"What guarantee can you give that the supply would be adequate and
continuous?"

"I will conduct a committee of this congress to my mine in the Rocky
Mountains, where, in anticipation of the event, I have accumulated
enough refined artemisium to provide every civilized land with an
amount of coin equivalent to that which it formerly held in gold. I
can there satisfy you of my ability to maintain the production."

"But how do we know that this metal of yours will answer the purpose?"

"Try it," was the laconic reply.

"There is another difficulty," pursued the president. "People will not
accept a new metal in place of gold unless they are convinced that it
possesses equal intrinsic value. They must first become familiar with
it, and it must be abundant enough and desirable enough to be used
sparingly in the arts, just as gold was."

"I have provided for all that," said the stranger, with one of his
disconcerting smiles. "I assure you that there will be no trouble with
the people. They will be only too eager to get and to use the
metal. Let me show you."

He stepped to the door and immediately returned with two black
attendants bearing a large tray filled with articles shaped from the
same metal as that of which the card was composed. The financiers all
jumped to their feet with exclamations of surprise and admiration, and
gathered around the tray, whose dazzling contents lighted up the