CHAPTER II.
ANTECEDENTAL.
"Come in!" sounded a voice, as Dr. Cortlandt and Dick Ayraulttapped at the door of the President of the Terrestrial AxisStraightening Company's private office on the morning of the 21stof June, A. D. 2000. Col. Bearwarden sat at his capacious desk,the shadows passing over his face as April clouds flit across thesun. He was a handsome man, and young for the important post hefilled--being scarcely forty--a graduate of West Point, withgreat executive ability, and a wonderful engineer. "Sit down,chappies," said he; "we have still a half hour before I begin toread the report I am to make to the stockholders andrepresentatives of all the governments, which is now ready. Iknow YOU smoke," passing a box of Havanas to the professor.
Prof. Cortlandt, LL. D., United States Government expert,appointed to examine the company's calculations, was about fifty,with a high forehead, greyish hair, and quick, grey eyes, ageologist and astronomer, and altogether as able a man, in hisown way, as Col. Bearwarden in his. Richard Ayrault, a largestockholder and one of the honorary vice-presidents in thecompany, was about thirty, a university man, by nature ascientist, and engaged to one of the prettiest society girls, whowas then a student at Vassar, in the beautiful town ofPoughkeepsie.
"Knowing the way you carry things in your mind, and thedifficulty of rattling you," said Cortlandt, "we have dropped inon our way to hear the speech that I would not miss for afortune. Let us know if we bother you."
"Impossible, dear boy," replied the president genially. "Since Isurvived your official investigations, I think I deserve some ofyour attention informally."
"Here are my final examinations," said Cortlandt, handingBearwarden a roll of papers. "I have been over all your figures,and testify to their accuracy in the appendix I have added."
So they sat and chatted about the enterprise that interestedCortlandt and Ayrault almost as much as Bearwarden himself. Asthe clock struck eleven, the president of the company put on hishat, and, saying au revoir to his friends, crossed the street tothe Opera House, in which he was to read a report that would becopied in all the great journals and heard over thousands ofmiles of wire in every part of the globe. When he arrived, thevast building was already filled with a distinguished company,representing the greatest intelligence, wealth, and powers of theworld. Bearwarden went in by the stage entrance, exchanginggreetings as he did so with officers of the company and directorswho had come to hear him. Cortlandt and Ayrault entered by theregular door, the former going to the Government representatives'box, the latter to join his fiancee, Sylvia Preston, who wasthere with her mother. Bearwarden had a roll of manuscript athand, but so well did he know his speech that he scarcely glancedat it. After being introduced by the chairman of the meeting,and seeing that his audience was all attention, he began, holdinghimself erect, his clear, powerful voice making every part of thebuilding ring.
A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future Page 3