Robert bought evening newspapers and looked over the Financial Page;
noted that cotton, wheat and corn had advanced that day. His birthday
had indeed been a success, financially, and his 21st birthday found
him on top of the world, but this was not what counted with Robert.
The great disappointment was that his hopes for Marie on that day were
blasted, but he had not given up. As he looked over the newspapers
he saw an advertisement headed, "Madam Cleo," Clairvoyant. The
advertisement stated that Madam Cleo could reunite the separated and
bring back lost lovers. While Robert had never been to a clairvoyant
and his only faith was in astrology, and science laid down in the
Bible, in desperation he decided to grasp at any straw. Early on the
morning of June 10th he called to see Madam Cleo. She told him that he
had gone thru a great sorrow but that his sweetheart would return to
him in a few days, he should be of good cheer because Marie loved him
only; that it had been a case of nervous indecision which had caused
Marie to disappear, and that she would return just as suddenly as she
had disappeared.
Robert felt more hopeful and returned to his hotel, hoping to get some
news of Marie. There were no letters or telegrams. He called up the
broker's office to find out how cotton and wheat were that morning
and found that they were strong and higher. His calculations showed
that wheat and cotton should be top for a reaction on June 10th so he
wired his broker in New York to sell out his wheat and cotton. Corn was
down that morning, so he telegraphed the broker to buy 20,000 bushels
of September corn. After sending this telegram, he glanced over the
morning paper and saw an advertisement headed, "Professor O.B. Joyful,"
Astrologer. Robert eagerly read the advertisement because the name
attracted him. And he was looking for something to make him joyful.
Professor Joyful's advertisement stated that "with the science of
Astrology, he could tell when success would start, when trouble would
end and reveal when marriage would take place." Robert was a great
believer in Astrology because he had found this great science referred
to so many times in the Holy Bible. Robert remembered reading in the
Psalms 111:2:
The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have
pleasure therein.
He had made notes as he read the Bible at different times where it
referred to Astrology or the signs in the heavens and was thoroughly
convinced that the influence of the heavenly bodies govern our lives.
Genesis 1:7, 16 and 18:
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under
the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it
was so.
And God made two great lights; and the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 7:2:
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and
his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his
female.
Joshua 10:12 and 14:
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up
the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight
of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the
valley of Ajalon.
And there was no day like that before it, or after it, that the Lord
hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Samuel 22:8:
That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that
sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the sons of Jesse, and
there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my
son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this
day?
Job 22:14:
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh
in the circuit of heaven,
Job 26:10 and 11:
He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come
to an end.
The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproof.
Job 37:18:
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a
molten looking glass?
Psalms 19:1, 4 and 6:
The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his
handywork.
Their line is gone out thru all the earth, and their words to the end
of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun;
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto
the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Psalms 136:7 and 9:
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and the stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for
ever.
Proverbs 8:27 and 28:
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he sat a compass upon
the face of the depth;
When he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the
fountains of the deep;
Ecclesiastes 1:3 and 5:
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place
where arose.
Isaiah 40:22:
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the
inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the
heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
Isaiah 43:5:
Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and
gather thee from the west;
Ezekiel 1:22:
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living
creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth
over their heads above.
Amos 9:6:
It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his
troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and
poureth them out upon the face of the earth; the Lord is his name.
Habakkuk 3:2:
O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid; O Lord, revive thy
work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known;
in wrath remember mercy.
St. Matthew 24:29 and 30:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of
man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
Robert knew that the Bible was replete with references that the
heavens ruled. He had read where it said: "Discern the end from the
beginning"; where Jesus said: "I will judge you in the place of your
nativity." He hastened to the office of Professor O.B. Joyful in the
hope that the great science of Astrology would throw some light upon
the disappearance of Marie. The secretary told him that the Professor
was very busy and as Robert had no appointment, he would have to wait
awhile. Glancing around the walls of the office he saw some beautiful
cards of poems hanging on the walls. One was entitled, "The power of
Love." This attracted Robert's attention:
Sunbeams after showers are brightest,
Seeking sorrow is a sin;
Woman's heart is ever lightest
When love, the jewel, dwells within.
Robert thought that this was a wonderful poem and he knew that it
applied to man as well as woman, because his heart was ever light
when love dwelled within; knew that it was Marie's beautiful eyes and
the hope of seeing them again, which was guiding him now across the
troubled sea of time. He anxiously awaited the time when he could tell
his troubles to Professor Joyful, hoping that they would soon be turned
into joy. He read another poem on the wall:
Love is a gift to be used every day,
Not to be smothered and hidden away,
Love is not a thing to be stored in the chest
Where you gather your keepsakes,
And treasure your best.
