The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-06-22
dsSvassl ". . 8. $500 49, fss..s'
CONTINUED from last Issue

The early hours OF the morning
were upon them as they dispersed. but
Norma, resting back in the corner Of
the cab which conveyed her home
ward, did not share the citation Of her
father, who was already building work
shops, conducting new experiments
and equipping a navy. Yesterday she
had looked forward TO confiding the
story OF their great success to Guy
Hitler; for in the preceding month.
when she and her father had been
trembling on the very edge OF a great
discovery In unknown fields, she had
given no intimation of their work or
their prospects. planning this surprise.
and now, by the rigid embargo Of ST.
lence thrust slpon her. her dream was
dissipated. 10 her the production OF
the radioactive metal had meant a
goal; but now that 1t was reached and
she was anxious to satisfy a heart
hunger. she, had been given another
task, and was to undergo more silence
and repression and another siege Of
work In world of figures. OF test
tubes and retorts, q slave to the lamp
Of science and her fathers success.
Not even the knowledge that she was
sacrificing herself on the altar Of duty
to country, whose protection and well
fare were burdens that she must
share. palliated the bitterness Of hold
ing love aloof And in this light the
triumphs OF invention seemed hollow
and the night filled with dreariness.
There were no more regular meet
ings OF those who conspired for the
national good; but II was q season OF
terrific activity. and February was yet
young when there sailed away from
New York harbor one night a gunboat,
a collier and a small transport, whose
destinations were unknown, and which
slipped their moorings In silence and
passed down the bay with scarcely .
sound to announce their departure. 3
On board the gunboat were men &C.
customed to unquestioning obedience,
and on the transport was little army
Of skilled mechanics and engineers
who had been called from their usual
occupation by imperative orders and
requested to tell none but their fami-
lies that they might be absent for sew
eral months. There was not q man
aboard any Of the craft who had not
taken a pledge of absolute secrecy.
The collier. black and massive, was
loaded almost beyond her carrying ca
pacity, and even on her decks were
piled lumber and great sheets of cor.
rugated iron. bearing evidence OF full
holds below. And all this cargo had
the history OF rushed work behind II.
Strange pieces Of machinery. sections
of engines. powerful dynamos. and I'M
heard Of apparatus were slowed away
with cases OF chemicals, and the mines
OF the north, the west and the south
had contributed crude metals or par
tally smelted ores to the assortment.
Driven by expert minds and masters
OF executive work. an army OF men in
different walks OF life had given their
ingenuity and effort toward something
of which they knew not. and then the
result OF their labors had poured out
upon a wharf, been swallowed up by
the cavernous holds OF a collier. and
were now being carried out into the
broad reaches OF the Atlantic, with
destination unknown.
A general order had been Issued
and made public. that. inasmuch as
the poaching OF Cuban fishermen on
American grounds round lower Flor.
ida and the keys demanded attention,
the gunboat Penobscot had been de-
tailed TO patrol those waters In the
United States this attracted no atten.
ton: but the swarthy fishermen Of
the tropics took warning and no longer
steered their smacks TO the forbidden
waters. struggling their shoulders In
impotent wrath.
Rumor had II that the transport
was carrying mechanics and laborers
to the Philippines. where a new dry
dock was to be constructed. and the
collier was generally supposed by
men Of the waterfront to be laden with
materials for this work. And SO. de-
spite the momentous significance OF the
sailing of these three ships. the world
remained In ignorance, paid little
heed. or forgot
Those voyagers who we're In the
secret looked forward with eagerness
to the task before them, realizing to
the full that on them depended much.
And OF these was Norma, who leaned
over the stern rail OF the Penobscot
as II dropped down the harbor,
watched the lights of the city grow
dim in the distance. saw the great,
silent statue OF liberty rear itself
against the sky. and felt the FIRST free
swell lift and sway the deck beneath
her feet. Her departure had not been
pleasant.
There on the land behind was the
man whom she seemed doomed for
ever to hold at arms length. She had
parted from him with the announce
ment that her father was compelled to
go south for time, and had insisted
on her accompanying him. For how
long? All. that could be but conjec.
ture; perhaps for two or three months.
Was he III? No, not exactly; but he
was going away and needed her. Yes,
she would write occasionally from MI
ami, Fla: but not often, because her
n l. nd