"I AM happy"--declared Seaton--"and I entirely appreciate the physical pleasure of living. But I should be happier and better pleased with life if I could rid the earth of some of its mischief, disease and sorrow--" "How about leaving that to the Supreme Intelligence?" interposed Gwent. "That's just it! The Supreme Intelligence led me to the discovery I have made--and I feel that it has been given into my hands for a purpose. Gwent, I am positive that this same Supreme Intelligence expects his creature, Man, to help Him in the evolvement and work of the Universe! It is the only reasonable cause for Man's existence. We must help, not hinder, the scheme of which we are a part. And wherever hindrance comes in we are bound to remove and destroy it!" The last ash of Gwent's cigar fell to the floor, and Gwent himself rose from his chair. "Well, I suppose we've had our talk out"--he said; "I came here prepared to offer you a considerable sum for your discovery--but I can't go so far as a Government pledge. So I must leave you to it. You know"--here he hesitated--"you know a good many people would consider you mad--" Seaton laughed. "Oh, that goes without saying! Did you ever hear of any scientist possessing a secret drawn from the soul of nature that was not called 'mad' at once by his compeers and the public? I can stand THAT accusation! Pray Heaven I never get as mad as a Wall Street gambler!" "You will, if you gamble with the lives of nations!" said Gwent. "Let the nations beware how they gamble with their own lives!" retorted Seaton--"You say war is a method of money-making--let them take heed how they touch money coined in human blood! I--one man only,--but an instrument of the Supreme Intelligence,--I say and swear there shall be no more wars!" As he uttered these words there was something almost supernatural in the expression of his face--his attitude, proudly erect, offered a kind of defiance to the world,--and involuntarily Gwent, looking at him, thought of the verse in the Third Psalm-- "I laid me down and slept; I awaked for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about." "No--he would not be afraid!" Gwent mused--"He is a man for whom there is no such thing as fear! But--if it knew--the world might be afraid of HIM!" Aloud he said--"Well, you may put an end to war, but you will never put an end to men's hatred and envy of one another, and if they can't 'let the steam off' in fighting, they'll find some other way which may be worse. If you come to consider it, all nature is at war with itself,--it's a perpetual struggle to live, and it's evident that the struggle was intended and ordained as universal law. Life would be pretty dull without effort--and effort means war." "War against what?--against whom?" asked Seaton.