Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
BY ARTHUR STRINGER

cylinder is lens containing selenium,
where the rays fall after passing through
the glass. But, pshaw, what's all this to
you?"
Go ahead-Tm listenin'!'
We'll. as 1 was going to tell you, just so
much light, or illumination, l ought to say,
is given to the selenium cell as you'd see IN
the light and dark spots of the photograph
That in turn means greater or less re-
sistance offered to the electric current. It's
energy controlled automatically. of course,
passing over the wire from the transmitter
to the receiver, so that while the transmit
ting film is passing in front of the selenium
at my end of the wire. the sealed tube of
Tesla rays at the Chicago office is being
moved before receptive film at the far end
of the wire. So the transmitted light es-
capes through the one little window, and
records its impression on the finland there
you arei'
The other man put down his glass, I'M
perturbed.
es, here we are-but if there's so many
millions in this apparatus for you, what's
the use o. hollern' it out to all 9th avenue?
It's finei 1t sounds big! It's as good as
perpetual motion! But comm down to
earth again. how re you goin to get your
Sunds to put all this pipe-dream through?'
IN get them yet, some way, by hook or
crook" protested the younger man, in the
enthusiasm of his fourth glass of brandy.
Well my friend, I'll tell you one thing.
straight out. Stick to me and you'll wear
diamonds. And until you're gettin' the
IL
your three square day!'
1t was the lip of the indignant Durkn
that curled a little, as he looked at the gilt
tering stud on the extensive shirt front and
the fat bejewelied hand toying with the
brandy glass. Then he remembered, and
became more humble
i've got to liver he confessed, mirth-
lessly.
"Of course Won have, And voure foo,
to go broke in the teeth of a cinch like Ills.
First thing, though, how'd you ever come to
get pinched by Doogan? Here, take an
other drink-hot stuff, eh! Now. how'd
you ever come to get you'self pulled that
fool way.
Il had been living like street cat for a
week. An Sth avenue manufacturing cleo
trfcian to whom l went for work took me
He advanced me s. to short-circuit it for
him. Doogan's men caught me at it, and
Doogan tried to make me out an ordinary
overhead guerrilla
"Lightnin slinger, eh?'
Yes, lightning Singer"
but 1 s'pose you noticed that he didn't
appear against your
Yes. saw that! And that's a part of
the business 1 can't understand" he an
swered. puzzled by the strangers quiet
smile.
Say, Durkin you didn't think it was just
your good looks and your 9TH avenue talkin'
got you off. did your
The younger man turned on him with half
angry eyes. But the stranger only con-
tinued to chuckle contentedly in his throat.
You remind me of hen who's just lad
an egg" cried Durkin, in a sudden flash of
anger. The other brushed the insult care
lessy aside with one deprecatory sweep of
his fat hand.
why, 1 had Doogan fixed for you, you
lobster he went on. as easily an as ia.
milarly as before. You're the sort O.
man l wanted-I saw that first crack out O.
the box. And friend of mine named Cot
trell happens to stand pat with Muschen-
helm. And Muschenheim is Doogan's
right-hand man. so he put a bee in the
boss ear, and everything was-well, kind
O. dropped,'
The younger man gazed at him in dreamy
wonder, trying to grope~ through the veil of
unhealthy that seemed falling and draping
about him. He was marveling, inwardly,
how jolting and unlooked-for came the sud-
den ups and downs Of life, when once tie
traveller is caught up out of the ordinary
grooves of existence-how sudden and NOV
ing the drama. when once the feral process
Is under way.
Then he listened, with alert and quickly
changing eyes, as the str 1ger-to make
sure of his mantle discharged prisoner
surmised-tapped with his knife on the
edge of his chinaware plate.
Durkin read the Morse easily-'Don't talk
so loud"' 1t warned him. And he nodded
and wagged his now swimming head, al
Yet all the time he felt vaguely that he
was under the keen eyes of the stranger
across the table from him.
"Where'd you work before you went to
the Postal Union?"
up in the woods" laughed the other
carelessly, yet still clear-headed enough to
feel inwardly ashamed of his laughter
What woods?'
"Up in Ontario. I was dispatcher, and
station agent and ticket seller, and snow
shoveler, and lamp cleaner. and everything
else for the Grand Trunk at komoka
where the tunnel trains cut off from tie
main line west for Chicago-and where
they still keep their heel on the union and
work their men like dogs They paid me
S42 month-Which was small enough
but out of that salary they deducted any
bad money taken in through the ticket win
dow when my returns were made up. 1
was two weeks behind in my board bill
when a Port Huron drummer bought a
ticket through to Hamilton with q twenty
dollar counterfeit. 1t came back to me with
my next months twenty-five dollars, with
across the face of 1t. The loss Of that
money kind of got on my nerves. l fumed
and worried over 1t until spoilt my send
and couldn't sleep, and in some way or
train into a string of gravel empties! My
God, what 1 went through that night!
knew 1t. I foresaw it. twenty minutes be-
fore they touched. / pounded the brass be-
tween the Junction and sarnia until they
thought was crazy. but we had no way
OF getting at them, any more than we
could get at two comets rushing together
l wired in my resign. / didn't even wait to
get my clothes. struck out and walked
across country to st. Thomas, and boarded
a Michigan Central for the Bridget
The older man watched the nervous hands
go up to the moist forehead and wipe away
the sweat, but the gesture left him un-
Then how'd you come to leave the Pos
tai Union?" he asked.
A look of momentary resentment leaped
into Durkin's eyes, but he reached out for
another drink. and then looked down at his
plate moodily.
'They blaeklisted mel" he confessed
And just for playing their own gamer'
The other held up warning finger.
Not so loud" he interrupted. But 20
onv'
'Of course. when I first came down to
New York i went into the u. P, Carrying
a fly So 1 was treated fairly enough. in
a way. But 1 had telegrapher's paralysis
coming on, and l knew / was losing time
on my amplifier, and / had to have money
for my new transmitter experiments I
tried to make it up doing overtime, and
used to shoot weird codes along Continent
tai Press Associations leased wires until
/ got SO neurasthenic that the hay-tossers
up state would break and ask me to fill
in, and then used to lose my temper and
wonder why l didn't stab myeslf with q
himsy- hook. / knew had to give 1t I'D,
but 1 did want enough money to carry
IL rv,sNl H.