Evening star., 1907-11-17

action Pshaw. Bill! that's nothing, he growled.
Here! We've got more plates cast Throw an,
as WaFe and wsye got t try se it
Jenkins and two Others rushed to the adjoining
room and brought in a second slab of metal, and
the old inventor, giving himself shake as if pulling
back from the very vortex of despair with trembling
hands placed the sheet of insulation and made the
new connections with the plate
Norm, he almost whispered, you look 1t over
and turn the current on this time somehow my
eyes seem to have gone back me.
Again they watched from distance the steady
movements of the assistant, who without tremor
threw on the current held it in leash, and directed
it as if within her hand she held the clutch of
friend Once more they saw the metal cool the
sprays turned on, and then came dull, grinding,
irving sound, and column of dust shot up into the
air and beloved out over the room. They saw her
fall back unconscious as if from some sudden shock,
and instinctively sprang to her aid.
In mortal fear that some disaster had overtaken
her. some unknown injury from that apparatus
whose voltage was as deadly that which sweeps
through murderers chair, they picked her up and
carried her out into of the drafting rooms and
laid her limp form table.
Her father in burst of terrible anxiety tore open
her corsage and ran his hand over her heart She's
not dead!" he whispered hoarsely. She's been
knocked out by wild current or something don
understand
A long breath of relief encircled the Not
until she recovered consciousness and sat weakly
up the suspense m1t1gated.
Feel better, little girl? the old Admiral asked,
and the others pressed forward with solcitous in
qulrles
She looked at them for moment, regained her
mental control, and answered, Yes, I'm all night
now; but don't mind me. What OF the plate!
They smiled at one another, as it dawned upon them
that the plate had been forgotten 1T was man1testy
unfair that she of all others should not share with
them the first knowledge of what had been accom-
plshed so as guard of honor they supported her
back to where the cruel agent stood and then one
and all started back with exclamatlons OF anna cement
The plate which they were building their hopes
had disappeared! Where the insulated tank which
held it had reared it's squatty length was now
ragged hole in the floor, bordered by the slvered
ends of twisted and shattered wood, and beneath
this yawning hole several feet deep, broken
electric wires, and the great slab of metal.
Norma as if the excitement of the discovery had
acted as tonic released herself from the support
ing. arms, walked to the shining brass structure,
cap and scratched his head in a puzzled way,
and Jenkins removed the glasses from his
nose and began nervously polishing them.
The other engineers gaped at each other,
at the inventor and then back to the
hole, wherein to all appearances was
buried the thing which they had
built all their hope. "Old Bill
Roberts stood by its edges, look
ing down and examining the
broken wires, picture OF per-
plexity despair. He came
back and crowded through
their midst, examining
nection and tracing out
of the strands and then stood
in listless attitude, his brows VI"
drawn into frown, and his
arms hanging loose and pen
duouS from his shoulders The time stretched into
minutes and Jenkins and Norma began discussion,
to which the others listened striving to understand
the hraseoogy of electrical science of which many of
them had little more than the layman's S knowledge.
Suddenly sharp cry came from the inventor.
They looked to the other side of the room whittier
he had retreated, and beheld him jumping up and
down like madnan His fists were clenched and
thrust into the air where they opened clawhke and
waved tremoo of excitement. We got It'll he