, I ask nothing for myself,\nbut beseech the greatest blessings on Marie and only ask for her\nhappiness. If it be for the best that her happiness be away from me,\nthen I desire to suffer rather than for her to be unhappy. I pray that\nshe may realize my great love and faith in her, my devotion to her and\nwillingness to make any sacrifice for her that might seem right, no\nmatter what my judgment may be.\"\n\nRobert slept better that night because he was looking forward to\nTuesday, the 7th day of the month. He had learned that the \"7th\" was a\nsacred day, and had often talked to Marie about the number 7, and the\nnumber of times it is spoken of in the Bible. How God had blessed the\n7th day and made it the Sabbath; how many things had come to pass on\nthe 7th day of the 7th month, or the 7th year referred to in the Bible.\nIn some way he felt that on this day news would come from Marie and he\nhoped that it would be good.\n\nRobert awoke on Tuesday morning feeling much better, had his breakfast\nearly, bought the newspaper and read all about the receptions being\nplanned for Colonel Lindbergh and again the wish stole into his heart\nand the hope was revived that in some way Marie might be with him when\nLindbergh arrived in New York. Later in the day he received telegrams\nat his hotel from his broker, advising of the purchase of October and\nDecember cotton and also the purchase of July wheat.\n\nRobert decided to console himself by reading the Bible. He read Job,\nand realized that he, too, would have patience to wait until his time\nshould come. Nothing could shake his faith in Marie or shake his faith\nin the wisdom of Almighty God whom, Robert fully believed, would answer\nhis prayer. He hoped that before the day was over, some news of Marie\nwould surely come.\n\nAs he was reading the Bible the bellboy brought him a letter stamped\nTexarkana, and, of course, Robert hoped it contained some news of\nMarie. He opened it hastily and read:\n\n  Texarkana, Texas.\n  June 6, 1927.\n\n  Mr. Robert Gordon,\n  Planters Hotel,\n  St. Louis, Mo.\n\n  Dear Robert:\n\n We are deeply grieved over Marie's disappearance but are hopeful that\n no harm has come to her. From what Mr. Kennelworth tells us of the\n letter she wrote you, we believe she is returning to school or home,\n and we are waiting news of her with hope.\n\n While Marie is quite young and we thought too young to marry, and you\n too, are very young and could well afford to wait a few years, we\n now realize that if a delay would interfere with your happiness and\n Marie's, we would gladly consent to an immediate marriage. We regret\n that we have misjudged you, Robert, and are proud to know more about\n you from those who have known you intimately. Parents often make\n mistakes in opposing their children and frequently the interference of\n parents in the marriage of their children separate two that God has\n joined together. Man can only put asunder the physical bodies, but\n what God doeth is forever.\n\n We are very happy to know of your loyalty to Marie, your faith in God\n and your great ambitions to succeed, according to the rules laid down\n in the Bible. Shall be very happy to notify you promptly of any news\n from Marie and will kindly ask you to do the same for us. Believe us\n\n  Sincerely your friends,\n  William and Mary Stanton.\n\nWhen Robert received and read this letter he was deeply touched and\nfelt that a reward must always come to those whose intentions are\nhonest and honorable, so he sat down and answered the letter.\n\n  St. Louis, Missouri,\n  June 7, 1927.\n\n  Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Stanton,\n  Texarkana,\n  Texas.\n\n  Dear friends:\n\n I feel like addressing you as friends because sorrow often makes us\n all friends, and am enclosing a poem--\"Trouble Brings Friends,\" which\n I think is very appropriate. Materlinck said, \"Men help each other by\n their joy, not by sorrow,\" but it is my belief that we are often led\n to extend help in time of sorrow which we would never think of doing\n in time of joy or happiness. I quote from John 16:22--\"And ye now\n therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your hearts shall\n rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.\" I hope and pray that\n the day is not far distant when our hearts will rejoice together with\n the return of Marie.\n\n Marie means everything to me and I honor and respect you as her\n parents. I believe that you acted as you thought best for Marie's\n future, and can find no fault with your good and honest intentions,\n regardless of the suffering it has caused me or the sorrow and\n disappointment it may have brought to Marie. I wish to do only that\n which is honorable and best for all concerned, and if Marie returns I\n will agree to submit to your decision and wait until she has finished\n her course in college before we are married. I wish to take my part\n of the responsibility for Marie's elopement because I urged her into\n action. I wanted to go to you and talk the matter over but she felt\n sure that you would never consent to our marriage and said the only\n thing to do was to elope.\n\n Marie felt all along when I was a struggling boy without money, that\n you would never consent to her marrying below her station in life and\n this, as much as anything else, made me ambitious to achieve success\n and prove to you that even tho I was born of poor parents and started\n without anything in life, I could make a great success and accumulate\n money. To me money means nothing and I would gladly give every dollar\n I have ever made just to spend one hour with Marie, and I am sure that\n this is no boyish love affair or trick of the imagination. While it\n is my first love, it will endure forever. Time will prove that Marie\n means everything to me.\n\n I thank you for your kindness and consideration and hope and pray that\n we may soon have good news in regard to Marie.\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  Robert Gordon.\n\nPoem enclosed with Robert's letter:\n\n  It's seldom trouble comes alone,\n  I've noticed this: when things go wrong\n  An' trouble comes a-visitin'\n  It always brings a friend along;\n  Sometimes it's one you've known before,\n  And then perhaps it's some one new\n  Who stretches out a helping hand,\n  An' stops to see what he can do.\n\n  If never trials come to us,\n  If grief an' sorrow passed us by,\n  If every day the sun came out,\n  An' clouds were never in the sky,\n  We'd still have neighbors, I suppose,\n  Each one pursuin' selfish ends,\n  But only neighbors they would be,\n  We'd never know them as our friends.\n\n  Out of the troubles I have had\n  Have come my richest friendships here,\n  Kind hands have helped to bear my care,\n  Kind words have fallen on my ear;\n  An' so I say when trouble comes\n  I know before the storm shall end\n  That I shall find my bit of care\n  Has also brought to me a friend.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII\n\n\nThat afternoon, after three o'clock, when the afternoon newspapers were\nout, he bought a paper and found that cotton and wheat had advanced\nmany points and that he now had a nice profit on the purchases made\nthat morning. Indeed, the gods of good fortune and finance were\nsmiling on Robert, but the Goddess of Love was frowning and he must\nhave patience. As the sun was slowly setting and the day was waning,\nhe watched in sadness because no news had come from Marie. He firmly\nresolved that he would carry out his intention and place the personal\nnotice in the papers the following day for news of Marie, if something\ndid not come that evening.\n\nRobert called Mr. Kennelworth on the 'phone in Texarkana and again\nmet with disappointment. Not a word had been heard from Marie and her\nparents were now growing more anxious and feared that there had been\nsome accident or foul play in some way. They were making a search in\nevery direction; City and County officials had been notified and all\nthe schools thruout the country were on the lookout for Marie and\nmaking every effort to obtain some information about her. Robert told\nMr. Kennel worth about his plan to insert the personal notice and Mr.\nKennelworth agreed with him. He thought it would be a good idea and\nhe believed that if she were secretly hiding somewhere, she would\nsurely see the papers because she herself would be anxious to know what\nhappened to Robert and what he was doing.\n\nRobert arose early on Wednesday morning, June 8th, hastened to the\nnewspaper offices and placed the personal notices to appear the\nfollowing day. When he returned to his hotel, for the first time since\nSunday he thought of his birthday, June 9th, when he would be 21 years\nof age. When he thought of this a great hope came into his mind. He\ndecided that Marie, for some unknown reason, was hiding until his\nbirthday and intended that they should be married on that day and she\nwas going to be his birthday present. Robert's imagination went wild.\nHe was elated over the hope. It seemed like a sudden inspiration to\nhim. It would be just like Marie to wait until his birthday to give him\nthe surprise of his life, and think this delay would only try his faith\nand patience and she would know just how much she meant to him, but did\nnot think it too long to keep him waiting if he really loved her as he\nsaid he did; that he would have patience and wait.\n\nRobert was sure that his advertisements in the papers the following day\nwere going to bring results and that probably Marie, just as soon as\nshe saw it, would come to him. So he really began to plan and hope and\nget ready for a marriage to take place on his birthday. He was so happy\nover this sudden thought, so elated that he 'phoned Mr. Kennelworth\nagain that night and told him all about it. Mr. Kennelworth,\nhalf-hearted but hopeful, agreed with Robert that there might be\nsomething in it, that Marie might have had some plan of this kind in\nmind, and sincerely hoped that Robert was right and that this birthday\nwould be the happiest of his life.\n\nAfter Robert talked with Mr. Kennelworth, he immediately called Walter\nKennelworth on the 'phone in New York, told him all that had happened,\nabout his placing the personal notices in the papers, about his hopes\nand theories that Marie would show up on his birthday. Walter said that\nit would be just like her to do a trick of that kind and that this\nmight be just what it all meant. He thought that Robert had struck on\nthe right idea and was hopeful, too, that the marriage would take place\non Robert's birthday. He was to call Robert on the 'phone the next\nday or Robert should call him just as soon as he got any news. Walter\nwanted to send congratulations for his birthday and his wedding day.\nThe fact that Walter was so cheerful and shared Robert's views and\nhopes in the matter, made Robert much happier.\n\nAfter Robert had talked with Walter, the bellboy came and brought a\nspecial-delivery letter and a telegram. Robert opened the telegram\nhurriedly, hoping that it was something from Marie, but found it was a\ntelegram from his mother in which she congratulated him on his birthday\nthe following day, and encouraged him to hope for the best and not give\nway to despair in case Marie did not show up. The special-delivery\nletter was also from Robert's mother, and read:\n\n  My dear Son,\n\n Your good friend, Mr. Kennelworth, has been out to see me and told all\n that has happened. My son, I counsel you to have patience and faith.\n Love endures much and is not discouraged. I believe everything happens\n for the best, my boy, and it may be that Marie thought that you were\n both too young to marry. If this was her view, I would say it would\n hurt neither of you to wait a few years longer.\n\n While I cannot understand the mysterious way in which Marie\n disappeared, at the same time I hope, pray and believe that she is\n alive and will come into your life again when you most need her and\n are better prepared for her than you are now. I know that it will be\n hard for you to see and realize that it might be for the best for her\n to go out of your life at this time, but even Marie may be wiser than\n we know. She may want to test your love and test her love for you. If\n this is the case, it will all turn out for the best for both of you.\n If your love is strong enough to endure it and wait a few months or a\n few years, no harm can come later. If Marie can bear to be separated\n from you and remain faithful and loyal to you for a few months or a\n few years, then she will mean more to you when she comes back to you\n again.\n\n I pray for you each night and pray that everything may come out all\n right. I still have great faith and confidence in you, my boy. Want\n you to stick to your faith and your religion. Read the Holy Bible and\n follow it as you have in the past and everything that the good God can\n do will come to you in due time. Write me of your plans and what you\n intend to do. Send me a telegram as soon as you have any news, one way\n or the other. I anxiously await news of Marie and wish that I could be\n with you to comfort you because I know you need me when you haven't\n Marie.\n\n  Devotedly,\n  Your Mother.\n\nRobert was happy to get the letter from his mother because she always\nencouraged him and he knew that no matter what happened, her faith in\nhim would always remain the same and her love would endure forever.\nHe retired that night after having a light supper, very happy, looking\nforward to his birthday with great hopes and expectations. His 21st\nbirthday meant a great deal to him, meant more than any other birthday\nbecause he hoped that it would bring Marie. He knew that he had stood\nthe test of her absence and that he had unwavering faith, that the had\nnever doubted her motive, no matter even if he could not understand it,\nand that he would not censure her actions. When Marie returned and was\nonce sure that she knew all this, he would mean more to her than he had\never before and she would only love him the more. After all, perhaps\nthis little disappointment would mean something good in the future.\n\nThat night he read over all the poems that Marie had ever written him\nor sent him, and read over the poems that he had written her, because\nhe had kept a copy of them. He read the poem where he wrote \"If your\naim is high and honest, in victory it will tell; Before the pearl is\ngotten, there must be a broken shell!\" Again Robert realized that the\nshell had been broken worse this time than ever before, or at least it\nseemed that way to him. Yet at the same time it was not a break because\nMarie had left him with love, and their last good-night kiss on the\ntrain had been one of supreme faith and trusting love which had been\nbuilt up over a period of years in which there had been many obstacles\nto overcome, hard struggles and disappointments. Robert prayed his\nusual night prayer for the protection of Marie and went to sleep, to\ndream of his birthday.\n\n\nRobert Gordon's 21st Birthday\n\nRobert arose early on June 9th. Hurried down to the desk to ascertain\nif any telegrams had come over night or any 'phone calls, but found no\ntelegrams and no messages. It was yet too early for the morning mail.\nRobert secured the morning papers and saw his personal notices which he\nhad instructed the papers to continue to run. He had added the name of\nhis hotel and telephone number so that Marie could reach him promptly.\nSomehow he had a feeling that just about 11 or 12 o'clock that day\nMarie would call at the hotel or he would have some good news from her.\n\nAfter having his breakfast, he waited for the first mail, but there\nwere no letters for him and up to this time no telegrams had been\nreceived. He decided to go down to a brokerage office and see how the\nmarket opened. Cotton and wheat had advanced the day before and cotton\nopened higher and was strong this morning, and wheat was also holding\nup well. Robert found that Major Motors was selling around 203 and he\nknew that his broker must have sold 500 shares short for him at this\nprice. He figured that Major Motors would not advance above 205-1/2\nbefore it started on a big decline. So he said to himself, \"This is\ngoing to be a real happy birthday. I am making money fast now in wheat\nand cotton and will soon be making money in stocks.\" Right Aeroplane\nwas also strong and his profits were piling up on this. He figured\nup his profits on Cotton, Wheat and Stocks and on this birthday he\nwas worth $30,000. The money meant nothing to him. He would gladly\ngive every cent of it to have Marie as a birthday present. His hopes\nremained high and somehow he felt that he would have Marie as well\nas the financial success. Just as he was figuring up his profits and\nthinking about it an old saying came to him: \"Lucky at cards, unlucky\nin love.\" He wondered if this could be, that he would be lucky in\nmaking money in speculation and at the same time unlucky in his love\naffairs; but hoped and prayed that this was the last disappointment in\nhis love affairs and that this birthday was to be the turning point and\nthat some news would come from Marie.\n\nHe decided to forget about the market as everything was moving along\nhis way and returned to the hotel to wait for news of Marie. He still\nhad a hope or an imagination that around 11 or 12 o'clock Marie would\neither come to the hotel or some news from her would be received. Upon\nreturning to the hotel he found no mail and no telegrams or telephone\nmessages awaiting him. When 11 o'clock came Robert's mind reverted back\nto Sunday when he was watching the clock in the Union Station, hoping\nand waiting for Marie to appear. Robert became a little restless and\nmore than anxious as the minutes went by. The clock struck twelve on\nhis birthday and no Marie and no news from her. A few minutes after\n12 his bell rang and a messenger boy appeared with a telegram. \"Ah,\"\nRobert thought, \"this is from Marie or some news from her.\" But it\nwas a telegram of congratulations from his old pal, Walter, who asked\nthat he convey the first news which he received in regard to Marie and\nstated that he hoped before the day was over he could congratulate\nRobert on his marriage to Marie. A little later in the day Robert\nreceived a long telegram from Mr. Kennelworth, congratulating him on\nhis birthday and offering words of encouragement, also telling Robert\nthat he expected to leave Texarkana on Friday night, June 10th, and\narrive in St. Louis some time in the morning and that Robert should\nbe ready to start with him to New York, as he wanted to be there when\nLindbergh arrived. Robert received another telegram from his mother\ncongratulating him on his birthday and wishing him every success and\nhappiness.\n\nThese messages were very encouraging but it was now 2 o'clock and\nRobert began to be keenly disappointed--he had raised his hopes so high\nthat Marie would appear or some news would come. He paced the floor in\nanxiety, his heart beating rapidly and was forced to admit to himself\nthat he had been over hopeful. He started to send a telegram to Mr.\nKennelworth asking him to wire or 'phone just as soon as possible if\nany news had been received of Marie and asked him to call up Marie's\nparents and find out if they had heard anything. Minutes now began to\ndrag slowly, as they had on Sunday when Robert had watched the clock\nand saw his hopes slowly waning. They were now waning again and Robert\ngrew heartsick, but cheered himself with the thought that the day was\nnot over yet. There was plenty of time for Marie to show up.\n\nRobert decided to read awhile to quiet his anxiety. He picked up the\nbook of \"Poems That Have Helped Me,\" and read the \"Isle of Long Ago.\"\n\n  Oh, a wonderful stream is the River Time,\n  As it flows thru the realm of years,\n  With a faultless rhythm and a musical rhyme,\n  And a broader sweep and a surge sublime,\n  As it blends with the ocean of years.\n\n  How the winters are drifting, like flakes of snow,\n  And the summers like buds between;\n  And the years in the sheaf--so they come and they go\n  On the river's breast, with its ebb and flow,\n  As they glide in the shadow and sheen.\n\n  There's a magical Isle up the River Time,\n  Where the softest of airs are playing,\n  There's a cloudless sky and a tropical clime,\n  And a voice as sweet as a vesper chime,\n  And the Junes with the roses are staying.\n\n  And the name of this Isle is the Long Ago,\n  And we bury our treasures there;\n  There are brows of beauty and bosoms of snow--\n  There are heaps of dust, but we love them so!\n  There are trinkets and tresses of hair.\n\n  There are fragments of songs that nobody sings,\n  And a part of an infant's prayer,\n  There's a harp unswept and a lute without strings,\n  There are broken vows and pieces of rings,\n  And the garments she used to wear.\n\n  There are hands that are waved when the fairy shore\n  By the mirage is lifted in air;\n  And we sometimes hear through the turbulent roar\n  Sweet voices we heard in the days gone before,\n  When the wind down the river is fair.\n\n  Oh, remembered for aye be the blessed Isle\n  All the day of our life till night,\n  And when evening comes with its beautiful smile,\n  And our eyes are closing in slumber awhile,\n  May that \"Greenwood\" of soul be in sight.\n\nIt made him realize that on the \"river of time\" there are many trials,\ntribulations and disappointments. While he was young in years he had\nexperienced many of them, and it seemed to him that the last five days\nhad been five years. When he read the lines of the poem: \"Sweet voices\nwe heard in the days gone before, when the wind down the river is fair\"\nand \"Our eyes are closing in slumber awhile,\" he thought of Marie,\nher beautiful eyes and sweet voice; all the happy things she had ever\nsaid; the things that she had written, and like a voice coming across\nthe stillness of the night, he seemed to hear Marie calling as she\nused to call: \"Robert, dear,\" \"Robert dear.\" He jumped from his chair,\nstartled, because for a moment he thought it was her voice, for he had\nbeen hoping and expecting each moment to hear her voice, but alas it\nwas only a ghost of imagination and no Marie was there and no news of\nher.\n\nRobert turned another page and read: \"Crossing the Bar,\" by Tennyson:\n\n  Sunset and evening star,\n  And one clear call for me,\n  And may there be no moaning of the bar,\n  When I put out to sea.\n\n  But such a tide as moving seems asleep,\n  Too full for sound and foam,\n  When that which drew from out the boundless deep,\n  Turns again home.\n\n  Twilight and evening bell,\n  And after that the dark;\n  And may there be no sadness of farewell,\n  When I embark.\n\n  For tho' from out our bourne of time and place,\n  The flood may bear me far,\n  I hope to see my Pilot face to face\n  When I have crossed the bar.\n\nHe read the last verse several times.\n\nRobert thought of Marie, his pilot, his star, his hope. When he had\ndriven his ship across the uncertain sea of finance it would be Marie's\nbeautiful face that would keep the lovelight burning upon the altar\nof his heart, ever to guide her captain safely home. He had looked to\nher to pilot him into the path of peace, lead him to the fields of\ncontentment and, at last, to the height of eternal peace. He had looked\nforward to this day, his birthday, when she would return to him and he\nmight claim her for his own. Thought of Marie's words, that hope and\nanticipation are greater than realization, but felt that nothing in\nthe world could give him greater pleasure than the realization of this\nmoment if he could hold Marie in his arms, kiss her sweet lips and hear\nthe sweet words of love she had spoken to him in the past. Robert's\nheart for a moment sank within him. It was too much for him. He sobbed\nand cried like a baby but then he thought of his faith, of God and his\npower supreme.\n\nAgain as he was wondering what to do, he got the crumpled note that\nMarie wrote and put in his pocket on Sunday and read it again:\n\"According to your faith, be I unto you. Love will always hope,\nunderstand and wait. Time proves all things. You will get everything\nyou want. I will come to you when I mean the most and your need for\nlove is the greatest.\" Only a few short lines, but so much said in\nthem and so much left unsaid, Robert thought. Yet they contained an\nassurance, they left no doubt about a hope for the future and on that\nhope and with that faith Robert would cling to the future. Time would\nprove his love. Marie stated plainly that he would get everything he\nwanted and he knew that the greatest thing in the world he wanted was\nMarie. So at the close of another day of disappointment he felt that\nthere was room for hope and that the future was lined with hopes. He\nresolved never to waver. Then read \"A Psalm of Life\" by Longfellow:\n\n  Tell me not in mournful numbers\n  Life is but an empty dream,\n  For the soul is dead that slumbers,\n  And things are not what they seem.\n\n  Life is real! Life is earnest!\n  And the grave is not its goal;\n  Dust thou art, to dust returnest,\n  Was not spoken of the soul.\n\n  Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,\n  Is our destined end or way;\n  But to act, that each tomorrow\n  Find us farther than today.\n\n  Art is long and Time is fleeting,\n  And our hearts, though stout and brave,\n  Still, like muffled drums, are beating\n  Funeral marches to the grave.\n\n  In the world's broad field of battle,\n  In the bivouac of Life,\n  Be not like dumb, driven cattle!\n  Be a hero in the strife!\n\n  Trust no future, howe'er pleasant!\n  Let the dead Past bury its dead!\n  Act--act in the living present!\n  Heart within and God o'erhead.\n\n  Lives of great men all remind us\n  We can make our lives sublime,\n  And, departing, leave behind us\n  Footprints on the sands of time.\n\n  Footprints, that perhaps another,\n  Sailing o'er life's solemn main,\n  A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,\n  Seeing, shall take heart again.\n\n  Let us, then, be up and doing,\n  With a heart for any fate;\n  Still achieving, still pursuing,\n  Learn to labor and to wait.\n\nWhen he got to the verse\n\n  Trust no future, howe'er pleasant!\n  Let the dead Past bury its dead!\n  Act--act in the living present!\n  Heart within and God o'erhead.\n\nRobert now fully realized that he must trust to the future if he\nintended to live and continue to make a success and complete his\ndiscoveries and inventions. He read the last verse slowly and carefully:\n\n  Let us, then, be up and doing,\n  With a heart for any fate;\n  Still achieving, still pursuing,\n  Learn to labor and to wait.\n\nThis sounded much better to Robert. He was willing to learn to labor\nand wait and felt that if he waited there would be a reward, because\nMarie had promised him and he knew that Marie would keep her promise,\nand nothing could ever take from him that hope, that knowledge that\nMarie would keep her promise.\n\nThen he read another little poem: \"The Spring of Love.\"\n\n  A little sun, a little rain,\n  A soft wind blowing from the West,\n  And woods and fields are sweet again\n  And warmth within the mountain's breast.\n\n  A little love, a little trust,\n  A soft impulse, a sudden dream,\n  And life as dry as desert dust,\n  Is fresher than a mountain stream.\n\nHe knew that he had great love and great trust, and that that love, and\nthe hope of Marie, would give him ambition and courage to continue on.\nIt was now getting late and no news had come of Marie. Robert realized\nhis birthday was passing and his hopes for the present were blasted.\n\nHe read the poem, \"Lead Kindly Light\":\n\n  Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,\n  Lead thou me on!\n  The night is dark and I am far from home,\n  Lead thou me on!\n  Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see\n  The distant scene--one step enough for me.\n\n  I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou\n  Shouldst lead me on;\n  I loved to see and choose my path, but now\n  Lead thou me on!\n  I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,\n  Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.\n\n  So long thy power hath blessed me, sure it still\n  Will lead me on;\n  O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent till\n  The night is gone;\n  And with the morn those angel faces smile\n  Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.\n\nThe last few lines of the final verse impressed him strongly. Robert\nfelt that Marie was only lost for awhile and that on the coming morning\nhe would meet the future with a smile, face it with hope, courage and\ndetermination and make some new plans; figure some other new way by\nwhich he might locate Marie or obtain some news of her whereabouts.\nRealizing more than ever that hope deferred maketh the heart grow sick,\nRobert read everything in the Bible that he could find on love. At last\nhe read the song of Solomon.\n\nRobert knew that he would never leave his first love and go back on\nher, that that was the one love of his life and that it would remain so\nlong as there was life in his body. With this resolve in his heart he\ndecided to face the future with hope.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV\n\n\nRobert bought evening newspapers and looked over the Financial Page;\nnoted that cotton, wheat and corn had advanced that day. His birthday\nhad indeed been a success, financially, and his 21st birthday found\nhim on top of the world, but this was not what counted with Robert.\nThe great disappointment was that his hopes for Marie on that day were\nblasted, but he had not given up. As he looked over the newspapers\nhe saw an advertisement headed, \"Madam Cleo,\" Clairvoyant. The\nadvertisement stated that Madam Cleo could reunite the separated and\nbring back lost lovers. While Robert had never been to a clairvoyant\nand his only faith was in astrology, and science laid down in the\nBible, in desperation he decided to grasp at any straw. Early on the\nmorning of June 10th he called to see Madam Cleo. She told him that he\nhad gone thru a great sorrow but that his sweetheart would return to\nhim in a few days, he should be of good cheer because Marie loved him\nonly; that it had been a case of nervous indecision which had caused\nMarie to disappear, and that she would return just as suddenly as she\nhad disappeared.\n\nRobert felt more hopeful and returned to his hotel, hoping to get some\nnews of Marie. There were no letters or telegrams. He called up the\nbroker's office to find out how cotton and wheat were that morning\nand found that they were strong and higher. His calculations showed\nthat wheat and cotton should be top for a reaction on June 10th so he\nwired his broker in New York to sell out his wheat and cotton. Corn was\ndown that morning, so he telegraphed the broker to buy 20,000 bushels\nof September corn. After sending this telegram, he glanced over the\nmorning paper and saw an advertisement headed, \"Professor O.B. Joyful,\"\nAstrologer. Robert eagerly read the advertisement because the name\nattracted him. And he was looking for something to make him joyful.\nProfessor Joyful's advertisement stated that \"with the science of\nAstrology, he could tell when success would start, when trouble would\nend and reveal when marriage would take place.\" Robert was a great\nbeliever in Astrology because he had found this great science referred\nto so many times in the Holy Bible. Robert remembered reading in the\nPsalms 111:2:\n\n The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have\n pleasure therein.\n\nHe had made notes as he read the Bible at different times where it\nreferred to Astrology or the signs in the heavens and was thoroughly\nconvinced that the influence of the heavenly bodies govern our lives.\n\nGenesis 1:7, 16 and 18:\n\n And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under\n the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it\n was so.\n\n And God made two great lights; and the greater light to rule the day,\n and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.\n\n And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light\n from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.\n\nGenesis 7:2:\n\n Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and\n his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his\n female.\n\nJoshua 10:12 and 14:\n\n Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up\n the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight\n of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the\n valley of Ajalon.\n\n And there was no day like that before it, or after it, that the Lord\n hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.\n\nSamuel 22:8:\n\n That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that\n sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the sons of Jesse, and\n there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my\n son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this\n day?\n\nJob 22:14:\n\n Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh\n in the circuit of heaven,\n\nJob 26:10 and 11:\n\n He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come\n to an end.\n\n The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproof.\n\nJob 37:18:\n\n Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a\n molten looking glass?\n\nPsalms 19:1, 4 and 6:\n\n The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his\n handywork.\n\n Their line is gone out thru all the earth, and their words to the end\n of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun;\n\n His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto\n the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.\n\nPsalms 136:7 and 9:\n\n To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:\n\n The moon and the stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for\n ever.\n\nProverbs 8:27 and 28:\n\n When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he sat a compass upon\n the face of the depth;\n\n When he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the\n fountains of the deep;\n\nEcclesiastes 1:3 and 5:\n\n What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?\n\n The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place\n where arose.\n\nIsaiah 40:22:\n\n It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the\n inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the\n heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;\n\nIsaiah 43:5:\n\n Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and\n gather thee from the west;\n\nEzekiel 1:22:\n\n And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living\n creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth\n over their heads above.\n\nAmos 9:6:\n\n It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his\n troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and\n poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the Lord is his name.\n\nHabakkuk 3:2:\n\n O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid; O Lord, revive thy\n work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known;\n in wrath remember mercy.\n\nSt. Matthew 24:29 and 30:\n\n Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be\n darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall\n fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.\n\n And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, in heaven: and then\n shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of\n man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.\n\nRobert knew that the Bible was replete with references that the\nheavens ruled. He had read where it said: \"Discern the end from the\nbeginning\"; where Jesus said: \"I will judge you in the place of your\nnativity.\" He hastened to the office of Professor O.B. Joyful in the\nhope that the great science of Astrology would throw some light upon\nthe disappearance of Marie. The secretary told him that the Professor\nwas very busy and as Robert had no appointment, he would have to wait\nawhile. Glancing around the walls of the office he saw some beautiful\ncards of poems hanging on the walls. One was entitled, \"The power of\nLove.\" This attracted Robert's attention:\n\n  Sunbeams after showers are brightest,\n  Seeking sorrow is a sin;\n  Woman's heart is ever lightest\n  When love, the jewel, dwells within.\n\nRobert thought that this was a wonderful poem and he knew that it\napplied to man as well as woman, because his heart was ever light\nwhen love dwelled within; knew that it was Marie's beautiful eyes and\nthe hope of seeing them again, which was guiding him now across the\ntroubled sea of time. He anxiously awaited the time when he could tell\nhis troubles to Professor Joyful, hoping that they would soon be turned\ninto joy. He read another poem on the wall:\n\n  Love is a gift to be used every day,\n  Not to be smothered and hidden away,\n  Love is not a thing to be stored in the chest\n  Where you gather your keepsakes,\n  And treasure your best.\n  Love is a gift you should use every day.\n\n  --Norah Perkins.\n\nRobert knew that he was using love every day and it seemed that the\nProfessor had prepared his office to receive those in love. Another\npoem read:\n\n  We starve each other for love's caress;\n  We take, but we do not give;\n  We know it is easy some soul to bless,\n  But we dole out affection, giving less and less,\n  Until the world becomes bitter and hard.\n\nRobert felt that he had not been stingy with his love for Marie and\nthat he had showered his affection upon her. The Bible said that love\nbegetteth love and he knew if he received as he gave, his reward would\nbe the return of Marie and her love.\n\nBy this time, the secretary announced that Professor Joyful was ready\nto receive him. He entered the Professor's office, where he met a\nmiddle-aged man whose kindly face indicated that he had sympathy for\nthose in trouble. Robert stated briefly his troubles. Upon being asked\nhis date of birth, said he was born June 9th, 1906. The Professor made\nout his horoscope hurriedly and told him that Venus and Mars were in\nconjunction by transit in the sign Leo, which ruled the heart; that\nVenus applied to a trine of Uranus, and that while he could give him\nhopeful news and could assure him from his horoscope that he would\none day find Marie, he could not offer false hopes and state that he\nwould find her within a few days. Said there was a possibility of his\nfinding her within two years, but it would probably be three or four\nyears before she would ever come into his life again. In view of the\nfact that Venus was separating from a conjunction of Mars on the day\nhe had called to inquire about Marie, the indications were that his\nsweetheart, Marie, would be separated farther from him rather than\ncome closer to him at this time. He assured Robert that Marie was\nalive, that no harm had come to her, and that none would, that she was\ncarrying out her own secret plans; was faithful to Robert, and had no\nother lover. He told Robert that he was a born genius and in the next\nfew years would make a great success in speculation and in the field of\naviation. While Robert was disappointed, he felt that this scientific\nman was telling the truth and decided to take his advice, try to be\npatient, and to face the future with hope. The Professor told Robert\nthat his horoscope indicated that he would eventually realize all his\nhopes and ambitions. Venus, in the sign Cancer, promised happiness in\nlove affairs eventually, but Neptune therein indicated a skeleton in\nthe family closet and some secret mysterious happenings in connection\nwith the home and domestic relations. Robert told him of his plans to\ngo to New York and the Professor stated that New York City was ruled\nby the sign Cancer, and in view of the fact that the planet Venus, the\nGoddess of Love, was located in that sign, he would eventually meet\nor find Marie in New York City. This cheered Robert greatly because\nhe knew he wanted to go to New York to make money in speculation and\ncomplete his inventions. Professor Joyful told Robert that Venus\nprogressed in the sign Leo, which rules the heart, would cause some\ngreat sorrows and heartaches when there were afflictions to it. He had\nstarted the trip with the Moon in the sign Leo, ruling the heart,\nbut it had separated from good aspects and was applying to evil ones.\nHis ruling planet applied to an evil aspect of Uranus, indicating\ngreat worries following the starting of this journey. Said that he had\nplanned his marriage for an unfortunate day and that it was better that\nit did not take place at that time. Assured Robert that there was no\ndoubt about the realizations of his hopes in the future, but that the\ndelay was inevitable. He told him that the clairvoyant who promised\nthat he would find Marie in a few days, was only encouraging his hopes,\nand that science, which could be depended upon, did not confirm these\nhopes, or at least the immediate realization of them. There was a\npossibility of his finding Marie in a foreign state or country or that\nsome news would come to him of her from a great distance. He asked\nRobert for Marie's date of birth. Robert told him that he knew she\nwas born on October 6th, but that he was not sure of the year, but he\nthought it was in 1908. The Professor told him that if this date was\ncorrect, it would confirm all that he had told him and indicated a long\ndelay before he would find her.\n\nRobert returned to his hotel more hopeful and with the firm decision to\nface the future and carry out his plans, living faithful to Marie. On\nhis arrival at the hotel, he received a telegram from Mr. Kennelworth,\nreading:\n\n LEAVING ON THE SUNSHINE SPECIAL TONIGHT ARRIVE ST. LOUIS SATURDAY\n MORNING BE READY TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY WITH ME FOR NEW YORK.\n\nRobert was more cheerful after reading this message because since\nMarie's disappearance he had not met a man or woman he had ever known\nbefore. Mr. Kennelworth was a dear friend of his and it would be very\ncomforting to meet him and talk over his troubles. He was also anxious\nto meet his old pal, Walter Kennelworth, so he decided to get ready to\ngo on to New York. The big reception for Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh\nwas planned and would take place in New York on Monday, June 13th,\nand he wanted to be there, but every time he thought of anything that\nwould give him happiness or pleasure, he thought of Marie and knew that\nwithout her it would not mean as much to him. Still he hoped Marie\nmight appear or that some news of her might be received before he left.\nHe wanted to see Captain Lindbergh and his plane, \"The Spirit of St.\nLouis,\" for Robert was dreaming of the day when he would complete his\nown great plane according to Ezekiel's plan. Robert went to his room\nand spent the balance of the day reading the Bible and working out\nfuture cycles on wars. Figured that great opportunities would come for\nmaking money in the Stock and Commodity markets, and that he was going\nto make a great financial success and carry out his plans.\n\nOn June 11th, Mr. Kennelworth arrived, Robert met him at the Union\nStation in St. Louis. He had only about an hour to wait before the\ntrain departed for New York. No news had been received of Marie. Mr.\nKennelworth told Robert that her parents were still hopeful that she\nwas alive, but they were at a loss to understand why she had not\ncommunicated with anyone. He told Robert to keep up his courage for\nhe felt sure that all would end well. On the train to New York they\ntalked of Robert's plans. Mr. Kennelworth said he was anxious for him\nand Walter to be together again and believed it was for the best.\nRobert told him that he had been making money in wheat and cotton and\nthat Right Aeroplane was moving his way; that he was Short of Major\nMotors and expected to make a fortune selling it all the way down. Mr.\nKennelworth expressed his continued faith in Robert's ability and told\nhim that he was going to follow him on the market. While he admired\nhim for his great love for Marie and his faith in her, worry would not\nbring her back, he said, and he should get down to business, study the\nBible, work on his inventions and leave the matter of Marie's return\nto the Lord, trusting and believing in Him who knoweth and doeth all\nthings well. Told Robert that he was a \"doer\" and not a dreamer; that\nhe had demonstrated the greatest ability of any young man he had ever\nknown. That he had the pep and quoted an epigram, \"The pessimist says\nit can't be done, the optimist says, let George do it: meanwhile\nthe peptomist has done it.\" He said: \"Robert, you and Lindbergh are\npeptomists. You do it while the other fellow watches and waits, or says\nit can't be done.\" He quoted a poem from Tennyson:\n\n  I cannot hide that some have striven\n  Achieving calm, to whom was given\n  The joy that mixes man with heaven.\n  Who rowing hard against the stream,\n  Saw distant gates of Eden gleam\n  And did not dream it was a dream.\n\n\"I am sure you are to make your dreams come true. The Bible says: There\nis nothing better for a man than that he should make his soul enjoy\ngood in his labor. Work is the only thing to drown your sorrows. If\nyou go to work, complete your inventions and continue to study, the\ntroubles will disappear. Time will fly lightly by and before you know\nit, Marie will return to you.\" Then Robert repeated a few lines by Dora\nGreenwald:\n\n \"Joy is a working thing. It builds up while it enlarges the whole\n nature. It is the wine to strengthen the heart, to brace it to carry\n noble enterprise.\"\n\nMr. Kennelworth said, \"That is very fine, Robert, but you must work\nfor the joy that is yet to come and your great love for Marie will\nstrengthen your heart and brace you to attain all your aims. Love is\nthe great power behind the universe and it is the greatest of all\npowers. Emotions are the motive power behind every great achievement,\nand without emotion nothing will ever be accomplished. There are three\ngreat emotions--Love, Fear and Hate, which actuate every deed, good or\nbad, and without them, man would accomplish nothing. The great emotion\nwhich is going to help you accomplish all your plans and realize your\ngreatest hopes and ambitions, is Love. A man makes money and saves it\nbecause he fears the future. Great nations go to war and fight because\nthey are urged by the emotion of Hate. They are also fighting thru the\nemotion of fear, but if love was the emotion behind all, there would be\nno war, no sorrows--no troubles and no jealousies.\"\n\nRobert then showed a poem on \"Love\" which he had written to Marie and\none, \"The Garden of Love,\" which he had written at the time he and\nMarie had their first break in 1926. Mr. Kennelworth read these poems\nand was very much impressed with Robert's ability as a writer. He said,\n\"Robert, this proves to me that Love brings out the best in a man and\nthat when he finds a good woman his success is assured.\"\n\nRobert talked of how he had read the Bible where it said that there\neventually would be one God and one united people and that Love would\nrule the world. How, since a little boy, his Mother had talked against\nwar and prayed for the day when wars would cease and man would follow\nthe command given by Jesus Christ: \"Love thy neighbor as thyself.\" He\nhoped and felt sure that the day would come but that the Bible made it\nplain as he understood it, that there would yet be a great war fought\nin the air, when deadly chemicals would be used and the greater portion\nof the people on earth would be killed. Then would come peace, when God\nwould rule the world and Love would be the motive behind every act.\nThen nations would no longer become jealous of each other and go to\nwar. Robert said, \"I have made a great study of wars in the past and\nhow conditions changed; how at one time Spain was the mistress of the\nseas and later Rome was the controlling nation; then England ruled the\nwaves and London was the banking center of the world. Then came the\ngreat war in 1914 which changed everything. England lost control of the\nseas. She lost her power as the great banking nation of the world. The\ngold supply of the world flowed rapidly to the United States and in the\ndark days of 1917, when England and France, after being deserted by\nRussia, were fighting with their backs to the wall, the United States,\nthe land of love and liberty, came to the rescue, helped to defeat the\nGermans and saved England and France. At that time they were seemingly\nvery grateful, but after the war conditions changed. The United States\nwas no longer in debt to foreign countries but was now the banking\nnation of the world and the foreign countries owed large sums of money\nto the United States. This country has continued to prosper since the\nwar, the gold supply of the world now rests here. Our former friends\nhave become jealous of the prosperity we enjoy and the power that we\nnow hold in financial affairs which once belonged to England. Some of\nthe foreign countries do not want to pay their obligations and this\njealousy can lead to nothing else but war, as it always has in the\npast. I hope to be ready when that war comes with my great airplane,\nand other inventions to help defend my country and later promote a\nlasting peace based on love and goodwill. The United States began as a\nland of liberty and has always set an example for the balance of the\nworld and I hope to see the day when our country will take the lead\nin establishing universal peace and the brotherhood of man. Captain\nLindbergh's flight confirms my studies and forecasts of the future.\nAviation will be developed rapidly and nations will want to try these\nnew discoveries and inventions to conquer other nations, and war is\ninevitable. The Bible prophets foretold it, and my studies of the cycle\ntheory also indicate that we are in a period where cycles will repeat\nwhich have caused war in the past.\"\n\nOn the afternoon of June 12th, Mr. Kennelworth and Robert arrived in\nNew York City and were met at the train by Walter. Robert was very\nhappy to meet his dearest friend, and it was consoling to be with him.\nAfter their arrival, they went to the Hotel Vanderbilt. Mr. Kennelworth\nwent out to see a friend and left Robert and Walter to chat alone.\nRobert told Walter of the terrible sufferings he had gone thru since\nMarie's disappearance and of his great disappointment. He talked of the\nsuccess he had made in the market and of the future when he hoped to\ncomplete his great invention with the aid of Walter and his knowledge\nof chemicals and make discoveries which would end war for all times.\nBut immediately after talking of his future plans his mind would revert\nback to Marie and he would start talking about her and bemoaning the\nfact that without her he could not go on in the future. Walter told\nhim to forget about her--that time would bring changes and that he\nwould find another girl who would take the place of Marie. Robert was\nindignant and told Walter that time would never change him; that he\nwould remain faithful to Marie until death, no matter if he never heard\nof her again. Walter said that Marie was too young to know her own\nmind and was probably in love with someone else, or thought she was,\nwhich accounted for her sudden change and disappearance from the train.\nRobert then showed him the letter which he found in his pocket the\nmorning that Marie disappeared. Walter read it.\n\n  June 5th, 1927.\n  3 A.M.\n\n  Dearest Robert:\n\n According to your faith, be I unto you. Love will always have faith,\n understand and wait. Time proves all things. You will get everything\n you want; I will come to you when I mean the most and your need for\n love is the greatest.\n\n  Lovingly always,\n  Marie.\n\nWalter said: \"This is certainly a mysterious letter. I don't understand\nit and I don't suppose Marie did either. There is nothing in this\nletter to explain whether she was leaving you or not, or why or where\nshe was going or anything about it. Now, Robert, don't you understand\nreal love could never act like that or write like that? There is some\nsecret behind all this and my opinion is that there is another man\nin the case.\" But Robert refused to listen to any such reasoning.\nHis faith in Marie was unshaken. His love for her was great enough\nto understand, to have patience and wait. Marie could or would do no\nwrong, and no amount of evidence would ever change him.