Evening star., 1907-11-17

up beside that which the officer sat, and gee-
fully rubbed his hands together She thinks more
clearly than do
Brockton, who had been tense as violin string
and had almost forgotten to breathe, drew long
breath and looked at the girl who had been leaning
against the wall as though exhausted but
watching the slowly cooling metal He would have
asked questions; but the inventor turned to him
and with air of triumph said:
Il wish you would invite back all those who
here when we made the first test Then you will
have the explanation unless 1 again mistaken"
The Admiral obeyed, and the cooling
sprays sitting the great pieces of metal
they came trooping in from the work which they had
resumed. There were men from the drafting rooms,
with pencils behind their ears, engineers from the
outside with shirt sleeves rolled up and forgotten
diagrams under their arms, and one man came from
the laboratory absent mndedy carrying test
tube balancing it that he might spill of the
liquid which 1t contained Norma was now resting
calmly against of the huge dead machines.
In a tone of unusual gravity Roberts addressed
them Boys" he began,-they were all boys to
him." you have witnessed the accidental discov
cry believe, of the most powerful force the world
has ever known. You have been fortunate. In
than seventy years of life l, who have spent
the time strange studies and stranger work, have
had no privilege great. You have all been kind
to my daughter and to me, and l am glad you
here now. He paused for moment seeing with
retrospective eyes all the great events of his life
Then recalling himself from this review, he turned
to Jenkins kindred spirit, and to a boyish
officer who stood near at hand
You two he said, indicating them with his
hand, may have the honor of picking up those
plates
There was an instant of breathless astonishment
Jenkins the first to recover, and unhesitatngly
walked forward. The younger man drew back as
though he had received order from insane
man conslgning him to nglorious death The voice
of the Admiral put an end to the wait.
Go ahead' he said quietly. Those plates may
weigh tons but if DR.. Roberts tells you pick
them up, you go and try it..
With the absolute precision of training the Off
GERS heels together and his hand to his cap
in quick salute He strobe to the plates, ard stood
opposite Jenkins, while the spectators craned for
ward, specializing to what freak of madness was
to be demonstrated. Jenkins grave and unques
him. and together they stopped and caught hand
hold. Together they gathered their muscles as
for prodgious exercise of strength, and simul
taneously strained upward:
To the amazement of those within the room
the great masses of metal came up with such
ease that they were lifted breast high without
perceptible effort.
Higher higher!' called the old in
ventor, springng toward them and ges
turing with his hands The plates rose
&kf4%AA until they were held with finger tips
and breathless suspense enchaned
Now stand from under Let
go of them Let go of them!"
yelled Roberts, dancing up and
down in excitement; but the
men still held on as if rendered
~ powerless by astonishment.
Stand from under!"
M manded the Admiral and dis
cipne again mastering them
they obeyed, springing back in
the apprehension that the two immense plates might
by some necromancy come crashing down and disap-
pear through the floor. With something almost like
sob, great had been his mental strain Jenkins stood
transfxed. The Admiral gave a gasp and with
hand poised in the air stood like statue. hammer
fell from the hand of of the engineers standing
behind, and the who had been tightly clutching
~,