Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
CHAPTER I.

tion of bravado that seemed homogeneous
to the stern and thoughtful face, sauntereo
toward 9th avenue.
At the corner. a crowd of idlers watched
two workmen on a scaffoldng, cleaning the
stone of Jefferson Market with sand-oiast-
1t was not until he had forced his way III
on one side of this crowd, and edged cir
cautiously out on the other, that ne telt at
ease with the world. 1t was like dipping
into a stream; it seemed to wash away
something scarlet and flaming. A more
resolute touch of self-respect came back to
him. The squared shoulders took on some
old-time line of natural dignity. He was
of the world again.
He crossed 9th avenue with quicker steps,
and then smitten with the pangs of sudden
hunger pushed his way into a cafe on the
corner of 10th street. With his reawaKeh-
ing to actualites came the question as 10
what the next turn of the grim wheels OF
destiny would bring to him. For. at heart
he was still sick and shaken and weak. IL
was his first offense; and he felt the need
of some oblterating stimulation. so, even
though the heavy odors of the bar room
were as nauseating as the moldy gas-sIpen
he had left behind him, he calmly caileu loT
a drink and between gups of it swallowed
down slices of picked beets and the last OF
the free-lunch cheese and crackers. Seeing
the bartender eylnS MIN dHsIHs, nc
conciliatingly. and put down his last nlckel
for another glass OF beer
1t was not until then that he noticed the
stranger beside him. looking at him point
edly He was corpulent, and friendly
enough of face, but for the blocked square
ness of the fiaccid jaw and the indefinite
pale green CLINT of the -deep-set, predatory
eyes that shifted from side to side under
the fringe of grayish eyebrow. as though
the great neck were too vast thing TO De
lightly troubled. He was fioridly dressed.
the younger man noticed with neavy,
chased gold band on one fat finger. and
claw-mounted diamond in the stud on his
shirt front. There was, too, something
beefily animal-like in the confident, MASSIVE
neck that refused readily to move and In
the square upthrust of the great shoulder
The discharged prisoner returned his half
quizzical gaze of inspection. He did so with
a look that was Enthusiastically belligerent-
For, although they stood side by side. they
were of two worlds. and the prisoner was
no longer prisoner.
The stranger. unabashed. merely smiled
and leaned amiably against the bar.
''Whatn you have, Durkin? he asked,
easily.
lence. Thereupon the stranger with the
diamond stud thrust his hands deep down
in his pocket. and rocking on his heels,
laughed confidently.
Climb down. my boy, climb down.
Durkin buttoned up his coat; the gesture
was as significant as the slamming of a
door.
oh. smoke up, ana nave something WIN
met
who are you, anyway" demanded Dur
kin, wheeling on him, jealous of his mo-
mentary isolation.
you, over yonder," The stout man jerked
a thumb vaguely toward Jefferson Market,
and then turned to the bartender.
Give me some o. that German brandy o
YOURS Terry with plate O. hot beans and
sandwiches. Yes, l was kind O. lookin' on,
over there. You're up against it, aren't
your
what do YOU mean by that?" asked the
other, hungrly watching the leg of boiled
ham. from which the bartender was shaving
doefully thin slices.
Here brace up on swig o Terrys wa
tered nose-paint; then we can talk easier
Hold on, thought won't cost us any more
10 get comfortable, guess!
He ordered the luncheon over to little
round table in corner of the room Dur
kin could already feel the liquor singing
through his veins; he was asking himself.
wofshy If he could not snatch that pro-
fered meal before taking to flight.
Now, this isn't monkey-work with me,
it's business" announced the newcomer.
''Indeed?" said Durkin, hesitating, and
then taking up fork.
Now first thing, I want to tell you
something. That song and dance you threw
up to the Old Boy over on the bench, about
your bein' an electric inventor in hard luck,
caught my eye, first thing. Look here
straight off the bat. d you want to get a
Cinch on good job?"
II dor' declared Durkin, through a mouth
full of beans. But do g WHAT"
Same old thingr' answered the other,
ohhandedly.
Durkin put down his fork. Indignantly.
What same old thing?' he demanded.
"Operatin', of course!'
Durkin, in a sudden tremor of alarm, felt
that the break would come before even that
st,aming plate of beans was eaten. So he
fought back his affronted dignity, and CIV
ing no sign of either surprise or wonder,
parried for time.
I'm tired of operating" he said, wash
ing a mouthful of his lunch down with a
glass of brandy. My arm has been giving
out"
well. want man. and I want him
quick 'You're-er-not very well fixed just
now. are your"
Il haven't penny cried the other. pas
siOnatey. surrendering to some clutching
tide of alcoholic recklessness.
We'll, my hours wouldn't kill you"' be-
gan the older man. fraternally.
I'm sick of the sight of a key and
sounder!''
You'd rather do the Edison act in a Sd
avenue garnet, l s'pose-broodin' round in
ventin' electrical gimcrackery nobody
wants and nobody's goin to buy!'
But / tell you somebody will want what
I'm going to do-and somebody is going to
pay money for it, and heap of money,
too!''
whats you got?" inquired the older
man, with the slightest curl of the lip.
The younger man seemed nettled by the
touch Of contempt in the others voice.
I've got an amplifier and I've got
Transmitting camera-you needn't laugh,
for when / get relay so sensitive that
can sit in st. Louis Office and send
message to London or Paris or when l
can send a drawing of a train wreck some
where outside of San Francisco right
through to New York, or telegraph a photo
OF q map or a sketch-why. I've got some
thing that men are going to pay for. and
pay well.'
1--WE heard of 'em all before-in the dope
page o. the Sunday papers!"
But / tell you I've got this transmitting
camera, All l want Is time and money to
work IL out, on the business side Wait q
minute, now. and let me explain. If you've
operated key you'll understand it easily
enough. You know what we call the Tec,a
currents. and you know what selenium Is
Well when / first tackled this thing, my
problem was to get some special apparatus
for reproducing the shadows and hgh-lights
on say, photograph. l had to have a
different flow of current for ligh and dark,
to carry the impression from the trans
mitter to the receiver. Well, / found that
selenium did the trick, for popularity Of
that mighty peculiar metal is that 1t offers
less resistance to a current when in the
light than in the dark. My next problem
was to control the light in the receiving
camera That's where the Tesla currents