\n\nMr. Kennelworth returned to the hotel and after dinner told Robert that\nhe wanted to have a confidential chat with his son, Walter. Robert\ndecided to go out for a walk and see the city. When they were alone,\nWalter told his father that he had had a long talk with Robert and that\nhis mind was on nothing but Marie. His father said: \"The only thing to\ndo is to help Robert get interested in his work so that he will forget\nabout Marie. That is the best thing for him at present. The great love\nthat he has for her will be the incentive to spur him on to success and\nhelp him realize his ambitions. Love is the greatest thing in the world\nand without it men would not get very far. It brings out the noble and\nbetter qualities in a man and should always be encouraged.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV\n\n\nOn the following day, Monday, June 13th, Mr. Kennelworth, Robert and\nWalter arose early to be ready for Colonel Lindbergh's triumphant\nmarch up Broadway. Robert was very enthusiastic about it and talked\nabout what a great achievement it was and what it meant to the world,\nespecially to the United States. Walter told him that they must get\nbusy and start to lay out the plans to build Robert's great airplane.\nWhen they started out on the street, Robert began to talk of Marie\nand said that he hoped that he would find her that day. Thru all the\nsurging crowds, he stared in the face of every woman, hoping that\nMarie, if she was alive, might have decided to come to New York for the\nLindbergh reception. It was a great day for Colonel Lindbergh, and a\ngreat day for Robert, because it encouraged his hope for the day, and\nbelieved it would come to pass when airplanes would conquer the world\nand bring universal peace. He felt that a state of perfection could\nnever be reached until the brotherhood of man, founded on love, was\nestablished.\n\nWalter told his father and Robert about a great play that he had been\nto see: \"One for All.\" He was anxious for them to see it and had\nsecured tickets for that night. Robert was immediately interested. He\nwas attracted to Molly and saw in her great sacrifice for Eric an\nexample of Marie. As the play neared the end, and Molly was in great\nsorrow, and her secret sacrifice had become known to Eric, Robert could\nrestrain his emotions no longer. He turned to Mr. Kennelworth and said,\n\"I wonder if he'll be man enough to forgive her and appreciate her,\nas the greatest woman in the world for him. Will his mind be broad\nenough to realize that she made the supreme sacrifice because of her\nunselfish love. Now that he has succeeded and has the world at his feet\nwill he turn from her and condemn her as the world usually does?\" Mr.\nKennelworth said: \"You can see that Eric is now weighing the matter in\nhis mind and is hesitating. We can only wait and see.\" Robert said,\n\"If Eric loves Molly as I love Marie he will now love her more after\nthis.\" Robert watched Eric with every muscle in his body tense, as\nEric read the receipt written by Chattox and also he watched Molly and\nher expression as she leaned over the staircase and read the receipt\nover Eric's shoulder. He saw Eric slowly fold the receipt around the\nlittle booties for the baby and place them in his pocket and walk\nslowly away. Robert was wondering what Eric was thinking of and what\nhis decision would be. Then came the final climax--Eric, after knowing\nall, took Molly in his arms and gave her the kiss which Robert knew\nmeant forgiveness and understanding. He then realized that love, just\nas Molly said in the beginning, was the greatest thing in the world,\nand meant more than all the money in the world. Robert jumped to his\nfeet and shouted, \"Hurrah for Eric,\" and said, \"that's the kind of\nlove I have for Marie and no matter what may have happened or what she\nshould do in the future, my love is the kind which will understand,\nforgive and forget.\" He told them how he was impressed with the story\nin the Bible where the woman was brought before Jesus accused and how\nthe Jesus said, \"Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone,\"\nand when they had all disappeared he said: \"Woman, doth no man accuse\nthee,\" and she answered, \"No, Lord.\" Jesus said, \"Neither do I. Go\nyour way and sin no more.\" Robert said when the world once realized\nthe great power of Love, that jealousy, enmity, all accusations and\nthe desire for personal gain, would pass away. That when Love alone\ndominated the hearts of men and women, wars would be no more, and\nthat men would see no evil in their fellow-men as Eric saw no evil in\nMolly's sacrifice but knew and understood that great love for him was\nthe motive that prompted her actions. Robert quoted Daniel 2:22:\n\n \"He revealeth the deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the\n darkness and the light dwelleth within him. A kingdom which shall\n never be destroyed, consume all other kingdoms and stand forever.\"\n\nHe said that when the day came when men were ruled by the law of love\nand understood each other, a kingdom would be established that would\nnever be destroyed, and that it would consume all other kingdoms.\nRobert believed that the United States, the land of liberty, was\ncreated never to be destroyed, and that it would eventually consume\nall other nations and rule by the law of love and justice, that it was\nGod's will that it become the most prosperous country and the banking\nnation of the world. Believed that the nation referred to in Psalms\n147:20 was the United States:\n\n \"He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they\n have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.\"\n\nWalter was not so enthusiastic and sure about the power of Love as\nRobert. You can never tell what a woman will do, he said and referred\nto Proverbs 30:18 and 19:\n\n \"There be three things which are too wonderful for me. Yea, four which\n I know not,--the way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon\n a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of a sea, and the way of a man\n with a maid.\"\n\nWalter said, \"The last one is too much for me and I would not attempt\nto discern the way of a maid without a man. They go where you know not\nand return when you least expect it. Some wise woman once said, 'When\nyou know one man, you know all.' A wiser man said, 'You never know a\nwoman, for all women are different.'\"\n\nRobert said, \"It is interesting to go back over history and read the\nopinions of the smartest men in regard to woman. Confucius said,\n'Woman is a masterpiece.' Michelet said, 'Woman is a miracle of divine\ncontradictions.' Lamartine said, 'There is a woman at the beginning\nof all great things.' I am wholly in accord with him. Go back to the\nbottom of every great achievement and back of it you will find the\ninfluence of a good woman. It may be a mother, sister or sweetheart,\nbut the love of a woman is always the motive behind the great\nachievements of men. Someone once said: 'Not for herself was woman\nfirst created, nor yet to be man's idol, but his mate.' Pythagoras\nsaid: 'There are in woman's eyes two sorts of tears, the one of grief;\nthe other of deceit.' I think that is because there are two kinds of\nmen, one who appreciates love and honor and gives sympathy; the other\nkind who is selfish, expects something for nothing and must meet with\ndeceit. I am a great believer in sowing and reaping. We get out of life\njust what we put into it. If we give love and faithfulness, the same\nreturns to us. Maeterlinck was right when he said: 'A man's sweetheart\nis just as pure as his thoughts of her are pure.' I remember reading a\npoem,\n\n  \"What thou lovest, Man,\n  Become thou must,\n  God, if thou lovest God,\n  Dust if thou lovest dust.\n\nNapoleon said, 'All the women in the world would not make me lose an\nhour,' but history shows that Napoleon did lose sleep over his love\nfor Josephine. He wrote to her--'I am sick of men because they keep\nme away from my love.' Shakespeare expressed it better than all the\nrest when he said 'Kindness in woman, not their beauteous looks, shall\nwin my love.' A real womanly woman whose heart is filled with love,\ncannot be other than kind because Kindness is a child of Love. Women\nmay be mysterious and we may fail to understand them. That is one of\nthe reasons why we love them all the more. Fontenelle said, 'There are\nthree things I have always loved and never understood--paintings, music\nand women.' He might have added that the greatest of the three was,\nwoman.\"\n\nThen Walter quoted from Southey, \"'There are three things a wise man\nwill not trust, the wind, the sunshine of an April day and a woman's\nplighted faith.'\" Robert replied--\"Nevertheless nearly every wise\nman has loved and trusted some good woman and most of them have not\nregretted it. Walter, you have never really been in love and you\ndon't know what love is. If you did, you would have faith and trust,\nregardless of all conditions.\" \"I guess the subject of love and women\nis too deep for me,\" said Walter, \"and the sooner you get down to\nbusiness and your studies and get love off your mind, the greater\nsuccess you are going to make.\" Robert answered, \"Without love this\nworld would never have existed. It was God's love for the world that\nsaved it. My love for Marie will make me whatever I am to be in the\nfuture. Without that love I know I would be a miserable failure. The\ntime will come when you will go to sleep at night with your last\nthoughts of beautiful rosy lips, of eyes that shine like Golconda's\npurest gems, of a voice that is sweeter than a nightingale, of\nluxurious hair and of a form that to you is more beautiful than Venus,\nand when you awake in the morning your first thoughts will be of her.\nYou will see her in the beautiful flowers, her face will be reflected\nfrom the ripple of the pure waters; everything you think about she will\nappear in connection with. Your slumbers will be disturbed. When you\nget a fever like this, you will then know and understand the power of\nlove. Then nothing else will matter, only one thing will count in your\nlife--the woman you love. A great love like this must come to every\nman. In the Springtime of life it may be, or in those sunny solaces of\nthe afternoon when the waning day brings sadness and man looks back\nand longs for the time when he might have loved, when he was younger\nand lived longer. Love is the elixir of life. It is a greater cure than\nany medicine. It has built up kingdoms and destroyed nations. You have\nambitions now and a desire for gold, but after all, Walter, what can it\nbuy? All the gold in the world cannot buy the tender touch of a little\nchild's fingers or the lovelight in angel eyes like Marie's. It gives\nsatisfaction that nothing else can.\"\n\nWalter said, \"Robert, you always drift back to Marie and her eyes.\nThose beautiful black eyes that you talk about may be wonderful, but\nyou remember the old saying, 'Can you be true to eyes of black or\nbrown, when blue has smiled on you?' You will find that a change will\ncome sooner or later if Marie doesn't show up and you will be the\nbetter for it.\"\n\nBut Robert was sure that no eyes could ever take the place of Marie's\nand Robert handed Walter the following poem to read:\n\n\nHEAL THYSELF\n\n  If any brown-eyed girl has changed her mind\n  And left you sinking in the consomm\u00e9,\n  Calmly smile and let her go, you'll forget about your woe--\n  (There's a lot of consolation to be found in eyes of gray.)\n\n  If any brown-eyed girl has left your heart\n  In forty-seven pieces at your feet,\n  Then the proper thing to do is to gaze in eyes of blue--\n  (And perhaps you'll find the same are twice as sweet.)\n\n  If any brown-eyed girl has given you\n  Your \"exit cue,\" the \"go-by\" and \"the air,\"\n  And your heart in glad amaze'll heed the lure of eyes of hazel--\n  You can sing that song of Tanguay's, \"I Don't Care.\"\n\n  If any brown-eyed girl has--well, she did;\n  Above, you'll find some good philosophy;\n  It may do for you, I guess, but I really must confess\n  It has never been a bit of use to me!\n\n  Ben Warren.\n\n\"The last verse expresses my sentiments to a T; no other eyes will ever\nhave any attraction for me except Marie's.\"\n\nA few days after New York's reception to Colonel Lindbergh, Robert\ndecided to get down to business. He visited his brokers in Wall Street,\ntalked over the market situation and found that they did not agree\nwith his ideas and views. Decided to open an office at 69 Wall Street,\nand Walter was to work with him when he had time from his studies.\nThey consulted about a stenographer or office assistant. Walter had\nmet Miss Edna Quinton, a very talented girl, whom he thought was the\nmost competent he had ever known, so Robert gave her a position in his\noffice.\n\nWalter was anxious to keep Robert cheerful so went sight-seeing often\nand to see all the latest plays. Robert was very much interested in the\nplay, \"The Student Prince.\" Was impressed when the old servant told\nthe young King the old saying, \"A promise keep, right well you sleep;\na promise break, all night you wake.\" Robert knew that this was what\ncaused the King to return to his former sweetheart, but when he gave\nher up and married the Princess, he was disgusted and disappointed.\nTold Walter that he would never break his promise for anyone; and knew\nthat if he did, he would never be able to sleep soundly again.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI\n\nRobert Gordon's Great Campaign in Cotto\n\n\nAfter Robert had sold out his October cotton at 17.30 and his December\ncotton at 17.50 on June 10th, he decided to watch the market very\nclosely for a few days because he thought it would go lower. His\nforecast indicated last buying level around June 25th. He figured that\nafter this time the market would go higher until September 5th to 6th,\nwhen he figured it would be final high.\n\nOn June 25th October cotton declined to 16.80 and he bought 500 October\nat 16.83 and 500 December at 17.15. He figured that it would run up for\nabout thirty days so on July 25th he sold 500 October cotton at 19c and\nsold 500 December at 19.20 and went short of 500 December at 19.20. The\ndecline followed as he expected. On July 30th he sold 500 more December\ncotton at 18.60 and on August 6th he bought 1000 December at 17.40 to\ncover his short contracts. He figured that the Government report on\nAugust 8th would be very bullish and that cotton would go up very fast\nand continue until around September 5th to 6th, or until the Government\nreport in September. On August 6th he bought 1000 December at 17.35.\nOn August 8th he bought 500 December at 17.30. The Government was very\nbullish as he expected and cotton advanced 200 points on August 8th.\nOn August 9th he sold out his 1500 December at 20.30 and sold 1000\nDecember short at 20.30. A big decline followed and on August 13th he\nbought 1000 December cotton at 19.10 and also bought 1000 December at\n19.10 for long account. He started in to pyramid on the way up. On\nAugust 19th he bought 500 more December at 20.10; on August 22nd he\nbought 500 December at 21.10; on August 27th he bought 500 December at\n22.30 and on August 29th bought 300 December at 23.30. On September\n8th the Government report was very bullish as he had forecast and the\nmarket went up. This was the time when he expected the market to make\nfinal top for a big decline. On September 8th he sold 2800 bales of\nDecember at 24.40 and on the same day sold 2000 bales of December at\n24.50 for short account. On September 9th he sold 500 more December\nat 23.30; on September 11th sold 300 December at 22.30. On September\n13th he bought 2800 December at 21.60 to cover his short contract. On\nSeptember 14th he sold 1000 December at 22.60. On September 17th sold\n500 December at 21.60 and on September 21st sold 300 December at 20.60.\nSeptember 23rd he figured that the market was bottom for a rally and\nbought 1800 December at 20.60, and on the same day bought 1000 December\nat 20.60 for long account. On September 28th he sold 1000 December\nat 22c and also went short 1000 December at 22.10. On September 29th\nhe bought 1000 December at 21.30 and on September 29th bought 1000\nDecember at 21.30 for long account. On October 3rd he sold 1000\nDecember at 21.50 and also went short of 1000 December at 21.50. On\nOctober 6th he bought 1000 December at 20.75 and went long, because he\nfigured the market would be higher for the Government report on October\n8th.\n\n\nRobert Gordon's Great Campaign in Major Motors\n\nOn Sunday, June 19, 1927, Robert Gordon spent the day studying his\ncharts and working out his cycles for stocks, cotton and grain. He was\nshort of Major Motors and was watching it very closely. On this day he\nmade a new and great discovery of a time factor from which he figured\nthat Major Motors would decline until about June 30th and then start\nan advance which would last until about September 16th, 1927, when\nthe Company would be 19 years old and at that time the stock would\nreach final high and would then go down to February to April, 1929.\nHe figured that the stock should advance to around 270 by September\n16th and made up his mind to watch it closely and cover his shorts if\nit went down around June 30th, and then start buying the stock. On\nJune 30th it declined and he bought in his short contracts and bought\nfor long account 500 shares of Major Motors at 192-1/2. He decided to\npyramid it all the way up. On July 15th he bought 500 shares at 204; on\nJuly 21st he bought 300 at 214 and on July 26th bought 300 more at 224.\nOn August 5th the stock advanced to 230 and he raised his stop on 1600\nshares to 225. On August 8th his stock was sold out at 225. He still\nbelieved that the stock would go up to around 270 by September 16th\nbut he expected a reaction of about 12 to 15 points so he decided to\nwait for a few days and watch his charts to see how the stock acted.\nOn August 12th Major Motors declined to 218, being down a little over\n12 points as he figured, and he bought 1000 shares at 218. He placed\na stop at 212, a point which he figured it would not decline to. The\nadvance started, and on August 20th he bought 300 shares at 228; on\nAugust 24th bought 300 shares more at 238 and on August 26th bought 300\nshares more at 248. When he started pyramiding, his plan was to buy or\nsell the largest amount first and then gradually decrease buying and\nselling smaller amounts on the way up or down, and always using a stop\nloss order. On September 7th the stock advanced to 253 and he raised\nhis stop on his entire amount to 243. This stop was never reached but\non September 14th a rapid advance was on and he bought 300 shares more\nat 258, giving him a line of 2200 shares of stock. He figured that\nit should advance on September 16th to around 270. When the market\nadvanced to 272 at this time he sold out his 2200 shares at 272.\n\nHe cleaned up a profit on this deal of over $80,000.00, and as he\nfigured that the stock would make final top around this time he\ndecided to put out a line of short stock and pyramid all the way down,\nremaining short for the long pull. On September 17th he sold 500 shares\nof the new Major Motors stock at 138 and 500 shares at 137 and placed a\nstop on it at 147.\n\nHe had made it a rule that after he had made a large amount of profits\nthat he would never risk more than 10 per cent of his profits on the\nfirst new deal, and that if that deal went wrong and he lost 10 per\ncent of the capital, he would decrease his trading so that the next\nloss would only be 10 per cent of his remaining profits. In this way\nhe figured that the market would have to beat him ten consecutive\ntimes for him to lose all the profits he had made, and his studies of\npast records showed that this could never happen. He placed orders to\nsell more Major Motors at 128, 118, 108 and 98 because he expected the\nfirst decline to run until the latter part of December, 1927, and after\nthat time he would put out shorts again on a rally to hold and pyramid\non the way down into the Spring of 1929. His great discovery of what\nstocks would do at a certain age enabled him to make enormous profits\nwhen stocks reached the age where they would have fast moves up or down\nin a very short time.\n\nOctober, 1927, was a beautiful month in New York. The weather was warm\nand the sun shone brightly every day. It reminded Robert of the Fall of\n1926 when he had gone to Sherman, Texas, to visit Marie. He thought of\nwhat a great change had taken place in one year, of the fortune that he\nhad made in the market, but money would not buy relief for his aching\nheart.\n\nDays, weeks and months had drifted slowly by, but no word from Marie\nStanton. She seemed to be lost as though the earth had swallowed her up.\n\nThe great decline in stocks which he forecast for the Fall and Winter\nof 1927 took place and he made money rapidly on the short side of\nstocks. He was selling short Central Steel and Major Motors and other\nstocks. He had bought Corn and Wheat in October and made big profits\nlater in the year. Money was piling up fast and in the latter part of\nOctober, 1927, he had made over $300,000. He had kept Marie's money in\na separate account from his own and her original $400.00 was now over\n$20,000. Robert continued to keep her account separate; he wanted to\nmake all the _money_ he could and have it as a surprise for Marie, to\nprove to her his faithfulness and thoughtfulness when she was away, and\nalso to prove his confidence in her return.\n\nRobert became known as \"The Boy Wizard of Wall Street.\" His fame\nbecame known and old men of Wall Street talked about his marvelous\nsuccess. Robert refused to be interviewed by the newspapers or tell\nanything about his method of working in the market. Seldom ever\nvisited a broker's office and made very few friends. He worked upon\nhis invention, and Walter was his sole companion. Walter had met an\nold man by the name of Henry Watson who was a veteran of Wall Street,\nnow over 70 years of age, had made and lost many fortunes and had seen\nthe biggest and best plungers go on the rocks in Wall Street. Walter\nintroduced Mr. Watson to Robert and he became very much interested\nin the old man's reminiscences. He told Robert the history of Daniel\nDrew and got him to read the book of Drew's life, which showed how\nDrew, after making $13,000,000 lost it all and died practically a\npauper. Also told the history of Daniel Sully; how he made $10,000,000\nto $15,000,000 in the Cotton market, but by violating natural laws\nlost it all in a few days in the crash of Cotton in March, 1904, and\nthen disappeared from the financial horizon. How Livermore, the boy\nwonder of 1907 and 1908, had accumulated millions, owned fine yachts,\nlost everything, had gone thru bankruptcy, but had later recouped his\nfortunes. How Eugene Scales, another striking example, who at one time\nhad over ten millions dollars paper profit in the Cotton market, had\nlost all of it. How Allen A. Ryan, at the height of his fame, when he\ndefied the Gods of Chance and the unwritten law of Wall Street with the\nresult that his millions were all lost, had to go thru bankruptcy and\npaid only about twenty cents on each one hundred dollars.\n\nMr. Watson also told Robert how Durant had become the giant motor\nmagnate and formed the General Motors Corporation in 1908 and had\nmade a great success, accumulating millions before the war days and\nafterwards. He was in full control of General Motors and was reputed\nto be worth over a hundred million dollars when the stock was selling\nat $410.00 in the Spring of 1920. Durant was very bullish and talked\nof General Motors going very much higher. Deflation started in the\nSummer of 1920, and all stocks declined rapidly. He remained bullish,\ncontinuing to buy General Motors all the way down. The stock had been\nsplit up on a ten for one basis and the new stock which sold at $42.00\nin March, 1920, an equivalent of $420.00 per share, declined to $14.00\nper share in December, 1920, and finally in the Spring of 1922 sold\nat $8.25. He had refused to sell; in fact had bought all his brokers\nwould let him have all the way down. When the stock declined to $15.00\nper share, Durant was ruined. His fortune of over one hundred millions\ndollars was wiped out. The Morgans and Duponts took over his holdings\nat a figure reported to be around $5.00 per share, and he lost control\nof the gigantic corporation which had made him famous. Later Durant\norganized a new company and came back fast. He went back into the stock\nmarket and in the great Coolidge Bull campaign from 1924 to 1927 was\nagain a dominant factor in General Motors and other stocks and was\nreputed to have made fifty millions, or more.\n\nThe old man said that Durant was one of the very rare exceptions of men\nwho had gone broke in Wall Street and had been able to come back after\nthey were 60 years of age. Told Robert that Wall Street was a place of\nups and downs--mostly downs, and that the time to quit was when you\nwere young and had made your money.\n\nRobert explained to Mr. Watson that he was not guessing and gambling\non hope but was following science and not trading on human judgment\nas he followed the law of cycles as laid down in the Holy Bible. Mr.\nWatson said, \"I wish you success, and for your benefit I will give you\nmy opinion as to the cause of most of the failures in Wall Street, for\nI know the history of the men who have made the greatest amounts of\nmoney, and know most of them personally. Selfishness and greed were the\ncause of the fall of Daniel Drew. He was not loyal to his associates.\nHis idea was to get the money and look out for himself regardless of\nwhom he hurt. Conditions changed and Drew failed to change with them.\nThe result was that he died a pauper. Thomas W. Lawson, the man who\nwrote, 'Friday the 13th,' was one of the most daring traders that\nWall Street has ever known, worth at one time probably forty to fifty\nmillion dollars. He, too, died practically penniless. At one time\nLawson had the backing of the Standard Oil crowd and turned against\nthem after they had helped him to make millions. In my opinion, he\ncut off the hand that fed him and his ruthless attack on men who had\nbeen his friends, was the cause of his downfall. Men must be loyal to\npositions of trust and not reveal secrets of great financial deals by\nwhich they profited.\" Robert said that was his idea. As long as a man\nremained loyal to his mother, his country, his associates; above all\nhis wife or sweetheart, success was bound to crown his efforts. He\nbelieved in the law of compensation; that when a man broke faith with\nothers, he had broken faith with himself, and that failure would follow.\n\nMr. Watson told Robert that Sully made his money in cotton, and\nafter accumulating millions, quit specializing in cotton and began\nto trade in stocks and various other commodities, which divided his\nattention and he was unable to concentrate on cotton alone, the thing\nthat brought him the great success. \"I could go over the history of\nScales, Livermore, Durant, Ryan and the balance of the great men of\nWall Street, and in analyzing their trading, the one weak point would\nbe found in all of them. They diversified too much. Did not specialize\nin one commodity or a few special stocks, but spread all over the\nboard. The result was they had too many irons in the fire and when\none thing started to go wrong and they began to lose money, they\nwould invariably get out of stocks and commodities on which they were\nmaking money and keep those that were going against them. Another\nweak point was that when luck turned against a man in Wall Street, he\nkept on trying to recoup his losses instead of stopping just as soon\nas there was an indication that the tide had turned against him. Most\nmen at the heights of prosperity lose their sense of good judgment,\nbecome inflated with their success, think they are infallible, refuse\nto follow science or the advice of anyone, with the result that they\ncontinue to buck the tide till all their money is gone.\"\n\n\"Mr. Watson,\" said Robert, \"I believe that if a man starts out to\nmake money for unselfish purposes, he will succeed. That is what I am\ngoing to do. Your experience is very valuable to me. Your intimate\nknowledge of the cause of the failures of other men is a good lesson.\nI have studied the Bible very carefully because I believe it is the\ngreatest scientific book ever written. The laws are plainly laid down\nhow to make a success. There is a time and a season for everything,\nand if a man does things according to the time, he will succeed. The\nBible makes it plain that not all are born to be prophets, nor to be\nfarmers, doctors or lawyers, but that each can succeed in his own\nspecial line, according to time and place. If men would only follow\nthe Bible and know that there is a time to stop trying to make money\nand to keep what you have, then wait for another season when the time\nis ripe, they could continue to succeed indefinitely. Has any man ever\nmade a large fortune out of Wall Street and kept it, Mr. Watson?\" \"Oh,\nyes,\" he replied, \"if there were not exceptions to the rule, business\nwould not continue to run. I could tell you of dozens of them, but one\nstriking example is that of the late E.H. Harriman who died worth\nabout three hundred million dollars. He had probably made out of the\nmarket a hundred million dollars in the last three or four years of\nhis life.\" Robert asked, \"How did he do it?\" Mr. Watson answered,\n\"He stuck to one class of stocks--railroads. He studied them day and\nnight, never diverted his attention to other lines. I believe that he\npossessed some mathematical method which enabled him to forecast stocks\nmany months and years in advance. I have gone over his manipulations\nand the stocks he traded in, and found that they conform closely to\nthe law of harmonic analysis. He certainly knew something about time\nand season because he bought at the right time and sold at the right\ntime. He paid a great price for his success, because he neglected his\nhealth, sacrificed everything to make his railroads a success and died\ntoo young. Such men are the backbone of our country's prosperity.\nConstructive geniuses of this kind are few and far between and we need\nmore of them. Man's greatest enemy in speculation is 'hope.' He refuses\nto face facts, and facts are stubborn things. Hope spurs us on. It may\nbe an anchor to the soul, but a very slim anchor in speculation, when\nfacts are against us.\"\n\nMr. Watson told Robert that his friend Walter had related to him all\nabout his love affair and the disappearance of Marie. He said, \"My boy,\nthe great love you have for her is now furnishing the hope which will\ncarry you to success. When that hope is gone, you will have to find a\nnew one or you cannot go on.\" Robert told him that Marie had said that\nanticipation was greater than realization. \"Robert,\" he said, \"I want\nto tell you the story of my love affair. I have made and lost many\nfortunes in Wall Street, and when things have gone wrong and I have\nreached the depths of despondency, have seen my last dollar fade away,\nbeen deserted by friends of my prosperous days, then when there seemed\nnothing else to live for, nothing to make me fight on, there would come\na hope, the angel of memory would steal over me and I would again hope\nthat some day, somewhere, I would find my Katie.\" Here the old man's\neyes grew dim with tears. He drew an old wallet from his pocket, took\nout a package, slowly unwrapped it. In there was a picture in a little\ngold frame. The aged hands trembled, his voice grew weak as he handed\nthe picture to Robert with some faded flowers which he had pressed out\nand kept and said: \"These flowers were picked by her own little hands\nover forty years ago.\" He then broke down and wept bitterly. Robert\nwas deeply moved by the old man's great devotion to his long-lost\nsweetheart and begged him to tell more of the story.\n\nThe old man dried his eyes and went on--\"Over 50 years ago when I was\na young man, I lived near St. Joseph, Missouri. I went to school at\na country schoolhouse. Katie Larson was a beautiful young girl. We\ngrew up together. I don't really know when I fell in love with her,\nbut I know that in my school days I loved her and always intended to\nmarry her. The years went by. I had never told Katie of my love. She\nhad grown to be a woman and I kind of took it for granted that she\nknew and understood that I loved her and intended to marry her. Time\nwent by and we were often together. There was never any trouble or\ndisagreements. I was anxious to succeed and decided that I should\nmake some money before I proposed to Katie. Time drifted swiftly by, I\nwas not as successful as I hoped to be, and finally one day I received\nthe saddest news of my life--Katie had married. I realized that she\nhad probably waited and hoped for me to make known my intentions but\nmy financial affairs had held me back. I knew it was all my fault. I\nshould have confided my plans to her and asked her to have patience\nand wait. From that day I was a changed man. My heart was broken and\nif no hope had been left for me, I would never have gone on, but from\nthat day on, hoped and prayed that I might one day have her, even if\nfor only a few years or weeks, in my declining years. Katie moved away\nafter marrying and probably it was the hope for her love some day that\nspurred me to action. I worked harder than ever. Success crowned my\nefforts. I studied medicine, moved to Dallas, Texas, became a very\nsuccessful doctor. There I met a woman whom I thought I loved. We were\nmarried and lived seemingly happy for a few years, but the spark of\nlove for Katie in my heart never died. We had a little girl born and I\nnamed her Katie, which proved later a very foolish thing to do. She was\nthe pride of my life, my hope was centered on her. Finally I made the\nmistake that many men make. I told my wife of my great love for Katie.\nAfter that time, she lost faith in me and we slowly drifted apart. Then\ncame separation and divorce. I had accumulated considerable money and\nnow being very unhappy, I decided to leave Dallas and go to New York\nand try the speculative markets. Success and failure have followed\nalternately, like the rising and falling of the tides. There has never\nbeen a day when I have come to Wall Street that I have not hoped to one\nday meet Katie again. That hope has kept me alive. I have often tried\nto find her, but the years have brought changes. She moved away to\nCalifornia and I have never been able to find out whether she is living\nor dead. I hope that you will never have to go thru the years that I\nhave gone thru without the love and comfort that the woman you love\ncan give. Your faith is supreme and that will carry you safely thru,\nand even if you never find Marie, it is better to live for that ideal\nbecause it will make you a better man, as love always brings out the\nbest.\"\n\nRobert was very much interested in the old man's story, but very sorry\nthat it had never ended as he had hoped it would with him and Marie.\nMr. Watson told Robert that he thought he had wonderful ideas about\nspeculation, and that if he would only stick to them and not be swept\noff his feet by success, that he would eventually reach the greatest\nheight. He quoted Kipling's \"If.\"\n\n  If you can keep your head when all about you\n    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;\n  If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,\n    But make allowance for their doubting too:\n  If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,\n    Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,\n  Or being hated don't give way to hating,\n    And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;\n\n  If you can dream--and not make dreams your master;\n    If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim,\n  If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster\n    And treat those two impostors just the same:\n  If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken\n    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,\n  Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,\n    And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;\n\n  If you can make one heap of all your winnings\n    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,\n  And lose, and start again at your beginnings\n    And never breathe a word about your loss:\n  If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew\n    To serve your turn long after they are gone,\n  And so hold on when there is nothing in you\n    Except the Will which says to them: \"Hold on!\"\n\n  If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,\n    Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch,\n  If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,\n    If all men count with you, but none too much:\n  If you can fill the unforgiving minute\n    With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,\n  Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,\n    And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!\n\nHe told Robert the greatest test of a man would come when he reached\nthe stage of great prosperity. That almost any man could stand reverses\nbut very few could stand prosperity. Money could buy so many things\nwhich were not necessary to a man's happiness and attracted so many\npeople who would do him harm rather than benefit him that most men\nstarted on the down grade as a result of too much money and too great\nprosperity. Robert agreed that this was right. Said that with him money\nwas only a means to an end and said that he wanted it so he could help\nothers and benefit his country. Mr. Watson told him that as soon as his\nsuccess was generally known and he was well established in New York\nmany selfish women would be attracted to him and that if he possessed\nthe weak point which had been the undoing of many men, he would be\nlost. That was being influenced by flattery from beautiful women. He\nsaid, \"Remember, my boy, they are attracted to the money and not to\nthe man, but few men can keep their heads at a time when women and men\ncrowd around to praise their success. I remember a poem that I used to\nread when I was a boy, part of which runs something like this:\n\n  'They crowd around me, those stately dames and belles,\n    And pay to me the royal homage that all great success compels;\n  But where is she, that sweetheart of my former years,\n    Who stood by me, when others could see nothing in me.'\n\nYou will find it so, Robert. Men desert you when money is gone, like\npirates fleeing from a sinking ship. I admonish you not to put your\ntrust in money or men. Continue as you have, trust God, have faith in\nhim, stick to your first love, and happiness and success will be your\nreward.\"\n\nWhen the old man had finished talking, Robert noticed that the eyes had\nbecome still, his cheeks were pale, his hand dropped limp at his side.\nRobert rushed to him and soon realized that the old man was very ill.\nHe hurriedly summoned a doctor. Soon after laying the old gentleman on\nthe couch and making him comfortable, the doctor arrived. After hasty\nexamination, he told Robert that the end was near. They decided to\nsend for a minister and when he arrived, the old man was clutching the\npicture in his hand. The minister bent over him and asked him if he\nrealized that the end was near and if he had made his peace with God,\nadding, \"Will you die in the faith of a Christian?\" The old man sprang\nup from the couch suddenly, as tho new strength had been instilled\nin his frail old body. He raised his hand and showed the doctor the\npicture and said, \"Will that faith bring me back Katie, the only woman\nI have ever really loved?\" The doctor knew that his strength was\nfast waning and got him to lie down on the couch again. The minister\nwhispered consoling words to him, told him that \"God so loved the world\nthat he gave his only begotten son that whomsoever believeth on him\nshould not perish, but have everlasting life.\" Again he asked, \"Do you\nbelieve in Jesus Christ? Will you accept the faith?\" Again the old\nman replied, \"Will that faith bring back to me my Katie?\" His voice\nwas growing weaker, the doctor knew that it was a matter of but a few\nmoments. The minister again bent over him and whispered slowly, \"Will\nyou accept Jesus Christ as your saviour and die in the faith of a\nChristian?\" With a faltering weak voice he answered, \"Will that faith\ngive me back Katie, the greatest love of my life?\" The doctor turned\nto the minister and said, \"He has gone to his reward.\" \"With a love\nlike that, such loyalty and faith to a long-lost love must receive its\nreward in heaven and a just God will extend mercy to a soul like that,\"\nsaid the minister. Robert was in tears. He felt that he had not only\nlost a friend, but a very dear friend, and that while the old man's\ngoing had taken something from his life, yet the example was one that\nwould be of great comfort and benefit to him. He knew that he would\nlive faithful to Marie, and that he would die, as the old man died,\nlonging for Marie, no matter what happened.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII\n\n\nRobert turned to the Bible for consolation. Read every chapter of the\nSong of Solomon. Was very much impressed with Chapter 2:14:\n\n O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places\n of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for\n sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.\n\nRobert longed to hear Marie's voice and prayed that she might come\nforth from her secret hiding place. He read Chapter 8:6th and 7th\nverses:\n\n Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love\n is strong as death; jealousy as cruel as the grave; the coals thereof\n are coals of fire which have a most vehement flame.\n\n Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; if\n a man would give all the substance of his house for love, he would\n utterly be condemned.\n\nRobert realized that nothing could quench his love and that Marie was\nthe only remedy for his aching heart.\n\nTurning to Daniel 9:21, he read:\n\n Yea while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel whom I had\n seen in the vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly,\n touched me about the time of the evening oblation.\n\nRobert knew that this indicated that people did fly in the older days,\nand that we were now only repeating past cycles. He read Chapter 12:4th\nverse:\n\n Let thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book even to the\n time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be\n increased.\n\nRobert thought that we were now nearing the time of the end because man\nwas running to and fro in fast automobiles and traveling swiftly thru\nthe air in airplanes; that new discoveries were being made and that\nknowledge was increasing. He must hasten his new invention. He read the\n12th verse:\n\n Blesseth is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred\n and five and thirty days.\n\nRobert believed that he understood the cycle and knew the number\nof years, months and days referred to in Daniel's prophecies.\nCalculated that from March, 1931, until the end of June, 1932, would\nbe troublesome times for the United States. Depression, war and panic\nwould hang over the destinies of his country. Robert had gone deeply\ninto the Bible study in order to learn more about the great science of\nAstrology. From the Bible he interpreted that he belonged to the tribe\nof Issachar, the fifth son of Jacob and that this name indicated price,\nreward, recompense. He understood from this that he would have to pay\nthe price, but he would receive the reward for his faithfulness and\ndevotion to Marie.\n\nRobert turned to Genesis, Chapter 30, 17th and 18th verses:\n\n And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob, the\n fifth son, and Leah said God hath given me my hire, because I have\n given my maiden to my husband; and she called his name Issachar.\n\nHe read Genesis 49:14 and 15, where Jacob blessed his 12 sons:\n\n Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens and he saw\n that the rest was good and the land, that it was pleasant; and bowed\n his shoulders to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.\n\nRobert knew that this was the description of a man born in June under\nthe sign Gemini and that he was born to bear a burden, that he must\nserve his people and be a comfort and help to carry their burdens. That\nthe sign under which he was born was a double-bodied sign, known as\nthe sign of the twins, that things would repeat in his life, that he\nwould have many ups and downs, but that he would reach his reward thru\nscience. He was anxious to learn of Marie's characteristics from the\nBible and thru Astrology and found that she was born under the sign\nLibra, the sign of the balance, ruled by the Goddess of Love, Venus,\nwhich endowed her with her great beauty. Reading Genesis 29:32, he\nfound that Marie belonged to the tribe of Reuben, \"And Leah conceived\nand bare a son and she called his name Reuben; for she said 'Surely the\nLord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love\nme.'\" The symbol and meaning of this name is \"one who sees the sun,\"\nthe vision of the sun, and indicates great intuition, keen perception\nand power of foresight. Genesis 49:3-4:\n\n Reuben thou art my first born, my might and the beginning of my\n strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power;\n unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.\n\nRobert understood that this referred to Marie's character and\ndisposition. She was unstable, changeable and moody, but he felt that\nher love was fixed and that eventually she would return to him. He\nread all the books he could get on Astrology and began to understand\nwhy things had happened as they had. It made him a better philosopher\nand helped him to bear his sorrows with greater patience.\n\nRobert continued reading Isaiah 45:13:\n\n I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways:\n he shall build my city and he shall let go my captives, not for price,\n nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.\n\nThis probably meant that the time would come when the Lord would direct\nman and that when wars came and prisoners were made captives, they\nwould be set free without price or reward. It was Robert's idea that\nthis was the way it should be when love ruled the world.\n\nRobert read Hebrews 11:3 and 5:\n\n Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of\n God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which\n do appear.\n\n By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was\n not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation\n he had this testimony that he had pleased God.\n\nRobert believed that Enoch went away in an airplane and knew that\nfaith was the great sustaining force, and that without faith it was\nimpossible to please God, for he read where it says, \"For he that\ncometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of\nthem that diligently seek him.\" Robert knew that he had faith and that\nthat faith would sustain him during the time of trials and troubles. In\nRomans 12:2:\n\n And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the\n renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and\n acceptable and perfect will of God.\n\nRobert knew and understood how to renew his mind and body because he\nknew what Jesus meant when he said--\"Destroy this temple and in three\ndays I will build it up again.\" He knew that it referred to the temple\nof the human body.\n\nRobert read the 9th to 13th verses of the same Chapter:\n\n Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave\n to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with\n brotherly love, in honor preferring one another; not slothful in\n business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope,\n patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.\n\nRobert intended to be patient in tribulations and was going to be kind\nand show brotherly love; he would have faith, hope and pray for the\nday when he would again have Marie. Love was the fulfilling of the law\nand reward was promised for obedience to that law. The more he read\nthe Bible the more he was convinced of its great value and that all of\nthe knowledge and instruction that man needed for any purpose or at\nany time, was to be found in that good old book. Robert decided that\nhe would not only pray without ceasing, but would spend some of the\nmoney that he had made, to try to find Marie, as no word had ever been\nreceived of her up to this time. He employed a detective agency to make\na search all over the United States.\n\nMr. Kennelworth left New York and returned to Texarkana in the latter\npart of June, 1927. He bought cotton heavily on Robert's advice that\nthe Government report would be very bullish and would have a big\nadvance during July according to Robert's forecast earlier in the year.\nThe Government Report on July 9th showed a big decrease in acreage\nand prices started to advance again. Robert wrote and telegraphed Mr.\nKennelworth that October cotton would advance to around 18.50 to 18.75\nbefore there was any important reaction. On July 16th October cotton\ncrossed 18.50 and Mr. Kennelworth wired Robert as follows:\n\n  July 16, 1927\n\n  Robert Gordon\n  69 Wall Street\n  New York City\n\n CONGRATULATIONS YOUR FORECASTS ARE WONDERFUL HAVE OVER TWO HUNDRED\n THOUSAND DOLLARS PROFIT IN COTTON AS SOON AS YOU GET TIME WORK UP YOUR\n CYCLE ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND WRITE ME WHAT THE OUTLOOK IS FOR\n 1928\n\n  J.H. Kennelworth\n\nTo which Robert replied:\n\n  July 16, 1927.\n\n  My dear Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n Your telegram just received. Am very happy that you have played the\n cotton market heavily and are making big profits. I, too, have made\n over a hundred thousand dollars.\n\n Will get busy in a few days and work out the cycles for 1928 and let\n you know what the outlook is as to who will be elected President.\n\n Walter and I are getting along nicely. I am making good progress on my\n plans for the airship. Have employed a detective agency to search all\n over the United States for Marie. I am patiently awaiting news of her.\n Believe she is still alive.\n\n Thanks for your good wishes. With kindest regards, I am\n\n  Sincerely yours,\n  ROBERT GORDON.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII\n\n\nAfter making his calculations on the Presidential election in 1928,\nRobert sent the following Forecast to Mr. Kennelworth:\n\n  July 20, 1927.\n\n  1928 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION\n\n In order to determine the conditions that will prevail during 1928\n and who will be elected, we must look up past cycles. I refer you to\n Ecclesiastes 3:15--\"That which hath been is now and that which is to\n be hath already been, and God requireth that which is past.\"\n\n We know that we are repeating past cycles as referred to in Ezekiel's\n Prophecy--Chapter 20:46--\"Son of man set thy face toward the south,\n and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest\n of the south field, and say to the forest of the south, Hear the word\n of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will kindle a fire in\n thee and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree,\n the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south\n to the north shall be burned therein.\"\n\n The troubles in Nicaragua, the destructive floods and storms which\n have visited Florida, and the destruction by the floods along the\n Mississippi during the past Spring all show that troubles are starting\n in the south. We are in a cycle which will repeat and cause wars which\n will start from the south and southwest, probably Mexico. All of these\n events will have a great bearing on the Presidential election in 1928,\n because war will be in the air and the people will be very much upset.\n\n As referred to in Exodus 32:17--\"And when Joshua heard the noise of\n the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of\n war in the camp.