Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-11

will be out of temptation, because he will
be kept hard at work always" said Paul,
The old bookkeeper locked up as though
about to thank the young man. but there
| seemed to be a lump in his throat which
prevented him from speaking.
Suddenly Mr.. Wheatcroft began, eXplo-
sively: That's ali very weil!-but what 1
still don't understand is how Paul got
those photographs
MrWhittier looked at his son and smiled.
THAT is a little mysterious Paul. he said.
land I confess I'd like to know how you
did it,
Were you concealed mere yourself?'
asked Mr.. Wheatcroft.
NO" Paul answered. 'If you will look
around this room you will see that there
| isn't dark corner in which anybody could
tuck himself
Then where was the photographer hid
DEM" Mr.. Wheatcroft inquired. with in
| creasing curiosity.
I'm the clock" responded Paul
TN the clock?' echoed Mr.. Wheatcroft.
greatly amazed. why there isn't room in
the case of that clock for thin midget, let
Paul enjoyed puzzling his fathers part
| ner. Il didn't say had man there CT a
midget, either" he explained. 81 said that
the photographer was in the clock-and I
| the photographer
| Mr. Wheatcroft threw up his hands in
| disgust. "Well.' he cried. 'if you want to
| go on mystifying US in this absurd way, go
| on as long as you like! But your father
and I entitled to some consideration,
| think" ''
I'm not mystifying you at all. The
| clock took the pictures automatically. I'll
show you how" Paul returned. getting up
| from his chair and going to the corner of
| the office. Taking a key from his pocket,
he opened the case Of the clock and re-
vealed small Photographic apparatus in
side, with the tube of the objective oppo-
site the round glass panel in the door of
the case. At the bottom Of the .ase was a
| small electrical battery, and on a small
| shelf over this was an electromagnetic.
| 81 begin to see how you did it." Mr.
| Whittier remarked: but I'm not an expert
| in photography. Paul. and I'd like full
explanation. And make it as simple as you
| can"
| IT'S a very simple thing indeed" said
| his son. Zone day while l was wondering
| how We could best catch the man who was
getting at the books that clock happened
| to strike. and somehow it reminded me that
| in our Photographic society at college we
| bad once suggested that 1t would be anus
Ing to attach detective camera to a time
| piece and take snap shots every few min
| utes all through the day. saw that this
| clock of ours faced the safe, and that it
couldn't be better placed for the purpose.
| So when 1 had thought out my plan,
| came over here and pretended that the
| clock was wrong, and in setting it right
! broke off the minute hand. Then 1 had a
| man know send for it to repair it: he is
| both an electrician and a Photographic ex-
pert. Togetherewe worked out this device.
Here is q smaHosnap-shot camera, loaded
with a hundred and fifty films, and here is
the electrical attachment which connects
with the clock. so as to take photograph
| every ten minutes from in the morning
to I at night. We arranged that the mag
net should turnvthe spool of film after
| every snap shdf''
| WELL cried MT Wheatcroft, 81 don't
| know much abaat these things. but read
the papers, ana II suppose you mean that
the clock pressed the button and the
mn n a rfy
| THAT'S 1t, precisely the young man re-
| sponded. "Of coarse, 1 wasn't quite sure
how 1T would work. so I thought I'd try it
first on a week aay when we were all here
1t did work alp tight. and 1 made several
| interesting discoveries. 1 found that Mike
smoked pipe7snf this Office. and that Bob
played 1eapfrog in the store; and stood on
his red head nstRe corner there up against
| the safe"
The COMPOUNDED little rascalv' inter-
| rupted Mr.. Wheatcroft
| Paul smiled as he continued: II found
also that Mr.. Wheatcroft was captivated
| by a pretty book agent and bought two
bulky volumes ne didn't want
| Mr.. Wheatcroft looked sheepsh for a
| moment.
! ''oh. that's how you knew. is it?' he
| growled. running his hands impatiently
| through his shock of hair.
That's how l KNEW" Paul replied. II
| told you l had an eye on you 1t was the
| long eye of the camera. And on Sunday
it Gept watch for us here. winkng every
| ten minutes. From o'clock in the morn
| ing to in the afternoon it winked ninety
times and all 1t saw was the same scene
the empty corner of the room here, with
the safe in the shadow at first and at last
| in the full light that poured down from the
| glass roof over US. But a little after 3 a
man came into the Office and made ready
to open the safe At $40 the clock and the
camera took his photographer the twink
ling of an eye. At $40 second record
| was made. Before $3.50 the man was gone
and the camera winked every ten minutes
until o'clock quite in vain. 1 came down
early this morning and got the roll of