~~ The Freaks of Phreex::John Dough and the Cherub

"Well, didn't I take of you all right?" laughed the Incubator Baby, leading John Dough from the throne-room and up a of marble stairs.

"Indeed you did," he answered, gratefully. "Really, my dear Chick, I that would have me but for you."

"'Course he would," said the Cherub, gayly; "and won't he be wild when he there are no pancakes and maple-syrup for tea?"

John more marble steps

John stopped short. "Aren't there?" he asked. "Oh, Chick! I'm he'll you for him."

"I don't mind," the child. "No one shall eat a friend of mine that I've my promise to take of. So come along, John Dough, and don't worry. I've got a room on the top of this castle, and I'll it with you."

So John more marble steps, until Chick him to a on the third story.

"Here we are!" the Baby. "Now, make at home, John, for we needn't the until to-morrow morning, and then he'll have that I him."

Our hero's act was to take off the Blunderer's and it in one of the room. When free from the weight of metal he more like himself again, and walked to the window to view the scenery.

"It's a place, Chick," he remarked.

"Oh, the Isle is all right," answered the child. "It's the people here that are all wrong, as you'll soon out. Do you eat, John Dough?"

"Never," said John.

"Then, while you're waiting here, I'll go over to the dairy and my milk for tea. You don't mind if I you for a minutes, do you?"

"Not at all," he declared. "But it has just started to rain, outside; you'll wet, won't you?"

"That's nothing," laughed Chick. "I won't melt."

"It's different with me," said John, sadly. "If my got it would to pieces."

That the little one laugh again, and it ran from the room and left John Dough alone to out of the window. There was a overhead, so he had pushed his well out to the scenery, when he a voice say, in a of astonishment:

"HELLO, NEIGHBOR"

"Hello, neighbor!"

Turning toward the left, he saw out of the next window to his own a long that up to a peak, which appeared a little that was in a most manner.

John politely.

"Well, well," said the owner of the head. "Here's another come to our island! Wait a minute, and I'll in and make your acquaintance." So presently the head, which was upon the of a little, dried-up looking man, entered John's room and politely.

"I'm Sir Pryse Bocks," he said, "and the thing about me is that I'm an inventor, and a successful one. You, I perceive, are a delicatessen; a friend in knead; I might say, a Pan-American. Ha, ha!"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," returned John, bowing. "But do not joke about my person, Sir Pryse. I'm proud of it."

"I respect your pride, sir," said the other. "It's in the bone, doubtless. Ha, ha!"

John looked at him reproachfully, and the little man at once grave.

"This is full of inventors," said he; "but they're all cranks, and don't amount to anything—except me."

"What have you invented?" asked John.

"This!" said the other, taking a little from his pocket. "You will notice that it often rains—it's now, if you'll look outside. And the it is the of water to the earth by the of gravitation."

"I so," said John.

"Now, what do people do when it rains?" asked the little man.

"They grumble," said John.

"Yes, and they use umbrellas—umbrellas, mind you, to keep themselves dry!"

"And that is sensible," John.

The bald-headed one gave a laugh. "It's ridiculous!" he said, angrily. "An is a big, thing, that the wind out of your hand, or out; and it's a to it around; and people always borrow it and it back. An umbrella, sir, is a humbug! A of the Dark Ages! I've done away with the use of entirely, by means of this invention—this little tube, which can be in one's pocket!"

He up a small that looked like a whistle.

"How curious!" said John.

"Isn't it? You see, this is a Power of Repulsion that the Attraction of Gravitation, and sends the rain-drops again. You the in your hat-band and walk out into the rain. Immediately all the rain-drops shoot up into the air, and they can again you have passed on! It's always where the of this goes, for it him perfectly. And when it stops raining, you put it in your pocket again and it's all for another time. Isn't it great, sir? Isn't it wonderful? Isn't the of this the man in the world?"

"I'd like to try it," said John, "for no one needs protection from the rain more than I do. Being of gingerbread, it would me to wet."

"True," the other. "I'll you the tube, with pleasure. Stick it in your hat-band."

"I have no hat," said John; and then he that he had left the baker's and his on the where he had fallen.

"Well, the in your hand, then," said the inventor. "It will work just as well that way, but it's not so convenient."

So John took the tube; and having thanked the bald-headed man for his kindness, he left the room and walked the stairs and through the big, empty hall, and so out into the courtyard.

The rain to have every one in doors, for not a person he see.

...John Dough to his

steps...