\" There will be political wars and revolutionary\n changes in the United States in 1928. People will want to choose new\n leaders. Read Judges 5:8--\"They chose new gods; then was war within\n the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in\n Israel?\" The people will need to choose an able leader to prepare for\n the great war in the air.\n\n I have made a study of President Coolidge's date of birth, name and\n numbers. He is the strongest man that the Republicans have, but he\n has not wanted to accept the nomination and will probably not if\n he can get out of it. He has the best chance of any Republican for\n being elected. Along about March or April, 1928, some important event\n will happen which is likely to cause President Coolidge to refuse\n to accept the nomination. When the convention meets in June or July\n there will be long delays, dissatisfaction and fights among the old\n Republican leaders as to whom they will nominate. From the cycle that\n we are repeating, there is a strong indication that President Coolidge\n will not be renominated. He will do something which will cause large\n financial interests and moneyed men to withdraw their support from him.\n\n Since God requires that which is past, then past cycles and events\n in the history of the United States must repeat. We look up the\n names and dates of birth to determine when certain names or initial\n letters should repeat. The letter \"C\" is one which repeats in events\n of the United States as shown by the election of Grover Cleveland the\n second time in 1892. President Calvin Coolidge, with the \"C\" strong\n in both names, succeeded President Harding, August 2, 1923, and was\n elected in 1924. This was really a repetition of the letter \"C\" the\n same as Cleveland's second election, and in view of the fact that\n President Coolidge has served about 6 years, the letter \"C\" is not\n due to repeat its vibration in 1928, but might repeat in 1932 when\n President Coolidge could possibly be elected again following the war\n and troublesome times.\n\n The most favorable letters for the Republican Party which could repeat\n in 1928 are B, J, F, and L. In view of the cycle which indicates war\n from 1928 to 1932, there is a strong indication that the letter \"L\"\n will repeat as it did during the Civil War when Lincoln was President.\n This might mean the nomination of Borah, Butler, Johnson or Lowden. I\n haven't the dates of birth of any of these men, therefore, am unable\n to say before the nominations take place and we know whom their\n opponents will be, whether any of them would be elected or not.\n\n In regard to the Democratic nomination, the cycle indicates a strong\n possibility of victory for the Democrats or a new party. Governor\n Alfred Smith is not likely to be nominated and if nominated would not\n be elected. The letter \"S\" has never appeared in the surname of any\n president of the United States, and as we are only due to repeat past\n events, he has a very slim chance of being elected.\n\n The letters F, M and R are due to repeat for the Democrats. This\n might mean Ford, McAdoo or Reed. According to the date of birth,\n cycle and numbers, McAdoo would have a much better chance of getting\n the nomination than Smith. Reed looks stronger than either of them.\n Governor Smith will continue popular and the possibilities of him\n being nominated will look promising until about May, 1928, when there\n will be a sudden change of public opinion against him. Support will\n be withdrawn and some of the strong Democratic leaders will turn to\n other possible candidates. Smith's name will no doubt come before the\n convention, but I see no chance of him being nominated.\n\n There is a strong indication that the man who will be nominated will\n be a \"dark horse,\" a man probably born in May or June. Revolutionary\n changes are indicated. The question of the 18th Amendment is likely to\n split both of the old parties. A farm and labor party or some other\n political party may spring up and defeat both of the old parties. The\n public will be very much divided and sentiment will be badly mixed in\n the summer and fall of 1928.\n\n With the present data in hand and the events that are to follow the\n next Presidential election, my judgment is that a Republican will\n not be elected. The President who takes office in March, 1929, will\n start under very unfavorable conditions similar to those which faced\n President Wilson at the time he entered his second term and also\n conditions will repeat similar to those that followed the election\n of Abraham Lincoln in 1861. There will be trouble with foreign\n countries over immigration laws. Tariff will be a sore spot and cause\n disagreements with foreign countries.\n\n I will have my calculations made up for the stock and commodity\n markets for 1928 and 1929 soon and when they are completed will send\n a copy of them. There will be some big opportunities for long pull\n trading in stocks and commodities during 1928. I want you to be in on\n the deals with me and hope I can help you make a million dollars.\n\n  ROBERT GORDON.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX\n\n\nDecember, 1927, stocks had been declining for several weeks. This month\nstocks declined rapidly and Robert was heavily short. Wheat and corn\nadvanced. Robert had been on the right side for several months. Just\nbefore Christmas he figured that he would cover his short stocks and\nwait for a rally which he expected would come in January or February.\nHe now had profits which gave him working capital of over five hundred\nthousand dollars, allowing for all the money that he had spent; so he\ndecided to put more time in working on his invention, as he was now in\nposition to spend money enough to develop his first airplane. He kept\nin touch every few days with the detective agency, but no word had been\nreceived from Marie. Her parents had about given up hope that Marie was\nalive. Robert wrote them a very encouraging letter because he wanted\nto cheer them up at Christmas time. Told them that he believed Marie\nwas alive and that he had faith in God and wanted them to have faith\nand continue to pray for Marie's return. Informed them of his great\nfinancial success and told them that he had continued to keep Marie's\naccount separate and had traded very conservatively for her and that\nshe now had over $40,000 which he intended to try to increase and have\nas a great surprise for her. Robert sent beautiful Christmas gifts to\nthem in memory of Marie.\n\nA few days before Christmas there was a big decline in the stock\nmarket. All kinds of unfavorable rumors were afloat. Business\nconditions were bad. War clouds were gathering thick in Europe.\nNewspapers talked of the uncertainties in the new year due to the\ncoming presidential election. The public had lost confidence and were\nselling stocks. Robert decided that this was the time to cash in so\nhe covered a big line of Shorts in Major Motors, Central Steel and\nothers. This was a great Christmas for him, financially. From his\nbeginning with 200 bales of cotton in January, 1927, with a capital of\n$1,000.00 and $10,000.00 which Mr. Kennelworth gave him later, thru his\nsuccessful pyramiding he had made over half a million dollars. He was\noverjoyed with his success because it would help him now to complete\nhis airplane and other inventions. His mind turned back to Christmas,\n1926, when he had bought Marie a beautiful ring with the money he had\nsaved. At that time he little realized that so much could happen in\none short year. He thought of all he could do for Marie this year if\nhe only knew where she was. Decided that he would buy some beautiful\npresents for her anyway and keep them until she returned to show her\nthat he was thinking of her on Christmas. He bought a beautiful diamond\nring and a bracelet set with sapphires and diamonds. When the jeweler\ndelivered them Robert looked them over and thought of all Marie's\nbeauty and purity. His faith in her was still supreme. He was very sad\nand wept bitterly because he felt more keenly than ever the need for\nher. He wanted her to be with him to share his financial success.\n\nHis heart turned to his next dearest friend--his mother. He decided to\ntry to make it the happiest Christmas of her life and bought her every\nkind of a present that he thought would make her happy and comfortable\nand sent her a check for $5,000.00 to do with just as she pleased and\nbuy anything she wanted. Begged her to come to New York to see him soon\nafter the new year, as he wanted her to see the sights of the city, and\nthought the trip would be good for her health.\n\nIn the early part of 1928 Robert calculated that war was inevitable\nbetween England and Russia. He figured that the war would start not\nlater than the summer and that many nations would be involved and that\nlater an attack on the United States would come. His first airplane\nwas now completed,--a small one according to the plan laid down by\nEzekiel in the Bible. The plane had four wings and could fly on either\none of its four sides. It had a new motor with 12 cylinders and could\nbe operated either with gas, electricity or compressed air. He had\nconstructed a wheel within a wheel so that he could lower his plane\nand land anywhere he chose and could rise straight up. One motor had\na propeller in the center of the plane to lift it up while the other\nmotor started its direct motion. He could drive his plane backwards\nor forwards. It was a great success and the boy wizard of Wall Street\nwas now hailed as a new Lindbergh of the air. There was an extra motor\nbuilt with a collapsible propeller so that he could shift it from the\ncenter of the airplane to the tail, enabling it to go backward or\nforward as he willed. The wings were so arranged that they could either\nremain stationary or be set in motion up or down by motor. This was a\nnew and valuable feature in the construction of airplanes.\n\nRobert's next invention was to build a silent motor, or a muffler,\nwhich would prevent any sound. He knew that this would be very useful\nin war. After he had completed this invention, tested it and proved it\na success, he offered it to the United States Government, but after the\narmy officers, who knew very little about this new invention had looked\nit over, they refused it. Robert then sailed away in his new plane\nwhich he had named \"The St. Marie.\" He visited England, France, Germany\nand in the Spring of 1928 made the longest successful flight to Japan,\nwhere he was received with great honor. Japan was very much interested\nin his new plane and in his muffler. The Japanese Government quickly\nclosed a deal and bought his invention for a large sum of money. Robert\nfelt that probably one day this invention would be used against his own\ncountry in time of war, but knew that the United States would have to\nlearn a lesson--that too often in the past American inventions had been\nsold to foreign countries because his own Government would not buy them.\n\nWhile in Japan Robert was entertained and introduced to many beautiful\ntitled ladies and prominent men, but he remained loyal to Marie for\nhis great success had not turned his head. He was still searching for\nMarie, always hoping to find her. He returned to New York in the Summer\nof 1928 and was now reputed as being worth more than a million dollars,\nafter making more successful deals in stocks, cotton and wheat. He had\nfollowed the advice of old Henry Watson and had never scattered over\ntwo or three markets at the same time. When he had a deal on in cotton\nor wheat, he stuck to that until he closed the transaction. When he\nwent into a stock campaign he stayed out of the commodity markets. He\nwas meeting with success in every direction, but his longing for Marie\ncontinued and the vision of her beautiful face continued to haunt him.\n\nIn May, 1928, Walter received a radiogram from Robert saying that he\nwas leaving Japan the latter part of the month and was going to sail\n\"The St. Marie\" back to New York. Walter and Miss Edna Quinton, the\nsecretary, had followed the newspaper reports of the great reception\ntendered Robert by the officials of the Japanese Government and the\nreport of the large amount of money they had paid for his noiseless\npatent for airplanes. Walter was going to graduate in June so he wrote\nhis father and informed him that Robert was returning to New York\nsoon with great honors and he thought it appropriate to have a big\ncelebration for him when he arrived. As his father was coming to New\nYork anyway for the graduation exercises, he suggested that he be there\nto greet Robert on his triumphant return.\n\nMr. Kennelworth, who was a member of the Chamber of Commerce of\nTexarkana and one of the leading citizens, called a meeting of the\nChamber of Commerce, informed them of the phenomenal success of Robert\nGordon who had left Texarkana one year previous an unknown boy and\nwho was now the most talked of young man in the world. He had made\nmore than a million dollars following his own discovery of how to use\nthe laws laid down in the Bible for foretelling the future course of\ncotton, grain and stocks; had built the most marvelous airplane of the\nage; invented a muffler to make an airplane noiseless; had driven his\nown plane, \"The St. Marie\" to Japan where he had been received with\ngreat honors and the Japanese Government had bought his invention for\nmaking airplanes silent. Mr. Kennelworth proposed that the leading\ncitizens of Texarkana go to New York to honor their favorite son on\nhis return. When he had finished talking there was lasting applause\nand hurrahs for Robert Gordon. Colonel Stanton was in the audience. He\narose and said that he heartily endorsed the proposal and would donate\n$10,000.00 to the expense fund, that they should go to New York in a\nspecial train to greet the greatest young man of the age who was born\non a farm near Texarkana. Everyone was in favor of it and the wealthy\nmen all followed Mr. Stanton in offering large sums of money in order\nto make the reception a success. When the meeting was over, J.H.\nKennelworth drove out to the country home of Amelia Gordon, Robert's\nmother. Told her of her boy's success and the plans to meet him in New\nYork and give him a great reception, inviting her to go on the special\ntrain as a guest of honor. She thankfully accepted.\n\nOn June 9th Robert Gordon's 22nd birthday, the great reception took\nplace. The special train bearing the leading citizens of Texarkana\narrived, Robert had landed at the new airport on Governor's Island\nwithout any mishap to his plane. \"The St. Marie\" had performed\nperfectly, making the trip from Japan at an average speed of over 300\nmiles per hour. Robert received the surprise of his life when he saw\nhis mother and rushed to her, and after greeting her affectionately\nturned to shake hands with Mr. Kennelworth and Walter and seeing Mr.\nand Mrs. Stanton there was overjoyed and thought sure that Marie had\nbeen found. He rushed to greet her parents and his first words were,\n\"Where is Marie?\" With tears in their eyes, they informed him that not\na word had been received in regard to her. They proceeded immediately\nto the Commodore Hotel where the reception committee and the entire\ndelegation from Texarkana had arranged for a dinner and celebration.\nRobert was happy to see all the prominent business men from Texarkana\nthere to greet him. Mr. Kennelworth made the address. Told Robert how\nproud Texarkana was of him; said that this was the age of the young\nman and that Robert had demonstrated that he was the greatest young\nman of his day. Robert was overwhelmed at this great reception. He\nthanked his friends; thanked Mr. Kennelworth, personally, and above all\nfor bringing his dear old mother to see him; said it was the happiest\nmoment of his life and that his one regret was that Marie was not\nthere, but that he still had hope of finding her. When the reception\nwas over and Robert had a few moments alone with his dear old mother,\nshe said, \"My son, do you remember the dream you had when you were\na little boy, which you told me about? That you were riding a large\nbird with white wings across the ocean and how the foreign countries\nreceived you with great honor. My boy, when you landed today I thought\nabout that dream and how it had been fulfilled. I hope that all of\nyour other dreams and ambitions will be realized and that you will be\nrewarded with Marie's love, because you have been faithful and loyal to\nher.\"\n\nRobert said, \"Mother, I do remember the dream quite well, and when I\nwas in Japan and they gave me such great receptions and honored me, I\nthought of the dream and I thought of you and how you had taught me\nhow to read the Bible and I thought of Marie and how I loved her and\nfelt that I would gladly give all of the honors just to be with you and\nMarie alone because your love and Marie's love mean more to me than\neverything else that the world can give.\"\n\nWalter Kennelworth was graduated from Columbia College in June and\nprepared to work with Robert in the office. Edna Quinton had proved\nto be a faithful employee and a valuable aid to Robert. She had taken\ncare of his business and looked after his financial transactions\nwhile he was away. Robert soon went to work on a new invention, and\nperfected a machine to read the minds of people a short distance away\nand also a machine which he named the \"Tel-talk.\" This machine was made\non the principle of the radio; by raising and lowering it at certain\nangles it would record all the conferences in the different buildings\nin Wall Street. Robert also used this machine to get reports on all\nthe conferences of the big manipulators. He knew that manipulators\nin Wall Street suspected that in some way he understood their plans\nas he was making money too fast and they were conspiring to find a\nway to get him wrong on the market and break him. They changed their\nplans often but found that each time Robert was on the right side of\nthe market. Even his friend Walter knew nothing about Robert's latest\ninvention. He kept it in a secret room, and no one had ever seen it\nbut himself. It was a very delicate little machine with indicators\nlike a compass, delicately balanced and operated by electricity. His\nsuccess was causing great excitement and schemers wanted to get his\nsecret. They knew that Edna Quinton had been in his office ever since\nhe was in New York. She was invited to a dinner at the Biltmore where\nshe was offered a large sum of money if she would reveal the secrets\nof how Robert Gordon so successfully operated in the market. She told\nthem frankly that she knew nothing about how he did it, but if she\ndid know, no amount of money would induce her to turn traitor to her\nemployer. Edna made up her mind that when she reached the office the\nfollowing morning, she would tell Mr. Gordon just what had happened.\nUpon reaching the office unusually early she found Mr. Gordon there.\nHe seemed unusually happy and she thought that he must have news of\nMarie. Before she had time to tell him what had happened the night\nbefore, he called her into his secret office, the room that she had\nnever seen before. There she saw all kinds of strange instruments which\nshe knew must be some of his new inventions. He took her to a little\nmachine in the corner of the room and showed her some peculiar lines\nthat the machine had recorded on the paper the night before. He told\nher that his machine received the impressions of people's minds and\nrecorded their thoughts, especially when they were greatly excited or\ninterested in any matter. He read to her from the record on the machine\nin substance exactly what had been said to her the night before. Then\nhe turned to the Bible and showed her where it said \"Everything that\nis concealed will be revealed, and everything that is covered will be\nuncovered.\" Edna was more excited than she had ever been in her life.\nShe knew that the machine had revealed the truth. Then she said to Mr.\nGordon that she had intended to tell him that morning just what had\nhappened and hoped that he would believe that she was loyal to him and\nhad refused to accept a bribe. He then showed her another record on the\nmachine like a phonograph record which would record people's thoughts\nand told her that it indicated just what she had been thinking about.\nThe machine had read her mind and recorded her thoughts. He assured her\nthat he did believe her and trust her. Edna was moved to tears at this\ngreat confidence. She knew that never before had she been permitted\nto see this secret room and while she knew of Robert's great love for\nMarie, she felt that this confidence he had placed in her was more than\na matter of business confidence and that he had some love for her. She\nhad always admired him but had never thought of loving him. Now she\nknew that she did love him.\n\nA few days later Edna had a talk with Walter, because she had known\nhim before Robert came to New York and it was thru his influence she\nhad secured the position. She told him what had happened and confided\nin him her love for Robert. He was happy to know this and hoped that\nRobert would fall in love with her as he believed it would be best for\nhim. Walter said, \"I am not an expert judge of how emotions work in men\nand women, but the way for you to find out how Robert feels toward you\nis to watch his actions, make notes of how often he speaks of Marie,\nof the letters he writes trying to find her. Continue to be as nice\nand kind toward him as you have always been. If in a few months his\ninterest in the search for Marie wanes, and he ceases to talk about\nher, it will be a sure sign that his mind and heart is turning toward\nyou.\"\n\nSoon after Walter graduated, Robert called Miss Quinton into his secret\noffice one morning and told her he was going to form a new firm under\nthe name of \"Gordon, Kennelworth & Quinton\" and that Edna was to have\nan interest in the firm, as reward for her faithful service. She was\nto help with the work on the secret discoveries. Edna was overjoyed at\nthis and her emotions got the best of her judgment. She flung her arms\naround Robert's neck, kissed him, told him he was the most wonderful\nman in the world and that she loved him. He drew himself quickly away\nfrom her, sat down in a chair and stared out the window for several\nminutes before he spoke. Then he turned toward Miss Quinton, faced her\nwith a firm but kind face, told her that she had made a mistake in his\nactions, that he was rewarding her for faithfulness and that there\nwas no sentiment in the matter, that he did not love her, that he was\nloyal to his long-lost Marie and would never love anyone else. Edna\nhardly knew what to say. She begged his forgiveness and tendered her\nresignation. He told her that he would refuse to accept it; that they\nwould go right on and work together just the same as in the past, if\nshe felt that she could and wanted to. She assured him that she wanted\nto remain as long as he wanted her, and that in the future she would\nalways control her emotions.\n\nWalter Kennelworth had completed a special course in chemistry at\ncollege and was now prepared for work in the new firm. His father had\nbeen following Robert in the market during the past year and had made\na large amount of money. He presented Walter with $100,000.00, part of\nthe profits which he had made out of the market, with the understanding\nthat the money was to be used in helping to further Robert's inventions.\n\nIn the Fall of 1928, Robert and Walter completed an invention of\nSun-mirrors, whereby they were able to collect the rays from the sun\nand produce heat powerful enough to melt down skyscrapers in a few\nminutes. With these mirrors and the aid of electricity, they discovered\na powerful light ray. Robert knew that this was going to be of great\nvalue in the coming war. They named this machine \"The Demon of Death.\"\nMiss Quinton had been very much interested in this machine during the\ncourse of construction, and she named it \"Spit-Fire\" because it could\nsend forth such powerful sparks of fire, destroying instantly any\nmetal that it touched. They held a conference and agreed that this\nnew discovery must be kept secret and should never be used except in\nthe defense of the United States in time of war and only then if our\ncountry was in dire peril and unable to cope with the enemy. There was\none secret connected with the machine that only Robert knew. They\nintended to start to build a giant airship in a short time equipped\nwith \"The Demon of Death.\" They figured it would send a powerful death\nray 3000 to 5000 miles through space, destroying everything within\na radius of 700 miles. Work was started on the new machine with all\nsecrecy. It had already been christened \"Marie the Angel of Mercy.\"\n\nRobert and Walter were making money rapidly in the cotton market. The\nwar clouds were gathering and Europe was buying cotton. It had had a\nbig advance and they were playing the fast moves up and down, both on\nthe buying and selling sides. There is an old saying that intimacy\nbreeds contempt, but it did not prove so with Walter Kennelworth and\nEdna Quinton. One beautiful morning in early September, 1928, Robert\nGordon stepped into the laboratory and found Edna in the arms of\nWalter. He made a hasty exit, but Walter and Edna knew that they had\nbeen caught. Robert was very happy at this discovery because he knew\nthat it was just the thing Walter needed to stimulate his ambitions\nand give him something to work for. He realized what a wonderful woman\nMiss Quinton was, and that she, too, needed inspiration that love alone\ncould give. That evening he invited Walter to dinner with him and when\nthey were alone said, \"Well, Walter, the love bug has got you at last.\"\nWalter was bashful at first and didn't want to talk much about it; then\nhe admitted that it had come on very suddenly when he and Edna had\nrealized that they were both in love with each other. Robert told him\nthat it was inevitable and that now was the time it should start and\nthat it would be better for both of them. They were business partners\nand it would make them more happy and successful in their work. Walter\nasked him if he still had hopes of finding Marie. Robert told him that\nhe did--that he would never give up the search.\n\nEverything moved along smoothly after this. Walter and Edna were\nhappy in their work and the Fall of 1928 rewarded them with a new and\nwonderful discovery. They had been able to perfect a machine which\nwould reflect light in such a way as to make an airplane invisible and\nthis, together with Robert's noiseless invention, solved the problem.\nHe knew now that in time of war, the plane could be used to sneak\nupon the enemy and that they would be unable to see or hear it. After\nholding a conference, they decided that this invention, as well as\n\"The Demon of Death\" should not be patented or offered for sale to any\nGovernment, that they would test it out and keep it a secret. Here\nRobert's great generosity showed itself again when he decided that this\ninvention should be used in time of greatest need for the benefit of\nthe United States. Walter said, \"Robert, love indeed does make a great\nman, makes him unselfish, causes him to think of his country, of his\nmother, his sweetheart and everything else before himself. No wonder\nyou are making a success and always will, because you are doing right.\"\n\nThe completion of the great machine, \"The Demon of Death,\" which\nRobert had worked on untiringly day and night, was a great triumph for\nhim, but his wonderful energy had been exhausted. Walter had noticed\nbefore the machine was completed that Robert looked tired and worn.\nHis mind lacked its old-time quickness and he feared for his health.\nRobert began to reach the office late and ceased to take an interest\nin his work. He was moody and despondent. Thanksgiving Day, Walter and\nEdna arranged a big dinner and invited Robert. He appeared very much\nworn and ate very little dinner. Both Walter and Edna noticed that\nhe was less talkative than ever before. About an hour after dinner\nwas over Robert fell in a faint. A doctor was called immediately and\nafter making a careful examination pronounced it a case of nervous\nbreakdown. Said there must be something preying on his mind or that\nhe had been under a long strain. Walter explained the disappearance\nof Marie and how Robert had worried over the love affair; his long,\nstrenuous campaigns in the stock and commodity markets and his work\nupon his inventions; that up to a few months previous Robert had been\nable to work almost day and night without showing any fatigue, but that\nin recent weeks he had noticed a great change in him. After the doctor\nhad heard the story of the love affair and Marie's disappearance, he\nwas sure that a long and needed rest was necessary to restore Robert to\nhis normal health. He ordered him to remain absolutely quiet and not\nattempt to look after any of the details of his business. A few days\nlater Walter persuaded Robert to go to Atlantic City, which he did,\nand after remaining there and resting a couple of weeks, he returned\napparently well and showed his old-time strength and vigor. Was anxious\nto get back to work and look after his speculative deals in the market.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX\n\n\nAs the end of 1928 neared, war was already raging in Europe.\nEngland and Russia had already gone to war as Robert had predicted.\nComplications were developing quick and fast and war clouds were\ngathering. Robert knew that it was only a question of a short time\nwhen the United States with all of its gold supply, would be attacked\nand there would be a great battle in the air. Great progress had been\nmade in aviation. Airplanes were carrying mail at the rate of 300\nmiles per hour. Passenger lines were now starting all over the United\nStates. \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" Robert's great ship, was rapidly\nnearing completion. The new 12-cylinder motor had been tested and the\nengineers had estimated that they would attain a speed of 1000 miles\nper hour. Robert was elated over the success and knew that he would now\nbe prepared to help his country in time of its greatest need. He had\nbeen working early and late and the interest in his work had kept his\nmind off Marie. Yet not a day passed but what he made some inquiries\nor had his detectives chase some clew which he hoped would lead to the\ndiscovery of Marie, but all efforts were in vain. No news had ever been\nheard of her.\n\nWith the great progress in radio messages thru the air, and radiograms,\nRobert knew that in time of war, secret communications would be\nnecessary. Spies could steal codes, and messages sent over the radio\ncould be interpreted; therefore, one of the great needs for the war in\nthe air would be a way to communicate without detection. He finally\nsucceeded in completing what he called \"The Pocket Radio.\" It was no\nlarger than a watch and worked on the same principle of his machine\nfor recording the thoughts of people, only the instrument had to be\nused by two people who understood how to work it, because the positive\nradio was carried in one man's pocket and the negative in the other\nand by pressing the stem, it could be changed from positive into\nnegative. No sound was transmitted thru the air. The machine could be\noperated by certain motions of the fingers on a little push button\nwhich recorded symbols on the other machine that would reveal the\nmessage sent. The Pocket Radio made it possible to convey any message\nwithout any possibility of detection because only the person sending\nthe message and the one receiving it could understand or know anything\nabout it. This was better than wireless or any other radio discovery up\nto this time. Robert tested the machine out by leaving one instrument\nin Walter's pocket, he himself going to Chicago and conveying messages\nwhich Walter was able to get without any trouble. He could either speak\ninto this little Pocket Radio and convey the sound without anyone else\nbeing able to take it from the air, or use it to convey thoughts or\nemotions. The test proved perfect and Robert knew that he had another\ngreat discovery which would be of great value to his Government in time\nof war. He decided to keep this a secret and have it ready to aid the\nUnited States at a time when they would need it most.\n\nRobert figured that there would be a big bull campaign in cotton\nduring 1929 so he had started buying early in the year, expecting a\nbig advance later. He had also forecast the rapid advance of certain\nclasses of stocks. During 1928 he had closed a successful bear campaign\nin Major Motors and was still holding his Right Aeroplane stock, which\nhad continued to advance, and he figured that it would have a big rise\nduring 1929. His fortune was piling up rapidly, despite all the money\nhe was spending on his new inventions. The new ship \"Marie, the Angel\nof Mercy,\" was now about perfected, but Robert intended that this\nshould never be made known to the public until he had it in perfect\nworking order and it was a success beyond doubt.\n\nAfter preparing his campaign for the market and buying stocks and\ncotton for the big advance, Walter noticed a great change in Robert.\nHis health began to fail again, and now that he had achieved great\nsuccess and completed such wonderful inventions, without Marie to\ncomfort him he would probably break down in health and give up. Robert\nhad ceased to talk much about Marie. His interest in the future was\nwaning. Walter and Edna, who were still as much in love as ever, often\ndiscussed Robert's physical condition. They decided to encourage him\nto go away for a long-needed rest. Walter had a talk with Robert in\nthe middle of January, 1929, but Robert didn't show much interest or\nany desire to travel. A short time after this, Robert appeared at the\noffice one morning looking more haggard and worn than ever. He called\nWalter and Edna into the office, told them that he had had a very\npeculiar dream the night before, that he had dreamed that he had gone\nto Paris and suddenly met Marie. He was so strongly impressed with\nthe dream that he decided to leave at once. Told Walter to give the\nmechanics instructions to put his old ship \"The St. Marie\" in shape to\nsail at once.\n\nIt was a matter of only a couple of days until they reported that\n\"The St. Marie\" was in perfect shape and could stand a trip around\nthe world. There was to be a great convention of all the nations on\naviation in Paris and Robert decided that he wanted to be there for\nit, but the main incentive for the trip was his dream. Robert had\nno trouble in securing letters of introduction to prominent people\nin London and Paris. When he said good-bye to Walter and Edna, they\nwished him God-speed, told him that they hoped his dream would become\na reality and that he would find Marie, but they knew that he was not\nthe same Robert of old. He acted as tho his spirit was broken. On the\nmorning of February 2nd, 1929, Robert started his flight to Paris and\narrived there promptly in the evening and went to visit some friends\nand acquaintances. After talking over the war situation and his\nforecasts of the great war yet to come, he decided to visit friends in\nLondon. England and Russia were waging their battles in the air and\ndoing very little land fighting. Despite the good start that England\nhad made, Russia and her allies were getting the best of the victory.\nRobert found London very uninteresting. Up to this time he had heard\nnothing of Marie and decided to return to Paris.\n\nOn a beautiful sunshiny morning in the latter part of February, 1929,\nRobert was walking down a prominent business street in Paris with no\nspecial objective in mind. He was feeling sick and gloomy and was\nwalking with his head down, looking at the street. Suddenly he saw\na form approaching very closely, and like a flash, a woman quickly\npassed him. He was sure it was Marie. His heart was in his throat. He\nturned around quickly to follow her but she had disappeared. Just as\nshe passed him she dropped a letter on the street and he picked it up,\nput it in his pocket and rushed on down the street, hoping to find her,\nbut after exhausting himself running around, fighting his way thru the\ncrowds, without a glimpse of her, he decided to open the letter. When\nhe opened it it was written in a foreign language which he did not\nunderstand. He was not sure whether it was Marie's handwriting or not.\nHis first thought was to go immediately to an interpreter and have the\nletter read. On second thought, he decided that it might be something\nconfidential and that he would go to an old friend who lived in Paris\nand ask him to interpret the letter. Robert called on Louis Renan,\nstated the circumstance of his meeting Marie on the street and told him\nabout the letter she dropped. His friend gladly consented to read the\nletter. Robert handed it to him and he glanced over it; handed it back\nto Robert without a word, told him to get out of his house immediately\nand never darken the door again. Robert begged for an explanation but\nin vain. His friend was angry and determined and pushed Robert out\nof the door. Robert walked slowly back to his hotel, disappointed,\nmystified, and heart-broken. What could be the meaning of this letter?\nWhy should his friend offer no explanation as to what it contained? Had\nhe really met Marie and was the letter from her? One thing he knew, he\nmust find out what this mysterious letter contained. He decided the\nnext best plan was to go to an interpreter, so he inquired at the hotel\nthe name of an interpreter and was informed where he could get any\nlanguage interpreted. He called at the address, explained his mission\nto the manager and turned over the letter. In a few minutes the manager\nreturned, handed him the letter, told him there was the door, please\nget out and ask no questions. Robert again begged for some explanation\nbut the man was defiant and refused to make any comment.\n\nRobert returned to his hotel to think matters over. He bought a paper\nand looked over the news from New York and market reports. He saw that\ncotton and stocks were advancing as he expected, but money-making now\nwas of no interest to him when he at last thought that he had found\nwhere Marie was. He decided to place a personal notice in all the\npapers in Paris, telling Marie that he had passed her on the street,\nhad found the letter, was unable to get it interpreted, and beg her to\ncommunicate with him at once. He placed the notice in the papers that\nafternoon. Received an invitation from some acquaintances in Paris to\ndine with them and go to a ball. He wanted to refuse the invitation\nbecause he did not feel equal to the occasion, but they insisted that\nit would do him good and begged him to come along. Robert had been\nso disappointed about the mysterious letter and the sudden loss of\nMarie after he had seen her, that he decided to say nothing about the\nincident to his friends. After dinner was over, they chatted with\nRobert, and he seemed more cheerful. They told Robert of the Aviators'\nCostume Ball to take place in the Hotel Lafayette that night and asked\nhim to go along. Robert tried to beg off and made the excuse that he\nhad no costume for this occasion, but they told him that they had\nalready ordered one for him and there was no getting out of it--he had\nto go, so finally he consented.\n\nWhen they arrived at the hotel and entered the ballroom, Robert's\nfriends, who knew of his great fame in New York and his success in\nspeculative markets, were anxious to introduce him to the prominent\nmen and women of Paris. Aviators were there from all over the world.\nThey had come for the great convention. Each country was competing\nfor the grand prize for the most efficient airplane and the best\none suited for war purposes. They asked Robert if he did not have a\nplane to enter or if he could not demonstrate something with \"The St.\nMarie.\" He told them that his health was not good and that he was not\ninterested in entering a plane at this time. The ballroom was decorated\nwith everything connected with airplanes. Miniature planes were flying\naround the room, circling up and down from the ceilings. It was a\ngorgeous display and while it was dazzling to others, Robert paid very\nlittle attention to it. His friends, in order to please him and get\nhim interested, had the radio tuned into New York and were getting\nmusic from the Biltmore. The dance started. Robert watched but was very\nlittle interested. His friends invited him to dance but he refused. He\nhad no thoughts of anything but Marie. As he was sitting, watching\nthe dancers whirl around the floor, suddenly he looked across the hall\nand again he saw Marie dressed like an eagle, queen of the air. He\nmade a mad rush thru the crowd to the other side of the hall and when\nhe got there, he could see no Marie. The ordeal was too much for him.\nHe fell unconscious on the floor. Friends rushed to his assistance and\nafter reviving him, he explained to them that he had seen Marie again\nand asked them to find her and bring her to him. After investigation,\nthey told him that there was no one there by that name and that none of\nthe ladies had left the ballroom. They brought them all before him and\nintroduced him, but Marie was not among them. Robert was not only sick\nat heart but sick physically, and his friends realized it and called a\nnerve specialist, Dr. Descartes. Robert explained what had happened,\nabout meeting Marie on the street and about seeing her at the ball,\naltho he said nothing about the mysterious letter to the Doctor. The\nDoctor, after examining him, told his friends he thought that he was\nsuffering from mental delusions--that he had probably had this woman\non his mind so long and after dreaming he had met her on a street in\nParis, had hoped so strongly that he would meet her, he had brought\nhimself to believe that she was there and had really thought that\nhe had seen her, both on the street and in the ballroom, but it was\nprobably an optical delusion and after he got better he would realize\nthat he hadn't seen Marie.\n\nSeveral days passed before Robert fully recovered. In the meantime, he\nhad become quite friendly with Dr. Descartes and told him a great deal\nabout his history. The Doctor was very much interested and had a great\ndesire to help him. Robert finally decided to confide in him about the\nmysterious letter. The Doctor had a brother in New York and was going\nto give Robert a letter of introduction to him upon his return. While\nthey were on the subject of the letter of introduction, Robert told him\nabout the mysterious letter and the Doctor agreed to get a friend of\nhis who could interpret it, to read the letter for him. Robert was very\nhappy because he thought that if he could get the meaning of the letter\nit would throw some light on what the trouble was with Marie. While he\nhad been sick, his mind had wandered and he had imagined all kinds of\nthings, and for a few moments, doubted Marie. He even thought that she\nmight have turned out to be a bad woman and was now in Paris, having a\ngay time, but as soon as his mind returned to its normal state, his old\nfaith in Marie returned, and he loved her as of old and believed that\nshe could do no wrong.\n\nThe next day Dr. Descartes called, took Robert with him in his car to\nhis friend who was an interpreter. Robert handed him the letter and,\nafter looking it over, he handed the letter back to Robert, turned to\nthe Doctor, and said, \"Have you no more respect for my friendship than\nto insult me in a manner like this. Begone, and never let me see you\nin my house again.\" The Doctor begged for an explanation and Robert\noffered his apologies, saying it was all his fault and the Doctor was\nonly trying to aid him, but the man refused to discuss the matter and\nthey hurried away. When they got in the car, Dr. Descartes knew that\nthe shock was too much for Robert so he drove him immediately to the\nhotel without discussing the mysterious letter. After he had gotten him\nin his room and made him comfortable, he begged Robert not to worry\nabout the letter, told him that he would think the matter over and call\nand see him the next day.\n\nRobert was very much worried. His hope was fast giving way to despair.\nHe again realized that hope deferred maketh the heart grow sick. He\nthought of Henry Watson's story and wondered if he would have to go\nthru life and die without ever again seeing Marie. Dr. Descartes called\nthe following day and was very solicitous of Robert's welfare. Told\nhim to forget the incident about the letter and advised Robert to try\nto get it interpreted when he returned to New York. Robert told him\nmore about Marie's disappearance and showed him the note that Marie had\nplaced in his pocket on the train to St. Louis. The Doctor read it and\nsaid it certainly left room for hope, and while it was mysterious, he\nfelt that Marie fully intended at some time to come back to him. Robert\nhad received no reply to his personal notices in the Paris newspapers\nand decided to return to New York in a few days.\n\nIn the early part of March a lot of the aviators were returning\nfrom Paris to New York after the convention and Robert decided to\ngo home with them. They insisted that he was not physically able to\nsail \"The St. Marie\" alone and sent a pilot along with him. The trip\nwas uneventful and on March 5th Robert arrived in New York. On his\narrival he went immediately to his office and laboratories where he\nfound Walter and Edna glad to see him. They told him that he looked\nmuch improved in health. He related all his experiences in Paris and\nthe mysterious letter. Walter was very much amazed and at a loss to\nunderstand it all. He could not understand, if Marie had dropped the\nletter and had really seen Robert on the street and at the ball,\nwhy she would not answer his personal notices in the papers and at\nleast clear up the mystery of her disappearance. Robert decided to go\nimmediately to an interpreter in New York and see if he could get the\nmysterious letter read. After handing it to the man who spoke about\nten different languages, the interpreter handed it back to him and\nstated in a firm, gentlemanlike manner that he would like him to please\nleave the office immediately and never return. Robert went at once to\nhis office and told Walter and Edna what had happened. They talked it\nover and advanced all kinds of theories about what the letter might\ncontain, and asked Robert if any of the interpreters had ever given\nany information or stated whether they could read the letter or not.\nRobert told them they had not. Edna thought that probably the letter\ncontained a message to the interpreter not to give any information or\nto reveal what it contained to Robert or anyone else. Walter thought\nif this were the case, that some of the interpreters who seemed to be\ninsulted by it, would have immediately destroyed the letter instead\nof handing it back to him. The more theories they advanced, the less\nplausible the mystery seemed. Robert decided to write to a famous\nastrologer in Canada whom he had heard of. He sent along his date of\nbirth, telling him the history of the case, to see if he could give\nhim any light on the subject, telling the astrologer that he would pay\n$50,000.00 or more if necessary, if he could solve the problem and tell\nhim what the letter contained and how to get it interpreted or give him\nany information leading to the whereabouts of Marie. The astrologer\nanswered as follows after making the calculation from Robert's date of\nbirth:\n\n While it is a very peculiar case, the events were not accidents at\n all but the result of Natural Law. The young lady still lives and I\n believe will again come into your life three or four years later.\n The great trouble was that on the day she disappeared, Mercury,\n your ruling planet, applied to an evil aspect of Uranus, the great\n eccentric, revolutionary, mysterious planet, and this indicated\n disappointment, trouble and delays, over letters or writings and\n the letters would be mysterious and hard to understand. In view of\n the fact that Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, as well as Venus, were\n all changing signs just around the time she disappeared, it meant\n that there would be many changes and long delays before the mystery\n would be solved, that there was great danger of letters being lost or\n miscarried, and that it was possible that she may have written you\n letters which never reached you. Neptune has much to do with the sea\n and its mysteries and as it strongly influences the city of Paris,\n her appearance there would be shrouded in mystery and there would be\n much that could not be explained. It is very doubtful if you will get\n any explanation or interpretation of the mysterious letter. There is\n something visionary about it, or the appearance of Marie may have been\n a spiritual apparition.\n\n If you will visit cities near beautiful watering places in the South\n or Southwest, and could come in contact with an honest spiritualist or\n clairvoyant, it may be of some benefit and help in some way to solve\n the mystery. In view of the condition of your health and the planet\n Saturn is afflicting you, it would be advisable to spend the balance\n of the Winter and early part of the Spring in a tropical climate.\n Florida would be especially good for you and might bring favorable\n results in more ways than one. If you will give me time to figure on\n your horoscope and have patience I will guarantee to tell you the time\n that you will find Marie. The progressed Mars is traveling toward a\n conjunction of Venus, the Goddess of Love, and when this is completed\n she will probably come back into your life.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI\n\n\nRobert was very much encouraged by this letter because he had great\nconfidence in Astrology and in this man's ability. He decided to go\nimmediately to Florida for a rest and visit all the beautiful spots\nand watering places that he could find, hoping to get some news of\nMarie. Going directly to Palm Beach, Florida, he met some friends of\nConan Doyle's who were very much interested in spiritualism. They told\nhim that a famous spiritualist, Lady Bersford from England, had been\nthere, and that they believed she could help solve the problem. Robert\nasked where he could find her and was told that she had gone to Ocala,\nFlorida, to visit Silver Springs and investigate the legend of Silver\nSprings, the story about a beautiful young girl who drowned herself in\nthe Springs.\n\n\nA Legend\n\n(The following story combines the accuracies of fact with the romance\nof fiction. Aunt Silly lived at Silver Springs until her death, about\nsixteen years ago, and was seen by many who visited the Springs. It is\nfrom the gifted pen of Mrs. Maley Bainbridge Crist):\n\n Near Florida's celebrated Silver Springs lives an old negress, known\n to the entire surrounding country as \"Aunt Silly,\" whose claim to\n being 110 years old is borne out by her appearance. Aunt Silly is\n wrinkled and decrepit, and the wool peeping from her bandanaed head\n is white as snow, while the blackness and weirdness of her face is\n intensified by a heavy crop of snow-white beard. As long as the oldest\n citizen of Ocala can remember Aunt Silly has looked just as ancient\n as she does now; identified always with Silver Springs, and hobbling\n about them from morning until night, leaning upon her short, thick\n staff.\n\n That she was a participant in a tragedy is known only to a very few of\n Ocala's oldest citizens, and seldom referred to by any of them. In the\n near vicinity of Ocala, when first it was settled, stood a splendid\n old mansion owned by Capt. Harding Douglass, a South Carolinian of\n considerable wealth. His only child was a son, who, with his mother's\n beauty of countenance, had inherited her tender, shrinking nature,\n and, like herself, was a slave to the old man's iron will. In the\n beautiful little City of Ocala lived Bernice Mayo, whose blond beauty\n won, at first sight, the heart of Claire Douglass. Although of\n Virginia ancestry, Bernice was a true child of the \"Land of Flowers,\"\n passionate and impulsive. Her eyes were blue and clear as the waters\n of Lake Munroe, beside which she had spent her childhood, in the\n fair little City of Sanford. Her hair was as golden as Florida's own\n sunshine, and Florida's tropical splendor ran riot in her blood. For\n six months Bernice Mayo and Claire Douglass were constant companions,\n and Silver Springs was their favorite resort. For half a day at a time\n they would drift about on the bosom of the splendid, placid curiosity\n of nature.