* * * * *

Of course you know that the building landed safely, in the exact
hour, minute, and second from which it started, so that when the
frightened and excited people poured out of it to stand in Madison
Square and feel that the world was once more right side up, their
hilarious and incomprehensible conduct made such of the world as
was passing by think a contagious madness had broken out.

Days passed before the story of the two thousand was believed, but
at last it was accepted as truth, and eminent scientists studied
the matter exhaustively.

There has been one rather queer result of the journey of the
runaway sky-scraper. A certain Isidore Eckstein, a dealer in jewelry
novelties, whose office was in the tower when it disappeared into the
past, has entered suit in the courts of the United States against
all the holders of land on Manhattan Island. It seems that during
the two weeks in which the tower rested in the wilderness he traded
independently with one of the Indian chiefs, and in exchange for
two near-pearl necklaces, sixteen finger-rings, and one dollar in
money, received a title-deed to the entire island.--He claims that
his deed is a conveyance made previous to all other sales whatever.

Strictly speaking, he is undoubtedly right, as his deed was
signed before the discovery of America. The courts, however, are
deliberating the question with a great deal of perplexity.

Eckstein is quite confident that in the end his claim will be