The Jasper news., 1909-04-01

oratory at home, hovered here and
there round the apparatus, lightly trys
ing an adjustment or closely Inspect,
ing joint, her face grave, calm, and
self-possessed. Her father, his thin
old face drawn into scowl of con-
centration, busted himself likewise
and made the final connections. So
careful was he that he even inspected
the duplicate apparatus which stood
as a reserve at the other end of a
casting mold, but which it was not his
intention to use except in case OF
emergency. Satisfied that all was in
readiness, he beckoned to two assis-
SAINTS, who trundled In the first COM
posite plate and deposited it In its
bed He made the connection with
the electrodes in few minutes deft
work, and then Strengthened up and
looked about the room, where all was
still and expectant.
The wondering engineers saw him
wave his daughter back a short dis
tance as though fearing for her safety,
watched him take final look over his
Brilliant streaks of purple, of unknown
reds and glaring whites, raced each
other in quick succession through the
tubes, little indicators here and there
spanked out malevolently, and the ma
chine seemed to leap, strain and
throb> with life of It's own, uncanny
and mysterious because of its silence.
The group of men peered curiously at
the plate, saw it glow dull red, pass
the cherry stage tea dull pigeon
blue, and then suddenly burst into a
cleaning mass Of iridescent white.
''Fusion!" one of the engineers
whispered to a man beside him. He
has fused that plate In less time than
it 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 off to-
ward the cabins a mans voice was
raised in a song of soldiery. The
sheet of metal lost its color and be-
came dark. "Old Bill Roberts
pressed button above his head and
cooling sprays began dissipating them.
selves over the surface, sending up
brief splutterings and clouds of rapid
ly diminishing steam.
Its cool enough now to handle" he
said in an oddly constrained tone of
voice, turning to the engineers, "and
If 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. were
to revolve it in the water and demon
strate its resistance. The inventor
threw switch, and the sheet began to
move. Before him was 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 look of strained
watchfulness. Slowly the needle
point swung round as the arms gained
the maximum of speed, and then 1t
came to a standstill, while look of
doubt and perplexity crept over the
scientists face.
Norm" he called, huskily-
Norm! Was everything all right?
Is everything working true?"
She took a step behind him, and
with look no less worried than his
own stared at the dials indicating the
speed of revolution and the scale OF
resistance. "Yes, 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
| ii over"
She turned to the waiting officers
behind and looked them calmly In
| their faces, while the inventor, dazet
and uncomprehending, ran his fingers
through his shock of white hair ant
| gazed at the telltale dials as If hyp
noticed by two staring eyes.
Gentlemen" she said, "the first ex
| pertinent is a failurev"
Those among them who had beer
slightly skeptical smiled at one an
other, while those whose belief hat
been more firm looked sympathetical
ly at this slip of a girl, who faced then
all in steady defiance, her trust in he