\n\n Bernice seemed never to tire of going into the depths of the\n subterranean world. \"If I were a mermaid, Claire,\" she would say,\n \"and lived in yon crystal cavern, and some fair day I should wander\n forth among the palmettos and mosses of the springs, and, sitting on\n yonder ledge of rocks, should 'comb my golden hair with a shell,'\n and your boat should come drifting by, and you were to see me in the\n water beneath, would you love me well enough to plunge, plunge to the\n depths beneath to woo me?\" Then would Claire stop her merry chatter\n with his kisses, and pledge to her his eternal love as they drifted\n over the transparent mirror of water, pausing now and then to study\n the rocks and shells, the mosses, palmettos, the fish, which were as\n visible eighty feet below the transparent water as were the trees and\n woodland about them. There is nothing fairer than Ocala's \"Lover's\n Lane,\" and yet no spot held for these young people the attraction of\n Silver Springs, their constant trysting place. But there came a fatal\n day, destined to separate them. A day wherein Claire Douglass declared\n to his father his love for beautiful, penniless Bernice Mayo, and his\n determination to make her his wife. Stormily, his father vowed it\n should never be, and secretly planned a separation.\n\n When Claire Douglass had been speedily dispatched abroad on important\n business for his father, then it was that Bernice learned the truth,\n and her proud, delicate nature lay crushed and bleeding beneath the\n cruel blow and still more cruel separation.\n\n Vainly she strove to rally; all life seemed but an empty blank to her.\n A year dragged wearily by, and the scenes frequented by merry Bernice\n Mayo knew her no more. Paler and thinner she daily grew. Fragile, she\n was, as the white blossoms of her well-loved springs. The little chain\n of gold that Claire had locked on her arm would have slipped across\n the wasted, transparent hand, but for the ribbon that held its links.\n One day (her last upon earth) the girl, by dint of desperate energy,\n crept to Silver Springs. Even Aunt Silly was unprepared for the\n white, emaciated little creature who tottered into her cabin and fell\n fainting in her arms. Consciousness soon returned, but it was apparent\n even to the old black woman that death had set its gray, unmistakable\n seal upon the young face.\n\n \"Aunt Silly,\" gasped the girl, \"I have come to you to die, and\n you must obey my last request; the grave divulges no secrets. Ere\n tonight's sun sets I shall be in heaven. This separation from the man\n I love has been my death, but in that death we shall be united. I have\n asked God, and He has heard me. But you, Aunt Silly, you must obey\n my request. You love me; you will do as I ask. Tonight when the moon\n comes out, row my body to Boiling Springs, and bury me there. You know\n the spot--make no mistake. Do this, and God will attend to the rest.\"\n\n \"Good Gord A'mighty, chile, you think Aunt Silly am gwine tote dade\n body off in the lonesomely night?\" asked the old woman, her very teeth\n chattering with the superstitious fear peculiar to her race. The girl\n realized the risk of her plan being thwarted, and raising herself to a\n sitting posture she seized the old woman's hands and fixed her dying\n eyes full on her face.\n\n \"Aunt Silly,\" she gasped, \"I am a dying woman; I am very near to God;\n I have talked with Him, and He has answered me. My will has been\n crushed in life, I swear it shall not in death. Before twenty-four\n hours Claire Douglass shall join me in the crystal cavern of Silver\n Springs. If you do not grant my request every spirit of evil shall\n surround you. Palsied and blind you shall grow, and deaf--deaf to\n every sound but the ghosts of the dead, which shall pursue you by day\n and haunt you by night. Do you swear to obey my dying request, or will\n you refuse me, and reap the prophecy of a dying woman, which shall\n rest upon your cowardly head for refusing to obey God's will?\"\n\n The old woman was shaking like an aspen. Her eyes protruded with fear,\n and great beads of perspiration rolled down her cheeks. The strength\n of the dying girl's will had prevailed, and the old woman answered: \"I\n promises, honey; I promises.\"\n\n It was a solemn and awful sight that night, witnessed alone by God and\n nature; the boat, which drifted down Silver Springs in the moonlight,\n bearing its two strange occupants--the one weird, bent, grotesque; the\n other, so silent, so white, so pathetic, in its dead loveliness. Not\n a leaf was stirring, not a sound heard, but the splash, splash of the\n old woman's oars, as her boat, with its strange, beautiful burden,\n drifted over the curious, transparent body of water; drifted until it\n reached Boiling Springs, then veered about and stood still. Gently\n and easily, as if it had been a babe, the old woman lifted the little\n body. Something of her fear had departed in the placid smile of the\n dead face. Tears rolled down her dusky face as she bent forward in\n obedience to the girl's curious request. For a moment the body rocked\n to and fro on the bosom of the water, upon which its happiest moments\n had been spent. The dead face smiled, and the wealth of hair gleamed\n in the moonlight like a sheen of gold. Every pebble was visible in the\n depths below. Suddenly, as if by magic, the body began sinking. The\n boiling of the spring had ceased, showing a peculiar little fissure in\n the rock from whence all the strange body of water came. The fissure\n slowly divided, received the dead body and closed again, shutting\n every vestige of it from view.\n\n \"Gord A'mighty, dat chile a angel sho' nuff. She mus' done talked to\n de Lawd; she knowed how all dat gwine to be,\" muttered the old woman,\n as she rowed back to her cabin in the moonlight.\n\n A mocking-bird on the opposite shore sent forth a flood of silvery\n melody. \"Hear dat now,\" muttered Aunt Silly; \"dat bird done sendin'\n forth de weddin' song o' de bridegroom. Come on, Claire Douglass, yo'\n little bride am waitin' for you more pacifyin' den she waited many a\n long day.\"\n\n The day following the death of Bernice Mayo was one never to be\n forgotten by the citizens of Ocala. Claire Douglass had just returned\n after a year's absence. He found his beautiful cousin (whom his father\n desired to become his wife) a guest at the home of his parents.\n\n \"Claire,\" said his father as they lingered over the breakfast table,\n \"I have a fine, new skiff at Silver Springs, and I wish you to take\n your cousin for a row this morning; and, by the permission of you\n young people, I shall make one of your party.\"\n\n \"Delightful, uncle,\" cried the girl; and Claire, while he turned a\n trifle pale at the thought of returning to the spot where all that\n had given color to his life had transpired, could only acquiesce.\n\n Claire Douglass looked unusually handsome as the party drifted down\n Silver Springs in the April sunshine, but there was a curious pallor\n on his face, and the uncle and niece were left to carry on all the\n conversation. What a contrast the blooming girl in April sunshine\n bore to the one in the solemn moonlight, who had drifted over the\n same water the evening before! As the skiff neared Boiling Springs\n the party noted a little boat hovering over it. The boat was rowed by\n Aunt Silly; and its other occupant was an old woman, whose eyes were\n swollen with weeping. The skiff paused beside the little rowboat, and\n the occupants of each gazed into the curious, transparent depths below.\n\n Suddenly the niece cried out, \"Oh, see, that looks like a hand; a\n little human hand!\" Plainer and more visible it grew, the little\n white hand with its gold chain locked above the slender wrist. Ah,\n little hand, Claire Douglass would have known you among ten thousand\n hands! His face was white as death and he gasped as though choking.\n All were intent upon the scene below. Suddenly the boiling of the\n water ceased, and out upon a rock in its transparent depths, like a\n broken, beautiful lily, lay Bernice Mayo, her golden hair floating\n on the sand, her dead face smiling placidly, as if at last a halo of\n peace had descended upon the tired spirit, and the broken heart had\n found rest. With a wild cry that pierced even the heart of the mother,\n who for the last time in life gazed upon the dead face of her child,\n Claire Douglass dashed overboard, diving deeper, ever deeper, until he\n caught in his arms the little figure of his dead love.\n\n Then once more the rock divided and closed, shutting from view forever\n the lovers, who lay locked in each other's embrace. And again the\n water whirled and boiled in its mad fury, as if to defy the puny will\n of him who would have separated what God had joined together.\n\n As for the first time the secret bridal chamber of Silver Springs has\n been made known to the world, it will be interesting to its future\n visitors, as they approach that part of it known as \"Boiling Springs,\"\n to note in the whir of the water beneath (the only part of the water\n not perfectly placid) the constant shower of tiny, pearl-like shells\n poured forth from the fissure in the rock, and which Aunt Silly says\n are the jewels the angels gave Bernice Mayo upon her wedding morning\n when her lover joined her in their fairy palace in Silver Springs.\n There is, too, a curious flower growing in the springs--a flower with\n leaf like a lily, and a blossom shaped like an orange blossom. Its\n peculiar waxy whiteness and yellow petals are like Bernice Mayo's face\n and hair, Aunt Silly says, and she calls them \"Bernice Bridal Wreath.\"\n There is a legend among the young people of Ocala that a woman\n presented with one of these blossoms will become a bride ere the close\n of the year.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII\n\n\nRobert was greatly impressed with this story and what they told him\nabout the wonderful powers of Lady Bersford. After consulting with his\nfriends, he decided to go immediately to Silver Springs to see her.\nOn Sunday morning about 10 o'clock he boarded a local airplane for\nSilver Springs and arrived in the afternoon. It was a fitting setting\nfor the scene. The day was beautiful, the sunshine at its best. Robert\nhad watched the plane as it flew swiftly across the country. He had\nviewed the many beautiful orange groves and thought of the wonderful\nwork of the hand of Nature in painting beauty grander than any hand of\nman could ever do. Here he thought of something that he would write of\nMarie in contrast to her beauty.\n\nAfter thoughts of Marie's beauty had flitted thru Robert's brain and\nhis dream and hope for Marie had revived, he was feeling hopeful and\nenthusiastic. Lady Bersford upon receiving the letter of introduction\nfrom her friends, greeted Robert with unusual courtesy. He told his\nstory. She listened attentively and when he had finished telling her\nabout the mysterious letter, she said that there was an interpreter\nat the hotel who understood most any foreign language and that she\nwas sure he could interpret the letter. Robert was elated because\nLady Bersford showed such a great interest and desire to help him.\nHe related all the obstacles he had met with in trying to get the\nletter interpreted before, and had almost lost hope of ever getting it\ninterpreted. She assured him that her friendship with the interpreter\nwould at this time bring results.\n\nRobert was anxious to see Silver Springs and Lady Bersford was anxious\nfor him to go and see it immediately and said that after their return\nshe would see the interpreter and get the mysterious letter read. They\nwent to the Springs and slowly rowed out on the beautiful waters.\nRobert had heard the story and when the boat slowly came to a stop\nover \"The Bridal Chamber\" and he saw the face of a beautiful woman in\nthe rocks his heart almost failed him. He thought of the sorrows he\nhad gone thru and wondered if such a fate might have been Marie's.\nThe beautiful waters reflected the most radiant colors Robert had\never seen in his life. He secretly prayed the greatest prayer of\nhis life, that he might meet Marie here and with all of her beauty,\nwhere they could enjoy the beauty of nature together. When he looked\nthru the transparent waters into the bridal chamber, it brought him\nback to Sunday morning, June 5, 1927, when he had expected to marry\nMarie. Tears streamed down his cheeks and Lady Bersford realizing the\nsituation and knowing that she could say little, remained in silence\nuntil Robert's emotions had passed. Then she told of her admiration for\nhis love and devotion to Marie and said that a scene like this, painted\nby the hand of Nature was calculated to melt the heart of the most\ncold-blooded man on earth. Robert asked the man who was rowing the boat\nto row back to the place where the face of the spirit bride showed in\nthe water and as he looked down at the face again, he thought of Marie\nand this is what he said: \"Most beautiful face in all the world, best\nbeloved eyes that inspired the best in me, the days pass by on leaden\nwings, when only in memory your dear eyes shine for me.\" Somehow the\nbeautiful waters and the scenery inspired a new hope in Robert, for\nlove must ever inspire hope in man when his faith in a woman keeps the\nlovelight burning on the altar of his heart.\n\nRobert and Lady Bersford returned to the hotel. After dinner, Lady\nBersford met Robert and told him that she had found the interpreter\nand he had agreed to read the mysterious letter that evening. Robert,\nhaving met with so many disappointments, felt that he must make sure\nthis time he would get the letter read. He met the interpreter, went\nover the whole story with him, told him that no matter what the letter\ncontained, good or bad, he must know the truth and nothing but the\ntruth. Said he would pay any sum that the interpreter might name, and\npay it in advance, if he would agree to read the letter regardless of\nwhat it contained. His plea was so earnest that the interpreter saw\nthat his heart was breaking and told him that no amount of money would\ninfluence him as much to read the letter as the desire to relieve an\nhonest, loyal heart which was breaking for a great love. Such men as he\nwas our country's need in time of peril and such loyalty and devotion\nto a woman was found in but few men; that it seemed more divine than\nreal, and that he would interpret the letter gladly and willingly.\nWhen Robert was fully assured at this time that there would be no\ndisappointment, he was supremely happy. He grabbed the hand of Lady\nBersford, thanked her, and fell upon his knees before the interpreter\nand thanked him in advance for his promise to interpret the letter.\n\n\"Now let us delay no longer,\" said the interpreter, \"give me the letter\nand I will read it.\" Robert had always carried the letter in a wallet\nin his pocket, never letting it get out of his possession. Had it\ncarefully folded up in some other papers. He pulled forth the wallet\nfrom his pocket, opened it up and looked for the letter. It was not\nthere. He searched the wallet carefully but there was no mistake about\nit. The letter was gone. The disappointment was another great blow to\nhim. He talked the matter over with the interpreter and Lady Bersford\nand was at a loss to understand how the letter could have disappeared\nfrom his pocket. Was sure that he had it when he was in Palm Beach.\nHe telegraphed the hotel in Palm Beach and after making a search,\nthey reported that they were unable to find the letter. Lady Bersford\nrealized the keen disappointment that the loss of this mysterious\nletter had brought Robert, so she told him that she would use her\nspiritual powers every way possible to solve the mystery of the letter\nand try to help him find Marie, and that if he would leave her alone\nin silence that night, the following day she would report to him the\ninformation she received.\n\nRobert arose early the next morning and decided that he would go to\nSilver Springs and see this beautiful spot just as the sun was rising.\nIt was a beautiful morning and he rode out upon the waters, listened to\nthe songs of the birds, watched the beautiful fish running to and fro\nin the clear waters. He again thought of the story of the spirit bride\nwhom the legend said appeared upon the waters on moonlight nights. His\nmind went back to the fishing trip at Spirit Lake, Arkansas. He thought\nof the story of Spirit Lake and how he was impressed as a child with\nthat story. Now it seemed more vivid and real. His mind reverted back\nto the death of Henry Watson and he thought \"Is it my fate to visit\nplaces and to hear stories of tragedy and disappointment of lovers,\nand in the end, will my fate be like theirs? Must I sink into the\nwaters of forgetfulness without ever again seeing the best beloved\nface in all the world, Marie's? After all, is it like Henry Watson\nsaid: 'Hope is but an anchor to the soul, but facts are stubborn things\nand we must face them?'\" For a moment, Robert felt that he had been\nclinging to hope all these years and he was almost ready to bid hope\ndepart and leave him alone to facts, but even then he knew that if hope\nshould depart and not hold aloft a light of Marie's love, he at that\nmoment would follow the course of the lover of the spirit bride and go\noverboard, to be swallowed up in the beautiful waters, to release his\nspirit, that it might soar away to find Marie. The man who was rowing\nthe boat, noticed that Robert had fallen into a death-like silence. He\nasked him if he was ready to return. Robert awakened as if by a shot\nand said \"Yes.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIII\n\n\nHe drove back to the hotel, found Lady Bersford awaiting him. He ate\nhis breakfast hurriedly and retired to a secret corner in the hotel\nwhere they would be alone and he could hear what Lady Bersford had\ngathered from the spirit world the night before. Her first words when\nhe entered the room were, \"Mr. Gordon, I have good news for you and I\nknow that you can depend on it. Last night a spirit appeared that I\nhad never seen or heard before. It was an Indian girl, named 'Laughing\nWaters,' who said she was the daughter of Chief Okeehumkee who once\nlived near Silver Springs and on account of the loss of her lover had\ndrowned herself in the Springs.\" At this point Lady Bersford handed\nRobert Gordon a booklet on Silver Springs containing a legend about the\ndeath of Laughing Waters, and he read it hastily.\n\n\nAN INDIAN LEGEND\n\n A long time ago when Okeehumkee was king over the tribes of Indians\n who roamed and hunted around the Southwestern lakes, an event occurred\n which filled many hearts with horror. The king had a daughter whose\n rare beauty was the pride of the old man's life, and an idol of the\n braves. She was a coveted prize. Chiefs and warriors vied with each\n other as to who should present the most valuable gift, when her hand\n was sought from the king, her father. But the daughter had already\n seen and loved Chuleotah, the renowned chief of a tribe which dwelt\n among the wild groves of Silver Springs. But it was a sad truth that\n between the old chief and the young chief, and their tribes, there had\n long been a deadly feud. They were enemies. When Okeehumkee learned\n that Chuleotah had gained the affections of his beloved child, not\n many weeks passed away before the noble Chuleotah was slain. Slain,\n too, by the father. Dead! Her lover dead! Poor child. Will she return\n to the paternal lodge and dwell among her people while her father's\n hand is stained with the drippings of her lover's scalp? No. She\n hurries away to the well-known fountain. It was a favorite spot, where\n herself and Chuleotah met on the glassy bottom of the Springs. The\n pale ghost of Chuleotah stands beckoning her to come. All was still\n save the night winds that sighed and moaned thru the lofty pines. Then\n came the girl to the side of the Springs. For a moment she paused upon\n the edge of the Springs, then met her palms above her head, and, with\n a wild leap, she fell into the whelming waves. She had gone to one of\n those enchanted isles, far out in the Western Seas, where the maiden\n and her lover are united, and where both have found another Silver\n Springs.\n\nLady Bersford said that Laughing Waters' spirit told her that after\nshe drowned herself and her spirit was released, she had been very\nhappy in finding others who met disappointment in love and helping to\nrelieve their sufferings and bring about an understanding and reunite\nthe separated. Laughing Waters said: \"Marie is still alive and for\nmysterious reasons is keeping in hiding from her parents and everyone\nelse, but her love is as strong as the Rock of Gibraltar, and she will\nkeep her promise to return to Robert when he needs her most. It was the\nspirit of Marie that Robert saw on the streets in Paris. Marie was\nnot there and never had been, but Robert loved her so much and longed\nfor her until Marie's spirit, which had always been closely in touch\nwith Robert, was able to leave her body and appear to comfort him. It\nwas Marie's spirit he saw at the ballroom. She was not there at all.\nIt occurred because Robert needed some hope and encouragement to go\non and wait until the proper time when Marie would return to him. The\nmysterious letter never existed. It was a delusion and a power of the\nsubconscious mind. This power is known and understood by the adepts of\nIndia. Some of my tribe knew how to project the subconscious mind, or\nspirit, as some called it, anywhere they desired. Robert's subconscious\nmind had received impressions so long and he had hoped and desired so\nlong for a letter from Marie, that when her spirit appeared he expected\na message, a letter, or some communication, and he really thought she\ndropped a letter. This power so strongly impressed the subconscious\nmind that he was able to make other people feel, believe and see the\nletter, but of course they could not read or interpret it, because\nthere was no letter or written message and that is why they all acted\nso strangely about it. When Robert at last met you, a spiritualist\nand an unselfish woman, and the interpreter, an honest, unselfish man\nrefusing to accept any amount of money to read the mysterious letter,\nI knew that no letter ever existed and removed the impression from\nRobert's subconscious mind and when he went to look for the letter, of\ncourse it was not there, and never was because it only existed in his\nsubconscious mind.\"\n\nAfter this, Robert was much more cheerful and hopeful. His own mind\ntold him that he was at last on the right track. He thought of the laws\nlaid down in the Bible; remembered what Jesus said when they asked\nhim for a sign that the Son of man would remain three days and three\nnights in the heart of the earth, then rise and ascend to heaven.\nRobert knew the meaning of this. He knew that sorrows, sufferings and\ndisappointment had to come before joy and happiness; for every day of\nsunshine comes a night of darkness, for every aching in the heart there\nis a returning flow. That all the laws of Nature taught the eternal\nlaw of action and reaction. He took great comfort in this; knew that\nthe promise was laid down in the Bible of great reward for love and\nfaithfulness and he felt very happy because he believed \"Laughing\nWaters'\" story that Marie would come into his life again.\n\nRobert remained a few days longer at Silver Springs. Enjoyed being\nwith Lady Bersford and told her of his understanding of the Bible and\nnatural laws. She said that the pure, clean life he had led was what\nhad brought him in contact with the spirits that had revealed to him\nthe truth. Many seances were held with \"Laughing Waters,\" who was very\nfond of Robert and anxious to help him all she could. She said that\nRobert had a love the same as she had, that he had rather die than give\nup Marie, but that he would attain the greatest honor of any man on\nearth except Jesus Christ, because he was following the law of love and\nthat law would bring to him his own Marie and he would spend many happy\nyears with her. She told him that the great Chief whose spirit was\nwith her, had confirmed all she had told them.\n\nWhen Robert prepared to depart from Silver Springs, his heart was\nfilled with gratitude, for Lady Bersford and all she had done for him.\nHe wanted to pay her for her services and if she would name the amount,\nhe would write a check for it. She explained that she was a very\nwealthy woman, with a large estate in England; that she had gone into\nthis work at the solicitation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for the good\nthat she could do for others and not for any monetary consideration.\nHer reward for being unselfish and trying to help him was his\nappreciation, she said. This attitude on the part of Lady Bersford was\na great comfort to Robert and gave him more faith in the Bible. He knew\nthat the law that \"whatsoever a man soweth, he shall also reap\" was a\ndivine law and a natural law, that no man could break it or evade it,\nand that his reward was just as sure as the law was inevitable. He had\nread Emerson's \"Essay on Compensation,\" and strongly believed that.\nHe said to Lady Bersford, \"Your reward is sure, because you are doing\nright, giving out the best you can to help others, and only good will\nreturn to you.\"\n\nLady Bersford said, \"Thank you very much, Mr. Gordon, I have enjoyed\nour visits and hope that we will meet again some time. May I ask where\nyou are going from here?\" \"I am going direct to New York as I have\nimportant business matters to look after there,\" he replied. \"Mr.\nGordon, you don't look strong,\" she said. \"It seems to me you need to\ntake more care of your health and have more rest. I am going from\nhere to Sebring, Florida. Have heard so many stories of this wonderful\nplace that I want to go there to recoup my health.\" \"Is it a health\nresort?\" asked Robert. Lady Bersford said, \"I understand there is a\nsunshine sanitarium there. They teach you how to eat and play. The\nwater is the finest in the State of Florida; in fact, one of the few\nplaces in Florida where you can get good drinking water. The climate is\nideal. Lake Jackson, one of the most beautiful lakes in the State is\nnear there, as well as many others. I am told the fishing and boating\nis fine. The Kissimmee River is near there. This beautiful river is\nassociated with songs and stories of the Southland and I am anxious\nto see it. I met some friends in England who spent the past winter at\nSebring and they were enthusiastic over the place. They had regained\ntheir health and felt that it was the place Ponce de Leon was looking\nfor when he made his search to find the fountain of youth. They said\nthat Sebring had more sunshine than any other place in Florida. I made\nup my mind that I would never leave Florida before I visited this\nwonderful spot and see what it would do for my health.\"\n\nRobert was very much impressed with Lady Bersford's report on Sebring\nand decided that it must be the ideal place for a tired business man\nto go and enjoy the sports and recoup his health. It took very little\npersuading on the part of Lady Bersford to get Robert to go to Sebring\nwith her.\n\nOn March 27th, Lady Bersford and Robert Gordon arrived in Sebring,\nFlorida. They found everything just as had been described by her\nfriends. The climate was ideal, fishing good. Robert enjoyed the golf\nlinks and his health began to improve a few days after he arrived.\nTime went by rapidly and a month was gone before Robert knew it. He\nhad regained health so rapidly that he felt he had indeed found the\nFountain of Youth. Having been born on the farm, he loved nature. The\nbeautiful scenery around Sebring delighted him; made him forget his\ntroubles and caused him to be more hopeful of the future. He dreamed\nof the day when Marie might return to him, and he could take her to\nFlorida to see beautiful Silver Springs, then to Sebring to see all\nthe beautiful lakes and the Kissimmee River. If her health should ever\nbe bad, that would be the place to restore her and she would enjoy the\nsurrounding country as he had.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIV\n\n\nIn the latter part of April, Robert decided that he must return to New\nYork and take up his duties. He said good-bye to Lady Bersford. Was\nprofuse in his thanks; assured her that he owed her a great debt of\ngratitude for the comforting messages that she had brought to him thru\n\"Laughing Waters\" and above all was under lasting obligation for the\ngreat kindness she had rendered in bringing him to Sebring where he had\nfully regained his health. She assured him that it was a real pleasure\nto her to have been of service and invited him to visit her estate in\nEngland on his next trip over.\n\nAs Robert started toward New York, his heart was light, his hopes\nwere revived and he had greater faith than ever that Marie was alive\nand would in the not distant future return to him. When he arrived\nin New York he went direct to his office and laboratory. Walter and\nEdna greeted him with enthusiasm. Were happy to see him looking so\nwell. Walter grabbed both of Robert's hands and said, \"Old pal, I have\nnever seen you looking so well. You must have found Ponce de Leon's\nfountain of eternal youth while you were in Florida.\" Robert replied,\n\"I certainly did. Had some wonderful experience at Silver Springs,\nthe most beautiful spot in Florida. It was there that I received\ninformation that made me very happy because it made me sure that Marie\nis alive and will return to me. Also while there I heard about the most\nwonderful health resort in the world at Sebring, Florida, where I went\nand indeed found the 'fountain of youth,' spending over a month there\nplaying, fishing and boating. It is about the only place in Florida\nwhere you can get good water to drink without having it shipped in. The\nsunshine and climate are ideal. I began to get better the second day\nafter I was there and gained strength every day. You should certainly\ngo to Florida on a vacation next winter and spend your time at Sebring.\nIf you ever get married, be sure to go to Silver Springs on your\nhoneymoon for you will enjoy this beautiful spot and scenery. Take the\ntrip down Silver River to the Ocklawaha, then down the beautiful St.\nJohns River. If you can make the trip next March or early April, you\nwill find Nature at her best. You will forget all of your troubles, for\nNature has so staged the scenery that it reminds you only of pleasant\nthings and inspires hope and happiness in the future.\"\n\nWhen Robert had finished telling about the beauties of Florida, Walter\nacted bashful and Edna looked rather sheepish. Then Walter said,\n\"Robert, we have a big surprise for you. Edna and I are going to be\nmarried in June.\" \"Well, this is quite a surprise,\" said Robert, \"but I\nknew it would come sooner or later. You must have thought I guessed it\nwhen I talked about you going on a honeymoon. I congratulate you both\nand wish you all the happiness in the world. You are entitled to it and\nI know that you will be happy together.\"\n\nThe news of their coming marriage was not the only good news they\nhad. Walter and Edna had been working day and night for months on a\ngreat chemical discovery and had now succeeded in completing it. This\ndiscovery was a perfectly harmless gas to be used in war or for medical\npurposes. It would put people to sleep and they would remain asleep\nfor 7 days, with no ill effects. It had always been Robert's desire to\nhave something to use in war which would not destroy human lives and\nhe was very much elated over Walter's discovery. Walter told him that\nhe had already tested it and that Edna had such confidence in him, she\nhad taken the gas, remained asleep for 7 days, and felt no ill effects.\nWalter knew just exactly why it worked, because he was a great chemist\nand knew the natural law behind the discovery. He told Robert that this\nmust be kept a secret until time of war when with the new ship \"Marie\nthe Angel of Mercy,\" traveling 1000 miles an hour, they could go from\none city to another or from one battlefield to another, release the gas\nand put everyone to sleep for 7 days. In the meantime, with \"The Demon\nof Death\"--they could destroy the enemy's bases and fortifications;\nwould be able to make their own peace terms with the enemy, and at the\nsame time obey the divine command of God \"Thou shalt not kill.\"\n\nCotton had been advancing rapidly and Robert and Walter were making\nmoney fast. Robert told Walter and Edna that on June 9th, his birthday,\nhe was going to give them a big dinner and celebration before their\nmarriage. It was now time to declare a holiday and have a real jubilee\ncelebration after their great discoveries were completed, that it was\nbut fitting to crown the event with the marriage of Edna and Walter.\nThey were now in position to sit calmly by and wait for the great war\nin the air knowing that, with their secret discoveries, they were\nprepared to save the United States in time of war and at the same time\nwithout sacrificing too many human lives.\n\nThe birthday party was a great success. Robert spared no expense in\norder to have everything of the best. Before the dinner which was\nserved in a private dining-room, Robert sprung a great surprise. He\narose and made the following speech: \"Comrades and friends, we have\ntraveled the path of life together. Some of us have run the gauntlet\nof human emotions. We have gone down to the depths of despair; have\nreached the heights of financial glory; have seen our greatest dreams\nrealized. God has been good to us. Our great discoveries are now\ncompleted. Fame and fortune have crowned our efforts. You, Edna and\nWalter, are now to reach the heights of greatest bliss. You are to\nhave the satisfaction of being united in marriage, to continue your\nwork together and do the greatest good for the greatest number. You\nhave been unselfish in your devotion to me and in your loyalty to\nyour country. The Bible says that where two or three are gathered\ntogether, there God will be to own and to bless. Since God created\nthe world, the Holy Trinity has been the greatest power and it is\nreferred to many times in the Bible as Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and\non this mundane sphere we know that happiness comes to husband, wife\nand child. The Bible says that one cannot do much alone, that there\nis need of two together, and that a three-fold cord is not easily\nbroken. Edna, your devotion to Walter has been his inspiration and\nhas led him to the great discovery which will relieve suffering in\nthe world. Your confidence in him in placing your life in his hands\nto test this great discovery, deserves great credit and no honor or\nreward is too great for you, but the honor that men can give or the\nworld or your Government, are but empty and mean nothing to the heart\nof a loyal woman. You are to have the greatest reward in Walter's love\nand this means more to you than any honors the world can give. It will\nsatisfy when the shouts of the hero-worshippers have died away. When\nmoney, with all it can buy, has vanished and nothing else remains but\nthe lovelight in Walter's eyes, you will find happiness.\" Robert then\npresented a beautiful brooch made with the seal of Solomon, constructed\nwith a double triangle, and set with three beautiful diamonds. In the\ncenter of the seal was a heart and in the center of the heart was a\ndiamond. He said, \"Edna, I present this to you as your wedding gift.\nIt will be a symbol to you of how the three of us have worked together\nin love, loyalty and faith, to accomplish something for others thru\nunselfish devotion. With the love of the one must come the love of the\nmany. One touch of Nature makes the whole world kin, and when once\na woman's eyes have looked into a man's with understanding love, he\nneed seek no farther for the philosopher's stone, because after that\neverything he touches will turn to gold. This brooch and the diamonds\nare emblematic of your purity. The diamonds are the most durable and\nbeautiful of all precious stones. They reflect all the beautiful\ncolors of the rainbow which reveals God's covenant with man. That is\nwhy the diamonds are used as an engagement ring, but few there are who\nknow and understand the real meaning and live in accordance with it.\nYou will ever reflect the beauty of the diamonds. Your love for Walter,\nwhich is the love I am sure never changes, will remain fixed as the\nmountain ranges. Remember that the diamond has gone thru the greatest\nfire and heat and has emerged with all its strength and beauty. You\nmust learn to go thru trials and tribulations, to help Walter in time\nof trouble and to emerge unscathed, reflecting love and beauty. Walter,\nI commend to your care and keeping, a jewel more precious than diamonds\nor rubies--a good woman. May your loyalty and devotion ever keep her as\nsuch.\"\n\nThe dinner was then served and Edna proved that, as an after-dinner\nspeaker, she had some ability. She arose, drank a glass of pure water,\npouring part of it on the floor and said, \"Mr. Gordon, my vocabulary\nis now destitute of the poetic rhyme that would be necessary to bring\ninto existence words to express to you my heartfelt thanks for the\nfavor already in hand. I have been so over-generous in loving Walter\nthat I feel that I've neglected to extend to you the friendship due to\na man of such noble ideals. As I pour this pure water back to earth,\nI am following an ancient custom. Before they entered upon any solemn\nobligation, they washed their hands in pure water, touched their lips\nwith pure water, to purify them and to seal the records of the past.\nThey poured the pure water back to earth, in memory of the absent and\ndead. I pour this pure water back to earth that in the presence of the\nliving we are not forgetting the absent one, and the greatest wish\nthat I can have for you, Mr. Gordon, is that at a not distant date,\nWalter and I may have the great pleasure of joining Marie and yourself\nin an occasion like this. Words are idle now, they mean but little when\nthe heart is touched. I accept your beautiful gift with all gratitude.\nIt is my prayer that the day may come when you may have another brooch\nmade with two hearts entwined, set with a single solitaire, emblematic\nof your faith and pure love for Marie. I pray for you the gifts of all\nthe Gods, and may your prayers be answered as the prayers of Pygmalion\nwere whose faith and love were so strong that the Grecian Gods turned\na piece of cold marble into the living form of a beautiful woman. But,\nRobert, when Marie returns to you in all her beauty, I am sure that you\nwill not act in the way that Pygmalion did, when he caused Galatea to\npray to the Grecian Gods to turn her back to cold marble again. I am\nsure, yes, I know, that such devotion as yours will keep Marie always\nwhen she returns to you.\"\n\nWhen Edna had finished, Walter arose and said, \"Robert, there is\nnothing left for me to say, I thank you.\"\n\nOn the 24th of June, Walter and Edna were married. Robert suggested\nthat for their honeymoon they go up thru Canada and see the beautiful\nscenery there, then go down thru California and in the Fall and Winter,\ntake a second honeymoon trip to Florida and visit Silver Springs and\nSebring. Robert's mind always drifted back to the beautiful places\nwhere he thought people in love would find harmony and could commune\nwith Nature.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXV\n\n\nIn the Fall of 1929, Robert and Walter made a large amount of money in\ncotton and wheat. Robert was unusually happy. Altho over three years\nhad passed without any direct news of Marie he was sure she was alive;\nfelt that the time was not long to wait before she would reappear.\nThe war clouds had begun to appear as Robert had predicted. Spain and\nJapan were threatening the United States. Controversies over airplane\nairports arose. Japan had forbidden the United States commercial ships\nto land on her soil. Diplomatic relations were not smoothing affairs\nout and Robert knew that war was inevitable. Spain had made rapid\nprogress with airplanes and was anxious to try her power against the\nUnited States. The United States Government was waking up to the fact\nof their need of a greater air fleet and the Air Department was making\nsome great progress. Robert knew they were working on secret plans and\nknew that he had something that could be used successfully at the right\ntime. He was spending money lavishly and working to improve on his\nEzekiel plane. He was keeping everything secret, sending out plans to\ndifferent manufacturers and having the parts made, Walter and himself\nsecretly putting the machine together. Robert had made a large amount\nof money buying oil stocks. A big bull campaign in oil stocks had been\nbrought about by the decreasing oil supply. The Government realizing\nthe increased demand for gasoline on account of the large amount of\nairplanes used, knew that in time of war their success would depend\nupon the supply of oil and gas, so a decree was passed conserving\nthe oil resources. There was still a big foreign demand for oil and\ngasoline as war in Europe was still going on. Affairs in England were\nin a bad state and revolution was threatened.\n\n\nApril, 1930\n\nJapan declared war on the United States and Spain joined forces with\nher. They secured the aid of Mexico and established an air base there.\nThe United States was unprepared for war as they had not kept up the\nprogramme of building a sufficient air fleet to protect the country\nagainst invasion by such a large fleet as commanded by Japan and\nSpain. There was a hasty call by the Government for volunteers to\nthe Aviation Corps. Robert Gordon and Walter Kennelworth hastened to\nWashington, tendered their services to the Government and joined the\nAviation Corps. They were made Lieutenants and ordered immediately\nto San Antonio, Texas, where the Southern Aviation Division had its\nheadquarters. Robert offered the benefit of his experience to the\nofficials, but older and wiser heads refused to listen to his advice\nbecause they thought he was too young. At that time they knew nothing\nabout his long years of secret work and his great inventions, but they\nsoon learned the value of his discovery and patent which he had sold\nto Japan,--the muffler which made the airplane silent.\n\nThe United States Government fearing that Japan would make the first\nattack on the Pacific Coast either around Los Angeles or San Francisco,\nrushed the battle fleet to the Pacific. This proved to be one of the\ngreatest mistakes of the war. As soon as the battleships cruised into\nthe Pacific, Japan attacked from the air with their noiseless airplanes\nand began dropping deadly bombs from great heights. The anti-aircraft\nguns from the decks of the battleships were powerless to reach the\nbombing planes at such great heights. Defeat was swift and severe and\nonly a few of the battleships escaped complete destruction from the\nfirst attack. The United States Officers had found that the Japanese\nplanes could rise more than twice the altitude of the United States\nplanes. They knew that Japan had some invention that was superior to\nours which enabled them to reach such great heights that their airships\nwere practically immune from attack. This placed the United States at a\ngreat disadvantage as they were unable to protect the coast cities from\nbeing destroyed by bombs from the Japanese planes.\n\nA council of war was held. The commanding officers were called\ntogether. The President hastily summoned the Cabinet. There was no\nminimizing the danger for everyone knew that the ingenuity of Japan\nhad designed a superior fighting plane; that this was to be a war in\nthe air and that all old methods and weapons of war were obsolete;\nthat the United States must move quick and fast to prevent destruction\nof the Pacific Coast cities. They decided to confiscate the large\nmanufacturing plants and start them on making new inventions and the\nmanufacture of airplanes. Central Steel was confiscated; also Major\nMotors and Major Electric Co. The war council decided that they should\nscatter their air forces from Brownsville, Texas, up to El Paso to\nprotect the Rio Grande from attack thru Mexico; that the battle line\nshould extend up the Colorado River on across to Portland and Seattle.\nThe land forces were all rushed to the Coast, forming a battle line\nfrom Brownsville, Texas, across to the Northwest to Seattle. It was\ndecided that this line should be held with reserve forces to be sent to\nsupport a second line of defense running from San Diego up the Coast\nto Portland, to protect inland invasion by the foe in case they were\nsuccessful in capturing any of the coast cities. People in Los Angeles\nand San Francisco were in a state of turmoil. Thousands were leaving\nevery day by train and airplane, going to the Grand Canyon where there\nwere no cities and they hoped they would be safe from attacks. Others\nwent to the central and eastern parts of the United States because they\nfeared attacks any day.\n\nJapan was quick to follow up her victory gained on the water by\nattacking Los Angeles from the air in the middle of May. Here again\nthe great value of the silent motor was proved and the height to which\nthe Japanese plane could rise. As the enemy stole over the city in the\nsilence of the night, not a sound could be heard from their motors at\nthe great heights which they were sailing. Bombs began to fall in the\nbusiness section and the skyscrapers crumbled to pieces. Every street\nlight was ordered out, leaving the city in total darkness. The people\nwere aroused at the first noise of exploding bombs and rushed out to\nfind the city in darkness. This caused a panic. Army officers tried to\nquiet the people and keep them in their homes because they realized\nthe danger if they rushed out into the streets where the bombs were\nfalling. Powerful searchlights were sweeping the sky in an effort to\nlocate the invading planes. Then the giant aircraft guns were trained\non the enemy, but the distance was so great and the planes moving so\nswiftly, that they were unable to do much damage. They only succeeded\nin bringing down three of the bombing planes. The United States\nscouting planes were sent out immediately, followed by the fighting\nplanes carrying 6-inch guns. They found that the Japanese planes were\ndropping bombs from a height of 60,000 to 80,000 feet and the United\nStates planes were unable to rise high enough to attack them.\n\nThe battle waged thruout the night and when the sun rose the next\nmorning, the beautiful city of Los Angeles was in ruins. Thousands of\npeople had been killed and the most of the important buildings had been\ndestroyed. The people of Los Angeles were more excited than they had\never been during earthquakes. The destruction and loss of life were\nso great that everyone forgot all about their property and money and\nonly thought of saving their lives and protecting their loved ones. The\ncommanding officers held a hasty conference, realizing the great damage\nthe enemy had done and the small damage they had been able to inflict\nupon them and knowing that the enemy would follow this attack by more\nattacks it was decided that to force the people to remain meant certain\ndeath and a destruction of the balance of the valuable property, so the\nonly thing to do was to move the people out as fast as possible and\nsurrender the city. After the commanders had held this council, news of\ntheir decision was conveyed to the subordinate officers.\n\nLieutenant Gordon's heart was broken when he realized that the\nbeautiful city of Los Angeles must be either surrendered or destroyed,\nyet he knew that unless the Government quickly made some new and\nwonderful inventions, many more defeats were in store. When Captain\nGeorge Cooper who was in command of Lieutenant Gordon's company,\nreceived orders that no move was to be made and no scouts to be sent\nout until further instructions, he called Lieutenants Gordon and\nKennelworth and conveyed to them the orders. Lieutenant Gordon was\ndesperate. He wanted to do something to help save the situation, but\nto offer his advice to his superior officers was futile. Finally, he\ndecided to disobey orders and go out on a scouting expedition alone\nand see what he could find out. He thought he might locate a Japanese\nbase, as he believed they had a mother ship somewhere near from which\nthey were sending out the bombing planes. He was flying very low as\nhe crossed the line below San Diego. All at once a Japanese plane was\ncoming straight toward him. He immediately turned his plane and rushed\nback across the line followed closely by the enemy who was gaining on\nhim rapidly. Lieutenant Gordon whirled his plane around quickly and\ncharged the Japanese plane. The fight lasted for several minutes.\n\nAfter Lieutenant Gordon had been gone some time and failed to return\nLieutenant Kennelworth knowing that he had disobeyed orders and gone\nout with his plane decided that some harm might have come to him and\nthat he too must disobey orders and go to his rescue. He jumped into\na fast plane and sailed out, going direct toward San Diego. He soon\nsighted the two planes in combat and just before he reached the scene,\nthey went down together. His heart sank within him. He knew it was his\nold friend Robert and feared for the worst. Landing along the side of\nthe wreck he found that the Japanese aviator had been killed. Robert's\nleg had been broken; otherwise he was uninjured. He quickly hauled him\naboard his own plane and started back for headquarters and was just\nin time as other Japanese planes were approaching and followed him\nclose into Los Angeles. Lieutenant Gordon was confined to the hospital\nthree or four weeks before his leg healed and he fully recovered. He\nwas given a severe reprimand for disobeying orders but because he had\nbrought down an enemy plane the Government made him a Captain for this\nbravery and also promoted Lieutenant Kennelworth, his chum, to the same\nrank.\n\nIn the meantime, the people had been moved away from Los Angeles as\nfast as possible. There had been several minor attacks by the enemy\nand more buildings had been destroyed and only a few of the enemy's\nplanes had been brought down. The situation was desperate. People\nwere frantic. The United States was hopelessly outnumbered by the\nSpanish and Japanese air forces. England was threatening to join forces\nwith Japan and Spain. An attack on San Francisco was expected at any\nhour. People wanted to get away and move east into the mountains for\nprotection, but the Government had notified everyone to remain. The\nfact that the foreign planes were noiseless put the United States at\na great disadvantage. Robert and Walter were using their secret radio\nto communicate with each other. They had offered this invention to\nthe Government and it had been accepted. This was a great help as the\nJapanese were unable to intercept their code messages or take any\nmessage from the air because there were none.\n\nThe United States Army officers knew that they must fight for time\nto get some new inventions ready to combat the enemy. On June 14th,\nLos Angeles was surrendered. White flags were run up all over the\ncity as a signal for the enemy planes to stop attacking. The plan was\nto send no message to the enemy headquarters in Mexico but to wait\nand see what action they would take or what terms they would offer\nto make. General Pearson of the Aviation Corps, General Johnson of\nthe Cavalry, Admiral Dawson of the Navy and General Marshall of the\nInfantry held a council to decide the next and wisest move to make. A\nplan was discussed for crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico with land\ntroops and making an attempt to capture the supply base of the enemy.