Love is a gift you should use every day.
--Norah Perkins.
Robert knew that he was using love every day and it seemed that the
Professor had prepared his office to receive those in love. Another
poem read:
We starve each other for love's caress;
We take, but we do not give;
We know it is easy some soul to bless,
But we dole out affection, giving less and less,
Until the world becomes bitter and hard.
Robert felt that he had not been stingy with his love for Marie and
that he had showered his affection upon her. The Bible said that love
begetteth love and he knew if he received as he gave, his reward would
be the return of Marie and her love.
By this time, the secretary announced that Professor Joyful was ready
to receive him. He entered the Professor's office, where he met a
middle-aged man whose kindly face indicated that he had sympathy for
those in trouble. Robert stated briefly his troubles. Upon being asked
his date of birth, said he was born June 9th, 1906. The Professor made
out his horoscope hurriedly and told him that Venus and Mars were in
conjunction by transit in the sign Leo, which ruled the heart; that
Venus applied to a trine of Uranus, and that while he could give him
hopeful news and could assure him from his horoscope that he would
one day find Marie, he could not offer false hopes and state that he
would find her within a few days. Said there was a possibility of his
finding her within two years, but it would probably be three or four
years before she would ever come into his life again. In view of the
fact that Venus was separating from a conjunction of Mars on the day
he had called to inquire about Marie, the indications were that his
sweetheart, Marie, would be separated farther from him rather than
come closer to him at this time. He assured Robert that Marie was
alive, that no harm had come to her, and that none would, that she was
carrying out her own secret plans; was faithful to Robert, and had no
other lover. He told Robert that he was a born genius and in the next
few years would make a great success in speculation and in the field of
aviation. While Robert was disappointed, he felt that this scientific
man was telling the truth and decided to take his advice, try to be
patient, and to face the future with hope. The Professor told Robert
that his horoscope indicated that he would eventually realize all his
hopes and ambitions. Venus, in the sign Cancer, promised happiness in
love affairs eventually, but Neptune therein indicated a skeleton in
the family closet and some secret mysterious happenings in connection
with the home and domestic relations. Robert told him of his plans to
go to New York and the Professor stated that New York City was ruled
by the sign Cancer, and in view of the fact that the planet Venus, the
Goddess of Love, was located in that sign, he would eventually meet
or find Marie in New York City. This cheered Robert greatly because
he knew he wanted to go to New York to make money in speculation and
complete his inventions. Professor Joyful told Robert that Venus
progressed in the sign Leo, which rules the heart, would cause some
great sorrows and heartaches when there were afflictions to it. He had
started the trip with the Moon in the sign Leo, ruling the heart,
but it had separated from good aspects and was applying to evil ones.
His ruling planet applied to an evil aspect of Uranus, indicating
great worries following the starting of this journey. Said that he had
planned his marriage for an unfortunate day and that it was better that
it did not take place at that time. Assured Robert that there was no
doubt about the realizations of his hopes in the future, but that the
delay was inevitable. He told him that the clairvoyant who promised
that he would find Marie in a few days, was only encouraging his hopes,
and that science, which could be depended upon, did not confirm these
hopes, or at least the immediate realization of them. There was a
possibility of his finding Marie in a foreign state or country or that
some news would come to him of her from a great distance. He asked
Robert for Marie's date of birth. Robert told him that he knew she
was born on October 6th, but that he was not sure of the year, but he
thought it was in 1908. The Professor told him that if this date was
correct, it would confirm all that he had told him and indicated a long
delay before he would find her.
Robert returned to his hotel more hopeful and with the firm decision to
face the future and carry out his plans, living faithful to Marie. On
his arrival at the hotel, he received a telegram from Mr. Kennelworth,
reading:
LEAVING ON THE SUNSHINE SPECIAL TONIGHT ARRIVE ST. LOUIS SATURDAY
MORNING BE READY TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY WITH ME FOR NEW YORK.
