The Breckenridge news., 1906-02-28
Commander In Despair.

| SCuOldSJiC, HIS uSulO 5pdlV anu bShI
his hair and eyes gray, and his face
| lin-jowled.
He was alone in his Office, looking
out of the window across the Potomac
the only inactive figure in the Wal
| Department-wheno one of his aides en-
erred the room.
"Curtis had been located" said the
aide. He is at Kiel. We got his sig
nal followed by some code which is
being transcribed"
Another aide came in.
"Curtis says he is effectually hidden,
and can send electrigraphs if we can
AXE them"
"Where is he?" asked Montrus eager
Iy.
Scouting the Upper Air.
"He says he is out of the path Of
their scouts, and thinks he is safely
posted. He must be above them"
"Can you reach him?"
1--WE have, but he warns us not to
try often. l suppose his position is
precarious at best"
Tell him to send what he can," an
swered Montrus. I'll go into the
tower to take it,"
A hundred yards farther us the Po-
'omac, stood a gigantic tower, the exact
longitude and latitude of which was
burned in the memory of every opera
tive in the secret service. To this.
Montus and his aides fastened, beirg
carried directly to the summit by lift.
While the aides adjusted the films
and reflector of the electro-photogra-
pher, Montrus stood at the railing look
ing out over the peaceful river scene
and drumming his fingers on the wood
en- bars.
"I think it is coming" said one Of
Of the aides finally; and the general
stepped over to adjust about his head
the hood which shut all light from
the eyes looking at the reflector.
Looking Across the Ocean.
At first this remained in black and
inky darkness. Then came little waves
of dim light which rippled across its
surface. These ripples became strong
er; indistinct shapes, unrecognizable
and mystic. seemed to rise out of it's
depths. They cleared away, and there
grew up in their place the forms of a
city's roofs and towers, which stood
revealed in distinct outlines for a mo-
ment and then seemed to drop further
and further down into the reflector.
White, feecy clouds came between
the eye and the city's roofs, the lat
ter growing less and less distinct.
There was a sweep of a dark object
athwart the clouds. 1t crossed the en-
tire reflector, blotting 1t out in black
ness again, but light followed almost
instantly. Again nothing but the white
clouds, but finally a far-off flock of
specks. which came nearer and nearer
until they stood out each distinctly and
separately, clear-cut in outline and
identity. There they stood.
Aerial Torpedo Boats.
Montrus almost held his breath as he
ran his eyes over them. For ten min
utes he studied. Then he drew the
hood from his head, and looked out
over the river scene again.
"a hundred, l should say" he re-
marked at last, quietly, but in great
bitterness. Every one ready. In
twenty-four hours from the time those
awful fools in Congress declare war,
those hundred torpedo ships will be
here. Tell Curtis we've seen enough"
and in moodiness took his post by the
window again. Nothing he could plan
could avert the calamity he had seen
in readiness. Presently one or the
aides came in again.
"a government electrician is out
side" he announced, "and insists on
seeing you. We have done everything
to get rid of him but throw him of the
grounds"
The man stopped and waited expect
antly.
Tell him" said Montrus angrily,
but STOPPED. "Let him in" he con-
cluded, sullenly.
Young Inventor to the Rescue.
The aide went out and came back
with the shock-headed electrician who
had spent the night before by the bulle-
tin-board. His embarrassment was
great, but his earnestness equalled It,.
The former showed in his awkward
posture and twitching fingers; the lat
ter, in the direct look with which he
sought the generals eyes.
"Well," exclaimed Montrus, sharply.
"I have a concentrator-I want you
to look at it-I thought" he began
excitedly, but ended brokenly in the
face of cold stare from Montrus.
Here it is" he concluded, unfolding
the prints.
Montrus cast one careless and a
second interested glance at the plans.
He drew up a chair and studied them,
the moodiness giving away to keen ap-
probation. Then he pushed them
away.
"You seem to have something" he
said. "Some other time, If there's
anything left of this country, some
other time I'll look at them. But not
now. I can't now"
Death to Distant Fleet.
"But you don't understand" ex-
claimed Atsins, quickly and vehement
ly. "Now's the time, don't you seeY
That will direct a million volts-two
million volts-accurately. to any dis
tance, at any object. Man, II 1t works,
If it will do it-don't you see?"
Montrus stared at the shock-headed
| boy in a daZe.