\nGeneral Pearson said that the days of old tactics and war had changed,\nthat the enemy evidently intended to make this a war in the air and\nthat they would attack troops from the air. To send an army into the\nmountains of Mexico would not only mean the loss of thousands of lives,\nwhich would prove useless, but that part of the air force would have\nto be sent into Mexico to protect the army and this would weaken the\ncoast patrol and give the enemy a chance to make an air attack on other\ncoast cities. Admiral Dawson said that in the weakened condition of the\nNavy, since the disaster from the first attack by the Japanese planes,\nit would be foolhardy to attempt any aggressive campaign by the Navy,\nthat what ships they had were now scattered along the Southern, Eastern\nand Western shores for protection and to concentrate them at one\npoint would only weaken other joints from which they would have to be\nwithdrawn. General Marshall was of the opinion that the best plan was\nnot to attack, but let the enemy make the first move every time and try\nto find some way to protect the coast cities, that what we needed was\ntime to get better equipped with sufficient airplanes to cope with the\nenemy's superior air force. So it was finally decided that the wisest\ncourse to pursue was a waiting attitude.\n\nThere was a panic in Wall Street when the news came of the surrender\nof Los Angeles. Edna had been left in charge of the office in New York\nand thru the secret Pocket Radio, kept in communication with Walter and\nRobert. She was conducting a campaign in the stock market for them and\nhad made a fortune on the short side of the market. Business was bad,\nand the whole country was in a state of turmoil.\n\nAfter the white flags were floated over the ruins of Los Angeles, days\nwent by and there were no more attacks by the enemy, nor was any word\nreceived from enemy headquarters. The American patrol planes around Los\nAngeles reported occasionally seeing the enemy planes scouting over\nthe city at great heights, evidently taking observation as to what\nwas going on. This mysterious action on the part of the enemy was a\nsource of worry to the commanding officers of the United States. The\npeople all over the country were in a state of anxiety, wondering where\nthe enemy would strike next. The Infantry and Cavalry were restlessly\nwaiting orders to go into action along the Rio Grande.\n\nOn the night of August 1st, the enemy planes crossed the Rio Grande\nand dropped bombs all along from Brownsville to El Paso, destroying\nproperty and killing more than a hundred thousand men among the\nInfantry and Cavalry. The enemy planes were again flying very high. The\nanti-craft guns and the attack by our planes did very little damage,\nonly bringing down five of the enemy planes along the entire lines,\nwhile more than 200 of the American airplanes were destroyed by bombs\ndropping on them from above. General Marshall in his report to General\nPearson next day said: \"Hell turned loose in the sky last night from\nBrownsville to El Paso. Our loss was terrific and the enemy's loss was\nvery small. There is but one hope and that is to get more and better\nairplanes. We must get planes that will rise to a height where they can\nreach the enemy and make the fight in the air.\"\n\nCaptain Robert Gordon was still stationed near Los Angeles and when\nnews came of the terrible loss of life along the Rio Grande, his mind\nturned to \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\"--his great plane secretly stored\naway in the Adirondack Mountains for use in just such an emergency\nas this. He knew what the \"Demon of Death\" could do and the sleeping\ngas invented by Captain Kennelworth. He thought of going to General\nPearson, telling him of his discoveries and offering them to the United\nStates to put into immediate use, but after meditating over the matter\ndecided that they would only call him a fool and refuse to listen to\nhim as they had before, because he was too young. However, he asked\nGeneral Pearson for orders to permit him to go on a scouting expedition\nover Mexico and up and down the Rio Grande to see if he could learn\nanything of value.\n\nOn the morning of August 3rd, Captain Robert Gordon traveled across\nArizona and New Mexico and as he neared El Paso saw the largest airship\nthat he had ever seen before slowly drifting over El Paso. It was a\ngiant plane and Robert knew that it was either a mother ship or one of\nthe enemy's great bombing planes which had been so high that he had\nnever been able to see them before. He began circling it at a great\ndistance, watching to see what this monster of the air was going to\ndo. Finally, it slowed down and came to a complete standstill. He saw\nthat it could anchor in the air and knew that the enemy had another\ndiscovery that would beat what the Americans had. Waiting for awhile,\nhe saw what seemed to be an observation platform emerge from the side\nof the plane. An officer appeared on it with some instruments. Captain\nGordon thought that they were either taking photographs or making\nobservations over El Paso for some purpose. Fortunately, he had started\nout on a bombing plane and had plenty of bombs on board. Decided\nthat he had but one life to give for his country and that he would\nrise as high as he could, sail swiftly over this monster and drop his\nbombs. When he got as close over it as he could gauge, he released the\nautomatic control and started dropping bombs one after another. The\nfirst bomb made a hit and struck the ship near the middle, which was\nlucky, tearing a terrific hole in it. He knew from the way it acted\nthat it was badly disabled. Now was the time to get in his effective\nwork. Dropping lower, he let go more bombs, this time striking the\ngiant ship both in the front and rear. It started to fall rapidly and\nhe followed it down and got close enough to see that there were still\nmen on board alive so he let go more bombs and in a few minutes there\nwas nothing but a wreck of the greatest dreadnought of death which had\never floated over American soil.\n\nBefore venturing to land Captain Gordon ascended to a great height,\ncircled the sky to see if there were any more enemy ships in sight\nwhich might endanger his life. Finding the air clear, he immediately\nradioed the news with his Pocket-Radio to Captain Kennelworth who was\nthen stationed at San Diego. The news was quickly flashed to General\nPearson's headquarters. On examination they found that the giant ship\nwas a mother ship more than 600 feet long, bearing the name of \"Tokyo\nJ-1\" and that it carried 25 bombing planes of the most modern type with\ncollapsible wings and equipped with powerful searchlights carrying\nbombs and poisonous gases. It was estimated that more than 100 officers\nand aviators were aboard the airship when it fell. All were killed\nbut two. They were badly wounded with broken limbs and were taken\nprisoners. There were found to be three of the enemy's planes that were\nnot damaged badly. Captain Gordon and Captain Kennelworth tested these\nplanes after they were put back in working order and found that they\nwere high altitude planes and could rise higher than any of the planes\nused by the United States. This was a great victory because it would\nenable the American inventors to find out how these planes were built\nand they could also be used against the enemy.\n\nNews of this great victory was sent to the President of the United\nStates. He ordered General Pearson to decorate Captain Gordon with the\nCross of Aviation and convey to him the gratitude of the people of the\nUnited States and the President's sincere personal appreciation. The\nafternoon newspapers in every large city in the United States carried\nin big headlines \"GIANT MOTHER SHIP CAPTURED BY DARING YOUNG AVIATOR,\nCAPTAIN ROBERT GORDON.\" The people thruout the United States breathed\na sigh of relief; felt that the tide was at last turning and that now\nsome way would be found to destroy more of the enemy's giant ships.\n\nWhen General Pearson called Captain Gordon before him, he was very\nmodest and meek because he remembered the severe reprimand before when\nhe disobeyed orders and brought down the Japanese plane near San Diego.\nThis time he had acted on instructions from General Pearson and was\nvery happy to have rendered a great service to his country. As the\nGeneral read the message from the President, tears came into his eyes.\nHe thanked his commanding officer and said that he hoped he might\nhave many more opportunities to render service to his beloved country.\nAt that time his thoughts turned to Marie and he wondered where she\nmight be and if she knew what was happening. He was especially happy\nbecause he had brought this enemy ship down in the State in which he\nwas born and that State of which he was very proud. Captain Kennelworth\ncame to congratulate him and said: \"Robert, old pal, I am very proud\nof you and your great achievement. The Lone Star State of Texas which\nwas distinguished by its brave sons at the Battle of the Alamo, has\nagain been distinguished by one of her favorite sons, and Mexico as\nwell as Spain and Japan will be made to realize that the Texans never\nsurrender.\"\n\nAfter the night attack and the great destruction along the Rio Grande,\nthe American forces waited anxiously and in peril for another attack.\nDays went by without any sign from the enemy. Los Angeles had not been\nmolested and the mystery was deepening as to what were the enemy's\nplans and the next move they would make. General Pearson had ordered\none of the planes from the \"Tokyo J-1\" sent to the Major Electric\nCompany in the East where they could experiment with it and make some\nplanes like it or better ones. He gave one of the planes to Captain\nGordon and the other to Captain Kennelworth to be put into service.\nCaptain Gordon asked that they be permitted to go into Mexico, locate\nthe enemy's headquarters and try to destroy more of their ships, but\nthe General refused to grant this request, saying that he would not\nrisk the lives of such valuable men or risk losing the ships which\nmight prove very valuable when the enemy again made an attack.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVI\n\nSeptember, 1930\n\n\nAfter long days of anxious waiting, with the people nervous and\nexcited, came the attack on San Francisco. The enemy planes attacked\nfrom the West, the South and the North, slipping in silently in large\nnumbers. Poisoned gas was turned loose, bombs were dropped all over the\ncity and most of the important business and Government buildings were\ndestroyed. The destruction was the greatest in history, much greater\nthan the earthquake in 1906. Loss of life was terrific. General Pearson\nordered Captain Gordon and Kennelworth to lead the defense of the city,\nusing the Japanese planes which had been taken from the wreck of the\n\"Tokyo J-1.\" As soon as they got in high altitude over San Francisco,\nthey could see that this was a gigantic attack. Thousands of airplanes\nwere circling the air from every direction. It was evident that the\nenemy intended to destroy San Francisco very quickly. Captain Gordon\nand Captain Kennelworth were able to keep in communication thru their\nPocket Radio. They agreed that one of them should attack the enemy\nplanes approaching from the North and the other, the planes approaching\nfrom the South and West, going as high as they could and if possible\ngetting above the enemy planes and dropping bombs on them. When\nCaptain Gordon got high in the air, he saw another mother ship anchored\nand with the smaller planes taking off from it. He sailed over and let\nloose his bombs and destroyed this ship. Other ships were coming from\nevery direction by the thousands. He sailed over them letting loose his\nbombs cautiously.\n\nCaptain Kennelworth also encountered planes by the thousands coming\nacross from the West and succeeded in bringing down numbers of them.\nFinally, the enemy planes turned on him and when he saw that escape\nseemed almost impossible, decided to try to race back to headquarters.\nThe enemy planes were firing on him. One wing of his plane was damaged,\nthen a propeller was broken and as his plane was crashing to the earth,\nhe felt that he was sure to lose his life; tried to steer the best he\ncould and finally, seeing that he was going to land on a smooth spot\nwhere there were no trees or buildings, he crawled out on top of one\nof the wings. A few minutes after the crash he regained consciousness,\nfinding himself uninjured with only a few minor scratches. Fortunately\nhe was near one of the army bases and made his way quickly there. He\ncould see to the West that San Francisco was in flames and knew that\nthe destruction was complete. His first thought was what had happened\nto his old pal, Robert Gordon. Feeling in his pocket and finding his\nradio safe, he sent the distress signal which they had always used,\nasking \"Are you alive and where are you?\" Minutes went by and no reply.\nHe was heartsick and feared that Robert had lost his life. He slowly\nmade his way to headquarters and reported what had happened.\n\nCaptain Gordon finally exhausted his bombs, but he estimated that\nhe had brought down several hundred of the enemy planes because he\nhad sailed over them where they were flying by the hundreds in wedge\nformations, each division being followed by a giant supply ship which\ncould anchor high up in the air and supply more bombs when the bombing\nplanes exhausted their supply and returned for more. Robert thought,\n\"this is just what our Government needs. If there were only a supply\nship in the air now where I could go and get more bombs, I could bring\ndown hundreds more of the enemy's planes.\" He decided to make his way\nback to the base or headquarters as he was powerless without bombs,\nbut his decision was too late. The enemy planes had located him and\nwere coming straight toward him. He speeded up and tried to make his\nway to safety, fearing that any minute the enemy would fire on him or\ndrop a bomb on his plane, but the Japanese had discovered that he was\nflying one of their own planes and they thought he was one of their\nown aviators and had no intention of harming him. When they got close\nenough to see that the plane was piloted by an American aviator, they\nflew close beside him, signaled him to follow them, one plane leading\nand two others falling in beside him. There was nothing else to do and\nhe was glad of a chance to save his life. They led him up, up, up,\nthousands of feet in the air, finally reached a giant plane anchored,\nwhere they landed, taking Captain Gordon a prisoner.\n\nAs soon as they had landed with him, his mind went back to the days of\nhis youth, when he had built his first bicycle to ride on the water,\nand when he had read the Bible and talked about the wars to come and\nmade his plans for the great airship. He recalled the dream his mother\nhad which greatly disturbed her. She told him she dreamed that she saw\nSan Francisco destroyed by some terrible machine and that one of her\nsons had nearly lost his life there. He thought of how his mother had\ntold him about his oldest brother losing his life in the San Francisco\nearthquake and he wondered if now he was to lose his life there,\nbecause he felt that the Japs were very treacherous and would probably\nnot keep him a prisoner but would take his life. He prayed for his dear\nold mother and prayed for Marie that she might be safe and her life be\nspared, no matter what his fate might be.\n\nThrough all this excitement, for the first time he thought of his\nPocket-Radio. Before he could get it out of his pocket, he received the\nS.O.S. signal from Walter and answered, telling him what had happened\nand where he was.\n\nEver since the first battle of Los Angeles, the United States officers\nhad felt certain that an attack would come upon San Francisco and\nhad prepared for it the best way possible. They had concentrated a\ngreater portion of their best airplanes there and had thrown them into\nthe fight by the thousands and they had gone down in large numbers,\nnot only being outnumbered by the enemy planes but being unable to\nfollow the enemy planes high enough to destroy them. When reports\nwere made the following morning, more than three thousand of this\ncountry's airplanes had been lost. The loss of life in San Francisco\nwas appalling. Almost half of the population had been wiped out. Most\nof the valuable buildings had been destroyed. All the ships anchored\nin the harbor were blown to pieces. A poisonous gas which American\nchemists had never seen or heard of before had been distributed all\nover San Francisco and the people who were left were sick and dying by\nthe thousands. The waters in the bay had been poisoned and the fish\nwere dying from this deadly gas. It was indeed a time of trouble such\nas the world has never known, as spoken of by St. John in the Book of\nRevelation.\n\nThe capture of Captain Gordon and the loss of both of the Japanese\nairplanes which had been captured at the destruction of the \"Tokyo J-1\"\nwas a disheartening blow, because Captain Kennelworth had reported how\neffectively he had worked over the enemy planes and how many he had\ndestroyed. He was sure that Captain Gordon had destroyed many of their\nplanes. When a survey was made of the city it was found that several\nhundred of the enemy's planes had been brought down. Most of this was\nattributed to the work done by Captains Gordon and Kennelworth with the\nhigh altitude foreign planes. When all reports were in, the commanders\nof the United States armies got together for a conference. This\ndisaster in such a short time was bewildering and it required quick\ndecision as to the next move. They were at a loss to figure out what\nthe enemy's next move would be, remembering that after Los Angeles had\nbeen surrendered and the white flag had floated over it, it had never\nbeen molested. Knowing that another attack would finish the remains of\nSan Francisco, they decided to surrender it, and again the white flag\nwas raised over all the remaining buildings. When General Pearson saw\nthese instructions being carried out, he was overcome with emotion.\nTears were flowing down his cheeks and he exclaimed; \"My God, my God,\nis the land of liberty to be destroyed? Is there no way to prevent this\ndeadly destruction?\"\n\nAs soon as the Japanese had captured Captain Gordon they knew who\nhe was. He was the man who had sold them the great silent muffler.\nThey brought him to headquarters in Mexico where he was questioned\nas to what other inventions he had. He told them that the only\ninvention he had of value was the secret radio, with which he could\nsend communications without any sound in the air and without anyone\nintercepting the messages, but made no mention of the other discoveries\nthat he had which he knew could be used in time of emergency and of\nwhich he had never told the United States Government officials. The\nJapanese offered Robert his freedom and a large amount of money if\nhe would sell them this invention. After communicating secretly and\nsilently with Walter, Robert had him tell the commanding General about\nthe proposition the Japanese had offered him and asked for instructions\nas to what he should do. Their reply was to remain prisoner and not\ngive up any of his secrets to the enemy, because the situation was\nbad enough at the best. But Robert knew that his services would be of\ngreater value to his Government and that it was bad judgment for him\nto remain a prisoner. He felt that he could make another invention\nfor communications which would outwit the Japs, so he decided on his\nown responsibility to give up the secret radio, and after they tested\nit, they gave him his freedom and conveyed him safely out of the enemy\nlines. Robert returned to headquarters near San Francisco and reported\nto Colonel Davis just what he had done. He was immediately sent\nbefore General Pearson who was then in command of the United States\nAir forces. General Pearson after hearing the story and considering\nRobert's splendid record, decided that clemency should be extended to\nhim but, before doing so, decided to communicate with the President of\nthe United States and await his decision and instructions. A meeting of\nthe Cabinet was called and they voted that Captain Gordon was a traitor\nto his country, but decided that he should not be court-martialed and\nshot, but dishonored. Orders were sent that his uniform be torn from\nhim and that he be held a prisoner. This was the greatest blow to\nRobert that had ever befallen him since the loss of Marie, but he had\nfaith in God. He knew that he had done right and what was for the best,\njust as the Creator of the universe does all things well and for the\nbest. He read his Bible that night while in prison and was consoled\nby reading Job, where he said, \"Lord, Lord, I'll wait until my change\ncomes.\" Robert knew that the time would come when he would be able to\ndemonstrate to his Government that his judgment was right and that\nhe was acting for the best. His heart and soul were with his country\nand he would sacrifice time and money to be prepared to protect his\nGovernment. He asked to be allowed to have a conference with Walter,\nwhich was granted. Told Walter to say nothing about his sleeping gas\ndiscovery or the \"Demon of Death,\"--the great light ray destroyer\nwhich they could use, and to tell nothing of the great ship \"Marie the\nAngel of Mercy,\" which they had safely stored away in the Adirondack\nMountains. That when the Government came to realize the need of great\nhelp and faced defeat, he would then demonstrate the inventions that he\nhad to save the country.\n\nGeneral Pearson was very much interested in Gordon's case. He\nremembered the great feat of bringing down the \"Tokyo J-1\" and believed\nthat Robert was a genius and a valuable man to the Government. If\nthe officials had listened to Robert and taken the discovery he had\noffered them, probably the defeat in San Francisco would never have\nhappened. He did not blame Robert for selling his invention to Japan in\npeace time, nor did he condemn him for turning over his secret Pocket\nRadio to the Japanese to secure his freedom. Believed he was loyal\nto his country and acted as he thought best and had not done it for\na selfish motive. The General decided to visit Robert at the prison.\nAfter holding a conference with him, ordered him removed and brought to\nheadquarters where he could keep him under his personal supervision.\nRobert confided to General Pearson that if he could secure his release,\nand let him return to his laboratory in New York, he could very quickly\ncomplete another invention to enable the United States forces to\ncommunicate secret orders from place to place, which the enemy could\nnot understand or use. He told him that he had an invention partly\ncompleted which when placed a certain distance from an airplane would\nprevent any communication by his secret radio and that with this it\nwould make the secret radio which he turned over to Japan, absolutely\nuseless. General Pearson believed his story and had faith in him so\ncommunicated with the President of the United States and obtained\npermission to send Robert Gordon to his New York laboratory. The\nGeneral realized that the situation was much worse than the newspapers\nwere letting the public know. The Government was suppressing their\nweakened condition. General Pearson knew that with help from England or\nany other foreign country, it would be easy for the enemy to take New\nOrleans, Chicago and then sweep down on Washington and New York. The\nliberty of the United States now hung in a balance and unless something\nwas done, and done quickly, their cause would be lost.\n\nGeneral Pearson wrote to the President that there was no denying the\nfact that the situation was critical and that the enemy had something\nup their sleeve and that unless every effort was made to forestall\ntheir move, he feared a repetition of the terrible disaster at San\nFrancisco. He sent the record of Robert Gordon. Said that while he was\na young man, he was one of the bravest aviators that he had ever known;\nthat he was not only bright but brilliant. He believed he was a genius.\nThat he had had a long talk with him and that Gordon had asked to be\nreleased and permitted to return to his laboratory in New York where\nhe believed he could complete a valuable invention which would prove\na great help to the country. The General recommended that Gordon be\nreleased and permitted to return to New York and given a chance. Said\nthat this was the age of the young men because they were progressive\nand up to the times.\n\nThe President wrote General Pearson to use his own judgment and send\nGordon to New York if he thought best. General Pearson gave orders that\nRobert Gordon be brought to him. He communicated the good news, gave\nhim a passport and told him to proceed immediately to New York and work\njust as rapidly as possible to perfect any kind of invention that would\nhelp defeat the enemy's plans.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVII\n\n\nWhen Robert arrived in New York, Edna told him about the great fortune\nwhich she had made on the short side of the market and how when she\nreceived the good news by secret radio of his capture of the \"Tokyo\nJ-1\" she calculated that as soon as it was generally known, it would\nrestore confidence and stocks would have a big rally. She hastily\ncovered all the short contracts and bought stocks for long account. The\nfollowing afternoon when the big headlines announced the capture of\nthe Tokyo, traders all rushed to buy and the market advanced rapidly.\nShe said \"Mr. Gordon, do you know the market is following the forecast\nwhich you mapped out in 1927?\" He said, \"I have been so worried over\nthe war and my dishonor that I haven't had time to think about making\nmoney. If General Pearson hadn't proved to be a good friend, I would\nstill be in prison. Now I must use some of my inventions to help my\ncountry and prove to them that I did act for the best and that I am\nloyal.\" Edna asked if he thought there was any hope of the terrible war\nending soon. \"No,\" he replied, \"it will get worse in 1931 when many\nother nations will join against us. The end will not come until the\nSummer or Fall of 1932.\" \"That is dreadful,\" she said, \"if it lasts\nthat long, they will destroy every large city in the United States\nunless something is done to beat them.\"\n\nIn the latter part of October, 1930, Robert returned to Denver,\nColorado, where General Pearson had moved the aviation headquarters,\nand was moving heaven and earth to prevent the advance of the enemy\ntoward the East. Many people on the coast had become frightened and\nmoved to Denver for protection. Robert brought the new invention which\nhe called the \"Radio Annulifier.\" The Spaniards and Japanese were\nmaking use of Robert's secret radio, which was one of the most valuable\ndiscoveries up to that time. The Annulifier was now placed on scouting\nairplanes and they were sent out. They found that it would work a\ndistance of several hundred miles. This disorganized the enemy forces\nbecause they did not understand what had gone wrong with the secret\nmechanism of the Pocket-Radio with which they were able to transmit\norders without sound or fear of detection. They had to resort to the\nold method of using radios and wireless. Robert had invented a new\nmachine to record either sound or communications by light waves. He\nsoon secured the plans of the enemy and reported to General Pearson,\nwho was still in command for the Aviation Corps, that the enemy was\nplanning to attack from the Gulf of Mexico, follow up the Mississippi\nRiver, take New Orleans and at the same time make a joint attack across\nthe Great Lakes, cutting off the Government's forces and the wing which\nwas holding across from Denver, Colorado to Canada on the North and\nthe border of Texas on the Southwestern side. When General Pearson\nreceived this disappointing news, he realized that the situation was\ndesperate. He communicated with the President of the United States,\nwho immediately called the Cabinet together. All the Army Officers\nwere called in conference to discuss plans as to the best thing to do\nto forestall the attack. They were forced to admit the painful truth\nthat the fleet of airplanes was not sufficient to withdraw enough\nforces from the Western line to send to the North and South, to protect\nChicago and the Mississippi valley. General Pearson made plain to the\nWar Council the great value of Robert Gordon and suggested that he be\nrestored to his former rank for what he had already done. They agreed\nwith him and Robert Gordon was made Colonel in the early part of\nNovember, 1930. Walter Kennelworth, for his great services in working\nwith Robert, was also promoted to Colonel.\n\nWhen Colonel Gordon informed General Pearson that Mrs. Kennelworth was\nhis sole secret aid in completing the Annulifier which had helped him\nto get the enemy's plans, this news was conveyed by the General to the\nPresident of the United States who ordered Mrs. Kennelworth to report\nimmediately at headquarters in Washington. The President thanked her\npersonally for the great service she had rendered the country and told\nher that she was the greatest woman since Molly Pitcher, who had taken\nher husband's place at the cannon. He conferred upon her the title of\nCaptain of Inventions and ordered her to return to her laboratories in\nNew York and continue her scientific work. This brought great rejoicing\nto Colonel Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth and they redoubled their\nefforts to do everything to help save the country, but they were not\nin the War Council and had nothing to say in regard to the plans of\nprotection or attack.\n\nComplications came thick and fast, the enemy was landing more planes in\nMexico, bringing up reinforcements. They moved part of their army from\nSan Francisco north, and in December, 1930, after a short engagement,\ncaptured Seattle and Portland. The War Council knew that this left the\nenemy in command of the entire Pacific Coast as most all of the smaller\ntowns had been abandoned because they feared destruction and the next\nattack would probably be either on the South or the East. They were\nsatisfied that they would probably attack from the Gulf of Mexico and\ntry to get a good hold on the Southeastern part of the United States\nand, if successful, would then attack from Canada and the Great Lakes.\nThe United States Government was making airplanes as fast as possible,\nbut they were so far behind and lacked trained men to man them, that\nthe situation was very tense and the Government officials freely\nexpressed their anxiety. People in the East were excited and scared.\nThey feared an attack upon the defenseless cities at any time and that\nthe destruction of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle\nmight be repeated. The crushing blows that the Government had received\nin the loss of the Pacific Coast had weakened the morale of the people\nand they had lost confidence in the Government and its officials. The\nfact that the enemy had made no attempt to set a fixed ransom on any of\nthe cities captured showed that they were looking for something bigger\nbefore trying to enforce their demands upon the United States. The\nGovernment officials knew that the Japanese would demand California or\nthe greater part of the Pacific Coast territory. They were hoping that\nfurther attacks could be staved off until they were better prepared\nto meet them. Army officials, as usual, thought they were handling\neverything for the best and paid no attention to the counsel of men who\nmight be able to help.\n\nColonel Kennelworth confided to some of the Generals that Colonel\nGordon and himself had some great discoveries which, when and if\ncompleted would beat the enemy, but they paid little attention to his\nstatements, and after Walter and Robert had a conference, they decided\nto keep quiet and say nothing further about them until the time when\nthe Government was in desperation and would listen to reason.\n\n\n1931\n\nAfter months of waiting and only a few scouting expeditions on the\npart of the enemy, a sudden attack occurred in March. A large fleet of\nairplanes sailed up the Mississippi River and attacked New Orleans.\nDestruction was swift and severe. The United States started to withdraw\nforces from across the Central part and from Texas, but they soon\nrealized that somewhere out in the Atlantic Ocean or in the Gulf of\nMexico, there was a secret base of supplies and they suspected that\nEngland had already joined forces with the enemy. The enemy's planes\nwere so superior, their poisonous gas and bombs so effective that New\nOrleans fell within three days. The alarm spread so fast over the\nUnited States that people were panic-stricken. There was a panic in\nWall Street. Stocks crashed rapidly and Captain Edna Kennelworth was\nagain on the short side and had made a large amount of money for the\nfirm of Gordon & Kennelworth.\n\nAfter the terrible destruction of New Orleans, it was again decided to\nfloat the white flag over the city, as had been done in Los Angeles,\nSan Francisco, Portland and Seattle. People were badly frightened;\nwere leaving their homes and property and going in every direction,\nnot knowing which was the best way to go to save their lives. Many of\nthe old darkies went to the swamps, hid out until they were starving\nto death, feeling that they were safer away from any of the cities or\nbuildings. The most mystifying thing to the Government officials was\nthat up to this time when the enemy had succeeded in destroying a city,\nthey had never returned or attempted to do any more damage after the\nwhite flag floated over it. They knew that the enemy had several bases\nin Mexico and were at a loss to understand why more attacks had not\nbeen made on the towns along the border of Texas; but now that they had\nstarted up the Mississippi River, it was plain that they were bent on\ndestroying only the largest cities in the country and that, eventually,\nthey would make demands for large amounts of indemnity and territory.\nWhy no demands had been made up to this time and why the enemy had not\ntried to land troops and take charge was hard to understand. The wiser\nheads among the Government officials felt that the enemy wanted to\nsufficiently frighten the people all over the United States and destroy\nenough life and property that when they did make a demand, that no\nmatter how unreasonable, the United States would be forced to accept.\nIt was thought that there was some secret treaty between Spain, Japan,\nMexico and other foreign countries, and that they had started their\ncampaign in the South and would later attack the Eastern Coast because\nthey knew that they would get help from other countries if it was\nrequired.\n\nAfter the fall of New Orleans, the enemy continued their march up\nthe Mississippi valley. One by one important cities were bombed.\nNatchez, Vicksburg, then Memphis fell under the fire of the enemy. The\ndevastation was the greatest ever known. Not only were the buildings\ndestroyed by bombs, but fire and poisoned gases were used. Hundreds of\nthousands of people lost their lives. People were so terrified that\nthey wanted to flee to the mountains and forests and get away from\nall the towns. The march up the Mississippi thus far had cost the\nGovernment the loss of thousands of their best airplanes. The enemy's\nloss was very small. On account of flying at such great heights, it was\nhard to reach them with the anti-aircraft guns or the army planes.\n\nThe United States army officers knew that the next objective would be\nSt. Louis, and that if St. Louis were captured, they would probably\nattack Chicago, close the lines, prepare to attack the Eastern Coast\nand try to take Washington and New York. Colonel Gordon and Colonel\nKennelworth were doing great work, but were fighting against terrific\nodds. They had to take orders from their superior officers, and were\nnot able to act on their own initiative. Colonel Gordon was permitted\nto sit in at a conference of the War Council in April, 1931, but after\nlistening to his plans, they refused to accept them; at the same\ntime they knew the country needed help because further attacks were\nimminent, and the enemy was pushing on to victory and gaining more help\nall the time. Some of Colonel Gordon's plans were to ask France to come\nto our aid in view of the fact they had helped us in the Revolution\nof 1812 and that we had gone to their rescue in the Great War in 1917\nshowing our appreciation for the services rendered by Lafayette. He\nalso wanted to ask Canada to join us and protect the Northern border of\nthe United States.\n\nAfter the first battle of New Orleans, the United States transferred\nall the planes they could spare for patrol of the Eastern and Southern\ncoasts along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Commercial and passenger\nairplanes were crossing daily to and from Europe. One foggy night in\nthe month of April, scouting planes flying as high as they could,\nsighted a large fleet of airships flying toward Savannah, Georgia. They\ndecided that they were enemy planes making for Savannah, to attack it.\nCommander Rooker in charge ordered his company to sail over the fleet\nand start dropping bombs. They were quickly destroyed, all falling into\nthe ocean. When our planes descended to see how many had been destroyed\nand what country they were from, they found that they were not enemy\nplanes at all, but were commercial planes from England, Germany,\nAustria and Italy. This complicated matters more and diplomatic\ncommunications failed to smooth out the difficulties. England refused\nto accept an explanation or apology and all the other countries took\nsides with her. Our Cabinet officers held a conference. They decided\nthat England and the other countries, knowing our weakened condition,\nhad intended to join the enemy all along and were only waiting for an\nexcuse, but they now knew that with all these countries against them,\nwithout some aid or new discovery, the cause was lost. General Pearson\nsaid \"Colonel Gordon was right. We should have asked the help of France\nand Canada long before this. We must now seek aid from any country that\nis friendly to us. We went to the rescue of the Allies in the darkest\ndays of the World War and surely some of them will stand by us in this,\nour greatest hour of need.\"\n\nIn May, 1931, England, Germany, Italy and Austria joined forces against\nthe United States. The wealth of the United States had caused so much\njealousy that it now began to look as tho Uncle Sam were a lone eagle\nagainst the world. England began to land her forces and establish a\nbase in Canada, and the War Council, knowing that England would attack\nthe Eastern Coast, made all preparations to try to protect the Northern\nborder and the Eastern Coast, withdrawing forces from other strategic\npoints to try to protect the North and the Eastern part of the United\nStates.\n\nIn the latter part of the month, England and the other allied enemy\nforces sailed across the Atlantic, bringing their entire fleets on\nthe water escorted by thousands of modern airplanes. They had been\npreparing for war for years; had built fast hydroplanes which could\ntravel on the water at more than 150 miles an hour. When this fleet\narrived off the Atlantic Coast, the United States air patrol attacked\nthem, but were so far outnumbered that it was futile. The patrol was\nquickly destroyed. All of the United States commercial planes were\nstopped from carrying mail, passengers or express across the Atlantic.\nThe enemies were now in position to blockade the United States on every\nside. The Japanese, Spanish and Mexican planes were patrolling the Gulf\nof Mexico and the Pacific Coast. We were now in a worse position than\nthe Allies were in 1917 when they were fighting with their backs to\nthe wall and the United States went to their rescue. The War Council\nknew that England would now close the Northern border, shut us off from\nCanada and would probably attack all along the border sooner or later.\n\nThe United States had concentrated all the available forces which\ncould possibly be spared to try and forestall attacks upon Chicago and\nthe Central part of the country. While an attack was hourly expected\nin St. Louis, part of the English, German and Italian battleships,\nunder the protection of their air fleet, moved to the mouth of the\nMississippi River. The airplanes, numbering thousands, led the advance\nup the river, followed by the hydroplanes and battleships. The planes\ndestroyed cities and drove the people away in terror. When this march\nstarted, the United States War Council decided to move the Infantry\nand Artillery as fast as possible to try and protect the territory\nalong the Mississippi and prevent the advance up thru the Central\nand Northern parts of the United States. The enemies took charge of\nNew Orleans and placed their officers in control of the city. Fierce\nfighting continued all the way up the river. The United States was\nhopelessly outnumbered and the loss of men and planes was enormous. It\nbegan to look as if resistance was folly. It was plain that this was\na move to take charge of our territory and showed that Japan, Spain,\nand Mexico had only been waiting for the time when England and other\ncountries would join them to start taking over captured cities.\n\nThe move up the Mississippi was swift. Every town was taken over and\nplaced under the control of English officers. Finally, when Cairo,\nIllinois, was reached the United States had perfected a new invention\nfor dropping chemicals from airplanes into the water and then using an\nelectric current from an airplane to discharge the chemical hundreds of\nmiles away.\n\nWhen the enemy advanced and the airplane attack was on at Cairo, the\ninhabitants had been moved to Louisville and Cincinnati and there was\nno attempt to try to save the city. The plan was to let the enemy\nhydroplanes and battleships move up the river and destroy them by the\npowerful electric charge in the water. When they had completed great\ndestruction in Cairo, the hydroplanes and light battle cruisers which\nfollowed up the advance, taking charge of cities, moved up to the mouth\nof the Ohio to land and take charge of Cairo.\n\nColonel Walter Kennelworth had been sent to Cairo with a new plane\nwhich had been completed by the Major Electric Co. This plane was\nequipped with an electric machine which could take the electric current\nfrom the air, charge into the water, and destroy battleships for miles\nin every direction. He was circling the sky at a high altitude and\nwatching for an opportunity. Finally, seeing the airplanes receding\nfrom Cairo when they thought they had completed the destruction, he\npressed a button and turned loose the powerful electric ray. In less\nthan a minute every cruiser and hydroplane was blown to pieces or\nburnt up by the electric current. The enemy lost every man on board\ntheir ships. While Cairo had been almost completely destroyed, this\nwas the first real victory for the United States since Colonel Gordon\ndestroyed the \"Tokyo J-1.\" The news was flashed all over the United\nStates and people on the Eastern Coast, from Boston to Miami, who\nfeared destruction at any minute, breathed a sigh of relief and hoped\nthat this would turn the tide. The old-timers talked about the Yankee\ningenuity and said that the brains of the United States were the\ngreatest in the world and would find a way to overcome any obstacle and\ndefeat the enemies no matter how powerful they were.\n\nAfter this disaster to the hydroplanes which had been marching up the\nMississippi, the enemy air fleet ceased its attacks for awhile, but\nabout the end of June, an air fleet swarmed over Cairo, landed without\nmuch resistance, and officers were put in charge of the town. The\nUnited States had already asked France to come to their rescue and\nimplored Canada to forbid England or any other foreign countries to\ncross their borders to attack the Northern and Eastern borders of the\nUnited States. France had quickly responded and informed the United\nStates Government that they stood ready to order their air fleet to\nthe United States or to attack England and Germany at home. This was\nanother piece of good news which cheered the country and put courage\ninto the hearts of the soldiers who had been fighting for more than a\nyear against such great odds and had been meeting with such disastrous\ndefeats. The newspapers were optimistic, but the Government officials\nknew that the odds were still greatly against us and that we were\nout-classed and outnumbered in the air, where the decisive battles\nwould be fought.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII\n\n\nOn July 4th, 1931, the people all over the United States were\ncelebrating the victory at Cairo where the English and German\nbattleships and hydroplanes had been destroyed. Everything had been\nquiet and there had been no more air attacks on the cities. A large\nfleet of the enemies' planes were seen constantly scouting up and down\nthe Mississippi. Colonel Gordon had sent out a scouting expedition with\nsome of the planes equipped with powerful searchlights and they had\ndiscovered several mother supply ships, like the \"Tokyo,\" anchored at\ngreat heights above Cairo. He knew that this meant that preparations\nwere being made to attack St. Louis and continue the advance up the\nMississippi, that the enemy was making for Chicago and the Great Lakes\nto form a line across the United States so that their airplanes could\ncontrol this territory, shut off any attacks from the West while they\nadvanced on the Eastern and Northern borders of the United States.\n\nThe Nation's birthday brought more good news. Canada informed the\nUnited States that she would join hands with her, order England's\nforces to leave Canadian territory and forbid them to cross Canada to\nattack the United States. This news was received in Washington just\nbefore the President delivered his annual Independence address. While\nhis speech was short, he called attention to the fact that this was the\n155th anniversary of the independence of the United States and that\nthe liberty of this country was threatened greater than at any time\nsince the days of the Declaration of Independence, but stated that\ncheering news had just come from Canada which would be a great help;\nthat France, our old friend, who had stood by us before, had also come\nto our rescue and that there was room for hope. The recent victory of\nCairo was of great importance. The new inventions which were rapidly\nbeing completed would surely save the United States in her hour of\ngreatest need. He urged the people to be courageous, not leave their\ncities or desert their homes unless absolutely necessary. While no one\ncould be sure of the end, he hoped that a decisive victory would be\ngained within a few months.\n\nColonel Gordon reported what the scouting planes had discovered\nand said that this could mean but one thing, that the enemy is\nconcentrating at Cairo and that the next attacks would be on St. Louis,\nthen probably Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago. At a conference of\nthe War Council, he suggested that there was no use risking the lives\nof the women and children in these cities; that arrangements should be\nmade to move them to places of safety at once, that camps should be\nestablished in the Catskills and Adirondack Mountains where they could\nremain until the danger had passed. The Council, after discussing the\nmatter, decided that this would prove to be a bad move on the part of\nthe Government because it would disclose their weakened condition to\nthe enemy who might be scouting around St. Louis at high altitudes\nand would see the people being moved away and know that the country\nwas frightened and make an attack immediately. The Council decided\nto prepare for an attack, believing that with the help of Canada and\nFrance, this country would emerge a victor.\n\nIn the early part of August, 1931, the attack upon St. Louis started.\nThe United States had concentrated every available force there. Canada\nhad sent her airplanes to patrol the Northern border, enabling the\nUnited States to withdraw more forces to protect the Central part of\nthe country. The battle raged on and off, day and night. There were\nattacks and counterattacks. The United States factories were turning\nout airplanes now at the rate of more than 1000 per day. The Henry\nMotor Company of Detroit had made great improvements on bombing and\nscouting planes and were turning them out rapidly. A new long-range\ngun had been completed which would reach the enemy's planes at greater\nheights and this proved to be of great value in the battle of St.\nLouis. On the third day of the battle, General Pearson ordered Colonel\nGordon and Colonel Kennelworth to lead their men against the Southern\nand Eastern wings of the enemy. They succeeded in bringing down over\n500 of the enemy's planes, and the United States in the encounter only\nlost about 200 planes. This was very encouraging and General Pearson\nordered more of the reserves thrown into the fight on the following\nday and this seemed just what the enemy was waiting for. One mistake\nafter another was made by the subordinate officers of the United\nStates in carrying out instructions for attacking. The bombing planes\nran short of ammunition and were destroyed by the enemies in trying to\nreturn to their bases for supplies. The enemy had concentrated more\nthan 30,000 planes for this giant attack on St. Louis. Buildings were\nbeing destroyed daily and the loss of life was great. Frightened women\nand children were rushing in every direction only to get into the path\nof the exploding bombs. The enemy's planes proved superior, larger and\nbetter-manned. Their large supply ships anchored at high altitudes\nenabled them to get in their effective work of destruction when the\nUnited States planes ran out of ammunition.\n\nAfter the battle had waged for 14 days, with the United States losing\nthousands of planes, the cause seemed to be hopeless and St. Louis was\nsurrendered. The situation was getting more desperate all the time\nand the people again were losing hope. The large loss of airships at\nthe battle of St. Louis had weakened the U.S. Army regardless of the\nrapidity with which new planes were being turned out. The enemy took\ncharge of St. Louis and moved part of their supply bases there. The\nfood situation was acute thruout the country. Farmers had been afraid\nto go to the field to plant anything. Canada was not able to supply all\nof our needs and we were blockaded on the South, East and West. The\nCabinet now awoke to the fact that many mistakes had been made and that\nthe situation instead of improving was growing rapidly worse.\n\nBefore the fall of St. Louis or the news of it had had time to be\nfully understood by the people all over the United States, the English\nand the Germans attacked the Northern border, making for Chicago. The\nlines were tightly drawn, the enemy was still holding the Western Coast\nand it now meant only a matter of capturing Chicago, close up the lines\nbetween Chicago and St. Louis, and complete the enemy's lines across\nthe Central part of the United States. Council after council was held\nwhile the fighting was going on around the Great Lakes. The Government\nrushed reinforcements and the new long-range gun on our large cruising\nairships was able to do effective work for a long time in protecting\nChicago. England lost heavily in the battle around the Great Lakes\nbecause Canada was helping us there, but the blow was heavy to the\nUnited States. Our losses in men and planes were tremendous.