Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-12
Don't know"

the way to the hail.
"Tll show you the laboratory later
on" he said. Wen go up to the test
ing room now" Then he added, appar-
emily as much to himself as to his WIS.,
itor. II told those fellows that 1
wouldn't be back until noon"
There was door at the top of the
stairs. Ralph opened this quietly. As
they passed through Captain Fri no.
ticed that Peters had followed them
into the hall and stood there looking up.
The upper hall had straw mating
on the floor. There was another door
at the end Of the passage, and this was
ajar. Toward 1t the electrician walked
rapidly. From the room behind the
door came a shout of laughter; then
some one said:
Better give 1t another turn. hadn't
I, to make sure7 If two turns fixes it
SO we don't hear for q couple of hours
another one ought to shut it up for a
week. That's arithmetic, amt it?"
The laugh that followed this was cut
short by Hazeltine's throwing the door
wide open.
Captain Err, close at the electricians
heels, saw long room empty save
for few chairs and table in the cen
ter. Upon this table stood the testing
Instruments. exactly like those in the
receiving room downstairs. Three men
lounged In the chairs, and standing be-
side the table, with his fingers upon the
regulating screw at the centerpiece of
the recorder, was another. a big fell
low, with round, smooth shaved face.
The men in the chairs sprang to their
feet as Hazelttne came In. The face
Of the individual by the table turned
white, and his fingers fell from the
regulating screw as though the latter
was red hot. The captain recognized
lAe men. They We're day operators
whom he had met In the village many
times. incidentally they were avowed
friends Of the former electrician, Par
ker. The name Of the taller one was
Mclaughlin.
No one spoke. Ralph strobe quickly
to the table, pushed Mclaughlin to
one side and stopped over the instru-
ments. When he Strengthened up Cap
tain Err noticed that his face also was
white, but evidently not from fear. He
turned sharply and looked at the four
operators, who were doing their best
to appear at ease and not succeeding.
The electrician looked them over one
by one. Then he gave short laugh.
"You sneaks!" he said, and turned
again to the testing apparatus.
He began slowly to turn the regulat-
given it but few revolutions when
the point of the little glass siphon
that had been tracing straight black
line on the sliding tape moved up and
down in curving zigzags. Hazeltine
turned to the operator.
Palmer" he said CURLY, ANSWER
that CALL"
The man addressed seated himself
at the table, turned switch and click
ed off message. After moment the
line on the moving tape zigzagged
again. Ralph glanced at the zigzags
and bit his lip.
Apologize to them," he said to Palm
er. Tell then, we regret exceedingly
that the ship should have been kept
waiting. Tell them our recorder was
out of adjustment"
The operator cabled the message
The three men at the end Of the room
glanced at each other. This evidently
was not what they expected.
Steps sounded On, the stairs, and Pc
tiers hurriedly entered.
1.-The old mans COMM" he said.
| Mr.. Langley, the superintendent Of
the station, had been in the company s
employ for years. He had been In
charge Of the Cape Cod station since it
was built, and he liked the job He
knew cable work, too from A to and,
though he was strict disciplinarian,
would forgive a man getting drunk
occasionally sooner than condone care
lessness. He was eccentric, but even
those who did not like him acknowl-
edged that he. was square"
He came into the room, tossed CT
gar stump out of the window and nod
ded to Captain Err.
How are you, Captain Hedge" he
SAID. Then, stepping to the table, he
picked up the tape.
Everything all right, Mr.. Hazel
tine?" he asked. Hello! What does
this mean? They say they have been
calling for two hours without getting
an answer. How do you explain that?"
1t was very quiet in the room when
the electrician answered.
THE recorder here was out Of ad-
justment, SIR" he said simply.
"Out of adjustment! l thought you
told me everything was in perfect or
der before you left this morning"
II thought SO. sir, but I find the
screw was too loose. That would ac-
count for the call not reaching u.s."
TOO loose! Humph!' The superin-
tendent looked steadfastly at Hazel
tine, then at the operators and then at
the electrician once more.
"Mr. Hazeltine," he said at length,
II will hear what explanations you
may have to make in my Office later
| on. [ will attend tO the testing myaaIf