Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-04
BY ARTHUR STRINGER

the listening man nor woman moved. They
waited. tense. expectant, tossed between
doubt and hope. knowing only too well that
the questioning tinkle of that little polished.
nickel bell would sound the signal of their
absolute and irreparable defeat.
Second by second minute dragged itself
away. Then another, and another. and still
no call came from Ottenheimer's Office for
Central. The woman moved a little rest
lessly. The man sighed deeply Then he
slowly put down the receiver and mopped
his moist face and forehead.
Il think he's SAFE" half-whispsred Dur
kin. with his eyes still on the transmitter.
He may suspect any moment, though
cially.'
Il rather doubt it. Our voices were moth
ing but broken squeaks. But he does
ring up Central, we'll have to risk it and
jump In and claim wires crossed some
Then he repeated the strange formula
ITO the right three times. to seventy four
back thirty-on eighty-two-back one hun
bred and eight.and on seven Can you get
it down, Frank?'
She nodded. as she wrote II in pencil on
slip of paper. This he placed in his waist
coat pocket and mopped his face once
more. laughing, perhaps little Historically
as he watched the phone and felt the pass
ing minutes drip reievingly, like the softest
of balm, on his strained nerves.
And now what?" asked Frances sharing
his relief as she went to the window and
"
the low-ceilinged little studio
Now, said Durkn. jubilantly, now We
begin our real work.! He opened his suit
case and handed her a heavy. cylindrical,
steel implement Into one end Of this odd
looking tool he slipped and clamped slen-
der. polished little shaft of grooved steel.
That's what nearly lost me everything"
he continued, carefully unpacking. as he
spoke, condenser, tangent galvanometer,
a pair of lineman's gloves, a Warner pocket
battery gauge, pair Of electricians scis-
sors and pliers, two or three coils of wire a
haif-a-dozen pony glass insulators. and
handful or two of smaller tools.
Here, you see. is what l set up business
ter they made on the floor. He looked up
quickly, as she drew her little table out
from the wall and lifted the transmitter up
on the empty electrician shelf. "Er-be-
fore l forget it, he said. absently his eyes
still on his widely strewn apparatus. have
you got everything you want away from
here?"
She had; though she hated to leave her
showcase. she said. Some day she might
like to take up fancy sewing again. But
before do another thing" she insistcl.
I'VE ought to have dinner. Breakfast, this
morning. was our last meal, l know!
And to his utter astonishment Durkin re-
membered that he was famished.
1t was hurried and humble little meal
they ate together IN the falling light-a
meal of sandwiches washed down with bot
tied claret. Their thoughts as they ate
however. were on other things. graphing
with impending problems. wondering when
and under what circumstances their next
meal would be eaten. almost glorying in the
very uncertainty of their future. tinglng
with the consciousness Of the trial they
were to undergo. of the hazard they es-
sayed. Then Durkin. a. he smoked laid out
his final plan of action, point by premedi-
tated point.
(-rO he Continued Tomorrow