\n\nIn the early part of September, 1931, it was plain from the skirmishes\nwhich had been taking place around the Great Lakes that the enemy was\ntrying to attack Chicago and it was only a question of time when they\nwould break thru and make the attack. The United States officers were\nwell aware of the fact that if Chicago fell into the hands of the\nenemy, it would place the United States at a greater disadvantage than\never to defend the Eastern Coast. The United States War Council decided\nto urge France to attack England and Germany and make them withdraw\nforces from the United States to protect their home cities. France was\nwell equipped with airplanes and could rapidly destroy the large cities\nin England and Germany and she was the only country on the other side\nthat we could look to to help us. When America's appeal was received\nin France, the President of France sent the following message to our\nGovernment:\n\n \"France is mindful of the perilous position in which the Land of\n Liberty is now placed. She has not forgotten the days when she came to\n your rescue during the struggles of the young republic, and you proved\n that you did not forget when your loyal sons crossed the Atlantic to\n help save France when she was fighting with her back to the wall in\n 1917. We placed the Statue of Liberty in the harbor of New York as a\n signal light to the world to welcome the oppressed from every land to\n the Land of Liberty. It has ever stood as a beacon light of truth,\n liberty and justice to all. We now stand ready to defend that statue\n and its principles. We appreciate the generosity of the American\n people toward us in the past and now extend them every aid within our\n power. Our supplies and forces are at your disposal.\"\n\nAbout this time England and Germany knew that France was getting ready\nto aid the United States and they had been preparing to enlist the\naid of other countries in order to complete the victories already won\nand gain control of the United States and divide up the territory. On\nSeptember 6th, France made the first attack upon London and the same\nnight attacked Berlin from the air, destroying many buildings, with the\nresult that there was a large loss of life. Quickly following this,\nEngland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and Japan called upon the other\ncountries with whom they had treaties to join them in the final battles\nagainst the United States, promising a division of the spoils. All\nthe world had become so jealous of the prosperity and success of the\nUnited States previous to this War of the Air that they were eager to\njoin in the conquest and share in the great gold supply that had been\ngathered from all parts of the world by the United States. Turkey and\nRussia were the first to join the enemy; then quickly followed Rumania,\nDenmark, Greece, Hungary, Morocco and Portugal. These new supporters to\nthe enemy's cause rushed their airplane fleets to the Eastern shores\nof the United States; sent aid to England and Germany to help hold off\nFrance and keep the enemy from having to withdraw any forces from the\nUnited States to protect their own countries.\n\nThe enemy, knowing that they now had practically all of Europe against\nthe United States, were confident that it would only be a matter of\na few weeks to take Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington, then\nmake their own terms and the United States would be forced to accept.\nThe United States knew that the most desperate battle of the war was\nnow impending and another council was held. They were expecting the\nfirst blow to be struck in Chicago. The enemy's reinforcements had\narrived and were scattered in every direction. The night of October 1st\nproved to be one of the worst so far of the war. The enemy attacked\nOmaha, Kansas City, Denver, Cincinnati, Louisville, Milwaukee and St.\nPaul. The forces from Mexico attacked El Paso, San Antonio, Galveston\nand Houston. The greater part of the United States forces being\nconcentrated around Chicago and the East, this scattered attack all\nover the South, West and North was disorganizing to our forces. There\nwas great loss of life and property in all of these cities because\nthey were not properly prepared for the attack which came suddenly and\nunexpectedly.\n\nOn the morning of October 2nd a Council was held and it was decided to\nimmediately send as many airplanes as possible to help protect these\ncities because an attack was expected again that night. This was just\nexactly what the enemy wanted,--to get the United States to scatter\nforces, withdrawing part of their armies which were protecting Chicago.\n\nOn the night of October 2nd the enemy concentrated an attack of more\nthan 50,000 planes against Chicago and broke thru the United States\nlines on every side. England, Germany and Russia turned loose their\ngiant dreadnought battle planes, the largest that had ever yet been\nused in the War in the Air. Many of these planes carried 12- to 36-inch\nguns. They were equipped with the latest improved 12-cylinder motors;\nwere operated by electricity as well as gasoline. These giant planes\ncould be supplied with power thru the air by radio current. The attack\nwas well-timed and they had every advantage of the United States\nforces. The first attack destroyed Chicago's great skyscrapers. The\nBoard of Trade Building, Post Office and other Government buildings\nwere completely destroyed. Loss of life was appalling. Over a million\npeople lost their lives. More defenseless women and children were\nkilled than in any other battle during the war.\n\nWhen the sun rose over the great City of Chicago on the morning of\nOctober 3rd, buildings were smouldering in ruins in every direction. It\nwas the greatest destruction that had ever been in the history of the\nworld. No mortal tongue could describe the terrifying sights. There was\na brief respite. As the sun rose the enemy's planes which had wreaked\ntheir vengeance, withdrew. The United States had lost more than 25,000\nplanes and their best aviators had gone down in this terrible disaster.\n\nColonel Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth had done wonderful work and\nfortunately their lives had been preserved for future use to their\ncountry. As Colonel Gordon made his way to headquarters to report to\nGeneral Pearson, he thought of what he had read in the Acts 2:17: \"And\nit shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out\nof my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall\nprophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall\ndream dreams: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in\nthe earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke.\" He thought\nof how he had dreamed and prophesied and how he had believed the Bible\nknowing that these terrible things would come in the latter days. As he\nsaw the blood, the fire, the smoke and the ruined city, for a moment he\nwondered why God should permit such destruction as this in order that\nthe Scriptures might be fulfilled, but then he thought of what he had\nread in Isaiah 2:2: \"And he shall judge among the nations, and shall\nrebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,\nand their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword\nagainst nation, neither shall they learn war any more.\" He prayed to\nGod to hasten the day when men shall not make war any more.\n\nThe United States officers knew now that if they held out, Chicago\nwould be completely annihilated because England's giant bombing planes\nwere able to destroy every building and kill every living soul.\nGeneral Pearson called all the commanding officers together and they\nquickly agreed that with the enemy outnumbering them 50 to 1, another\nattack would be soon over with and that it was a useless sacrifice of\nhuman life and their remaining planes to offer resistance. But before\nsurrendering, they decided to ask the consent of the President and his\nCabinet. The President hastily called the Cabinet together and when\nthey assembled, their faces were grave. They all knew what had happened\nthe night before in Chicago. The President with sadness in his voice\nread the decision of the commanding Generals and said: \"This is the\ngravest crisis this country has ever faced. To surrender may mean the\nloss of our country and our liberty; to go on and fight may mean even\nworse. To surrender Chicago and wait for time to determine the next\nmove may be the wisest plan. We can only trust to God and hope. What is\nyour decision, gentlemen?\" Not a man rose to discuss the matter. One by\none they answered: \"It seems best to permit our commanding officers to\nsurrender Chicago.\"\n\nNews was quickly flashed to headquarters at Chicago and about 10 A.M.\nthe white flag was hoisted from the few remaining tall buildings and a\nlarge plane was sent out to circle the sky with white flags floating\nfrom its wings. As soon as Chicago was surrendered, the enemy planes\nand land forces were brought up and they closed the gap between\nChicago and St. Louis, leaving the Central lines intact and the Western\nlines holding the Pacific Coast.\n\nThe New York Stock Exchange closed to prevent complete panic because\nthe people were panic-stricken and selling stocks regardless of price.\nThey soon discovered that the enemy had bases for supplies and ships\nall up and down the Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico. They were in\ncontrol of the Northern border and in position to attack the Eastern\nCoast from the North, South, East and West. There was no minimizing the\nseriousness of the situation. The fall of Chicago had broken the heart\nof the American people. They were panic-stricken and it looked as tho\nfor the first time in history, Old Glory would trail the dust. There\nwas a great War Council held. To make a plea for peace at this time\nmeant surrender to the enemy and accepting any terms that they might\nwant to dictate. The leaders of the War Council were puzzled. They\ndidn't know what move to make next since they were overwhelmed by great\nodds. The United States was practically alone in the fight. France and\nCanada were the only countries which had not joined forces against the\nUnited States. When the news of the fall of Chicago reached France,\nthey realized that America was doomed.\n\nThe United States Government officials knowing the seriousness of the\nsituation made no attempt to conceal it, but decided to play for time.\nThey replied to the note from the enemy and asked for an armistice to\nlast thirty days, in which neither side would make any attack until\nthey discussed plans to see if it were possible to arrive at any\nacceptable terms. The enemy taking this as an admission of defeat and\nweakness on the part of the United States granted 15 days' time for a\ndiscussion of terms, and sent the following note:\n\n The Allied Powers demand the complete surrender of the United States\n and a division of territory; Japan to have the Western coast, England\n to have the Eastern coast and Northern territory bordering on Canada;\n Mexico to have Texas, and Spain to have the territory along the\n Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. The United States is to turn over to\n the Allied Powers its entire gold supply and the people to submit to\n the various Governments to which the territory is allotted and there\n is to be no longer any United States of America. If the Government\n of the United States refuses to accept these terms, we will destroy\n Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, and take charge of\n the Eastern coast of the United States. Your answer must be received\n within the allotted time.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIX\n\n\nWhen these terms were received, everyone was gloomy at headquarters.\nThe President called his Cabinet for a conference. A United War Council\nwas also called, and after a long discussion, they were forced to admit\nthat it was not only a probability but a possibility that the enemy\nwould take New York City, capture the Eastern ports, and Washington,\nand then dictate any terms they might desire. To submit to the terms\nalready offered would mean ruin and disgrace but the question was\nwhat to do. Men high up and Government officials who had relied upon\ntheir judgment before, now realized that one mistake after the other\nhad placed the country in this terrible position. Colonel Charles\nManson, a descendant of the family of General Lee, arose and asked\nthe War Council if he might have permission to speak. It was promptly\ngranted because he was a man highly respected for his good judgment,\nand one who had had advocated the building of greater air fleets and\npreparedness years before the war started. His speech was as follows:\n\n General Pearson and Sons of Liberty: This country now faces the\n gravest situation since the days of Washington and the winter at\n Valley Forge. We are not only menaced by England, our old enemy, but\n practically by the whole world. France now is our only friend. The\n enemy is in control and can attack from every side. It is a time to\n think, and think seriously; a time for action rather than words.\n\n We need the man of the hour, and in times past, the United States\n has always produced that man. I am a great believer in the Bible. I\n have read the predictions made by Colonel Robert Gordon ever since he\n was a very young man. Just what is happening now he predicted years\n ago. He has made some remarkable inventions. Was born under the sign\n which astrologers call the Ascendant Sign of the United States, the\n sign Gemini, ruled by Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods. This sign\n is symbolized by the ancients as the double-bodied sign. It is a sign\n of genius and intellect. Ancient mythology tells us that one of the\n twins was a great warrior, and his brother a great inventor and that\n he invented all of the war instruments which helped his brother to win\n his victories. He was said to be so swift and shrewd that he had wings\n on his heels and wings on his shoulders. Could sip the wine from the\n cups of the Gods while they were drinking, without getting caught.\n\n This sign has always symbolized the United States and Yankee\n ingenuity. The greatest inventions that have ever been were made\n by United States inventors. The airplane was invented here, the\n submarine, the great guns which have been used in war, the steamboats,\n electricity, radio, and other valuable inventions too numerous to\n mention. From what I know and have read, I still hope and believe that\n the United States has the brains to outwit the entire world. I believe\n this because it is the land of liberty, because there never has been a\n nation to conquer it. The United States has never been an aggressor,\n never entered a war on its own accord. I believe that God is with us\n and that this is the country established for God's kingdom.\n\n I have read the Bible and followed Colonel Gordon's writings and\n believe with St. Luke, Chap. 7:22, \"Then Jesus answered and said unto\n them 'Go your way and tell John what things ye have seen and heard,\n how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the\n deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached,\n but what went ye out for to see--a prophet--yea, I say unto you, and\n much more than a prophet, for I say unto you, Among those that are\n born of woman, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist,\n but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.'\"\n\n I say to you, gentlemen, that I believe there is not a greater prophet\n than Colonel Gordon. Further, I believe that he is the greatest\n inventor that the United States has ever produced, and believe that\n he can save the situation or find some solution of the problem. The\n Army Officers made a mistake not to listen to Colonel Gordon when he\n offered them advice and told them he could complete an invention to\n save the country.\n\n I believe the prophecy of Daniel which has often been referred to\n by Colonel Gordon, Chap. 7:27, \"And kingdom and dominion, and the\n greatness of kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the\n people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting\n kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.\" I believe that\n refers to the United States. If we can win this war, then as we are\n one against the world, it shall be a kingdom of the United World. In\n my judgment it would be wise to place Colonel Robert Gordon in supreme\n command and follow his instructions to the letter.\n\nAfter Colonel Manson had ceased talking and sat down, complete silence\nreigned for several minutes. The War Council knew that there were only\nthree more days left until the time of the armistice was up when the\nenemy would attack. General Pearson was the first to rise. He said,\n\"Gentlemen of the Council, I have known Colonel Gordon ever since he\nentered the service. I interceded for him and obtained his release from\nprison. He has proved to be one of the most valuable men that we have\nhad in the Aviation Corps. His bravery and genius have surpassed all\nothers. I am willing to surrender my office to him and if agreeable to\nthe rest of you I make a motion that he be made Supreme Commander of\nthe United States Army and we will abide by his decision.\"\n\nGeneral Pearson was held in great respect by the Army officers, and his\njudgment was not questioned. A vote was taken and it was unanimous.\n\nGeneral Pearson arose and said, \"Colonel Gordon, by the authority and\npower vested in me, I now confer upon you the title of the Supreme\nCommander of the Armies of the United States and place upon your\nshoulders the greatest burden ever placed on any man. Our country's\nlife hangs in the balance. The situation is desperate. Something must\nbe done and done quickly. We must give an answer to the enemy, and when\nthat answer is given, it either settles our doom forever or if we can\nwin, means that the Stars and Stripes will ever stand supreme to the\nworld. Sir, what have you to say?\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon arose. His face showed new responsibility\nwhich rested upon his shoulders. He said simply, \"I thank you for the\nhonor and confidence, but before completely accepting I want to ask if\nI may have the unanimous consent of the entire War Council to carry\nout my plans no matter how absurd they may seem to the War Council.\"\nThe entire Council arose in a body and voted their unanimous consent.\nGeneral Pearson then said, \"Supreme Commander Robert Gordon, we await\nyour orders.\" He saluted and sat down. Supreme Commander Gordon arose\nand said, \"Dispatch immediately the following answer to the enemy's\nHeadquarters.\"\n\n \"'The Government of the United States of America, the land of Liberty,\n refuses your terms and will never surrender or accede to any of your\n demands. You may strike as soon as you are ready. We have not yet\n begun to fight.'\"\n\nWhen he had finished speaking, there was not a whisper. He sat down\nand Colonel Walter Kennelworth arose and said: \"Gentlemen of the War\nCouncil, you have heard Supreme Commander Gordon's answer to the\nenemy. You must know and realize that in hurling defiance like this at\nthe enemy, there is something which gives him supreme confidence. He\nknows exactly what he has and what he is going to do, and you can rely\nupon him in this emergency.\" Colonel Kennelworth saluted his Supreme\nCommander Gordon and said, \"I await your orders, Sir.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon said, \"I appoint Colonel Walter Kennelworth\nas aide-de-camp in carrying out my plans. I appoint Captain Edna\nKennelworth second aide and confer upon her the title of Colonel.\" He\nturned to the Council and there was not a dissenting voice.\n\nWhen Supreme Commander Gordon had finished his appointments and gave\nhis instructions to his officers, General Pearson arose and said,\n\"Supreme Commander Gordon, I do not wish to in any way inquire into\nyour plans or interfere with any course which you may pursue, you have\nmy heartiest support, but if you don't mind, I should like to have you\nexplain to me what the trouble has been in the past, why we have been\nout-classed and have lost the war thus far and what is now the remedy\nor what you propose to do.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon replied: \"The trouble in the past has been\nthat the enemy used noiseless airplanes. Our next great handicap was\nthe fact that they could rise to heights to which we are unable to\nattain, giving them the advantage in the fighting. Of course, we have\nbeen hopelessly outnumbered from the start, by that I mean, in the\namount of equipment. Another thing that we need and must have, which\nthe enemy already has, is an airship that can be anchored and remain\nanchored in the air for an indefinite length of time. We need a ship\nthat can take its power from the air, giving it an unlimited cruising\nradius. We need other ships for cruising purposes and scouters that\ncan take their power from the air, not having to return to the base\nat any time for fuel or ammunition, working from a base in the air at\nall times. The next and most important thing we need is an invisible\nplane. An invisible, noiseless plane will be one of the things to beat\nthe enemy. When our planes can travel high or low, no longer be seen or\nheard, we will be able to obtain information about the enemy's position\nand plans and thereby know their weak points, when and where to attack.\n\n\"The great mistake that the army officers have made from time to\ntime was in not listening to the counsel of younger men. By this, I\ndo not mean myself alone. My authority for this is taken from the\nBible,--Prov. 20:18: 'Every purpose is established by counsel, and with\ngood advice make war.' Prov. 24:6: 'For the wise counsel thou shalt\nmake thy war, and in a multitude of counsellors there is safety.' There\nhave not been enough counsellors and enough changes in plans at the\nproper time when the enemy was winning.\n\n\"My strength and power is in the Lord and I shall follow the rules laid\ndown in the Bible in my future campaign. 2 Samuel 22:33: 'God is my\nstrength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.' 1 Chronicles 5:22:\n'For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God and they\ndwelt in their steads until the captivity.' This great War in the Air\nis according to the will of God and to fulfill the Scriptures and to\nwork out God's plan for an eternal united kingdom of the world. You may\nwonder at my confidence and my defiance of the enemy at this time when\nit looks as if our chance for victory is absolutely impossible. I refer\nyou to St. Luke 1:37: 'For with God nothing shall be impossible.' Again\nLuke 1:52: 'He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted\nthem of low degree.' I believe that if it is the will of God for us to\nwin he will give us the power to bring down the mighty who have tried\nto oppress and destroy this nation, the land of liberty.\n\n\"Read Acts 17:26: 'And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for\nto dwell on all the face of the earth; and hath determined the times\nbefore appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.' All men are\nbrothers and it is God's will that they should dwell together on the\nearth in peace. This great war, the last of all, is brought about to\nteach men that they can not defy the laws of God.\n\n\"Romans 8:25 and 31: 'For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen,\nis not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we\nhope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. What\nshall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against\nus?' I am confident that God is for us, that he established this land\nof America never to be destroyed. Then no matter how dark the situation\nis now, even if all the nations of the world join against us, if God is\nfor us they shall not prevail.\n\n\"Getting back to what we need to defeat the enemy, man has always found\na way to do things. The genius of America has never been defeated. We\nonly have to go back over the histories of wars in which America has\nengaged to find evidence that in emergency they have always found a\nway out, because they were led by the divine power of Almighty God.\nIn time of war, man has dug tunnels under the earth in order that he\ncould pass safely, concealing and protecting himself. During the great\nWorld War, Germany was the first to succeed with the submarine, passing\nsecretly under the water, doing great damage and at the same time,\nsuffering very little damage to her submarines. While the submarine was\nwhat caused her to lose the war, it came very near enabling her to win\nit. Man has dug tunnels thru mountains and under rivers when it was\nimpossible almost to go over them or get thru any other way. In New\nYork City, in 1927, one of the greatest engineering feats up to that\ntime was completed, when a tunnel for vehicular traffic was opened from\nNew York City under the Hudson River to the State of New Jersey.\n\n\"What we now need and need more than anything else is a Tunnel thru the\nAir. With such a tunnel and noiseless, invisible planes so that we can\npass thru the air without being interfered with or harmed and without\nbeing seen or heard, our victory is assured. To make a Tunnel thru the\nAir is not at all impossible. It is just as easy as to put a tunnel\nunder the earth or drive a submarine under the water. While the air is\ninvisible, it is one of the strongest forces that we have. If the water\ncan be separated or a submarine can push it each way and travel under\nit, if dirt can be removed and a man put a tunnel under a river or a\nmountain, we can find a way to put a Tunnel thru the Air so others can\nnot see us, hear or enter unless we so desire.\n\n\"One of my first plans will be to put a Tunnel thru the Air. With a\nTunnel thru the Air from New York City to London and Germany, our\nairplanes may safely pass thru without being seen or heard and the\nenemy will be unable to attack them, placing us in position to leave\nthe tunnel at any time and return to it for safety.\n\n\"We need a Tunnel thru the Air from the Great Lakes to New Orleans and\nthe Gulf of Mexico so that our planes may pass safely thru this tunnel,\ntake observations of the enemy's position without being seen or heard,\nand when necessary leave this tunnel, attack the enemy, return to the\ntunnel again for protection. We can also have a Tunnel thru the Air so\nthat when the enemy's planes enter this tunnel and do not understand\nit, they will be unable to get out of it and we may keep them there in\nprison as long as we wish, capture or destroy them.\n\n\"I have the plan already worked out for this Tunnel thru the Air. I\nexpect to accomplish it by the use of certain light rays and light\nwaves, sending a strong current thru the air on one side and another\ncurrent on the other side anywhere from 100 yards to miles wide and\nthen thru another process that I have in mind, remove the air from\nbetween these lines or currents, making a vacuum or space between the\nair which will really be a tunnel. We can drive our planes thru this\ntunnel by radio rays, directing them from a great central station which\nI expect to build. All the aviators know that often they run into\nwhat they call air-pockets in the air, which means nothing more than\na vacuum made by Nature in some way and that when these air-pockets\nare encountered an airship will drop right down until denser layers of\nair are reached. If Nature can construct a tunnel thru the air, then\ncertainly man with the guidance of God's divine power can do it. It may\nbe hard for you to understand and believe my theories, but they are\nfounded on faith and the knowledge that with God nothing is impossible.\n\n\"I have demonstrated in the past that every law laid down in the Bible\nis provable, every prophecy has been fulfilled or will be fulfilled.\nI again refer to Roman 1:17: 'For therein is the righteousness of God\nrevealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live\nby faith.' At this moment there is nothing for this nation to hang\ntheir hope on but faith in a divine Creator, and if I am right in my\ninterpretations that the United States was God's kingdom which he\ncreated never to be destroyed and if it is to be the united kingdom of\nthe world, then we must live by faith. If every other man, woman, and\nchild in the United States, yea, and the world, turns against me, I\nwill believe and follow that faith, knowing that no power can harm me\nand that no matter how many may be against me, I can win so long as I\nbelieve in the divine Creator.\n\n\"Romans 5:3-4: 'And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:\nknowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience;\nand experience, hope.' These trials and tribulations which we have\ngone thru have brought knowledge. We have learned patience and thru\npatience, experience. I propose to put that experience and knowledge\nthat I have gained in the past into execution to preserve and protect\nmy country which means more than life to me.\"\n\nWhen Supreme Commander Gordon had finished talking, there was new life\nand new hope in the face of every man in the room. It was plain to see\nthat they had caught the divine inspiration; that their faith had been\nstrengthened and that they now believed that God would lead them safely\nto victory and preserve the nation which He had created to be a land of\nlove and liberty.\n\nGeneral Pearson arose and said: \"Supreme Commander Gordon, I offer\nyou my heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude. You have placed in my\nheart a new hope; made me understand our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ\nbetter than ever before. I believe I bespeak the sentiments of the\nentire Council and that they, too, have supreme confidence in you and\nnow understand what the great faith that you have had in your Creator\nhas done for you. Had the world and all of us understood the Bible and\nGod's plan as you do, this war would never have taken place. I plainly\nsee now that it is God's intention to teach man thru trials, sorrow and\nbitter experiences to reverence and respect the law which he has laid\ndown for man to follow. Man must learn to love his neighbor as himself\nand to do unto others as he would have them do unto him. When that law\nis understood and obeyed, then men will no longer want to make war\nbecause war is not based on brotherly love, but on greed, jealousy and\nhatred. When we decided to surrender Chicago, I felt that that meant\nthe end of our glorious country. I could see no hope, no way out, but\nyou have shown us the way and our combined faith in you, together with\nthe inspiration from our holy Father, will guide us to victory thru\nyour leadership. We are with you, in all confidence, to victory.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon then ordered each officer and commander to\nreturn to his respective post of duty and to await further orders.\nHe said, \"If my plans develop as I think, you will not need to take\nfurther action.\" He asked for the use of the largest building in New\nYork, \"The Mammouth\" and wanted the entire top floor of this 110-story\nbuilding at 42nd street and Broadway. His wishes were immediately\ngranted. Was told that the Government already had taken over control\nof all the large buildings in the United States and that he might\nuse the building as he chose. Supreme Commander Gordon departed from\nWashington that night in the old \"St. Marie\" which he had ordered\nbrought to Washington to convey him back, taking with him Colonel\nWalter Kennelworth. He had instructed Colonel Edna Kennelworth to meet\nhim at the Mammouth Building in New York. On arrival he proceeded at\nonce to put the top floor in order for the \"Demon of Death\" to be moved\nin. Colonel Kennelworth and another assistant were sent at once to the\nAdirondacks to the secret hiding of \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" to test\nout this giant Ezekiel airplane, and bring it to New York City. The\nmachine for distributing the sleeping gas which would reach a radius\nof 700 miles, was made in readiness on the top floor of the building.\n\"Marie the Angel of Mercy\" was in perfect working order, and arrived in\nNew York ship-shape.\n\nThe whole United States was waiting in anxiety because it was known\nthat within a few days the armistice would end and the United States\nmust either fight or surrender. The people in Washington, Boston,\nPhiladelphia, and New York had not slept for more than a week.\nThey knew that an air attack had been threatened and feared the\nconsequences. Supreme Commander Gordon dispatched the sleeping gas\nby \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" and it was distributed to the planes\nall across the country. Colonel Kennelworth returned at the end of\nthe second day in \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" after distributing the\nsleeping gas and giving instructions how to use it. The \"Demon of\nDeath\" was tested out and found to be in good working order. For many\nmonths previous to this, all of the large cities had been kept in\ndarkness because they feared night attacks.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXX\n\n\nWhen the commanders of the Allied Enemy in Chicago and St. Louis\nreceived the defiance hurled at them on October 15, 1931, this reply\nwas signed by Supreme Commander Robert Gordon. The English, German,\nAustrian, and Russians had never heard of this United States officer\nbefore and were at a loss to understand whom the United States had\nplaced in supreme command. The reply was conveyed to Japanese and\nSpanish headquarters in Mexico and the Japanese quickly understood just\nwho Supreme Commander Robert Gordon was and feared that he had made\nsome wonderful invention which had made him confident of winning the\nwar. The Japanese Generals, knowing what this might mean and fearing\nthe great genius, Robert Gordon, asked for an allied war council to\nconvene before making another attack. On October 21st it was decided\nthat the War Council should be held in the City of Mexico. The allied\nenemy were confident that the United States would not make any attack\nin the near future, but would wait for them to make the next move. They\nfelt that the great losses which had been suffered by the United States\nArmy at the battle of Chicago placed them in no position to make an\nimmediate attack and that they would try to strengthen their position\nfor the next attack by the allied enemy. It was decided that the\ncommanding generals of all the allied enemy nations should proceed at\nonce to the City of Mexico to hold a council and decide what the wisest\nand next move should be. They left in the dead hours of the night in\nthe fastest planes and those which could rise to the highest altitudes,\nenabling them to travel noiselessly and at a height at which they could\nnot be detected or captured. The scouting and cruising planes were left\nto patrol the lines between Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans and\nwatch for any move that might be made on the part of the United States\nforces.\n\nWhen the Council had convened in the City of Mexico, General Nagato,\nthe commander of the Japanese army, arose and said: \"Supreme Commander\nRobert Gordon now in charge of the United States forces is well known\nto us. He is the man who made the first flight from New York City to\nJapan in 1927, traveling at a speed of more than 300 miles per hour. He\nis the man who invented the muffler which made our airplanes noiseless.\nWe bought it from him and it helped us to successfully wage this war.\nWhen we attacked the Rio Grande and were preparing to bombard El Paso,\nGordon, we believe, was the man who successfully brought down our\ngreatest ship, the 'Tokyo J-1.' Later we captured Gordon at the battle\nof San Francisco. He was flying one of our planes which was on board\nthe Tokyo. We found that he had a wonderful Pocket-Radio by which we\ncould communicate without any sound passing thru the air, thus avoiding\nour orders being intercepted. After negotiating with him, we gave\nhim his freedom, conducted him safely back to the American lines in\nconsideration of his turning over to us his secret Pocket-Radio, which\nwe worked successfully for many months. Finally it failed to work and\nwe have always believed that he invented something by which he could\nprevent our communications.\n\n\"He is one of the ablest inventors that the United States has. The fact\nthat he has been placed in command means that he must have made some\ngreat discovery or new invention which has inspired the United States\nwith confidence of winning the war. While we have all the advantage\nin numbers, both in men, ships and ammunition, and to all appearance\nthe United States is hopelessly crippled and will not be able to hold\nout much longer, one new invention by this man Gordon may mean our\ndefeat. It is my opinion that the factories in Detroit, Michigan, have\nbeen working on some of his new discoveries. Our next attack should\nbe directed at Detroit. We should capture that city and destroy the\nfactories of the big automobile concerns and other manufacturing\nconcerns there. All of these manufacturing concerns have long since\nbeen commandeered by the United States Government and are working on\nwar weapons and ammunition.\"\n\nWhen Colonel Nagato had finished speaking, the Spanish, English,\nGerman, Austrian and Russian Generals discussed war plans for many days\nand there were numerous disagreements before it was finally agreed as\nto just what the next move should be. Finally they united on the plan\nto make the next attack upon Detroit and if successful there, proceed\nto attack Boston, New York, Washington and the Eastern Coast of the\nUnited States.\n\nThe delay by the Allied Enemy was just what Supreme Commander Gordon\nwanted. It gave him time to prepare. He had ordered the Henry Motor\nCompany of Detroit to proceed at once to manufacture according to his\nplans which he sent them, two large machines, one positive and one\nnegative, by which he could send currents of electricity thru the air\nand produce a vacuum, or as he called it, a \"Tunnel thru the Air.\"\nThese plans had been worked out years before and there was no question\nbut what the machines would work successfully. The Henry Motor Company\nhad been commandeered by the United States Government and as soon as\nthey received the order and plans from the Supreme Commander, they\nstarted running day and night working to build the two giant machines.\n\nThe fifteen days' armistice expired on October 18th, 1931. Supreme\nCommander Gordon was in readiness and waited the first attack of the\nenemy. Less than thirty days from the time that he ordered work started\non the machines, they reported that the machines were completed and\nready to test out. He called Colonel Kennelworth to his office in\nNew York and explained to him that the great Vacuum Producer, as the\nmachine had been named, had been completed; ordered him to proceed\nat once to Detroit and test out the machines both for short and long\ndistance work.\n\nColonel Kennelworth arrived in Detroit on November 17th. The following\nday tested out the Tunnel machines; reported to Supreme Commander\nGordon that they were working in fine shape and producing results\naccording to the plans. The Supreme Commander then decided to go\nimmediately to Detroit and establish one of the machines at a base\nthere and have Colonel Kennelworth take the other machine to Cincinnati\nand set it up. The machine was transported secretly and successfully to\nCincinnati and set up in one of the largest buildings in the city.\n\nOn November 20th, Supreme Commander Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth\ntested the Tunnel machines over this long distance. The machines were\nset to produce a tunnel 100 yards wide at first and were set in motion.\nThe American scouting airplanes were sent off over a described area\nand on entering between these lines found that they were in a complete\ntunnel. They could travel quickly back and forth thru the Tunnel in the\nAir. This was a great triumph. Commander Gordon instructed all those\nconnected with the test to keep it a complete secret. He knew that this\nwas going to be a great surprise to the enemy when they started their\nnext attack.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon had now completed another new invention on the\nsame plan of the radio that he had to use in his office in New York\nseveral years before to record conversations when the manipulators\nwere trying to catch him in the stock market. He had enlarged this\nmachine so that it would record voices 3000 miles away and named it the\n\"Tel-Talk.\"\n\nOn the night of November 19th, 1931, the Supreme War Council which had\nconvened in Mexico City broke up and the commanding generals returned\nto their various posts around St. Louis and Chicago. Supreme Commander\nGordon had his powerful Tel-Talk directed so that he would get all\nthe conversation along the lines between Chicago, St. Louis and New\nOrleans. When he went to his headquarters in Detroit on the morning\nof November 20th, he went in to look at his Tel-Talk, saw that there\nhad been a conference of the enemy held the night before. He pushed\nthe needle of the machine back and turned it on; put his ear to the\nreceiver and listened. He found that the commanding generals had talked\nover the conference in Mexico and had now decided that their next\nattack would be on Detroit in order to destroy the factories there and\nprevent the United States continuing making airplanes and inventions\nwhich might help them to win the war. He was very happy to get the\nplans of the enemy. It was just what he wanted. He was anxious to test\nthe Tunnel thru the Air, capture the enemy's planes and keep them\nthere because he knew when once he got them in the Tunnel, they would\nbe unable to get out of it and he could keep them suspended in the\nair indefinitely, moving up and down in the Tunnel, or could capture\nthem and destroy them. He was impatient and anxious for an attack upon\nDetroit and decided to defy the enemy and urge them on.\n\nWith the plans of the enemy in his possession, Supreme Commander Gordon\ndecided to change the location of the Tunnel machines so as to protect\nthe factories and large buildings in Detroit. He arranged the machines\nso that when the attacking planes came over Detroit at a high altitude,\nhe could drop them into the Tunnel thru the Air and thus prevent any\nharm to the factories or buildings in Detroit. He waited patiently for\nan attack upon the city, but no move of any kind was made by the enemy.\nWhen it was near Thanksgiving, he had a great desire that the battle\nshould start around that time so that the United States might have\nthe greatest Thanksgiving in history because he was confident that if\nthe attack came, Detroit would be successfully defended and the enemy\nfor the first time would find that we had outwitted them. He decided\nto urge the enemy to make an attack on Detroit as soon as possible,\nso ordered a large electric sign built with letters twenty feet high,\n\"DETROIT IS READY--WON'T YOU COME AND TAKE US WE WANT TO BE YOUR\nTHANKSGIVING TURKEY.\" The sign was placed on an airplane and lighted.\nThis plane passed in full view of the enemy's lines at St. Louis and\nChicago. What the enemy thought of this, perhaps no one will ever know.\nColonel Manson later wrote that this electric sign put the fear of God\nin the heart of the enemy; that the Germans recalled the days when the\nYankees arrived at the time of the great World War. The Japanese, the\nSpanish and the English realized that this was not meant for a bluff\nand thought they had made a mistake in allowing 15 days' armistice,\nnow that the United States had decided to fight again. How they could\nhope to win, the enemy could not see. They decided to teach this young,\nboastful commander a lesson that he would never forget.\n\nOn Thanksgiving night, November 24th, the attack was ordered. Supreme\nCommander Gordon was at dinner and a messenger interrupted him to\ntell him that \"Tel-Talk\" had picked up an important message. He rushed\nto the secret room and noticed that a conference had been held and\norders given by the enemy to attack Detroit that night. He immediately\ncommunicated this information secretly with the new Pocket-Radio to\nColonel Kennelworth in Cincinnati. Told him to be in readiness to\nadjust the Tunnel machine and change the location and altitude any\nmoment that he instructed. He ordered all the lights in the streets\nof Detroit to be kept on that night. It has been the custom for many\nmonths, since long before the attack at Chicago, to keep all the cities\nin darkness at night.\n\nHe had just completed another new invention which he called the Radium\nRay. With this Ray he could locate anything in the sky 75 to 100 miles\naway. He had the Radium Ray machine in readiness to search the sky for\nthe first attack that night. Just before 10 o'clock he was sweeping the\nsky with the Radium Ray when he discovered the enemy planes approaching\nfrom the direction of Chicago. There was a large flock of them flying\nat very high altitudes, followed by three large supply ships. He knew\nthat these supply ships would anchor in the air somewhere over Detroit\nand the bombing planes would make the attack. He decided to send\nCaptain Morrison, the famous aviator who had distinguished himself at\nthe battle of Chicago, to lead a fleet of decoy airplanes to meet the\ninvading planes and to lead them into the Tunnel thru the Air. Captain\nMorrison led his swift cruisers into the air to the greatest heights\nthey could rise, and as they neared the approaching enemy they began\nto turn loose the rapid-firing anti-aircraft guns. As soon as the enemy\ndiscovered the firing, they turned their searchlights on our planes,\nlocated and started after them. Captain Morrison obeyed orders and\nretreated rapidly with the other planes following. He made straight for\nDetroit to the vicinity of main buildings and factory districts with\nthe enemy planes in hot pursuit. Suddenly he received a radio message\nfrom Supreme Commander Gordon to descend very low and fly Northwest.\nAt this time the Supreme Commander was in communication with Colonel\nKennelworth and they had adjusted the Tunnel machines and established\nthe Tunnel thru the Air.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon was atop one of Detroit's giant skyscrapers\nover 80 stories high watching the action of the enemy planes. Suddenly\nhe saw the first battalion of more than 250 planes, which were flying\nin a wedge formation, dive into the Tunnel. He followed them with the\nRadium Ray and saw immediately that the Tunnel was doing its work and\nthat the giant battle planes were now powerless. Next came the three\ngiant supply ships. Following the same course as the bombing planes,\nthey dived into the Tunnel thru the Air and were powerless to proceed\nfurther. Once the planes were in the Tunnel, they were unable to\ncommunicate with headquarters or make any move because the Tunnel was\na complete vacuum and no plane could move in it except the American\nplanes which understood the combination how to navigate thru the\nTunnel. As soon as Supreme Commander Gordon saw that the great Tunnel\nmachines were doing their miraculous work, he sent another defiant\nmessage to the enemy headquarters in Chicago and St. Louis:\n\n We have given your first battalion a wonderful Thanksgiving reception.\n Won't you send some more of your famous aviators to have Thanksgiving\n supper with us.\n\nImmediately after this message was received, the commanding generals\nordered a message sent to the supply ships which were supposed to be\nanchored over Detroit, asking information as to what was happening. No\nreply was received. This caused consternation in the enemy camp. They\nknew that the first battalion had either been captured or destroyed.\nThe news was quickly flashed to headquarters in the City of Mexico and\nGeneral Nagato replied: \"This is some devilish trick of that genius,\nGordon. Be careful what move you make. Send out scouting planes around\nDetroit and ascertain what is going on.\" Their fast cruising scouters\nwere immediately dispatched to Detroit to see what had happened to the\nbombing planes and the mother ships. These planes soon came in view of\nthe Radium Ray. After circling high over Detroit, finally came lower\nand lower until suddenly they plunged into the Tunnel thru the Air and\nlike the others, were powerless to move or to communicate with their\nheadquarters.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon decided to take no chances with the captured\nplanes which were in the Tunnel thru the Air and ordered the sleeping\ngas turned on to put all the aviators to sleep for seven days. After\nwaiting till after 12 o'clock for further attacks and finding the air\nclear with no signs of the enemy in sight, he decided to retire and\nget some sleep. This was the greatest day since the beginning of the\nwar. He was very happy and knelt to offer his thanks to Almighty God.\nHe said: \"Lord, thou workest in mysterious ways thy wonders to perform.\nI know that by faith and thru faith were all things made. I have put\nmy trust and my confidence in thee. Thou hast guided me safely and\nhelped me protect my country in time of greatest need. God, not my\nwill, but thine be done, but if it be thy will, I pray thee that when\nthese trials and troubles pass away and once the United Kingdom of the\nWorld is established and all men live as brothers according to the law\nof love, it be a part of thy divine plan to return to me in safety\nmy beloved Marie. Guide me in this great task to protect and save my\ncountry from the enemies who would destroy it. Amen.\"\n\nNovember 25th, 1931, was a great day for the United States. They\nhad more to be thankful for than any day since November, 1918, when\nthe great World War had come to a close. After conferring with his\ncommanding officers and Government officials, Supreme Commander Gordon\ngave orders that no newspapers were to be permitted to publish anything\nabout the attack upon Detroit, that it was to be kept strictly a secret.\n\nThere was not much to be thankful for in the camp of the enemy. Failure\nof any of the planes sent out the night before to return and no message\nbeing received from them, made it plain that the United States was not\nbluffing and that Supreme Commander Gordon knew what he had up his\nsleeve when he hurled defiance at the enemy and refused to accept any\nterms. They were not aware of the fact that when he defied them to\ncome and take Detroit, he must have been anxiously awaiting the attack\nand had something new that he wanted to try out on the enemy planes,\nand that it had been successful. It was now a time to move cautiously.\nThe next and future moves must be made in a way to conserve their\nresources and assure final success.\n\nEverything was quiet and no move or attack was made until December\n7th, when the enemy held a council and decided that a gigantic attack\non Detroit should be made; that they should concentrate a large part\nof their forces there; destroy the factories and take Detroit; then\nproceed to attack New York and the Eastern Coast. The plan was to make\na daylight attack and, if possible, to surprise Supreme Commander\nGordon. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon the enemy planes were seen\napproaching from the East and West. He saw that this was to be a\ngigantic attack because there was a larger number of planes than they\nhad used at any time since the attack of Chicago. Before he could get\nthe Tunnel machines in working order and establish a wider range in the\nTunnel thru the Air, the enemy planes had begun dropping bombs on the\noutskirts of the city and had destroyed many of the smaller buildings.\nThe United States planes were attacked and being unable to rise to the\nheights at which the enemy planes were flying, a great many of our\nplanes went down, but in a few minutes the Tunnel thru the Air was in\nworking order and the enemy planes began to be drawn into it. Within\nless than an hour more than 2500 planes had been captured. The loss of\nlife around the city had been small because the bombs which had been\ndropped had not reached the thickly populated sections of the city and\nno plane had been able to reach the factories or business sections\nwhere the large buildings were. The Tunnel thru the Air was protecting\nand keeping them away from these sections. Canadian planes had come to\nthe assistance of the United States on the Northern border and were\npatrolling the other side of the river and preventing the enemy from\nattacking from the North.