第36章 A Narrow Escape(1)

The Auditorium Tower, where "the weather man" sits to flash hi. reports throughout the country, offered an inviting place for the bo. to alight. He dropped quietly upon the roof of the great building an. walked down the staircase until he reached the elevators, by means o. which he descended to the ground floor without exciting special attention.

The eager rush and hurry of the people crowding the sidewalk. impressed Rob with the idea that they were all behind time and wer. trying hard to catch up. He found it impossible to walk alon. comfortably without being elbowed and pushed from side to side; so . half hour's sight-seeing under such difficulties tired him greatly.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and finding himself upon the Lake Front. Rob hunted up a vacant bench and sat down to rest.

Presently an elderly gentleman with a reserved and dignifie. appearance and dressed in black took a seat next to the boy and drew . magazine from his pocket. Rob saw that he opened it to an article o. "The Progress of Modern Science," in which he seemed greatly interested.

After a time the boy remembered that he was hungry, not having eaten . tablet in more than twenty-four hours. So he took out the silver bo. and ate one of the small, round disks it contained.

"What are those?" inquired the old gentleman in a soft voice. "Yo. are too young to be taking patent medicines.""There are not medicines, exactly," answered the boy, with a smile.

"They are Concentrated Food Tablets, sorted with nourishment by mean. of electricity. One of them furnishes a person with food for a. entire day."The old gentleman stared at Rob a moment and then laid down his magazin. and took the box in his hands, examining the tablets curiously.

"Are these patented?" he asked.

"No," said Rob; "they are unknown to any one but myself.""I will give you a half million dollars for the recipe to make them,"said the gentleman.

"I fear I must refuse your offer," returned Rob, with a laugh.

"I'll make it a million," said the gentleman, coolly.

Rob shook his head.

"Money can't buy the recipe," he said; "for I don't know it myself.""Couldn't the tablets be chemically analyzed, and the secre. discovered?" inquired the other.

"I don't know; but I'm not going to give any one the chance to try,"declared the boy, firmly.

The old gentleman picked up his magazine without another word, an. resumed his reading.

For amusement Rob took the Record of Events from his pocket and bega. looking at the scenes reflected from its polished plate.

Presently he became aware that the old gentleman was peering over hi. shoulder with intense interest. General Funston was just then engage. in capturing the rebel chief, Aguinaldo, and for a few moments bot. man and boy observed the occurrence with rapt attention. As the scen. was replaced by one showing a secret tunnel of the Russian Nihilists. with the conspirators carrying dynamite to a recess underneath th. palace of the Czar, the gentleman uttered a long sigh and asked:

"Will you sell that box?"

"No," answered Rob, shortly, and put it back into his pocket.

"I'll give you a million dollars to control the sale in Chicago alone,"continued the gentleman, with an eager inflection in his smooth voice.

"You seem quite anxious to get rid of money," remarked Rob. carelessly. "How much are you worth?""Personally?"

"Yes."

"Nothing at all, young man. I am not offering you my own money. Bu. with such inventions as you have exhibited I could easily secur. millions of capital. Suppose we form a trust, and place them upon th. market. We'll capitalize it for a hundred millions, and you can hav. a quarter of the stock--twenty-five millions. That would keep yo. from worrying about grocery bills.""But I wouldn't need groceries if I had the tablets," said Rob, laughing.

"True enough. But you could take life easily and read your newspape. in comfort, without being in any hurry to get down town to business.

Twenty-five millions would bring you a cozy little income. if properly invested.""I don't see why one should read newspapers when the Record of Event. shows all that is going on in the world," objected Rob.

"True, true. But what do you say to the proposition?""I must decline, with thanks. These inventions are not for sale."The gentleman sighed and resumed his magazine, in which he becam. much absorbed.