Robert was more cheerful after reading this message because since
Marie's disappearance he had not met a man or woman he had ever known
before. Mr. Kennelworth was a dear friend of his and it would be very
comforting to meet him and talk over his troubles. He was also anxious
to meet his old pal, Walter Kennelworth, so he decided to get ready to
go on to New York. The big reception for Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh
was planned and would take place in New York on Monday, June 13th,
and he wanted to be there, but every time he thought of anything that
would give him happiness or pleasure, he thought of Marie and knew that
without her it would not mean as much to him. Still he hoped Marie
might appear or that some news of her might be received before he left.
He wanted to see Captain Lindbergh and his plane, "The Spirit of St.
Louis," for Robert was dreaming of the day when he would complete his
own great plane according to Ezekiel's plan. Robert went to his room
and spent the balance of the day reading the Bible and working out
future cycles on wars. Figured that great opportunities would come for
making money in the Stock and Commodity markets, and that he was going
to make a great financial success and carry out his plans.
On June 11th, Mr. Kennelworth arrived, Robert met him at the Union
Station in St. Louis. He had only about an hour to wait before the
train departed for New York. No news had been received of Marie. Mr.
Kennelworth told Robert that her parents were still hopeful that she
was alive, but they were at a loss to understand why she had not
communicated with anyone. He told Robert to keep up his courage for
he felt sure that all would end well. On the train to New York they
talked of Robert's plans. Mr. Kennelworth said he was anxious for him
and Walter to be together again and believed it was for the best.
Robert told him that he had been making money in wheat and cotton and
that Right Aeroplane was moving his way; that he was Short of Major
Motors and expected to make a fortune selling it all the way down. Mr.
Kennelworth expressed his continued faith in Robert's ability and told
him that he was going to follow him on the market. While he admired
him for his great love for Marie and his faith in her, worry would not
bring her back, he said, and he should get down to business, study the
Bible, work on his inventions and leave the matter of Marie's return
to the Lord, trusting and believing in Him who knoweth and doeth all
things well. Told Robert that he was a "doer" and not a dreamer; that
he had demonstrated the greatest ability of any young man he had ever
known. That he had the pep and quoted an epigram, "The pessimist says
it can't be done, the optimist says, let George do it: meanwhile
the peptomist has done it." He said: "Robert, you and Lindbergh are
peptomists. You do it while the other fellow watches and waits, or says
it can't be done." He quoted a poem from Tennyson:
I cannot hide that some have striven
Achieving calm, to whom was given
The joy that mixes man with heaven.
Who rowing hard against the stream,
Saw distant gates of Eden gleam
And did not dream it was a dream.
"I am sure you are to make your dreams come true. The Bible says: There
is nothing better for a man than that he should make his soul enjoy
good in his labor. Work is the only thing to drown your sorrows. If
you go to work, complete your inventions and continue to study, the
troubles will disappear. Time will fly lightly by and before you know
it, Marie will return to you." Then Robert repeated a few lines by Dora
Greenwald:
"Joy is a working thing. It builds up while it enlarges the whole
nature. It is the wine to strengthen the heart, to brace it to carry
noble enterprise."
Mr. Kennelworth said, "That is very fine, Robert, but you must work
for the joy that is yet to come and your great love for Marie will
strengthen your heart and brace you to attain all your aims. Love is
the great power behind the universe and it is the greatest of all
powers. Emotions are the motive power behind every great achievement,
and without emotion nothing will ever be accomplished. There are three
great emotions--Love, Fear and Hate, which actuate every deed, good or
bad, and without them, man would accomplish nothing. The great emotion
which is going to help you accomplish all your plans and realize your
greatest hopes and ambitions, is Love. A man makes money and saves it
because he fears the future. Great nations go to war and fight because
they are urged by the emotion of Hate. They are also fighting thru the
emotion of fear, but if love was the emotion behind all, there would be
no war, no sorrows--no troubles and no jealousies."
Robert then showed a poem on "Love" which he had written to Marie and
one, "The Garden of Love," which he had written at the time he and
Marie had their first break in 1926. Mr. Kennelworth read these poems
and was very much impressed with Robert's ability as a writer. He said,
"Robert, this proves to me that Love brings out the best in a man and
that when he finds a good woman his success is assured."
Robert talked of how he had read the Bible where it said that there
eventually would be one God and one united people and that Love would
rule the world. How, since a little boy, his Mother had talked against
war and prayed for the day when wars would cease and man would follow
the command given by Jesus Christ: "Love thy neighbor as thyself." He
hoped and felt sure that the day would come but that the Bible made it
plain as he understood it, that there would yet be a great war fought
in the air, when deadly chemicals would be used and the greater portion
of the people on earth would be killed. Then would come peace, when God
would rule the world and Love would be the motive behind every act.