\n\nAbout 5 o'clock, the gigantic concentrated attack took place. It was\nestimated that there were more than 25,000 planes of the enemy in this\nattack. They were supported by about 10 supply ships which sailed at\na great distance and were attempting to anchor. Supreme Commander\nGordon knew that it was necessary to sacrifice some of the American\nplanes in order to draw this attacking force into the Tunnel thru the\nAir. He sent more than 1000 of our best planes to meet the attack and\nlead the enemy in the right direction. The enemy turned loose their\nlarge 12-inch guns and they destroyed our ships rapidly. Planes were\nfalling all over Detroit. The people were very much frightened and\nthought that this was going to be another disaster such as had occurred\nin Chicago. Finally Captain Morrison changed plans and led the enemy\ntoward the Tunnel thru the Air. Soon more than 10,000 of their planes\nhad gone into the Tunnel never to return again. When this large fleet\nof planes went down and evidently were no longer able to communicate\nwith the giant supply ships which were not yet anchored, the enemy\nquickly changed plans and the supply ships sailed back toward Chicago,\nfollowed by the balance of the invading fleet which had not been\ncaptured.\n\nWhen all reports were in, Supreme Commander Gordon found that the\nUnited States had lost about 400 of their best planes, but had captured\nmore than 12,000 of the enemy planes. He was very greatly elated over\nthis victory because he knew that when the enemy planes retreated,\nit was the first time they had ever returned to their base without a\nreport of victory. He felt that this would break the morale of the\nenemy; make them more cautious in the future; give him more time now\nto complete his invisible airplane and the one which would rise to\nany altitude. When this was completed together with other machines\nfor establishing Tunnels thru the Air, the balance would be easy and\na mere question of time until the enemy could all be destroyed or put\nto sleep. People thruout the United States were still in a panicky,\nrestless state. Ever since the attacks at Los Angeles, San Francisco,\nChicago, Kansas City, New Orleans and the Southern part of Texas, every\nlarge and small town all over the country had remained in a state\nof fear, expecting an attack at any moment. Hundreds of thousands\nof people had moved from the Pacific Coast and from the Central and\nEastern parts of the United States into the mountains of the West and\nthe Grand Canyon. They felt that there were no large cities and nothing\nto attack around the Grand Canyon and that it was the safest place to\ngo. Thousands of people were living in tents and there was a great\nscarcity of food and much suffering.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon decided that the people should be given some\nencouragement and that the news of the failure of the second attack\nupon Detroit should be given to the newspapers; thought it would\nencourage and cheer the people. On the morning of December 8th, all the\nnewspapers thruout the United States, carried big headlines: \"DETROIT\nATTACKED THE SECOND TIME BY THE ENEMY FORCES BUT DEFEATED. THOUSANDS\nOF THEIR PLANES HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. THERE HAS BEEN PRACTICALLY NO LOSS\nOF LIFE AND NO IMPORTANT BUILDINGS DESTROYED.\" The papers emphasized\nthe fact that this meant the turn of the war and that the placing\nof Supreme Commander Gordon at the head of our forces had saved the\ncountry and that there was no longer need for any great alarm. It was a\nquestion of only a few months till the war would be over and the enemy\nwould be driven from our soil.\n\nThe defeat at the second attack of Detroit had indeed put the fear of\nGod in the hearts of the Enemy, but they had not by any means lost\nhope. They were getting recruits rapidly from Europe. Every nation was\nbuilding airplanes as fast as the factories could turn them out and\nsending them to the United States to aid their allies. Practically\nevery nation on the face of the earth, outside of France, Canada and\na few countries in South America and Australia, had joined against\nthe United States. This encouraged the Enemy and they felt that no\nmatter what the United States had, in the end they would not be able\nto win. The great problem now was to find out what the Americans were\nusing in order to capture the enemy planes and what discovery they\nhad to prevent their communications. The Enemy were unable to find\nout anything about the American plans. They demanded to know what had\nhappened to the captured aviators, whether they were living or dead.\nSupreme Commander Gordon refused to give any information whatsoever\nabout prisoners; replied that reports of anything in regard to\nprisoners or planes would be made after the war was over and after the\nEnemy had surrendered and were ready to leave our soil. This greatly\naroused the Japanese, Spanish and Germans who decided to redouble their\nefforts to take Detroit and then attack the Eastern Coast of the United\nStates.\n\nDays went by and everything was quiet in Detroit. No attacks were made\nanywhere in the United States. December 25th, 1931, arrived and the\nUnited States had much to be thankful for. There was a great rejoicing\nand merry-making on Christmas. Supreme Commander Gordon had a great\nChristmas. The Major Electric Co. had been working on the process for\nmaking planes invisible and reported to him that they had completed the\nprocess according to his plans and that it was a success. They had also\ncompleted a new motor which he had designed with 24 cylinders. This\nmotor was to be used in lifting our planes to great heights. It was\nestimated that it would carry a ship 50 miles in the air if necessary.\nA stabilizer and anchor had been completed in accordance with his\nplans. The Major Electric Co. informed him that these machines were\nall ready for him to test out. He ordered these new inventions to be\nsent to New York headquarters. A large 24-cylinder motor was placed in\n\"Marie the Angel of Mercy\" and she was made an invisible airship. This\nmotor was able to take its power from the air.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon went to New York on January 1st, 1932, leaving\nColonel Morrison in charge in Detroit and ordering General Pearson\nto Detroit to hold the fort until he completed the test in New York.\nSupreme Commander Gordon accompanied only by Colonel Edna Kennelworth\nmade the first flight in \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" ascended to a\nheight of more than 20 miles and anchored the \"Marie\" in the air. The\nnew inventions were a perfect success and the machine could rise to\nany height and anchor and remain as long as it was desired and was\nabsolutely invisible.\n\nHe was now in position to construct a Tunnel thru the Air from New York\nto Europe and sail the \"Marie\" in safety thru it, then rise to a height\nof 20 to 50 miles over any of the cities, anchor and start destruction.\n\"Marie the Angel of Mercy\" could carry enough sleeping gas to destroy\nor put to sleep people over thousands of miles of territory. After\nremaining anchored in the air for two days to test \"Marie the Angel\nof Mercy,\" Supreme Commander Gordon descended to New York, anchored\nat the Mammouth Building to get a report of what had been happening\nand prepare for any attack. The Enemy were keeping quiet and making no\nmove, evidently trying to find out what America's new inventions were\nbefore making the next great attack.\n\n\"Marie the Angel of Mercy\" was now equipped with the Tunnel machine\nwhich would automatically put a Tunnel thru the Air anywhere in any\ndirection. The Supreme Commander had enlarged and improved upon the\nTunnel machine or vacuum until it could be made 25 to 50 miles wide\nin any direction from a large city. He had also discovered how to\nsend ships thru the air without an aviator, directing them by radio\nrays, which would enable them to distribute sleeping gas among the\nenemy's lines and prevent loss of any of his valuable aviators. He\nnow had confidence that every city would be safe from an attack and\nno destruction could take place. The Henry Motor Co. and the Major\nElectric Co. were ordered to manufacture more of the Tunnel machines\njust as fast as possible so that one might be placed in each city in\nBoston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington and Savannah,\nGa., to protect the Eastern Coast of the United States. It was the\nopinion of Supreme Commander Gordon that the Enemy would eventually\nconcentrate their final attacks on the Eastern shores of the United\nStates and if unsuccessful in attacking New York and Washington, the\nwar would be over. He intended to be fully prepared so that the United\nStates would emerge victorious without much loss of life and was\nespecially trying to protect the women and children in the large cities.\n\nFebruary 15, 1932--Supreme Commander Gordon was informed by the\nHenry Motor Co. and Major Electric Co. that the Tunnel machines were\ncompleted, that gas-distributing machines and equipment for sending\nairplanes by radio ray without an aviator to distribute the sleeping\ngas were ready for delivery. Two more \"Demon of Death\" machines were\nready and ordered sent to Washington and Boston. The Supreme Commander\nwas hourly expecting that the enemy would attack the Eastern Coast,\nconcentrating on Boston, New York and Washington. The \"Tel-Talk\" had\nrecorded conferences which had been held and plans which were under\nway to concentrate the Enemy's combined forces on the Eastern Coast.\nHe figured that they were trying to make improvements to overcome the\ndefeat at Detroit because the enemy had been mystified by the new\ninvention which had been used to capture so many of their planes. He\nwas now ready and waiting for the attack on the Eastern shore, feeling\nconfident that he was prepared for victory.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXI\n\n\nApril 1st, 1932, arrived and no attack had been made. The enemy was\nevidently making gigantic preparations for an attack and Supreme\nCommander Gordon decided to make the first move. He then sent\ninstructions to France to begin attacking England and Germany again.\nFrance was well prepared with a large number of airplanes. The attack\nstarted and they were successful. When this news reached the enemy\nheadquarters in the United States there was great consternation. They\nthought that this was the secret behind the United States refusing to\naccept peace terms, but felt that France could not hold out long alone.\nSpain and Japan ordered their reserve planes from home to England and\nGermany to help fight France. The \"Tel-Talk\" recorded that a large\nfleet of planes had been sent across the Atlantic to attack France.\nSupreme Commander Gordon ordered the French to go out and meet the\nattack. A great battle raged over the Atlantic for hours with the\nFrench winning. Thousands of the enemy planes went down into the ocean.\nThe Spanish and Japanese withdrew. This stopped Germany and England\nfrom striking back at France. The news reached the enemy headquarters\nin the United States and they figured that in some way the United\nStates had a large number of planes out guarding the Atlantic and\nrealized that the time had come to strike at the Eastern Coast of the\nUnited States before France and the United States could do more damage\non the other side.\n\nIn June, 1932, the enemy decided to make the attack on the Eastern\npart of the United States. Supreme Commander Gordon had time to make\nample preparations to meet it. He had established Colonel Kennelworth\nin Boston with one of the sleeping-gas machines and he remained in New\nYork in the Mammouth Building, with a \"Demon of Death,\" awaiting the\nattack upon New York.\n\n\nBATTLE OF BOSTON\n\nOn June 6th, the enemy attacked Boston. The planes came in large\nnumbers from every side, some from across the water, some from the\nNorth and West. Colonel Kennelworth let them approach within a\nreasonable distance and then turned loose the sleeping gas among all\nthe enemy planes. The aviators immediately went to sleep and the planes\nall dropped slowly to the earth and some landed on the water and were\nnot damaged. Hundreds after hundreds of planes followed up, each one\nsharing the same fate. Of all the planes sent out by the enemy, not one\nreturned. Colonel Kennelworth reported to Supreme Commander Gordon that\nBoston was safe,--that there had not been the loss of one life and not\na bomb had been dropped upon the city.\n\nThe Commanders of the Allied Enemy armies were unable to get any report\nof what had happened to the planes that went to attack Boston. They\nwaited until the next day; and when not a plane returned and there was\nno report of any kind, decided that the same fate had befallen them as\nat the attack on Detroit; that the Americans certainly had something\nby which they were destroying every ship and plane which attacked\nthem. This was unusual and unheard of. The fact that thousands and\nthousands of planes had attacked Boston and not one had escaped capture\nor destruction, made it plain that Yankee ingenuity had discovered\nsomething that was turning the tide of war in their favor. They now\nknew that they had made the greatest mistake by not pressing us hard\nafter the fall of Chicago. They should have refused to grant the 15\ndays' armistice without demanding the surrender of the Eastern Coast.\nAnother great mistake was the long delay between the attack on Detroit\nand the attack on Boston. This had enabled the Americans to get better\nprepared. There was no denying the painful truth. Something must be\ndone and done quickly. They decided to order every plane that could\npossibly be spared from the Pacific Coast and from the lines extending\nfrom New Orleans to St. Louis and Chicago; to concentrate a supreme\nattack upon New York and Washington, making Washington the final goal.\nPlanes were concentrated and mother ships anchored out in the Atlantic\nOcean to prepare for the attack upon New York City. This was to be the\ngreatest battle in all history.\n\nOn the night of June 7th, Supreme Commander Gordon had grown tired\nfrom his long vigil waiting for an attack upon New York. He placed\nColonel Edna Kennelworth in charge of the \"Demon of Death\" while he\nwent to get a few hours' sleep. While he was sleeping, the \"Tel-Talk\"\nmachine and the secret radio communicator began to work. Colonel Edna\nKennelworth listened in and soon had the plans of the enemy. She knew\nthat Supreme Commander Gordon needed rest and she did not awaken him\nuntil early next morning. When he entered the headquarters on top of\nthe Mammouth Building, she saluted him and said, \"Supreme Commander\nGordon, this is going to be a great birthday for you. The enemy is\ngoing to attack New York City with probably 100,000 airplanes and\nyou and I are alone to defend it. It will be the day of all days for\nyou.\" He replied: \"I had forgotten all about my birthday. We have\nbeen so busy preparing for the final attacks of the enemy that I have\nhad no time to think of myself.\" She reminded him that five years ago\nhe arrived in New York just after his birthday, then of the birthday\nparties that they had had since and that always something unusual\nhappened around his birthday. \"You remember the birthday party we had\nthe year Walter and I were married. Last year we had too much trouble\nto think of your birthday. The enemy was sweeping up the Mississippi,\nmaking complete destruction and taking every city; but there was\nsomething eventful around your birthday. About that time you discovered\nhow to take electricity from the air and completed the machine for\nsending an electric discharge into the water which destroyed the\nbattleships and hydroplanes of the enemy at Cairo. This was our\ngreatest victory up to that time, and while the disaster at Chicago and\nSt. Louis followed, it gave us the first ray of hope. Now, one year\nlater, complete victory is in sight. I know that you have supreme faith\nin our new machines and that our recent successes will be followed\nby greater successes. This attack upon New York is going to be the\ngreatest in history because the gain will be the greatest should the\nenemy win. Should they fail their cause is lost, and they will fail.\"\nShe saw that Supreme Commander Gordon was very happy and that there\nwas a note of confidence in his tone. While she shuddered to think of\nwhat might happen if they should fail, she knew that Supreme Commander\nGordon had great confidence in the \"Demon of Death\" and the sleeping\ngas machine and knew what they would do, because he alone knew all the\nsecrets of working these machines.\n\nAt 8 o'clock on the evening of June 8th, Supreme Commander Gordon stood\nnear the \"Demon of Death\" watching his different instruments and soon\nnoticed on the other side of the room the radio interceptor start to\nwork. He stepped up to it and listened, caught the orders going from\nthe different enemy headquarters, giving instructions for the combined\nattack on New York City at 10 o'clock that night. He immediately gave\ninstructions for all the electric lights to be kept on all night and\nall buildings to be well lighted to show his confidence and let the\nenemy know that he expected the attack. Colonel Edna Kennelworth was\nordered to instruct all army headquarters to send radio messages to the\nenemy that Supreme Commander Gordon had ordered the City of New York\nand all buildings lighted up for the night so that they would not miss\nthe city and that he awaited their coming with pleasure. Asked them\nnot to overlook the Mammouth Building which was 110 stories high; that\nhe would be there alone, waiting for them to destroy the building.\n\n\nGIGANTIC ATTACK ON NEW YORK CITY\n\nWhen the news reached the enemy, they knew that in some way their plans\nhad leaked out, but it was too late now to make any change and to delay\nattack might mean defeat later, so the orders were carried out. About\n10 minutes after 10 o'clock, Supreme Commander Gordon sighted the first\nairplane of the fleet approaching 40 or 50 miles up the Hudson River.\nHe watched them until they got within about 20 miles of New York City,\nnear Yonkers, then he slowly swung the \"Demon of Death\" around on the\nrevolving base and turned on the rays, at the same time starting the\nsleeping gas machine working. He swept the territory for 50 or 60 miles\nin every direction, and as the rays from the \"Demon of Death\" struck\nthe enemy planes, their motors leaped into a liquid flame. Supreme\nCommander Gordon saw that the \"Demon of Death\" was doing its work so\nhe pressed a button and Colonel Edna Kennelworth appeared. He told her\nto put on powerful glasses and to look at the planes going down. One\nby one she saw the motors dissolved by the flame from the rays of the\n\"Demon of Death\" and the planes falling, one by one, to the ground.\n\nA few minutes after the Northern army was wiped out, the signal came\nthat a great fleet of airplanes was making its way across Long Island\nSound. Supreme Commander Gordon swung the \"Demon of Death\" around and\nwatched the approach of the enemy planes as they came out from the\nAtlantic Ocean and crossed Fire Island. He let them get within 30 to 40\nmiles as they came up across the Great South Bay, then he again turned\nloose the \"Demon of Death.\" Swiftly the planes went down in flames,\nending the attack from the ocean.\n\nHe watched a little while longer and saw across Staten Island another\nflock of planes which he knew was coming from Southern headquarters. He\ncalled Colonel Edna Kennelworth and said: \"This time you may operate\n'Spitfire' and destroy the Southern wing.\" She was a little nervous\nat first but knowing what this great machine could do, she turned it\non, slowly lowered and raised it, moving to the right and left, until\nshe gauged the distance of the approaching planes. One by one she saw\ntheir motors turn to liquid fire and sink to the earth. Turning to\nSupreme Commander Gordon she said, \"Look.\" He focused his powerful\nglasses toward the South and saw that the air was clear. Turning around\nhe said: \"Edna, you are a wonderful woman and I am happy to have you\ntake this part in saving your country. This is the day of women and\ntheir influence must help to win war forever.\" \"It seems a shame,\" she\nreplied, \"that the lives of all these brave men from so many nations\nshould be sacrificed. Among the planes that went down by the thousands,\nI could see some were English, German, Spanish, Austrian, Russian,\nJapanese, Turkish, and Arabian planes. Certainly almost the entire\nworld is against us and we are winning. This must mean the end of\nthe war. While I know that it is God's plan to teach man a lesson so\nthat he will cease to go to war any more, it does seem a shame that we\nshould take the lives of any more of these innocent men who are forced\nby selfish rulers of their countries to attack us.\"\n\n\"You are quite right,\" the Supreme Commander said. \"Your noble husband\ninvented the sleeping gas because it was my desire to protect my\ncountry and win the war with as little loss of life as possible.\nFrom this time on, no more lives will be sacrificed. We will use the\nsleeping gas, put all the attacking aviators to sleep for seven days\nand the war will soon be over. I know that there will be another final\nattack upon New York in a few minutes and I am going to allow you the\nhonor of using the sleeping gas machine and ending the final attack\nupon the great City of New York without loss of any life.\"\n\nAbout the time that Colonel Kennelworth was transferred from Cincinnati\nto Boston, General Pearson had been sent to Cincinnati to operate the\nTunnel machine from there. Immediately before the final attack on New\nYork City, Supreme Commander Gordon ordered General Pearson to swing\nthe Tunnel machine to the East and establish a Tunnel thru the Air\nbetween New York and Cincinnati, informing him that the expected final\nattack upon New York would come over the mountains of Pennsylvania and\nthat this final attack would be from the West; that he wanted a Tunnel\nthru the Air at least 30 miles wide so that he could protect the Jersey\nshores and prevent the attack upon New York City. In a few minutes a\ntest was made and the Tunnel was ready to receive the invading army of\nplanes and airships. He knew that New York was now safe and awaited the\nfinal combined attack of the Enemy planes that would come across from\nSt. Louis and Chicago to meet on the Western side of the Hudson River.\n\nAbout 12 o'clock he sighted the enemy planes across the Western coast\nof Jersey moving in triangle form, and knew that it was the combined\nforces with probably more than 50,000 planes ready for the final\nattack. Swiftly they approached, closer and closer. He played his\npowerful searchlight upon their glistening wings, until they were\nwithin 15 to 20 miles of New York. Fearing that they might start\ndropping bombs on Newark, Jersey City and the towns on the other side\nbefore attacking New York, he adjusted the Tunnel thru the Air until\nit was high enough to reach the enemy planes flying at the highest\naltitude; then turned to Colonel Edna Kennelworth and said: \"Turn on\nthe sleeping gas machine. The Tunnel is ready and as the aviators go to\nsleep, the machines will plunge into the Tunnel thru the Air and remain\nsuspended without the planes being destroyed or the loss of any lives.\nThis will be a silent, painless victory, but it will demonstrate our\npower to the enemy and the world.\"\n\nSlowly and carefully, with a trembling hand, she swung the powerful\ngas distributing machine into action and as she saw the planes coming\nby the thousands begin slowly to plunge into the Tunnel thru the Air,\nshe thought of how she had risked her life taking the sleeping gas\nfor seven days to prove its success for the love of her husband, who\ninvented it, and for the love of her country. She thought of Supreme\nCommander Gordon naming his great ship \"Marie the Angel of Mercy\" and\nthen realized what was in his mind at the time; that the sleeping gas\nshould be named the \"God of Mercy\" because it was winning the war in\na humane way without taking human lives. Her mind went back to the\ngreat destruction of Los Angeles and San Francisco and above all,\nshe remembered the loss of more than a million lives at the battle\nof Chicago; how merciless the enemy had been, sparing not the lives\nof women or children. We were now indeed merciful unto our foes and\nheaping coals of fire upon their heads and she believed this would be a\ngreat example to the world. She knew that the enemy had used poisoned\ngas of all kinds, poisoning the water and foods in the various cities\nand resorted to every means to destroy both life and property.\n\nAs these thoughts were flitting thru her mind, battalion after\nbattalion of planes followed and she was pouring the sleeping gas into\nthe noses of the aviators and the planes were diving into the Tunnel.\nThis was indeed a great victory and she was glad to help accomplish\nit without the loss of life. The great Tunnel machines had worked\nsuccessfully and perfectly. The sleeping gas had done its silent,\npainless work and the army of more than 50,000 planes--the giant attack\nfrom the West--rested safely in the Tunnel thru the Air, not a single\none having escaped.\n\nAt 12:30 the sky in the West was clear and there was not an enemy\nplane in sight in any direction. During the minutes of the final\nbattle Supreme Commander Gordon had remained as motionless as a statue,\nstanding with his hand upon the levers of the Tunnel machine, with the\npowerful searchlights playing upon the enemy planes, and watching thru\nhis field glasses the planes as they dived swiftly into the Tunnel\nthru the Air after the aviators inhaled the sleeping gas. When the\nlast plane had landed safely in the Tunnel, his features relaxed and\nhis face showed a smile of victory. His first thought was of Marie,\nhis next thought was of his old friend Walter Kennelworth. He sent the\nfirst message of the victory over his secret radio to him. \"The enemy\nhas attacked New York from four sides, more than 100,000 strong. The\n'Demon of Death' has done its work. The Tunnel machines have performed\na miracle. More than 50,000 aviators are sleeping in our nets. Your\ngreat discovery has made this a painless victory. Edna, your noble\nwife, performed the painless herculean task and played her part in the\nfinal stage of the great victory.\"\n\nOn receiving this message Colonel Kennelworth was overjoyed, knowing\nthat it meant that the end of the war was near. His reply was\nbrief--\"Congratulations, Robert Gordon. Love to Edna. I hope that you\nmay yet have Marie to share with you in the great victory.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon's next thought was of General Pearson who\nhad been his friend and had saved his life after his capture by the\nJapanese at the battle of San Francisco. They next informed him of the\ngreat victory. This was the greatest news that General Pearson had ever\nreceived in his life. He felt doubly happy because he had had faith in\nRobert Gordon from the first and had been the one to offer to turn over\nhis command and authority to Gordon and make him Supreme Commander. He\nanswered: \"Supreme Commander Gordon, our country made no mistake when\nthey placed their fate in your hands. My faith in you has been supreme\nand I had confidence in you from the first time I met you. Accept my\nsincerest gratitude for the great service that you have rendered our\ncountry. You deserve all the honor and reward that we can give you.\"\n\nWhen reports came to headquarters in Washington that the enemy had\nattacked New York with more than 100,000 airplanes; that they had all\nbeen destroyed or captured; that New York was safe, and prepared for\nfurther attacks, there was great rejoicing. The President of the United\nStates hurried to the War Office, ordered the swiftest plane to convey\nhim to New York City to congratulate Supreme Commander Gordon. He was\ngiven a fast plane which could travel more than 300 miles per hour.\n\nAfter the last attack and Supreme Commander Gordon had relaxed from the\nterrific strain, he walked to his desk and picked up the Bible. Turning\nto Ezekiel 5:2, he read: \"Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the\nmidst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou\nshalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife; and a third\npart thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after\nthem.\" He knew that Ezekiel was talking about the Tunnel thru the Air\nand the scattering of a third part of the army in wind and that they\nwere caught while traveling in the Tunnel thru the Air. Then he read\nChapter 17:3: \"Thus saith the Lord God, a great eagle with great wings,\nlong-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto\nLebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar.\" This referred to\nUncle Sam, the great eagle that was winning the war. The cedar referred\nto the tall building of 110 stories where Supreme Commander Gordon now\nhad his headquarters.\n\nHe next read Ezekiel 31:4: \"The waters made him great, the deep set him\nup on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out\nher little rivers unto all the trees of the field.\" He knew that this\nreferred to England when she had been the mistress of the seas, but\nthat Uncle Sam had proved to be the eagle of the air and would conquer\nall nations on the face of the earth.\n\nHe read Ezekiel 33:21: \"And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our\ncaptivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that\none had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is\nsmitten.\" He interpreted this to mean the City of Chicago where the\nenemy gained their last great victory.\n\nThen read Ezekiel 37:22: \"And I will make them one nation in the land\nupon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all;\nand they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided\ninto two kingdoms, any more at all.\" He was sure that this meant that\nNorth and South America were to unite all nations of the world and that\nthere was to be one ruler, one king, and he was God.\n\nHe continued with Ezekiel 39:11: \"And it shall come to pass in that\nday, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the\nvalley of the passengers on the east of the sea; and it shall stop the\nnoses of the passengers; and there shall they bury Gog, and all his\nmultitude; and they shall call it, The Valley of Hamon-gog.\" He thought\nthat this referred to the battle of New York. Where it said \"it shall\nstop the noses of the passengers,\" this referred to the sleeping gas,\nwhich had caused the aviators to fall into the Tunnel thru the Air,\nand indeed the multitude had been buried above the valley and meadows\nof New Jersey. Again in the 39th Chapter: 9th verse: \"Shall go forth\nand shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the\nbucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves and the spears,\nand they shall burn them with fire seven years.\" This meant the \"Demon\nof Death\" which had burned up the motors of the attacking airplanes.\n\nHe then wondered when the war would end. He knew that Daniel's 70 weeks\nindicated the end in 1932, or about 3-1/2 years from the time that war\nfirst broke out in Europe in 1928. He read Daniel 7:12: \"As concerning\nthe rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their\nlives were prolonged for a season and time.\" And again the 25th verse:\n\"And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear\nout the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws;\nand they shall be given into his hand, until a time and times and the\ndividing of time.\" He had proved by study and comparing past cycles\nthat a time or a season referred to in the Bible meant 360 days, 360\nyears, or 360 degrees,--a measure known and used by the astrologers in\nolden times and still understood and used by modern astrologers for\nmeasuring time. He knew that half a time meant 180 degrees, 180 days or\nyears, because Ezekiel had said that the Lord had appointed a day for a\nyear. He figured that America began with the discovery by Columbus in\n1492 and that in October, 1932, would be 440 years since the discovery.\nThe measurement used thruout the Bible was by scores and man's span of\nlife was three score years and ten, and that four hundred and forty\nyears equalled twenty-two scores, leaving two scores, or forty years,\nmore for the completion of the jubilee years. He read Matthew 18:21 and\n22: \"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother\nsin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto\nhim, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times\nseven.\" Robert figured that seventy times seven meant four hundred\nand ninety years from the discovery of America until we would cease\nfighting, forgive our brothers and live in peace. He knew that the\nseventh period was always a jubilee period, that there was a jubilee\nperiod of seven years at the end of each forty-ninth year period and\nthat there was a great period of forty-nine jubilee years at the end of\nseven times seventy; that the sixth period would end in 1933 and that\nfrom 1933 to 1982 would be the forty-nine years of the great jubilee\nfollowing the end of wars and the United Kingdom of the World.\n\nHe read Daniel 7:25: \"And he shall speak great words against the Most\nHigh, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to\nchange times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand, until a\ntime and times and the dividing of time.\" Then read Daniel 12:7: \"And I\nheard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river,\nwhen he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware\nby him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and\nan half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of\nthe holy people, all these things shall be finished.\" He figured that a\ntime equalled twenty years or a score, and that a time, times, equalled\nfour hundred years, and half a time equalled ten years.\n\nAgain, Daniel 12:11 and 12: \"And from the time that the daily sacrifice\nshall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up,\nthere shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he\nthat waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and\nthirty days.\" Twelve hundred and ninety days are to be added to the\ntime the war broke out in Europe in 1928 and the thirteen hundred\nand thirty-five days being forty-five days more, the blessed jubilee\ndays will follow from the time the war ended in 1932 until the great\ncelebration and signing of peace and establishing the brotherhood\nof man. He read Daniel 9:24: \"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy\npeople, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to\nmake an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to\nbring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and\nprophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.\"\n\nThis again proved that four hundred and ninety years from the discovery\nof America, that there should be an end of sins, an end of war and of\ntroublesome times.\n\nEzekiel 4:5 and 6: \"For I have laid upon thee the years of their\niniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and\nninety days; so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.\nAnd when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and\nthou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have\nappointed thee each day for a year.\" This made it plain that a day was\nto be used in measuring years and that there were to be forty days or\nforty years after peace for a jubilee period in which the sins of the\npast were to be atoned for.\n\nTen years after the armistice in November, 1918, would bring us to\nNovember, 1928, or half a score, and from November, 1928 to 1932 are\nindicated the troublesome times for the United States. May, 1928\nto July, 1928, are very important and troublesome periods when the\nnominations for President of the United States will arouse the people\nand start a time of trouble. Using the time of three score years and\nten, and doubling this period, making one hundred and forty years and\nadding it to 1776, the Declaration of Independence, brought us to the\nelection of Wilson in 1916 and the war followed in 1917. The next score\nfrom this period ends in 1936.\n\nNew York City was evacuated by the British on November 25, 1783. If we\nadd three periods of forty-nine years to this, it will bring us to\n1930, the starting of the war against the United States which ended\nwith the final attack on New York City in 1932.\n\nNew York City was founded in 1614. Adding a period of six times\nforty-nine brings us to 1908 and adding 24-1/2 years or one-half the\ntime of forty-nine years, brings us to 1932, when the name of the city\nwas again changed. The last half of the seventh period of forty-nine\nyears, or from the dividing of time, is another jubilee period for New\nYork City.\n\nThe first English settlement in the United States was established by\nRaleigh at Roanoke, Virginia, in 1585. Adding the seventh forty-nine\nyear period, or 343 years, brings us to 1928, indicating more\ntroublesome times to start.\n\nThe smaller cycles and seven-year periods mentioned so often in the\nBible, also indicated that twice seven, or fourteen years from 1914\nwould bring war again in 1928, and adding half a period of a cycle of\nseven, or forty-two months, would indicate the duration of the war, as\nspoken of by Daniel in the dividing of times and seasons.\n\nRobert figured that after October, 1932, there would be only three\nyears left to prepare for the great feast of the jubilee of the maximum\nperiod which was to follow the establishment of universal peace. He was\nvery happy because he felt that we were now near the end of the war and\nthese troublesome times.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXII\n\n\nAbout 4 A.M. the President of the United States landed on the Mammouth\nBuilding in New York and was taken down in the elevator to the 110th\nfloor to Supreme Commander Gordon's office. He found Colonel Edna\nKennelworth sentinel at the door. She had met the President before and\nafter saluting him asked if he wished to see Supreme Commander Gordon.\nHe replied that he did and she immediately conducted him to his private\noffice.\n\nThe President rushed in and found Supreme Commander Gordon sitting\npeacefully reading a newspaper. The President could hardly believe it\nand asked him for the facts of the attack upon New York City and if\nall enemy planes had been destroyed. Supreme Commander Gordon told the\nPresident that it was a fact. The President asked Supreme Commander\nGordon if there had been any losses to our airplane fleet in destroying\nthe enemy and where our fleet was now located. The Supreme Commander\npointed to the \"Demon of Death\" and the sleeping gas machines and said:\n\"There is the fleet which has destroyed and captured probably 100,000\nof the enemy's planes. Mr. President, would you like to go on a little\nsight-seeing expedition?\" The President said that he would. A button\nwas pressed and in a few minutes \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" Robert's\nbig ship, appeared in front of the window. The President told Supreme\nCommander Gordon that he had neither seen nor heard of such a ship\nbefore and asked him where it came from. Robert said, \"Mr. President,\nthis ship was built according to the plan laid down by Ezekiel in the\nBible. I worked on it for years and completed it just before the war\nbroke out. Its most useful work is yet to be done.\" Supreme Commander\nGordon then explained fully the working of the \"Demon of Death\" to the\nPresident.\n\nThey stepped upon board \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" sailed out across\nLong Island, slowed the plane down, drifted very low and passed over\nthe thousands of airplanes which had been destroyed.\n\nThey sailed over Staten Island and saw the wrecks of the planes which\nhad been destroyed there. Then swung up the Hudson River above Yonkers,\ndescended close to the water and anchored in the air. The President had\nnever been on an airship that was anchored in the air and was amazed at\nSupreme Commander Gordon's marvelous invention. He handed the President\na pair of powerful field glasses and told him to take a look. The river\nwas almost choked with the wrecks of the airplanes which had gone down\ndefying the \"Demon of Death.\" Bodies of aviators wearing the uniforms\nof the various nations were floating upon the waters. When the Supreme\nCommander explained to the President that he believed that not one of\nthe enemy's planes had escaped, he marveled at the wonderful invention\nand the fact that two men and a lone woman could accomplish such a\nfeat. Supreme Commander Gordon then said: \"Mr. President, your greatest\nsight is yet to come.\"\n\nHe then started \"Marie the Angel of Mercy,\" sailed out across the New\nJersey hills, slowed down the big ship and entered the Tunnel thru\nthe Air. There the greatest sight that human eyes had ever witnessed\ngreeted the President. They passed slowly thru the Tunnel where there\nwere thousands and thousands of planes unharmed suspended in the\nair with the aviators all sound asleep. The Supreme Commander then\nsaid: \"This work was done by the sleeping gas. As this giant horde of\nprobably 50,000 planes moving in sections of hundreds and thousands,\none following after another, tried to attack New York, General Pearson\nand myself worked the Tunnel machines and Colonel Edna Kennelworth\noperated the sleeping gas machine. You can see the effective work and\nour mission of mercy. We have not taken human life and have gained the\ngreatest victory in the world. These aviators will sleep for seven days\nand then awake unharmed. There will be no ill effects of the sleeping\ngas. We will of course remove the airships and aviators to the Wilson,\nCoolidge, Roosevelt, Lowden, Harding and Washington airfields and when\nthey awake they will be our prisoners and the enemy's airships will be\nin our possession.\"\n\nThe President was astounded. He had never dreamed that man could make\nsuch marvelous inventions. Turning to Supreme Commander Gordon and\ngrasping his hand, he said: \"You have been inspired by Almighty God.\nYou are an instrument in his hands to save this country according to\nGod's plan.\" The Supreme Commander replied that he had always felt\nthat way and had never taken any credit to himself; that since he was\nabout eight years old he had been reading the Bible and knew from it\nthat this war was inevitable; that he had spent his time and money to\ncomplete these inventions for the day his country would need them.\n\nOn the way back, Supreme Commander Gordon told the President that the\nMarie the Angel of Mercy could make a speed of 1000 miles an hour and\nthat he could easily go round the world in 24 hours. On their return\nall was quiet in New York City. No one knew what had happened that\nnight. The President could not find words to express his appreciation\nfor this wonderful work. He asked the Supreme Commander what his future\nplans were. Supreme Commander Gordon told the President to read the\nBible, especially Daniel's prophecy and the book of Ezekiel, and he\nwould know what was yet to take place. It was agreed that the news of\nthe success with the \"Demon of Death\" and the sleeping gas machine was\nto be kept secret and that the President was the only one to know of\nRobert's great invention.\n\nThe President returned to Washington on the forenoon of June 9th,\nfeeling much elated over the wonderful victory, proud of his native\nland and thankful that the Divine Power had given them the man of the\nhour at the right time.\n\nIt had been a great birthday for Robert, because his country had been\nsaved. His years of labor had been rewarded but yet no news had come of\nMarie. He wondered if she were alive and if she had been watching this\nterrible war, the greatest of all with its great destruction. When the\nwar was over and the world was once more at peace, what would happen to\nhim or what would he do? It seemed to him that when the war was over,\nhis life work would be finished. Without Marie, there would be nothing\nleft, nothing more to work for. Supreme Commander Gordon knew that\nthere would be no more attacks that day, so he ordered Colonel Edna\nKennelworth to get some sleep. He communicated with Colonel Kennelworth\nin Boston and found that there had been no further attacks there. The\nColonel reported that he was ready and waiting to put to sleep more of\nthe enemy as soon as they arrived.\n\nThe Allied Enemy headquarters at the different points in the United\nStates were absolutely without any news as to what had happened to all\nthe planes and airships that had been sent out to attack New York, but\nin this case, they felt that no news was good news. They were trying in\nevery way with the wireless and radio to reach the commanders of the\ndifferent fleets but not a word was received.\n\nOn the afternoon of June 9th, when not a word had been heard from any\nof the ships or planes sent out the night before to destroy New York\nCity, the Allied Enemy headquarters were in gloom. Hope was giving way\nto despair. They feared that the disaster at Detroit and Boston had\nbeen repeated. General Nagato was communicated with and his reply was:\n\"This is a great disappointment. We had all hoped that New York could\nbe destroyed or captured and this would mean the end of the war. It now\nseems our hopes are blasted. Some devilish invention by the Americans\nis being used to destroy or capture our ships. Their success seems to\nbe so complete that it is almost unbelievable. Not one report from any\nman or ship has been heard since we attacked Boston. Now, if the flower\nof our army has been lost in this attack against New York, our cause\nseems hopeless. The facts are desperate but we must face them. Let no\nfurther move be made until we know more about what the Yankees have.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon had made up his mind that he would keep\neverything secret and not let the enemy know anything, but he\ndispatched a message by radio to enemy headquarters reading:\n\n Very much disappointed. Lost a good night's sleep last night waiting\n for your army to take New York City. When may we expect the pleasure\n of a visit from your planes?\n\nThis mysterious message was as much a mystery to the enemy as the\nletter that Robert found on the street in Paris was to him. The fleet\nsent out to attack Boston had never returned and no word had ever been\nheard of them. France had been instructed by Supreme Commander Gordon\nto cease attacking and await further instructions. Everything was quiet\non the other side and Germany and England were awaiting reports of the\nsuccess of the campaign of the United States before making further\nattacks on France.\n\nOn the morning of June 13th the aviators who had been put to sleep\nby the sleeping gas around Boston, awoke. They were feeling good.\nThey knew that something had put them to sleep suddenly but did not\nknow that they had slept seven days and nights instead of one night.\nInstructions by Supreme Commander Gordon had been given that no harm\nshould be done any of the aviators when they awoke. Scouting planes\nwere sent out by the United States Army to capture the aviators when\nthey awoke or started to drive their planes away, but a few of the\nplanes were permitted to escape and return to the headquarters of the\nenemy. When they reported that while they were attacking Boston the\nnight before, they suddenly went to sleep and the planes dropped to the\nearth and water, they were informed by the Commanders that they had\nbeen away one week.\n\nThis was a great blow to the enemy and they knew now that the Americans\nhad some kind of a sleeping gas which was harmless and would put men\nto sleep and keep them asleep for 7 days. The enemy had all kinds of\npoisonous gases and bombs, but they had never discovered a gas to put\npeople asleep for a week, then awake without any ill effects. They now\nrealized what Supreme Commander Gordon's answer meant,--that it was\nsome new discoveries which the United States had made that caused them\nto fight on and not accede to any peace terms. After days of waiting,\nscouting and trying to secure information as to what had happened, the\nattack on New York was left a mystery. They waited until the 16th day\nof June, thinking that if their aviators had been put to sleep there\nsome of them would return. When none of them returned by the 21st of\nthe month and no word was received, they knew that the fleet had been\ndestroyed or captured and that their army had been greatly weakened,\nbut still they held the Pacific Coast and controlled New Orleans, St.\nLouis, and Chicago and their Western lines were unbroken. After holding\na conference, they decided to adopt a waiting attitude for a time and\nsee what the next move of the United States would be.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXIII\n\n\nTime drifted along until the early part of July without any further\nattack by the enemy, but Supreme Commander Gordon believed that they\nwould make another attack soon before giving up. He was simply watching\nand waiting, biding his time. The United States Army scouting planes\nreported that the enemy scouts were going out more frequently each\nnight and some of them had been seen 50,000 or 60,000 feet in the\nair. They thought that they were getting ready to make another attack\nand were trying to get a line on what the United States forces were\nplanning to do. The Supreme Commander went to Washington to test out\nthe \"Demon of Death\" which had been installed in the Capitol Building\nand found it in good working order. A sleeping gas distributing machine\nand the Tunnel machine had been set up there and he also tested them\nout.\n\nIn view of the splendid work done by Colonel Edna Kennelworth at the\ntime of the attack on New York City, Supreme Commander Gordon decided\nto send her to Washington and put her in charge of the sleeping gas\ndistributing machine, the \"Demon of Death,\" and the Tunnel machine.\nHe instructed her that if an attack came upon Washington, she was not\nto use the \"Demon of Death\" unless the sleeping gas failed or they\nfailed to get the enemy aviators into the Tunnel thru the Air. He\nbelieved that if attack came upon Washington, it would be the last and\nend the war. Because his country had ever stood for love and liberty,\nif its Capitol was attacked he wanted it to be saved by a bloodless\nvictory. It would mean much to the United States in future years if\nthe seat of government could be protected without taking the life of\none of the enemy. With the Tunnel machine in New York, another one in\nCincinnati and a third machine in Washington, D.C., he would be able\nfrom New York City to place a Tunnel thru the Air in every direction\naround Washington to capture the invading army of planes. Colonel Edna\nKennelworth said that she thought he was placing on her shoulders\na great responsibility, but that if he had confidence in her, she\nwould go and do her best. He told her that she could not fail and\nthat there was nothing to fear; that it would be much easier now to\nprotect Washington than it was New York from attack. So Colonel Edna\nKennelworth went to Washington. She arrived there on July 2nd, and did\nnot have long to wait before seeing action.\n\n\nBATTLE OF WASHINGTON\n\nThe enemy was losing confidence and decided to risk 50,000 planes, the\nbest that they had, on a concerted attack upon Washington. They figured\nthat if they could take the Capitol, it would be a telling blow and\nhelp them on to further victory. This was to be a supreme test and they\ndecided to make the attack in broad daylight because they thought\nit would be a surprise and there would be more people on the street,\nand the attack would have a greater demoralizing effect on the people\nthruout the country. July 4th, Independence Day, was the time selected\nfor the attack. The plan was to send one fleet up the Potomac, have\nanother fleet come down the Potomac from the North and Northwest and\nthe third wing come across by Baltimore. Colonel Edna Kennelworth was\non duty when the Tel-Talk buzzed and a scouting plane reported to her\nthat the enemy were approaching in large numbers up the Potomac. She\nhad never operated the sleeping gas machine in daylight before, but\nknew that it would work just as effectively. Having seen the attack\nupon New York and knowing how swiftly one attack followed the other,\nshe realized that she must work fast. She adjusted the gas machine\ntoward the enemy approaching down the Potomac and set it for a certain\nrange, about 75 miles. She looked thru her telescope and saw the enemy\nwhen they were about 50 miles away and decided to let go the sleeping\ngas. She swept it quickly right and left and in the glistening sunshine\nsaw hundreds of planes going down. In fifteen minutes the entire fleet\nwas safely asleep in the Tunnel thru the Air. By this time report came\nthat another fleet was making from Baltimore in a direct line for\nWashington. She set the machine again, looked thru her powerful glass\nand saw the enemy approaching. She started discharging the gas, and in\ntwelve minutes the entire fleet had been plunged into the Tunnel.