Charlevoix county herald., 1909-03-06
CHAPTER xv.-continusd.

Of1AF IN Nhs-SNiihb'NsN'
ITS all right this time" the in
ventor assured him. "Wild current
and wet floor before, badly insulated
handle, too All fixed up now. Won't
be any accident this time" and so on,
making the final inspection OF his APP
paratus as ne talked Norma reviewed
her fathers work, to be certain that
all was well, and then at nod from
him took her station at the other mon
ster which had not been used hither-
TO- There was a simultaneous move
ment on their part, and, as If suddenly
endowed with q soul, the lights once
more flashed here and there, glaring
at them with sinister contempt
Franhensteins under control!
The admiral, fascinated by the mys-
terry Of science. stared at the white
haired old man who was calmly watch
ing his play of colors, and then at the
girl who with equal self-possessioc
and GOODNESS manipulated the strange
currents beneath her hands. They
were animated as by one mind, throw
ing their levers and switches to and
fro at identically the same moment
without looking at each other, and the
click of the closing currents came in
unison. Not until then did they step
back from their stations and inter
change what seemed to the admiral
mutual chances of cOngratulation.
That assistant Of mine is a Won
-,ler!" was all the old man said as he
came over, dragged stool up beside
that on which the officer sat, and giee-
fully rubbed his hands together. She
thinks more clearly than l do"
Brockton, who had been tense as a
violin string and had almost forgotten
TO breathe, drew a long breath and
looked at the girl, who had been lean
ing against the wall as though ex-
hausted, but was now watching the
slowly cooling metal. He would have
asked questions; but the inventor
turned TO him and with an air of
triumph said:
II wish you would invite all those
who were here when we made the first
test. Then you will have the explana-
ton unless | am again mistaken"
The admiral obeyed, aud even as the
cooling sprays were sitting over the
great pieces OF metal they came troop
ing in from the work which they had
resumed. There were men from the
'draughting rooms with pencils behind
their ears, engineers from the outside
with shirt sleeves rolled up and for
gotten diagrams under their arms, and
one man came from the laboratory alb
'sentmindedly carrying a test tube,
balancing il so that he might spill
knone OF the liquid which it contained.
Norma was now resting calmly against
one OF the huge dead machines.
In a tone OF unusual gravity Rob
erts addressed them. Boys" he be-
gan-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 more than
20 years of life I, who have spent the
time in strange studies a.ld stranger
work, have had no privilege so great.
You have all been kind to my daugh-
ter and to me. and | am glad you are
bclV INV. lac DduSCu lOI IL HlOHleul,
seeing with interpretive eyes all the
great events of his life. Then, recall
ing himself from this review, he turned
TO Jenkins as kindred spirit, and to
> boylsh officer who stood near at
hand
u You two" he said, indicating them
with his hand, may have the honor of
picking up those plates"
There was an instant OF GREATNESS
establishment. Jenkins was the first to
recover. and unhesitatingly walked
forward. The younger man drew
back as though he had received an
order from an insane man consigning
him To ingiorious death. The voice of
the admiral put an end to the wait.
Go ahead" he said quietly. Those
plates may weigh tons; but IL Dr. Rob
erts tells you to pick them up, you