Page:Life in a thousand worlds.djvu/85

 consternation, and kept myself busy in placing the parts of my watch together.

After a while I was addressed by a trembling questioner: "Where is your home, my child?" I did not lift my eyes, but completed my little self-appointed task, and at once raised the watch in fulfillment of my promise.

The timid professor ventured to accept it and, as he received it from my hand, he again asked: "Where is your home?"

"Farther away than the circumference of your world," I distinctly answered.

At this time the three agreed that I was an insane child, born out of time, and that I satisfied my propensities by gathering to myself such idiotic things as my watch and garments, including my hat and shoes.

A quiet consultation followed, after which one of the professors retired from the room and soon returned with certain morsels of food. Upon handing them to me, I at once remarked: "Keep these morsels for yourself; I have better food to eat, of which you know nothing."

The other two professors had by this