The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-06-26


other m duck succession through the
tubes, little indicators here and there
spanked out m%alevolently, and the ma
chine seemed to leap, strain and
throb with a life Of its own, uncanny
and mysterious because of its silence.
The group Of men peered curiously at
the plate, saw it glow a dull red, pass
the cherry stage to a dull pigeon
blue, and then suddenly burst into a
cleaning a of iridescent white.
"Fusion!" one of the engineers
whispered to a man beside him. "He
has fused that plate, in less time than
1t could be done by any means / ever
heard of. That is the way he meta
morphoses his metal"
The rays died out, the apparatus
stopped its quivering, and the inven-
tor with hands clasped behind him
stood intently watching the now COOL
ing metal. Within the laboratory all
was silence. From the adjoining
buildings came the regular sound of
hammers, and from somewhere of to-
ward the cabins a mans voice was
raised in a song of soldiery. The
sheet Of metal lost it's color and be-
came dark. "Old Bill" Roberts
pressed a button above his head, and
cooling sprays began dissipating them
selves over the surface, sending up
brief splutterings and clouds of rapid
~ diminishing steam.
It's cool enough now to handle" he
said in an oddly constrained tone of
voice, turning to the engineers, "and
II some Of you will help me carry it
to the testing tank you may see me
prove the first plate on which hangs
the fate of our country"
In an awed hush of expectancy they
all volunteered; but only three men
were needed to hold it while it was
attached to the great arms which we're
to revolve it in the water and demon
strate it's resistance. The inventor
threw a switch, and the sheet began to
move. Before him was a dial, and be-
meath it a scale of friction pulls
showing the resistance offered by nor
NAL metal. He fastened his eyes on
the indicator with a look of strained
watchfulness. Slowly the needle
point swung round as the arms gained
the maximum of speed, and hen it
came to a standstill, While a look of
doubt and %perpleXity crept over the
scientists face.
Norm" he called, huskily-
Norm! Was everything all right?
Is everything working true?"
took a step behind him, and
with a look no less worried than his
own stared at the dials indicating the
speed Of revolution and the scale of
resistance. Eyes, father" she re-
piled, gently, Everything is all right"
She put her arm over his shoulder as
If to shield him. But something
must have gone wrong somewhere
else. Come away now and let us think
1t over" E..
She turned to the waiting officers
behind and looked them calmly in
their faces, while the inventor, dazed
and uncomprehending, ran his fingers
through his shock of white hair and
gazed at the telltale dials as if hyp-
Noticed by two staring eyes.
Gentlemen" she said, "the first ex-
pertinent is q failure!"
Those among them who had been
slightly skeptical smiled at one an
other, while those whose belief had
been NOR firm looked sympathetical-
~ ct this slip of a girl, who faced them
all In steady defiance, her trust in her
father, herself and their invention un.
shaken and unfaltering.
"You, Mr.. Jenkins" she said, ad-
dressing n Of the engineers, ARE
yourself q scientist and an expert
mentalist. You of all present know
how easy 1t is for a tiny mistake to
rob delicate work Of definite result"
There vas q note of appeal in her
voice that reached them all.
J, AS II with one accord they rushed
forward. grasping her hand and sur
rounding her father, giving them
words Of encouragement.
It was the gru6 voice Of the old
admiral which aroused them to re-
newed action. "Pshaw, Bill! That's
nothing" he growled. Here! We've
got more plates cast. Throw another
on, and give It . try-out. Wake up,
man! Wake up! We've got to make
It got"
jenkins and two others rushed to the
adjoining room and brought In a sec.
ond slab Of metal, and the old inven-
tor, giving himself q shake as II pull
ing back from the very vortex Of de
spaiE with trembling hands placed the
sheet OF Insulation and made. q new
connections with the plate.
Norm" he almost whispered, you
look II over and turn the current on
this time. Somehow my eyes cen 70
4 have gone back on 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
1t ~ II within her hand she held tne
clutch 81 1 friend. OncA. tney
- the metal cool. the sprays turneo
on, and then came 9 dull, srinoins,
irving sound, and . column OF Gus. t
alank Nm into the eif. and beloved out