The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-03-31
CHAPTER xIv.-Continued.


The secretary of the navy, obeying a
suggestion from the chair. read of
long list of figures. explaining them as
he went and concluding with an unqual-
flied Endorsement of the plan. So in
fectious was his blunt enthusiasm and
confidence. thai those who at first had
hesitated at the irregularity of the
procedure found themselves won over
and bound with complete unanimity
into coterie which was TO assume
responsibility for a war. And thus
WAS the issue accepted.
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 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 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 upon her. her dream was
dissipated. To her the production of
the radioactive metal had meant a
goal: but now that it was reached and
she was anxious to satisfy heart
hunger, she had been given another
task. and was to undergo more silence
and repression and another siege Of
work i'm a world of figures. of test
tubes and retOrts. q slave to the lamp
nf science and her fathers success.
Not even the knowledge that she was
sacrificing herself on the altar of duty
10 country. whose protection and wei
fare were buGens 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 filed with dreariness.
There were no more regular meet
inss of those who cOnspired for the
national good: but it was season OF
terrific activity. and February was vet
young when there sailed away from
New York harbOr one night 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 a
sound to announce their departure.
On board the sunboat were men &C
custOmed to unGuestiOning 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 10 tell none but their fami-
lies that they might be absent for sew
eral months. There was not 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
fhe history of rushed work behind it.
Strange pieces of machinery, sections
heard Of apparatus We're slowed away
with cases of chemicals. and the mines
of the north, the west and the south
had contributed crude metals OF par
tally smeltsd ores TO the assortment
Driven by expert minds and masters
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 it ttat the transport
vas carving mechanics and laborers