s. Jones good-naturedly complied, and sat engaged with some knitting,
while the roll brought by the architect was spread upon the table, and
weights laid upon its corners. The two schemers gave a cry of delight as
a truly magnificent sketch of the globe unfolded before their eyes.
Floating in the firmament, thousands of feet above the earth, with a
panoramic view of forests, lakes, rivers, mountains and hill elevations,
fruitful valleys thickly dotted with towns, villages, farms, little
specks that represented houses, green fields, etc., fading away into
indistinctness in the far distances of the horizon, all done with such
patient and faithful regard for detail and artistic appreciation of
color and perspective, that Mrs. Jones joined in the chorus of
expressions of unqualified admiration. It was done in water colors, and
the enraptured Doctor seized one end of it and cried: "Take hold of one
end, Denison, and help me hold it up against the wall. There, Maggie!
Denison! Did you ever see anything so absolutely beautiful?"

They declared that they never had. The artist, meantime, stood with
flushed cheek, his arms folded across his breast, modest and quiet.

"Get tacks and a hammer, Maggie, and we'll fasten it to the wall; then
we can all sit and enjoy this glorious panorama."

The painting was quickly tacked up in a position for inspection, and all
sat admiringly before it.

"By the way, Mr. Marsh, you must have done something in the line of
aeronautism, or you never could have made that painting," observed the
Doctor.

"No, Doctor, I have never made any balloon ascensions, but I have
climbed many mountains, both in Europe and America, and have made
numerous sketches from vast elevations. I have simply drawn upon these
for my material, and in this painting you have a blending of several of
them. Of course, I have taxed my imagination to some extent. The central
object, the globe, air-ship, or whatever you may be pleased to call it,
is your own conception, or my conception of your idea."

"Well, I am more than pleased with your work. Your execution has so far
transcended my idea that I take no credit at all in this instance. But
now we must never rest until we have materialized this splendid
conception."

So they sat admiring and chatting over the painting some little time.

"Well, Marsh, have you anything more to show us to-night?" asked
Denison.

"Yes," he replied, "I have some figures and data that I receive