Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-11-21
CAP'N. ERI
By JOSEPH C.. LINCOLN
copyfht 1904 by l56 Fifth Avenue.
New York.. A
By JOSEPH C.. LINCOLN
CONTINUED

[cUNTINUED.l
Hazeltine's postoffice trip and other
errands had taken much more time
than he anticipated, and more than
two hours had gone by before he called
for Captain Fri. During the row to the
beach the electrician explained to the
captain the processes by which break
in the cable is located and repaired.
They landed at the little wharf and
plodded through the heavy sand.
Dismal looking place, isn't it" said
HaZeltine as he opened the back door
of the station.
"Well, don't know. 1t has its good
p'ints," replied his companion. "Your
neighbors' hens don't scratch up your
garden. for one thing. What do you do
In here?"
"This is the room where we receive
and send. This Is the receiver"
The captain noticed with interest the
recorder, with its two brass supports
and the little glass tube half filled with
ink that, when the cable was working,
wrote the messages upon the paper
tape travelling beneath it.
Pretty nigh as tinicky as watch.
amt it?' he observed
"Fully as delicate in Its way. Do
you see this little screw on the center
piece? Turn that little one way or
the other and the operator on the other
side might send until dOOmsday, we
wouldn't know it. Ill show you the
living rooms and the laboratory now"
Just then the door at the other end of
the room opened, and man. whom
Captain Fri recognized as one Of the
operators, came in. He started when
he saw Hazeltine and turned to 60 out
again. Ralph spoke to him:
Peters," he said, where Is Mr..
Langley"
Don't know" answered the fellow
gruffiy.
Wait a minute. Tell me where Mr..
Langley is"
81 don't know where he is. He went
over to the village awhile ago"
"Where are the rest Of the men?"
Don't know"
The impudence and thinly veiled hos
tility In the mans tone were unmis-
taxable. Hazeltine hesitated, seemed
about to speak and then silently led
the way to the hall.
I'll show you the laboratory later
on" he said. We'll 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 l
wouldn't be back until noon."
There was a 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 shout of laughter; then
some one said:
Better give 1t another turn. hadn't
l, to make sure? If two turns fixes 1t
SO we don't hear for couple Of hours
another one ought to shut it UP for
week. That's arithmetic, amt it:'
The laugh that followed this was cut
short by Hazeltines throwing the door
wide open.
Captain Fri, close at the electricians
heels. saw long room empty save
for few chairs and table in the cell
ter Upon this table stood the testing
instruments. exactly like those in the
receiving room downstairs Three men
Iounged in the chairs, and standing be-
side the table, with his fingers upon the
regulating screw ut the centerpiece OF
the recorder was another. Il big fel-
low, with round. smooth shaved face.
The men in the chairs sprnng to their
feet as Hazeltine 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
the men They were 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
o the table. pushed. Mclaughlin to
he side a::d stooHed over the instru-
l..cnts. When he Strengthened up Cap
-: Fri not.cc,l that his face also was
thite, but G, identity not from fear. He
.:rnIi SHARPLY ard looked at the four
.pcrators. vino were doing their best
appear at ease and not succeeding,
he electrician looked them over on"
v Gle. Theii he gave q short laugh.
You sneaks." he said. and turned
..lia to tie testing apparatus.
Iie began slowly to turn the regulat-
ny screw OH the recorder. He had
given Il but few revolutions when
the point of the little glass slphon
;Lat had been tracing II straight black
line u. ihe sliding tape moved up and
down in curving zigzags. Hazeltine
turned to the operator.
Palmer" he said curtly. "answer
that CALI
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 them 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 ut each other. This evidently
was not what they expected.
Steps sounded on the stairs, and Pc
| tiers hurriedly entered.
1.-The old mans comin'," he said.
Mr.. Langley, the superintendent OF
| the station, had been In the companys
employ for years. He had been IN
charge of the Cape Cod station since II
was built, and he liked the job. He
knew cable work, too. from A to q and,
| though he was a strict disciplinarian,
| would forgive q man getting drunk