314 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[December, 1905. 



would represent the first cutting away of the enormous 

 dam. 



And there were two other figures which attracted the 

 attention of the thousands of onlookers. One was the 

 man to whose master-mind this huge undertaking was 

 due. Petty squabblers could, on an occasion like this, 

 be forgotten or set aside, and the general public only , 

 recognised in that figure the founder of another prop, j 

 another addition to our Empire, of more importance | 

 perhaps than the settling of an extensive new Colony I 

 or the discovery of unknown territories, since the popu- 

 lation of the reclaimed area was sure to become very 

 shortly equaj to that of a large Colony. 



But what was the other figure? Equally fascinating 

 to the public eve, and yet for a very different reason. 

 The one with the sagacious, clear mind, sharp even to 

 cunning, large minded even to unscrupulousness ; the 

 other innocence personified — a simple but extremeh' 

 prettv little girl. Miss Libertia Tush. .All eyes were 

 drawn to gaze upon the charming childish figure, clad 

 in white, with the huge bouquet, which she so grace- 

 fully deposited in Royal hands. 



The sun broke forth in all his splendour, and cheers 

 rent the air as the first trickle of water passed from 

 the Thames into the new cutting. Everyone was 

 enthusiastic and highly pleased. -All except one, and 

 that was the very person who should have been 

 elated above all others at seeing the work of his 

 brain brought into activity, and to realise that his 

 ambitious dreams were actually accomplished ! But 

 his expectations in other lines had not been realised. 



The highest in the land have to be guided by the feel- 

 ings of the majority of their subjects. This great cere- 

 mony had very nearly to take place without that royal 

 presence, the request for which had only been granted 

 after special pleadings. The founder and chairman 

 had exp>ected honourable recognition of his great work 



before this; but nothing of the sort, no kind of en- 

 couragement had been held out to him, and he had only 

 hoped that the announcement of his reward had been 

 deferred to the final moment of the opening, then did 

 he expect to be the recipient of such honour as would 

 have for long thrown off the scurrilous and menacing 

 attacks that had Ixjen made by envious persons as to 

 his private financial transactions. But nothing had 

 come of it ! He had been received by Royalty with 

 marked coldness, even though the eyes of the whole 

 Court were attracted to Libertia, and had it not been 

 for the ardent admiration shown for his little daughter, 

 an awkward scene might have ensued. \\'ith the 

 audacity acquired by one supreme in his own line, and 

 with the anger of Ix'ing foiled in his ambitions, he had 

 actually enquired point blank whether he would be 

 likely to receive such recognition from the hands of his 

 august visitors as might be commensurate with the 

 work which he had now brought so near completion. 

 What was intimated in reply was nothing more nor less 

 than a snub. He, Cornelius J. Tush, snubbed ! It 

 was more than he could stand. " Your bloated aristo- 

 crats could go to — where they like. What cared he 

 for the beastly rags fluttering overhead ? They could 

 have the Royal ensign flying there, but the Stars and 

 Stripes must come down. He wasn't one of that fat, 

 phlegmatic, apoplectic John Bulls. No, thank good- 

 ness ! " And so Tush turned on his heel, determined 

 once and for ever to sever his whole connection with 

 these schemes for the improvement of a " foreign 

 town." 



And so he did. His whole financial interest in the 

 affair became transferred to other hands, and though 

 his name, for various reasons, was still retained on the 

 company's books, he, with his wife and child, returned 

 to re-found their home in the States. 

 (To he continued.) 



