locked within her bosom."

Rob took time to wonder at this statement.

"Then who are you?" he inquired, at length.

"The Demon of Electricity," was the solemn answer.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Rob, "a demon!"

"Certainly.  I am, in truth, the Slave of the Master Key, and am
forced to obey the commands of any one who is wise and brave
enough--or, as in your own case, fortunate and fool-hardy enough--to
touch it."

"I--I've never guessed there was such a thing as a Master Key, or--or
a Demon of Electricity, and--and I'm awfully sorry I--I called you up!"
stammered the boy, abashed by the imposing appearance of his companion.

The Demon actually smiled at this speech,--a smile that was
almost reassuring.

"I am not sorry," he said, in kindlier tone, "for it is not much
pleasure waiting century after century for some one to command my
services.  I have often thought my existence uncalled for, since you
Earth people are so stupid and ignorant that you seem unlikely ever to
master the secret of electrical power."

"Oh, we have some great masters among us!" cried Rob, rather nettled
at this statement.  "Now, there's Edison--"

"Edison!" exclaimed the Demon, with a faint sneer; "what does he know?"

"Lots of things," declared the boy.  "He's invented no end of
wonderful electrical things."

"You are wrong to call them wonderful," replied the Demon, lightly.
"He really knows little more than yourself about the laws that control
electricity.  His inventions are trifling things in comparison with
the really wonderful results to be obtained by one who would actually
know how to direct the electric powers instead of groping blindly
after insignificant effects.  Why, I've stood for months by Edison's
elbow, hoping and longing for him to touch the Master Key; but I can
see plainly he will never accomplish it."

"Then there's Tesla," said the boy.

The Demon laughed.

"There is Tesla, to be sure," he said.  "But what of him?"

"Why, he's discovered a powerful light," the Demon gave an amused
chuckle, "and he's in communication with the people in Mars."

"What people?"

"Why, the people who live there."

"There are none."

This great statement almost took Rob's breath away, and caused him to
stare hard at his visitor.

"It's generally thought," he resumed, in an annoyed tone, "that Mars
has inhabitants who are far in advance of ourselves in civilization.
Many scientific men think the people of Mars have been trying to
signal us for years, only we don't understand their signals.  And
great novelists have written about the Martians and their wonderful
civilization, and--"

"And they all know as much about that little planet as you do
yourself," interrupted the Demon, impatiently.  "The trouble with you
Earth people is that you delight in guessing about what you can not
know.  Now I happen to know all about Mars, because I can traverse all
space and have had ample leisure to investigate the different planets.
Mars is not peopled at all, nor is any other of the planets you
recognize in the heavens.  Some contain low orders of beasts, to be
sure, but Earth alone has an intelligent, thinking, reasoning
population, and your scientists and novelists would do better trying
to comprehend their own planet than in groping through space to
unravel the mysteries of barren and unimportant worlds."

Rob listened to this with surprise and disappointment; but he
reflected that the Demon ought to know what he was talking about, so
he did not venture to contradict him.

"It is really astonishing," continued the Apparition, "how little you
people have learned about electricity.  It is an Earth element that
has existed since the Earth itself was formed, and if you but
understood its proper use humanity would be marvelously benefited in
many ways."

"We are, already," protested Rob; "our discoveries in electricity have
enabled us to live much more conveniently."

"Then imagine your condition were you able fully to control this great
element," replied the other, gravely.  "The weaknesses and privations
of mankind would be converted into power and luxury."

"That's true, Mr.--Mr.--Demon," said the boy.  "Excuse me if I don't
get your name right, but I understood you to say you are a demon."

"Certainly.  The Demon of Electricity."

"But electricity is a good thing, you know, and--and--"

"Well?"

"I've always understood that demons were bad things," added Rob, boldly.

"Not necessarily," returned his visitor.  "If you will take the
trouble to consult your dictionary, you will find that demons may be
either good or bad, like any other class of beings.  Originally all
demons were good, yet of late years people have come to consider all
demons evil.  I do not know why.  Should you read Hesiod you will find
he says:

'Soon was a world of holy demons made,
Aerial spirits, by great Jove designed
To be on earth the guardians of mankind.'"

"But Jove was himself a myth," objected Rob, who had been
studying mythology.

The Demon shrugged his shoulders.

"Then take the words of Mr. Shakespeare, to whom you all defer," he
replied.  "Do you not remember that he says:

'Thy demon (that's thy spirit which keeps thee) is
Noble, courageous, high, unmatchable.'"

"Oh, if Shakespeare says it, that's all right," answered the boy.
"But it seems you're more like a genius, for you answer the summons of
the Master Key of Electricity in the same way Aladdin's genius
answered the rubbing of the lamp."

"To be sure.  A demon is also a genius; and a genius is a demon," said
the Being.  "What matters a name?  I am here to do your bidding."

3.  The Three Gifts

Familiarity with any great thing removes our awe of it.  The great
general is only terrible to the enemy; the great poet is frequently
scolded by his wife; the children of the great statesman clamber about
his knees with perfect trust and impunity; the great actor who is
called before the curtain by admiring audiences is often waylaid at
the stage door by his creditors.

So Rob, having conversed for a time with the glorious Demon of
Electricity, began to regard him with more composure and less awe, as
his eyes grew more and more accustomed to the splendor that at first
had well-nigh blinded them.

When the Demon announced himself ready to do the boy's bidding, he
frankly replied:

"I am no skilled electrician, as you very well know.  My calling you
here was an accident.  So I don't know how to command you, nor what to
ask you to do."

"But I must not take advantage of your ignorance," answered the Demon.
"Also, I am quite anxious to utilize this opportunity to show the
world what a powerful element electricity really is.  So permit me to
inform you that, having struck the Master Key, you are at liberty to
demand from me three gifts each week for three successive weeks.
These gifts, provided they are within the scope of electricity,
I will grant."

Rob shook his head regretfully.

"If I were a great electrician I should know what to ask," he said.
"But I am too ignorant to take advantage of your kind offer."

"Then," replied the Demon, "I will myself suggest the gifts, and they
will be of such a character that the Earth people will learn the
possibilities that lie before them and be encouraged to work more
intelligently and to persevere in mastering those natural and simple
laws which control electricity.  For one of the greatest errors they
now labor under is that electricity is complicated and hard to
understand.  It is really the simplest Earth element, lying within
easy reach of any one who stretches out his hand to grasp and control
its powers."

Rob yawned, for he thought the Demon's speeches were growing rather
tiresome.  Perhaps the genius noticed this rudeness, for he continued:

"I regret, of course, that you are a boy instead of a grown man, for
it will appear singular to your friends that so thoughtless a youth
should seemingly have mastered the secrets that have baffled your most
learned scientists.  But that can not be helped, and presently you
will become, through my aid, the most powerful and wonderful personage
in all the world."

"Thank you," said Rob, meekly.  "It'll be no end of fun."

"Fun!" echoed the Demon, scornfully.  "But never mind; I must use the
material Fate has provided for me, and make the best of it."

"What will you give me first?" asked the boy, eagerly.