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McIlvaine's Star, by August Derleth
The Project Gutenberg EBook of McIlvaine's Star, by August Derleth This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: McIlvaine's Star
Author: August Derleth
Illustrator: Bob Martin
Release Date: October 7, 2009 [EBook #30199]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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McILVAINE'S STAR
By August Derleth
[Illustration: McIlvaine sat down to his machine, turned the complex knobs, and a message flamed across the void.]
Old Thaddeus McIlvaine discovered a dark star and took it for his own. Thus he inherited a dark destiny--or did he?
"Call them what you like," said Tex Harrigan. "Lost people or strayed, crackpots or warped geniuses--I know enough of them to fill an entire department of queer people. I've been a reporter long enough to have run into quite a few of them."
"For example?" I said, recognizing Harrigan's mellowness.
"Take Thaddeus McIlvaine," said Harrigan.
"I never heard of him."
"I suppose not," said Harrigan. "But I knew him. He was an eccentric old fellow who had a modest income--enough to keep up his hobbies, which were three: he played cards and chess at a tavern called Bixby's on North Clark Street; he was an amateur astronomer; and he ha