Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-28

you would not tell the director Of po-
lice. | thought at first some scientist
had sent you here to play the spy on
me and learn what | was doing. / as-
sure you l heard nothing about the ex-
plosion you speak of, yet | was certain
it had occurred somewhere along that
line which | drew on the map. / had
hoped 1t was not serious and begun to
believe it was not. The anxiety of the
last month has nearly driven me in
sane, and, as you say quite truly, my
actions have been childish.
The old man in his excitement had
risen from his chair and was now pac-
ing up and down the room, running his
fingers diStractedly through his long,
white hair and talking more to himself
than to his auditor.
Jennie had edged her chair nearer to
the door and had made no protest
against his rising, fearing to interrupt
his flow of talk and again arouse his
suspicious.
81 have no wish to protect my inven-
tions. | have never taken ont "A patent
in my life What | discover give free
ly TO the world, but will not be robbed
of my reputation as a scientist. / want
my name to 60 down to posterity
among those of the great discoveries.
You talked Just now of going TO the
police and telling them what you knew.
Foolish creature. You could no more
have gone to the central police office
without my permission or against my
will, than you could go to the window
and whistle back those bits Of paper
scattered to the winds. Before you
reached the bottom of the stairs | could
have laid Vienna in mass Of ruins.
Yes, could in all probability have
blown up the entire empire of Aus
tria. The truth is that do not know
the limit of my power, nor dare | test
it,"
ooh, this is a mailman" thought
Jennie as she edged still nearer to the
door The old man paused in his walk
and turned tiercely upon her.
"You don believe meY' he said.
"No, | do not, she answered, the
color leaving her checks.
/ The aged scientist gave utterance to
"A hideuus chuckle. He took from one of
his numerous shelves hammer head
without the handle ana for a moment
Jennie thought he was going to attack
1 her, out he merely handed the metal to
her and said
Break that in two. Place it between
your palms and grind it to powder.
"Iou know that is absurd, | cannot
do it. "
why cant you do it?'
because IT Is of steel.
THAT is no reason. Why cant you
do ity'
He glared at her fercely over his
glasses and she saw in his wild eye all
/ the enthusiasm Of an instructor enlight-
ening pupil
Il II tell you why you can do it,
/ because every minute particle Of it j.
/ held together 10y an enormous force. II
may he heated redhot and beaten into
this shape and that, but still the force
hangs on as tenaciously as the grip Of a
giant. Now, suppose ! had some sub
stance, a drop of which. placed on that
piece of iron, would release the force
which holds the particles together. What
would happen"
II don t know, replied Jennie.
"Qh, yes, you do cried the profess
or lmpatiently. But you are like ev-
cry other woman-vou won't take the
trouble to think What would happen
would be this; The force that held tht
PARTICLES together would he released and
the hammer would fall To powder like
that gold you showed me, and there
would be an explosion, caused by the
sudden release of the power which
would probably wreck this room anc
eXtlngrish both our lives. You under
stand that do You notF'
y e., | think do.
WELL here Is something YOU won
understand and probably won t believe
when Yuu hear II. There Is hut one
force in this world and hut one particl,
OF matter. There IL only one element
which is the basis of everything. Al
the different shapes and conditions Of
things that we see are caused hv mer,
variation of that force in conjunction
with numbers of that particle. Am
getting beyond your depth
II am afraid you are, professor.
"Of course. know what feeble
brains the average woman is POSSESSED
of. Still, try TO keep that in You