Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-17
CHAPTER VII.


The Ambassador received his caller in
his study. From across the hall, Barbara
through the half-open door could see the
experts huge form filling an armchair
where the limpfd light of the desk-lamp
fell on his heavy, colorless face.
For some time the talk was on casual
topics and she occupied herself listlessly
with tray OF photographs on the table.
She read their titles, smiling at the ex-
traordinary intricacies of English as
she Is Tapped" by the complainant orr
entail photographer: The Picking Sea-
Ear at Enoshima; East-looking PAN
Drama of Fiji Mount: Geisha in the
Famous Dance OF Maple-Leaf
The smile left her face. Something
had been said in the farther room which
caught her attention and In moment
she found herself listening intentD.
II understand the trials. of the new
powder have been very Successful." the
Ambassador was saying rs II destined
to revolutioniEe warfare. do you Think
1T Is too 81 on to tell yet," was the
reply. Just what the result will be. 1t
will enormously increase the range OF
protectiles. ne Your Excellency may
guess. and its area OF destruction win
nearly double that OF lyddite."
You paint sorry picture" said the
Ambassador. Can human ingenuity go
much further. thenf What. in your opin-
ion, will be the lighting engine of the
future7"
The engine of the. future-Bersonin
spoke deliberately--"will be along other
lines. II will BE- an atomic one. 1t will
employ no projectile and no armor plate
will resist It. The discoverer will have
harnessed the law OF molecular vibra-
ton. AS there is positive force that
binds atoms togethers so there must be
a negative force that, under certain con-
ditious, can drive them apartw
He spoke with what seemed an extra
ordinary conviction His manner had
subtly changed For the first time his
tone had gathered something like feel
ing, and the dry. metallic voice seemed
10 Barbara to vibrate with a curious.
gloating triumph.
Granted such a FORCE" he went on.
"and a machine to generate and direct
st, and OF what value is the mos power
full battle-ship. the most stupendous
fort? Mere silly shreds of steel and
stone Why. such an engine might be
carried in. a single hand, and yet the
nation that possessed 1t could be master
OF the world!'
A dark flush had risen to his pallid
cheek and on the arm of his chair Bag
bara saw the massive fingers of one huge
hand clench and unclench with a
furtive. nervous gesture. The sight
from the touch OF something sinister and
eyilly suggestive
mo" said the ambassador vehemently.
Humanity would revolt. Such discov-
cry would be worth less than nothing:
Its use by any warning nation would call
down the execration OF civilization. and
the man who knew the secret would be
too dangerous to be at Iargem
There was dAad SfleoCe For a r,ovnanf
Bersonin sat motionless. staring straight
before him. Very slowly the color seem
ed to fade from his cheek When he
spoke again his voice had regained it's
dead level OF tonelessness
That has occurred to me-" he said "I
think Your Esxcellency is right Inven-
tion may do its work too we'll. Howev-
emo doubt we speak OF scientific i'm
possibilities; let us hope so at any rate"
Barbara pushed the photographs aside
and slipped into the next room, closing
the,door and drawing the heavy portieres
that hung over It. She had had for
moment vague, almost childish. sense
Of shrinking as IL from something mon
strous and uncanny-such sensation as
the naked diver may have. when, peer
ing through his water glass, he sees a
dim grissly shape glide, steaithily and
cold, through the Opaque depths. She was
growing absurdly fancifuI, she thought.
She did not turn on the electric light.
but threw open one of the long. French
windows.
A grand plano stood open by the win
dow and IN the dim light she sat down
and let her fingers wander idly In long
arpeggios. She could see one side OF the
Japanese garden. with glimpse
tiny dry lake and a pebbled rivulet
spahned by an arching bridge Of red
lacquer 1t seemed to her that In this
living; sentient breath or4Japan her Ia
Their was nearer to her than he had even
been before.
The thought brought to her vague
memories of her mother and of her child
hood Old airs began to mingle with the
chords, and on the shrill fairy sound
carpet. woven by the myriad insect
looms Of the garden. the bits of melo-
dy went treading softly out across the
perfume of the wistaria
CHAPTER VIII
SALLY IN OUR ALLEY"
She thought no one heard. but out by
the azalea hedge, a man was standing
listening to the hushed chords floating
through the open window Daunt thrust
his cold pipe into his pocket and listened
with, head thrown back
1t was no brilliant display of technique
that held him, for the player was touch
ing simple chords, but these were sing