\n\nShe had a few minutes to wait and immediately picked up the radiophone\nand told Supreme Commander Gordon in New York that the sleeping gas\nmachine had worked wonderfully and that the Tunnel thru the Air held\nin captivity thousands of the enemy's airships and planes. Almost\nbefore she had finished making her report, the Tel-Talk buzzed. She\nran to it and was informed by the scouting planes that the largest\nfleet of planes ever seen was approaching from the West and Northwest.\nKnowing that this was a combined fleet from the enemy's Western lines,\nfrom the same direction as the final one that attacked New York City.\nThis was to be the supreme test. The first formation approached with\nabout 1000 planes. Swiftly and silently, the gas machine did its work\nand they went down into the Tunnel. Then came the second, third, and\nfourth formation and so on. More than 50,000 planes had gone down and\nnot more than one hour's time had elapsed. When it was over with, Edna\nrealized that she had not been a human being during this ordeal, that\nshe had worked just like the machine, forgotten everything but the\nresponsibility for the protection of her country. When she knew that\nthe Capitol of her beloved country was safe and that more than 50,000\nof the enemy's airships were safely suspended in the Tunnel thru the\nAir and that the aviators had entered upon their seven days' sleep,\nshe was supremely happy because not one life was required to save the\nCapitol. It was the greatest victory of all history thus far and she\nknew what it meant to Supreme Commander Gordon and how this victory\nwould be hailed with rejoicing all over the United States. It would\nrelieve the tension which had existed for two years when every hamlet,\ntown and city had feared every night that they might be attacked and\ndestroyed by bombs from the enemy's planes.\n\nThe news had been flashed to all the Departments and Army Headquarters.\nWhen the scouting planes reported that more than 50,000 planes had been\ncaptured in this attack and not one of them escaped, the President\nand Army officers breathed a great sigh of relief and knew that this\nmeant certain victory for the United States because the enemy had\nconcentrated their attack on New York and Washington with their best\nplanes, and had very few large bombing planes left, and if this was not\nthe end of the war, it was the beginning of the end.\n\nThe President and his Cabinet rushed to the Capitol Building to\ncongratulate Colonel Edna Kennelworth. They found her carefully\npowdering her nose. By this time she was calm and collected and\nprepared for the unexpected reception, but was overwhelmed with the\nsuddenness of the arrival of high officials. She had met the President\nbefore when he had come to New York after the great battle. He was the\nfirst to grasp her hand and, after kissing it, told her of the great\ndebt of gratitude her country owed her. The President said, \"Your great\nservice demonstrates that woman is the equal of man and I hope to live\nto see the day when a woman will be President of the United States.\nThis country owes to you and Supreme Commander Gordon and your good\nhusband, Colonel Kennelworth, its liberty and freedom. There is nothing\ntoo good for you. You have performed the greatest act of any woman in\nhistory. I speak for the American people and extend their heartfelt\ngratitude. We can never repay you.\"\n\nColonel Edna Kennelworth thanked the President, told him that she had\nonly done her duty and that she felt any other good woman in the United\nStates would be glad to do the same under the same conditions. The\nPresident and members of his Cabinet were greatly impressed with her\nmodesty and expressed their pride that one so young in years possessed\nsuch skill and daring. She told them that this was imperative and\nthat there was no one else who know how to handle the sleeping gas\nmachine except Supreme Commander Gordon and Colonel Kennelworth and\nthat she had been placed there for that purpose and had only done\nher duty. Supreme Commander Gordon in New York sent a simple message\ncongratulating Colonel Edna Kennelworth: \"You're a real woman--a\nthorobred. I knew you could do it.\"\n\nThe President and the War Council met and voted that a message of\ncongratulation and appreciation be sent to Supreme Commander Gordon\ntelling him that everything would be left in his hands and to proceed\nas he had in the past. The President and other Government officials\nasked him if he would not give his consent to permit all of the\nnewspapers in the United States to publish the details of the attack\nupon New York and how it had been successfully defended and to give\ndetails of the great victory at Washington. They felt that the people\nhad so long been in a state of fear and anxiety, this would bring great\nrelief and give them a chance to get some peaceful sleep because it\nwould remove from their minds the fear of their cities and towns being\ndestroyed; give them confidence that the United States had proved equal\nto the occasion; help the general business situation and bring comfort\nto thousands of people who were suffering. Supreme Commander Gordon\nreplied that there was no question but that the war was won and that\nneed for secrecy was no longer necessary.\n\nOn the afternoon of July 4th the President of the United States issued\na proclamation to the people, telling them of the wonderful victory in\nWashington and assuring them that the country was safe, and set aside\nthe following three days as holidays to celebrate and commemorate\nthe victory of Independence Day. In his message he said that God had\nblessed the Stars and Stripes and given to America a lone man who had\nmade inventions which had saved the country, and that a lone woman,\nEdna Kennelworth, with these inventions had protected Washington from\ndestruction and captured over 50,000 of the enemy's airships without\ncausing the loss of a single soul.\n\nThe President's Proclamation was given to the newspapers and every\npaper in the United States carried big headlines:\n\n GREAT ATTACK ON NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON FAILS. MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED\n THOUSAND OF THE ENEMY'S AIRSHIPS HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. HUNDREDS OF\n THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN PRISONERS. EDNA KENNELWORTH, A LONE WOMAN,\n SAVED WASHINGTON WITH SLEEPING GAS BAGGED OVER FIFTY THOUSAND\n AIRPLANES WHICH ARE NOW SAFELY HELD IN THE TUNNEL THRU THE AIR MADE BY\n SUPREME COMMANDER GORDON'S GREAT INVENTION. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE\n ENEMY WILL MAKE A PLEA FOR PEACE ANY DAY.\n\nWhen the President declared a holiday, Supreme Commander Gordon decided\nthat this was the time to let the enemy know what our strength was as\nit was no longer necessary to keep the secret about our new wonderful\ninventions. He ordered the invisible noiseless planes to load up with\nhundreds of thousands of newspapers which told of the great victory,\nsail at great altitudes over the enemy's lines in the United States and\nbombard them with these newspapers. He ordered Colonel Morrison and\nColonel Manson to take charge of the planes which were to distribute\nthe papers over the enemy's lines. Ordered them to sail over the City\nof Mexico and distribute papers over the enemy's headquarters there.\nThe Supreme Commander felt that this was the end, in fact he knew it,\nbecause after reading over Ezekiel again he saw that the prophecies\nwere about all fulfilled and that in a short time the millennium would\ndawn and the world would be at peace. He read Chapter 10:9 and 21:\n\n And the cherubims lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth\n in my sight; when they went out the wheels were also beside them and\n everyone stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and\n the glory of the God of Israel was over them. Everyone had four faces\n apiece and everyone four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a\n man was under their wings. And the glory of the Lord went up from the\n midst of the city and stood upon the mountain, which is on the east\n side of the city.\n\nHe knew that this was the glory referred to for the United States and\nthat Ezekiel's prophecy, Chapter 14, 21st verse, had been fulfilled. It\nreads as follows:\n\n For thus saith the Lord God: How much more when I send my four sore\n judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword and the famine and the noisome\n beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?\n\nHe knew that the noisome beasts were the airplanes, and that all of\nthese things had happened.\n\nHe read again about the 7 days when they should prepare and purge the\nAltar and purify it and consecrate themselves. He now knew that the\ntime was coming when the Lord should rule on earth as he had promised\nand war should be no more. The prophecies of the Bible had been\nfulfilled where it said that woman should be the equal or exalted above\nman. The Lord had said, \"I will exalt the low and debase the high,\"\nand the Bible said, \"The little ones shall become as a thousand.\"\nHe was happy to know that everything was working out just as he had\npredicted it and happy because his inventions which he had worked on\nso unselfishly, had saved his devoted country and made the nations of\nthe world realize that all power under heaven and earth was given unto\nthe United States, the land of liberty. Knowing that the great power\nwas now in his hands alone, he could proceed to destroy every living\nthing in every nation, but his heart was full of love and mercy and\nonly thru mercy and without selfishness could the United States set an\nexample to the world. He could retake the Pacific Coast, wipe out the\nWestern lines of the enemy or put them all to sleep for 7 days and then\nmake peace on any terms that he might dictate. He thought of all the\nrulers of the world, from the tyrant Nero down to the Kaiser, how each\none had sought world dominion based on selfish greed, and each one had\nfailed because God would not sanction such rulership. He thought of\nMarie and as he dreamed of her, forgot whether he was a man with Caesar\nor a God with Alexander. Not once was he tempted to use the great power\nwithin his hands, for he knew that love was kind and merciful. All the\nwritings of St. Paul had put stress on love and charity. He decided\nthat women and children must be protected and that not one of their\nlives should be taken in this final conflict. Now that the end was\nnear, he must demonstrate in a way never to be forgotten the power that\nhe held over the world and decided to use the sleeping gas.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXIX\n\nRobert Gordon's Seven Days\n\n\nOn July 20th he had completed all preparations and had all his armies\nand all the airships and planes equipped with the sleeping gas\nmachines. Instructions had been given that they should pass over the\nlines from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, from Los Angeles to\nSeattle, and send forth the sleeping gas and put to sleep entire enemy\narmies so that they would be kept asleep for 7 days. He decided to\nnotify all of the Commanding Generals of the Allied Enemy just what\nhe was going to do so that they would realize and know what power he\nhad, and instructed them to have all their commanding officers moved\nto places where they would not be molested or put to sleep, so that\nthey might watch and know what was happening. The Allied Enemy were\nnotified that they could make every attempt to protect themselves but\nthat it would be useless, because they would be unable to see or hear\nthe approach of the silent, invisible planes.\n\nHe called Colonel Walter Kennelworth and Colonel Edna Kennelworth to\nhis headquarters. Thanked them for their services to the country;\nassured them of his appreciation of their loyalty and devotion and\npromoted them to the rank of General. He ordered General Walter\nKennelworth to take charge of headquarters in New York, operate\nthe sleeping gas machine and to use the \"Demon of Death\" in case of\nemergency. However, he felt sure that there would be no more attacks.\nGeneral Edna Kennelworth was ordered to Washington to resume charge in\nthe Capitol Building and operate the machines for defense if necessary.\n\nIn bidding good-bye to his loyal comrades, he told them that he was\ngoing to take Marie the Angel of Mercy, and was going alone to London,\nBerlin, Moscow, Madrid, Tokio and destroy buildings in these cities\nand with the light ray put every city in darkness, put the people to\nsleep and leave them for 7 days. Then he would destroy or conquer every\nimportant city in the world in 6 days, just the same as God created the\nworld in 6 days, and that on the 7th day he would return to New York\nCity and await the action of the Allied Nations in regard to peace. He\nordered all of the countries notified by radio that he would leave New\nYork City on Marie the Angel of Mercy, which could make 1000 miles an\nhour, and when he arrived in London and other cities everyone should be\nout of the buildings which he would destroy with the \"Demon of Death\";\nthat this was to be a mission of mercy and that he would not destroy\none life if possible but that he must demonstrate the power that he\ncould destroy all life and buildings if necessary.\n\nThe world was astounded and amazed but of course did not believe that\nthere was any such invention or any such power in the hands of any\none man, or any one nation. At 7 A.M. on July 21st, Supreme Commander\nGordon sailed away in the Marie the Angel of Mercy and in a little\nover three hours he was over London. He notified them to clear all the\nbig buildings on Lombard and Downing Streets. They were unable to see\nhis plane or hear it but they knew that he was somewhere over London in\nthe air. The people were frightened and cleared out of the buildings.\nWomen and children were taken away to safety and slowly the death ray\nstarted to do its work. The big buildings crumbled away, slowly melting\ndown as tho they were butter. The people fell upon their knees in the\nstreets and prayed to God to save them from this great invisible force.\nMany people believed that it was an unseen power from heaven that had\ncome to destroy the world and that this was the end of the world. When\nhe had completed the destruction of enough buildings to show them his\npower, he circled over London time and time again, sending forth the\nsleeping gas and the people all succumbed and went to sleep. With the\npower from his machine he extinguished all the electric lights in the\ncity and left it in darkness. The news of this terrible disaster was\nsent from London to the Allied Enemy headquarters in the United States.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon then proceeded on the following day to Berlin.\nHe intended to teach the Germans a lesson that they never would forget.\nHe would show mercy that they had never shown because not one woman\nor child would be harmed, but protected. Not one human life would be\ntaken, but he would make the destruction of buildings in Berlin so\ncomplete that they would never forget his visit. He would remind them\nthat the Kaiser and all of the great German armies were powerless when\nMarie the Angel of Mercy sent forth its destructive rays and sleeping\ngas. He sailed over Berlin and notified everyone to clear out of the\nbuildings. He destroyed all of the important buildings on the business\nstreets, turned loose his sleeping gas and left Berlin in darkness, to\nsleep for 7 days.\n\nWhen he had completed the bombardment of the buildings in Berlin, he\nsent a message to the President of France that he would be in Paris\nwithin the next hour to thank him personally for the great aid that\nFrance had given us in the war. The President notified him that France\nwould declare a holiday and give him a reception greater than that\ntendered Captain Lindbergh when he landed there on May 21st, 1927. He\ninformed the President that his time was limited, but in appreciation\nof the friendship of France he would anchor Marie the Angel of Mercy\nover Paris and arrange lights to play upon her to make her visible so\nthe people could see this wonderful ship.\n\nHe left Berlin and was in Paris in a short time. France had sent\nthousands of her planes into the air signaling the \"Marie.\" They could\nnot see her and Supreme Commander Gordon communicated with them by\nradio and anchored near the same spot where Lindbergh had landed over\nfive years before. He was taken aboard one of France's airplanes and\ncarried to the President, who greeted him cordially, kneeled and kissed\nhis cheeks and hands. Thanked him for the inventions which he had made\nwhich would end war for all time. Supreme Commander Gordon had brought\na letter from the President of the United States thanking France for\nher support and assuring them of our loyalty and support forever in the\nfuture. He told the President of his plan for a United Kingdom of the\nWorld. How he was going to call all the nations to New York for a peace\nconference when the war was over, which he was assured would be when he\nreturned to New York. The President assured him that France would be\nvery happy to be the first nation to join with the United States in the\nbrotherhood of man to make it a United Kingdom of the World.\n\nHe told the President of France that he had brought with him on board\nthe \"Marie\" one of his Tunnel machines which he wanted to place in one\nof the tallest buildings, establish a Tunnel thru the Air between New\nYork and Paris so that their airships could pass in safety thru the\nTunnel to New York, or if any of the officers in Canada wanted to come\nhome, they could proceed to New York and travel thru the Tunnel to\nParis. He tested out this machine after it had been set up, sent one\nof the planes to New York thru the Tunnel and the round trip was made\nin one hour and thirty minutes. He explained to the President that by\nestablishing a vacuum, it was possible to drive the machines in safety\nat a terrific speed. He instructed Louis Corday, one of the famous aces\nof the French Aviation Corps, how to handle the Tunnel machine.\n\nThen Supreme Commander Gordon went to Lisbon and Madrid, Spain,\ndestroyed their most important buildings and put the people to sleep\nfor 7 days. Then proceeded to Rome where he destroyed all the fine\ncathedrals, business and government buildings. Before arriving there\nhe had notified the Pope to get all the people out of the buildings\nand instructed him where to go for safety, telling him he did not\nwish to give him the sleeping gas but wanted him to be awake to pray\nduring the 7 days while all the inhabitants were asleep. Told him that\nhis people must be taught that God is more powerful than any ruler or\npotentate and that the time would come when there must be one religion,\none United Kingdom of the World and one God.\n\nFrom there he proceeded to the beautiful city of Vienna and having the\npeople removed from the buildings, turned on the \"Demon of Death\" and\nmelted the buildings down. Discharging sleeping gas from his machine,\nhe said good-bye to Vienna and proceeded to Moscow.\n\nThe poor and uneducated people of Russia had been warned of his coming.\nThe newspapers told them what had been happening in other cities, but\nthe people refused to believe that they would not be destroyed. Many\nof them rushed to the waters and drowned themselves. Others went to\nthe forests to hide. Moscow was more excited than ever before. People\nhad been praying day and night before he arrived. Finally when he\nwas over Moscow, he sent a radio message that they should clear all\nthe important buildings which he was going to destroy. He descended\nvery low and located the buildings and when he had been notified that\nthe people had been moved to safety, turned on the \"Demon of Death.\"\nAs the buildings leapt into flames and the people could see them,\nthey were sure that this was the end of the world and that God was\ndestroying it by fire, because they were unable to see the source from\nwhich the destruction was coming, the destroying rays from the machine\nbeing invisible and Marie the Angel of Mercy being invisible. When he\nhad finished the destruction of the buildings, he turned loose the\nsleeping gas, darkened the city and sailed for Constantinople.\n\nHe had notified the terrible Turks, who had sent such destructive\nairships to help conquer the United States, that he was going to open\nthe Dardanelles from the air; and destroy the battleships in the Black\nSea. When he arrived and all buildings were cleared, people were\ngreatly frightened and some of them were praying to America's God to\nsave them. Supreme Commander Gordon assured them that no lives would\nbe taken. He then proceeded to destroy all their largest buildings,\ndischarged the death rays into the water and blew up their ships; left\nthe city in darkness to sleep in peace.\n\nHis next stop was at Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. He visited the\nPyramids, notified the people that they were placed there according to\na divine plan and that he would not destroy them. He destroyed the main\nbuildings and blew up the warships, leaving the people asleep as he had\ndone in other cities.\n\nHe notified the people in Bombay, India, that they had taken sides with\nEngland against us and that they must be shown an example of the power\nof the Land of Freedom. He destroyed their temples and large buildings\nand put the people asleep. Then went to Pekin, China, where he\ndestroyed buildings which had stood for thousands of years; discharged\nthe sleeping gas and proceeded to Tokio.\n\nThe Japs had been the first to declare war upon the United States\nand make an attack and they must be taught a lesson which they would\nremember so long as the world stood. He ordered all the men removed\nfrom their battleships and proceeded to discharge the death rays into\nthe water and destroy them. When he began to destroy the important\nbuildings the people thought that it was another earthquake because\nthey had not forgotten how their buildings had crumbled down years\nbefore. He assured them that no lives would be taken, that they would\nbe allowed to sleep for 7 days in peace; leaving the city in darkness\nand the inhabitants asleep, he proceeded to Melbourne and Sydney,\nAustralia.\n\nAustralia had remained neutral and was friendly to the United States.\nHe carried a letter of thanks from the President of the United States\nto the people of Australia. Thanked them personally and told them\nthat they were now invited to join the United States in forming the\nbrotherhood of man in the United Kingdom.\n\nThe City of Mexico was next notified that they would have the final and\ngreatest demonstration of the power of Marie the Angel of Mercy. The\nMexicans and Spaniards knew that Supreme Commander Gordon was born in\nthe State of Texas. They remembered the Battle of the Alamo and Goliad.\nThe poor class of Mexicans refused to believe after Mexico had joined\nwith Japan and Spain against the United States, that any Texan would\nspare their lives. They had prayed day and night since they learned\nthat the Supreme Commander of the United States with Marie the Angel of\nMercy was to visit them. He told them that this machine took its power\nfrom the air and that the rays were powerful enough to melt down the\nmountains and that he would destroy some of the mountains of Mexico\nand all the old pyramids. Before he reached the City of Mexico, he\nanchored over a mountain, turned on the death ray and the mountain\ncrumbled to dust. The old pyramids were also destroyed. When he\nreached the City of Mexico, he informed them that he had destroyed the\nmountains to fulfill the prophecies in the Bible which said that every\nmountain should be laid low and every valley should be exalted. A large\npart of forces of the enemy and their officers were located in the City\nof Mexico and they were notified to flee to the mountains and hills\nwhere they could watch the destruction of the buildings. The Supreme\nCommander of the United States said that they would not be put to sleep\nbecause he wanted them to watch the silent, sleeping city while it\nremained in darkness for 7 days.\n\nWhen he had completed his destruction of the City of Mexico, he sent a\nmessage by radio to New York and Washington that he was on his way home\nand would pass over the enemy's lines in California and in the central\npart of the United States, sending them messages all along giving his\nlocation and offering to let the officers take a shot at Marie the\nAngel of Mercy if they could see her. He knew that \"Marie\" could rise\nto a height of 60 miles or more if necessary and intended to fly at a\nheight to which no enemy plane could ever ascend.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon sent a message to his old home town,\nTexarkana, Texas, that he would anchor there and give everybody a view\nof Marie the Angel of Mercy. When he arrived there he circled over his\nown old home out near Red River; then sailed the \"Marie\" down Stateline\nAvenue and anchored her in the air about 100 feet above the street.\nHe turned on the lights and made his great ship visible, so the people\ncould see what had accomplished the great victory. It was the greatest\ncelebration that Texarkana ever had. The people went wild with joy. His\ndear old mother was the happiest woman in the world. She greeted him\naffectionately; told him that all her dreams about him had come true.\n\nHe could only make a short visit as he had to hurry on to New York.\nHe notified Montreal, Canada, that he would arrive there early on the\nmorning of the 7th day. Montreal prepared for a great celebration. He\narrived there soon after sunrise, anchored the \"Marie,\" and delivered\na message to the people of Canada, thanking them for their loyalty\nand aid in our behalf. Invited them to be among the first to join in\nthe peace conference in making the United States of the World. After\nbidding them good-bye, he sailed for New York, arriving just before\nnoon on the 7th day after he had sailed away on his great trip around\nthe world.\n\nMarie the Angel of Mercy circled over New York and landed at the\nMammouth Building. General Walter Kennelworth was on duty and reported\nwhat had happened during Supreme Commander Gordon's absence, altho he\nhad kept in touch with him by radio all the time and informed him what\nwas going on. Supreme Commander Gordon's orders had been carried out\nthe day he left on his 7-day tour of the world and sleeping gas sprayed\nover all the enemy lines thruout the United States.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXV\n\n\nThe Allied Enemy generals and officers knowing what could happen\nafter the losses at New York and Washington obeyed the instructions\nof Supreme Commander Gordon and moved to a place of safety. After\nwaiting three days and finding that their armies were still asleep they\ngathered near their various headquarters in New Orleans, St. Louis,\nChicago, San Francisco and prayed for deliverance. They realized that\nthe greatest power of the universe was now in the hands of the United\nStates. Most of them credited this power to an act of God, and not to\nman. They had not yet heard what had happened in all the cities of the\nworld where the Marie the Angel of Mercy had visited.\n\nLate on the 7th day the Allied Armies of the enemy began to awake. Each\nday following for the next 6 days, the people in one city after another\nof the foreign countries where he had visited awoke. Supreme Commander\nGordon released an electric light control and the cities were no longer\nin darkness. All wireless and radio stations refused to take any\nmessages except what concerned news in regard to the Marie the Angel of\nMercy and what had happened all over the world.\n\nOn the second day after Supreme Commander Gordon's arrival, the War\nCouncil of the United States and the President came to New York City to\nconfer with the Supreme Commander. Reports had come from all parts of\nthe world about his mission of mercy. Not one life had been reported\nlost. To say that he returned in triumph and great victory was to put\nit mildly. The President and the War Council decided that it was now\ntime to permit all newspapers to publish the news all over the United\nStates and let the people know just what had been happening during\nthe past 7 days. Thousands of messages poured in to Supreme Commander\nGordon. The world was at the Supreme Commander's feet. He was hailed as\nthe greatest man since Jesus Christ.\n\nOn August 4th, 1932, all of the cities in the world where Supreme\nCommander Gordon had destroyed buildings, were heard from. Reports\nshowed that everything was normal and that no lives were lost. Messages\nwere pouring in from every part of the world to the Allied Enemy\nCommanders to make peace with the United States on any terms and\nnever permit the return of Marie the Angel of Mercy. The Commanders\nof the Allied Enemy armies dispatched messages to the President at\nWashington, asking for an armistice and peace terms on any conditions.\nThe President replied:\n\n Peace terms are out of my hands. When this country was in dire peril\n and our cause seemed hopeless and lost,--when your demands were to\n take our country, our name, our honor,--at that time we placed our\n fate in the hands of a lone man Robert Gordon and made him Supreme\n Commander of all of the Armies of the United States. His will is law.\n You will have to deal with him, no one else has authority or will be\n given authority.\n\nThe communication was sent to Supreme Commander Gordon. He called a\nconference to discuss peace terms. The President, Cabinet officers and\nall the Army and Government officials attended. When the conference\nconvened, General Pearson arose and said: \"When we turned over the\nSupreme Command of the Armies of the United States to you we agreed to\nabide by your decision no matter what it might be. Your actions and the\nvictories that you have won have justified our faith and confidence in\nyou. You have proven yourself to be the greatest man in the history of\nthe world. Your mercy and justice has been demonstrated. Our country\nand the world and its destiny are safe in the hands of a man like you.\nYou have been guided by Almighty God and I make a motion that we say\nnothing, offer no advice, but leave everything in your hands. Whatever\nterms of peace you make, we will gladly abide by them.\"\n\nWhen he had finished talking, Colonel Manson arose and said: \"I second\nthat motion. Let us make the vote unanimous by all rising.\" Every man\nrose immediately. The President grasped Supreme Commander Gordon's hand\nand thanked him for his great service to the United States and the\nworld. Each Cabinet officer and army officer followed, and shook the\nSupreme Commander's hand, wishing him continued success. The President\nand Government officials were anxious for Supreme Commander Gordon to\nexplain how he had accomplished the wonderful feat of going around the\nworld in 7 days and destroying so many buildings. He told them that\nhis new machine made a Tunnel thru the Air and that it had overcome\nresistance from gravitation and the machine was invisible. He explained\nhow he had been guided in building this machine and all his other\ninventions by the Bible.\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon decided to call a conference of all nations to\ntake place in New York, on August 30th, 1932. They were notified and\nrepresentatives were asked to be sent. Supreme Commander Gordon made a\nspecial request that the representatives from all the countries bring\nwith them their wives or daughters as he had a special message for them\nand wanted them to take an important part in the Peace Conference. No\none knew what the conditions of peace would be, but even the enemy\nfelt that they were dealing with the most just man that the world had\never known, a man who refused to take the lives of women and children.\nWhen he had the power to put the entire Allied Armies of the Enemy to\nsleep and destroy them, he refused to do it. They were all willing and\nglad to leave their fate in his hands. All over the country Old Glory\nwas waving from every building. Flags were printed with the picture of\nSupreme Commander Gordon on them and the picture of \"Marie the Angel of\nMercy.\" The flags bore the inscription \"Tunnel thru the Air,\" \"The Lone\nAviator,\" \"America's Savior.\"\n\nEach day airplanes from all parts of the world began to bring the\nofficials who were to be at the conference of all nations. Madison\nSquare Garden had been engaged for the conference. Several millions\nof people had applied for admission but only Government officials and\nprominent men and women thruout the country were granted tickets.\nThe Government officials of the United States led by the President\nand the Supreme War Council, decided that at the opening of the Peace\nConference, General Walter Kennelworth should be designated to make the\naddress of welcome to the delegates of all countries and also to make\nthe speech of thanks for the United States to Supreme Commander Gordon,\nfor the services he had rendered, knowing that he was his best friend\nand he knew him better than anyone else.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXVI\n\nPEACE CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD\n\n\nThe conference convened about 10 A.M. on August 30th. All of the\nofficials were seated by 11 o'clock and shortly after, Supreme\nCommander Gordon escorted by the President of the United States,\nGeneral Walter Kennelworth and his wife General Edna Kennelworth,\narrived. The applause lasted for more than one hour. When it had\ndied down, General Pearson stepped to the center of the platform,\nand grasped the Supreme Commander's hand and raised it before the\nvast throng and said, \"Commanders, rulers, kings and officials of all\nnations, this is our lord and master, whose will is law. Whatever\nhe says, we will abide by. I now introduce to you, General Walter\nKennelworth, who will make the opening address. The applause again\nlasted for over a half hour, then General Walter Kennelworth began to\nspeak:\n\n\"Brothers and Sisters of the world: This is the greatest council that\nthe world has ever known, for never before in history has every nation\ngathered at a peace conference. We hope and verily believe this is to\nbe the last war. We expect to be one united people and follow the law\nlaid down in the Bible, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Then there can\nbe no more wars. It is my purpose at this time to introduce to you a\nman who needs no introduction, the prince of peace, a man of sorrow and\nacquainted with grief--the greatest and most just man since our saviour\nJesus Christ was on earth. We placed our liberty in his hands and he\nsaved our country and has been merciful to the enemy. Our gratitude to\nhim can never be repaid. I now commend you to his care and keeping.\nWhatever terms he may make for peace, the United States Government\nwill ratify and confirm. I now take pleasure in presenting to you our\nSupreme Commander Robert Gordon who will now address you.\"\n\nSupreme Commander Gordon arose and tried to quiet the great crowd.\nWomen were on their feet and men were shouting, \"Hail the most just and\nmerciful man in the world.\" There was a mad rush to try to get to the\nplatform to shake his hand. When the noise had quieted down and order\nbeen restored Supreme Commander Gordon raised the Holy Bible and said:\n\n \"Brothers and Sisters of the United World:\n\n \"The terms laid down in this book are the terms of peace that I offer\n you. I am going to offer you peace on the same terms that Jesus would\n give you. The United States has always stood for liberty and as the\n land of liberty it must set an example of peace and brotherly love to\n the world as it has always done before. This country has never engaged\n in a war for personal gain. In the great World War, we refused to\n accept any indemnities. We made the fight for a principle, not for\n money or territory.\n\n \"Now the United States will make no demand upon any nation. There is\n no longer to be different nations of the world, but the United Kingdom\n of the World. The United States is to dictate peace to the world on\n the terms of brotherly love. We will take no territory nor demand any\n indemnity. We will retain the gold supply of the world but will follow\n the admonition of Jesus Christ when he said 'Feed my Lambs.' We will\n lend a helping hand to any nation that needs it. You are to return to\n your homes and loved ones and tell them that the spirit of God, which\n is all-powerful and able to destroy, is ever merciful and just and\n has spared your lives and liberty. We refuse to take your money or\n territory and in return only ask and demand that you do unto others as\n you would have them do unto you and as we have done unto you.\n\n \"Remember that Old Glory has never trailed the dust and she never\n will, because the God of the universe did not create this nation for\n any or all nations to destroy. He has placed the great power in the\n hands of those who would use it only in defense of right and not for\n selfish gain. When I am ready, I can touch a button and your great\n airships which are now held captive may proceed safely home and when\n you go, may you follow in the footsteps of Him who created the earth\n and who has saved you, and may you give reverence and praise to Him\n who is able to destroy not only property, but both soul and body. When\n the final articles are drawn and the territory of the United States is\n divided and allotted according to the plan laid down by Ezekiel and\n according to science, we will so direct that each of you can live in\n peace and harmony and according to the law.\n\n \"I demand that the terms of peace be signed by women as well as men.\n They are more just and merciful and will rule the country in the\n future. If women must continue to be the mothers of our men, they must\n have the right to decide whether their sons shall be sent to war or\n not. It will take time to arrange the plans for cities and countries\n as outlined by Ezekiel and I expect that the terms will be acceptable\n and signed by the good women of every nation.\n\n \"It is understood and agreed that the United States will retain all of\n the inventions we now have for the prevention of war and I warn you\n that if necessity ever demands it, for the protection of peace of the\n world, that a machine can be built which will destroy every living\n soul on the earth. It can be directed from New York City by a lone man\n without ever leaving here and do complete destructive work. This is\n only a warning and not a threat. You have seen the power demonstrated\n by Marie the Angel of Mercy, and mercy shown. You must respect this\n divine law and divine power. Remember that this victory is according\n to God's plan and God's will. I take no credit to myself and for\n myself and my country ask nothing, except that you live with us in\n brotherly love.\"\n\nWhen Supreme Commander Gordon had finished speaking, the applause was\nthe greatest ever known, lasting again for more than an hour. When it\nhad died down, General Walter Kennelworth stepped to the platform and\nsaid, \"It is next in order for me to make a speech of appreciation to\nSupreme Commander Gordon not only for our country, but I have in my\nhand a paper which has been signed by the rulers of every country in\nthe world, asking that I make a speech of appreciation for them. Before\nproceeding with this address, I want to ask every man and woman in\nthis audience who is willing to accept the terms of peace laid down by\nSupreme Commander Gordon to rise to their feet.\" In an instant, every\nman and woman in the building was on their feet, shouting, \"Hail to the\nChief, God bless him and long may he live.\"\n\nWhen they were seated again, General Kennelworth proceeded, and turning\nto Supreme Commander Gordon he said:\n\n \"Supreme Commander Robert Gordon, Comrade and Friend: I now have the\n greatest honor that has ever been conferred upon any man,--that of\n presenting to you the highest medal that the United States can confer.\n This medal is emblematic of your great work and the duty and loyalty\n you have shown to your country. It is made of gold with a triple\n triangle in the three royal colors, purple, blue and gold. The words\n in the center of the triangle are 'I am God-Love.' Around the triangle\n are the words, Faith, Hope and Love. All of this and even more you\n have lived.\n\n \"Words are empty when I attempt to convey to you the appreciation\n and gratitude of this country and the world. I am instructed by the\n President of the United States to say to you that anything that the\n United States can give is yours without the asking. All the foreign\n countries now fall at your feet to worship you because you have proven\n worthy and have used the great power placed in your hands wisely. It\n has been well said that God never places a responsibility upon a man\n who will use it unwisely. God has made no mistake in selecting you,\n Robert Gordon, as the prince of peace. The United States is proud of\n you, the world honors you and we offer you our humble gratitude and\n all the praise that this world can give you. Name what you want as\n your reward and it shall be given to you.\"\n\nAgain the applause lasted for a long time. When it had died away\nSupreme Commander Gordon arose and said, \"General Walter Kennelworth,\nComrade and Friend, we have known each other since early youth and I\nam deeply touched to have you here to make a speech of gratitude for\nmy humble efforts in behalf of my beloved country. You ask me what our\ncountry and the world can give me in return for my achievement.\n\n\"I am deeply grateful to you, my brothers and sisters of the world. I\nask no credit for myself but owe it all to God who guided me thru love\nand inspired me to give my best to my country and to bring back with\nhonor Old Glory's colors which have never trailed the dust, unstained\nby blood of innocent women and children.\n\n\"Above all the rest, I have kept a woman's trust untarnished and hope\nto some day see a new light of love in a woman's eyes. No reward is\ngreater than this and I must still trust in God and wait. I have been\nloyal to her when all others have doubted her. Even when my country\ndishonored me, my faith never faltered, and when she disappeared, I\nhoped and prayed that she would live and still hope she is alive. I\nknew she had faith in me, love for me and the power of that love has\ngiven me the power to destroy the world, but her love has left charity\nin my heart and for that love I have dealt with the enemy with love and\nmercy. All the money, power and glory that you can give me are empty\nand cannot supply the aching void in my heart for her. The greatest\ngift that could be bestowed would be to return her to me with all the\nlove and confidence that she had in me on June 5th, 1927.\n\n\"In speaking of the inspiration that has been brought about by my love\nfor her, I want to say that I was always faithful to my mother and that\nI have honored and respected her. It was she who taught me loyalty to\nmy country and it was for her that I remained loyal and faithful to the\ncause of my country.\n\n\"In closing, I request that one of the terms of peace shall be that\nNew York City shall be the capital of the United Kingdom of the World;\nthat the plan of the future shall be according to Ezekiel. The Bible is\nreplete with references thruout of a rebirth. Jesus said 'Ye must be\nborn again of water and of the spirit.' A change of name is referred to\nmany times. Jesus said 'I will give him a new name.' The United Kingdom\nof the World shall be the new name. Jesus said 'I will be their God and\nthere shall be no more War.' In Ezekiel 48:35, his last prophecy was\n'And the name of that city from that day shall be THE LORD IS THERE.'\nNew York City, which is to be the capital of the United Kingdom of the\nWorld and which has been known as the most wicked city in the world,\nis now to be the capital of the land of love and liberty, because the\nvictory which united the world was won from there. I christen it 'THE\nCITY OF THE LORD.' May you so live that the world may know by the acts\nand justice of this great city that THE LORD IS THERE. I thank you, one\nand all.\"\n\nWhen Supreme Commander Gordon finished speaking, almost every man and\nwoman in the audience were in tears. They had never known that such\nwonderful things were in the Bible and that all of these very events\nwere foretold by the greatest prophet, Ezekiel.\n\nThe President of the United States stepped to the platform and\nsuggested that they give a rising vote of thanks and three cheers\nfor Supreme Commander Robert Gordon. When the cheering was over, the\nPresident said: \"The conference is going to close for the evening and\nmeet tomorrow when Supreme Commander Gordon will go over the plans for\nthe future brotherhood of love. If you will have patience for a few\nmoments, General Walter Kennelworth will make the closing address, but\nin the meantime I want to introduce to you America's greatest woman,\none whom we hope that the good women of America will select to be the\nfirst woman to rule the United Kingdom of the World; one who made a\nsupreme sacrifice and rendered her country the greatest aid in time\nof war. I present to you the wife of General Walter Kennelworth, and\nthe aide of Supreme Commander Robert Gordon, the woman who saved the\ncapitol at Washington--General Edna Kennelworth.\"\n\nWhen the President had finished and the applause had died down,\nGeneral Edna Kennelworth arose. \"Mr. President, Supreme Commander\nGordon, Brothers and Sisters of the United Kingdom of the World: To\nme belongs no honor and I seek no glory. We owe it all to the genius\nof our Supreme Commander, Robert Gordon. I thank our worthy President\nand all the nations of the world who have shown their honor and\nappreciation to General Walter Kennelworth, my husband, and myself. I\nam happy to know that the cause of women has triumphed and that our\nSupreme Commander has set an example for the world and has shown what\nthe love of a good woman can do. I thank you.\"\n\nThe women were all on their feet and gave Edna the greatest applause\nany woman ever received. It was now growing late in the evening and\nGeneral Walter Kennelworth stepped to the platform and said: \"Brothers\nand Sisters of the United World, I will not detain you long with this\npersonal address to our Supreme Commander Robert Gordon.\"\n\nTurning to the Supreme Commander he said: \"I will no longer address you\nas the Supreme Commander Robert Gordon, but as my friend and comrade.\nThis is the happiest moment of my life and I now realize that justice,\nmercy and truth always will be rewarded. You have been unselfish and\nsince the day that you wrote the famous letter that won Marie and the\nGarden of Love, you have kept your promise and been unselfish. Your\nfirst thought has been of your country in time of need. You have been\nloyal to your mother, true and faithful to Marie and now I want to read\nMarie's letter to you written the day she disappeared. I know that you\nknow it by heart because you have read it a thousand times, but I want\nthis conference of men and women from all the nations of the world to\nknow that you are a man among men--that you are one in millions and\nthat you have set an example for the world and that example will make\nbetter men. The letter reads:\"\n\n  \"'DEAREST ROBERT:\n\n \"'According to your faith be I unto you. Love will always have faith,\n understand and wait. Time proves all things. You will get everything\n you want. I will come to you when I mean the most, and your need for\n love is the greatest.\n\n  MARIE.'\n\n\"Your faith has been supreme. Your love has given you faith and you\nhave tried to understand. More than five long years have passed and no\nword has been received from Marie. In your speech today, the thought\nuppermost in your mind was for her happiness and safety. This shows\nthat time does prove all things. It has proven your love for Marie\nand your faith and confidence in a woman's promise. Marie was a wise\nprophet. She knew better than we knew when she said: 'You will get\neverything you want.' Robert Gordon, that prophecy has been fulfilled.\nYou have accomplished your ambition and received everything that the\nworld can give. All of your dreams but one have been realized. You have\nall the honors, all the gratitude that a world can give, yet I know\nthat your heart is aching and after your duty is well done and the\npeace of the world is established, you will need Marie and her love\nmore now than ever.\n\n\"What Marie Stanton had in her mind the night she wrote that letter\nand left the train on the way to St. Louis, I do not know, but I do\nknow that she has rendered the greatest service of any woman to this\ncountry. Whether she dreamed or realized what she was doing, makes no\ndifference. Had she proceeded on to St. Louis and married you, Robert\nGordon, the great inspiration which has made you the greatest inventor\nof the world and the prince of peace, would have been lacking. The\ngreat desire for love and your longing for Marie has stimulated your\nambitions, kept hope in your breast and endowed you with the power to\nsubdue the enemies of the world and unite the world in the brotherhood\nof peace. This has all been brought about by the act of Marie Stanton.\nShe deserves credit and above all, you deserve the greatest reward that\ncan be given any man, and that is the love of a good woman.\n\n\"The last line of her letter read, 'I will come to you when I mean the\nmost and your need for love is the greatest.' Robert Gordon, that last\npromise has sustained you thru all of these years. It has been the\nanchor that has kept your soul steadfast. You have trusted and never\ndoubted. You have honored and respected the land that gave you birth.\nYour love and faithfulness to Marie Stanton has guided you to success\nand victory, because it was an unselfish love. The great God who gave\nHis only begotten son to save the world that He loved has not been\nunmindful of you and your devotion to His wisdom. You have followed His\nexample of love and mercy. You have kept the faith. You have preserved\nthe life of your nation and the allwise God in His wisdom and mercy,\nhas preserved for you the life of Marie Stanton. Robert Gordon, my\nfriend and comrade, I now take pleasure in presenting to you Marie\nStanton.\"\n\nRobert Gordon jumped from his seat as if in a daze. Marie Stanton\nshouted, \"Robert! Robert!\" and fell into his arms. General Walter\nKennelworth turned to the audience and said:\n\n\"This is the proof of God's divine plan and the reward for those who\nobey His law. Love is indeed the fulfillment of the law. I may not\nbe as great a prophet as Ezekiel or as our Supreme Commander Robert\nGordon, but I predict that when we meet tomorrow we will have heard\nthat the first marriage in the new city, The City of the Lord, capital\nof the United Kingdom of the World has taken place between Robert\nGordon and Marie Stanton.\"\n\n\nTHE END\n\nTranscribers note:\n\nText enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).","title":"The tunnel thru the air : $b or, Looking back from 1940","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":117186}