Holding the upright, he walked into the rain; and it gave him great to notice that not a near him. Indeed, by looking upward, he see the stop and then toward the clouds; and he to that the bald-headed was as great a man as he to be.

After the path through the rocks, he the of green, and at last the shore, where he the baker's hat, through by the rain. As he it he saw the of the out of the sand, and it to it in excellent condition, little of the having it.

But now, as John Dough to his steps, he that his were soft and swollen. For he had been walking on the ground and through the wet grass; and although no rain had upon his body, his were to be in a condition, and the in them had sticky. After he had the and come to the of the he to be frightened, for of his left now to and in the path; and when he walking on his toes, they were so and soft that he they would not last very long.

While he paused, bewildered, another him. For the its power of and to work, and the rain-drops to his and into his flesh. He looked around with a of dismay, and a hole, or tunnel, in the nearby. Staggering toward this, he entered the and that now no rain him. The was and dry, and in the he saw a light twinkling.

Not to walk upon his feet, John got on his hands and and toward the end of the tunnel. He slow progress, in that position; but soon he a noise of machinery, and the warm air of a to meet him. That gave him to proceed, and he until he had a large, chamber, where a tall man with that those of a billy-goat was among a number of machines.

"Hello!" this exclaimed, as he saw the man. "What have we here?"

The voice and were kindly; so John told the man his and asked permission to his at the furnace.

"Make at home," said the man, and to his work again.

The place was by electricity, and was warm and comfortable. John put his as near to the as he dared, and soon the up his feet. It was not long, indeed, his entire was as and solid as ever; and then our hero upon his and that the to his would not much with his walking.

What are you doing?

"What are you doing?" he asked the man.

"Making diamonds," the other, calmly. "I I am the only one in the world who succeeded in making diamonds; but people did not in me, you see, so they sent me to the Isle of Phreex. Here I have the diamonds the world has known, for no one with my work. Look at these."

He the of a large box, and John saw that it was full to the with of a clear white color.

"Take some," said the man, him a handful. "They are of no use to me here, I cannot of them. But I have the of making them, just the same. Help yourself!"

"No, thank you," said John. "I have no use for diamonds, any more than you have."

"But the time may come when will be a great help to you," said the man, and out three very big he pressing them into John Dough's body, one after the other.

"There!" he exclaimed. "They are now safely concealed, and if you need them you can them out and sell them. Those three would be thousand if you into the world again, where diamonds are valued."

"You are very generous," said John.

"Oh, not at all, I you!" said the man, his with every word he spoke. "In this there is no value to anything whatever, not to life. All I can do with my diamonds here is to them into the kinglet's and sceptre; so I'm a big stock of them by. Very soon I shall the of the throne-room with diamonds, and it will be a to see them in one mass."

"Well," said our hero, "if it has stopped raining, I I'll you good-by."

"Never mind the rain," answered the man. "Here is a that leads directly into the castle. If you go that way, the rain cannot you. The through which you entered is only used for ventilation."

John thanked the good-natured diamond-maker and started to climb the stairs. There were a good many steps, but after a while he came to a of the castle, and had little in the passage that to his own room.

THE MUSICIAN THREW HIMSELF UPON THE PIANO

As he walked along he the of a piano, and paused at an open door to the room, for he some one was upon the keys of the piano with a sledge-hammer. But a fluffy-haired man looked up and saw him, and the next upon the man in much the same way that a cat would pounce upon a rat, and him fast, him into the room, and closed and locked the door.

John was astonished, but the fluffy-haired up and the room, his arms and shouting:

"I have it! I have it at last! I am great! I am magnificent! I am than Vogner himself!" He paused to upon John. "Why don't you shout, you idiot? Why don't you with joy?" he cried. "It is great, I tell you! It is great!"

"What is great?" asked John.

"The symphonie! The symphonie, you molasses-cake, or devil's food, or you are! And I it—I—Tietjamus Toips! I am than Vogner!"

"I didn't it," said the man.

The himself upon the piano, and produced a of such that John was surprised.

"Did you it?" the fluffy-haired one, jumping up again.

"No," said John.

He the bald-headed of the power

of him in the room.

"No! Of not! No one can it. It is genius! It will be played at all the great concerts. The will in of it. Some can Vogner a little. No one can me at all! I am wonderful! I am superb!"

"Well," said John, "I'm not a judge. It to me like discord."

The himself upon his and into tears.

"Thank you, my friend!—my dear friend!" said he, the sobs. "Such my and makes me very happy! Ah! moment, in which I produce music that is not and like discord!"