Then nations would no longer become jealous of each other and go to
war. Robert said, "I have made a great study of wars in the past and
how conditions changed; how at one time Spain was the mistress of the
seas and later Rome was the controlling nation; then England ruled the
waves and London was the banking center of the world. Then came the
great war in 1914 which changed everything. England lost control of the
seas. She lost her power as the great banking nation of the world. The
gold supply of the world flowed rapidly to the United States and in the
dark days of 1917, when England and France, after being deserted by
Russia, were fighting with their backs to the wall, the United States,
the land of love and liberty, came to the rescue, helped to defeat the
Germans and saved England and France. At that time they were seemingly
very grateful, but after the war conditions changed. The United States
was no longer in debt to foreign countries but was now the banking
nation of the world and the foreign countries owed large sums of money
to the United States. This country has continued to prosper since the
war, the gold supply of the world now rests here. Our former friends
have become jealous of the prosperity we enjoy and the power that we
now hold in financial affairs which once belonged to England. Some of
the foreign countries do not want to pay their obligations and this
jealousy can lead to nothing else but war, as it always has in the
past. I hope to be ready when that war comes with my great airplane,
and other inventions to help defend my country and later promote a
lasting peace based on love and goodwill. The United States began as a
land of liberty and has always set an example for the balance of the
world and I hope to see the day when our country will take the lead
in establishing universal peace and the brotherhood of man. Captain
Lindbergh's flight confirms my studies and forecasts of the future.
Aviation will be developed rapidly and nations will want to try these
new discoveries and inventions to conquer other nations, and war is
inevitable. The Bible prophets foretold it, and my studies of the cycle
theory also indicate that we are in a period where cycles will repeat
which have caused war in the past."
On the afternoon of June 12th, Mr. Kennelworth and Robert arrived in
New York City and were met at the train by Walter. Robert was very
happy to meet his dearest friend, and it was consoling to be with him.
After their arrival, they went to the Hotel Vanderbilt. Mr. Kennelworth
went out to see a friend and left Robert and Walter to chat alone.
Robert told Walter of the terrible sufferings he had gone thru since
Marie's disappearance and of his great disappointment. He talked of the
success he had made in the market and of the future when he hoped to
complete his great invention with the aid of Walter and his knowledge
of chemicals and make discoveries which would end war for all times.
But immediately after talking of his future plans his mind would revert
back to Marie and he would start talking about her and bemoaning the
fact that without her he could not go on in the future. Walter told
him to forget about her--that time would bring changes and that he
would find another girl who would take the place of Marie. Robert was
indignant and told Walter that time would never change him; that he
would remain faithful to Marie until death, no matter if he never heard
of her again. Walter said that Marie was too young to know her own
mind and was probably in love with someone else, or thought she was,
which accounted for her sudden change and disappearance from the train.
Robert then showed him the letter which he found in his pocket the
morning that Marie disappeared. Walter read it.
June 5th, 1927.
3 A.M.
Dearest Robert:
According to your faith, be I unto you. Love will always have faith,
understand and wait. Time proves all things. You will get everything
you want; I will come to you when I mean the most and your need for
love is the greatest.
Lovingly always,
Marie.
Walter said: "This is certainly a mysterious letter. I don't understand
it and I don't suppose Marie did either. There is nothing in this
letter to explain whether she was leaving you or not, or why or where
she was going or anything about it. Now, Robert, don't you understand
real love could never act like that or write like that? There is some
secret behind all this and my opinion is that there is another man
in the case." But Robert refused to listen to any such reasoning.
His faith in Marie was unshaken. His love for her was great enough
to understand, to have patience and wait. Marie could or would do no
wrong, and no amount of evidence would ever change him.
Mr. Kennelworth returned to the hotel and after dinner told Robert that
he wanted to have a confidential chat with his son, Walter. Robert
decided to go out for a walk and see the city. When they were alone,
Walter told his father that he had had a long talk with Robert and that
his mind was on nothing but Marie. His father said: "The only thing to
do is to help Robert get interested in his work so that he will forget
about Marie. That is the best thing for him at present. The great love
that he has for her will be the incentive to spur him on to success and
help him realize his ambitions. Love is the greatest thing in the world
and without it men would not get very far. It brings out the noble and
better qualities in a man and should always be encouraged."