The Washington times., 1912-04-07

| in the tower of the Metropolitan Build
| ing, New York.
CHAPTER v.
Exploration.
~AME now the evening, as they
sat and talked together. talked
long and earnestly. there with
in that ruined placs. Too eager
for some knowledge of the truth they,
to feel hunger or to think OF the
conventions Of clothing.
Chairs they had none, nor even so
much as n broom to clean the floor
with. I'ut Stern, first off, had wrench
cd a marble slab from the stairway.
And with this plank Of stone still
strong enough to serve. he had scraped
all one corner Of the office floor free Of
rubbish. An this gave them 'prellm-
mary camping place wherein to take
their bearings and discuss what must
be done.
rs the dusk grew deeper, so then,
well apparently have to make this
building our headquarters for while.
aboat ;tt What What must S have @ happened s% S Some he
sudden. deadly, numbing plague or
, cAtaclysm must have struck the earth
! long, long ago.
taneous onset Of some new and highly
fatal ro-organsnI, propagating with
such marvellous rapidity that 1t swept
work before any resistance could be
!. organized or thought OF.
Again, some poisonous gas may have
. developed, either from a fissure in the
: earth's crust or Otherwise; Other hy-
potheses are possible. but of what prac-
tical value are they now?
: nermost Office Of the Tower the high
est building in the world, you and l
have have spe6 escaRsa win ony
t animation. 5IfG Rrtoo How 10 ionsS God above
= knows! That's a query I can't even
: guess the answer TO as; yet" =,
= Pcatrice suggested thoughtfully, "it
a can't have been less than n hundred
S yea's. Great heavens ond she burst
INTO into little satirieal laugh. am l2S
:. I'd. But no matter about the time
: or.estion for the present; we can't
!, h Neither can we solve the other prob
= 'em about Europe and Asia and ali the
!. rest of the world Whether London
a city every other land. has shared this
:, a fate, we simply don't know.
stron we aobsbty S1 hay9 bst Is ,e fee'nS b%ms
q save right here in this room!
Otherwise, don't you see, men would
IL nave maze tnelr way DdCk mere again
back to New York. where all these in
ot calculable treasures seem to have per
IL ished, and"
IS He broke short off. Again. far off
they heard a faint re-echoing roar Fol
moment they both sat speeches.
al What could it be? Some distant wal
he topping down? A hungry beast scent
" Ing Its pssd p5eyd? They could not tell Blu
c. II guess" said he, guns will b.
"a about the first thing I'll look for. afte
1e food. There ought, to be good hunttn'
c. and Broadway!
You shoot. of course. No? Well, II
soon teach you. Lots of things bot
Of US have got to learn now. No EN-
i He rose from his place on the floor
IL went over 10 the window and stood 70
minute peering out into the gloom
: Then suddenly he turned.
n What's the matter with me, any
he how?" he exclaimed, with irritation
y, What right have l to be staying here
Of theorizing. when there's work to 40
ne I'm some way or other I've got
h find food clothing. tools, arms-a thou
tn sand things. And above all, water! An
here I've been speculating about tn
n past, fool that l am
n "You-you aren't going to leave me-
ty not tonight?" faltered the girl.
in Stern seemed not to have heard he
TX. SO strong the imperativeness of actio
10, lay upon him now. He began to pac
of the floor, sliding and stumbling throug
he the rubbish. singular figure IN n
NJ and beard. a figure dimly seen by I'll
In In faint light that still gloomed throus
ra the window.
rs I'm all that wreckage down below
le, said he' as though half to himself, "a
nd all that vast congeries Of ruin whiG
nd ,S once was called New York, surel
ny try enough must still remain intact for OF
ey small needs. Enough till we can reaC
uS' la nd the country. and raise Zoe
81 of our own!
1st "a Don't go now!' pleaded Beatrice. 81
nd too. stood up and nov now she t stTetc3t q
~ III can get along some way or other 4
re morning. At least, can"
ne ne NO, no, 1t isn't right! Down in II
"e shops and stores. who knows but v
But you're unarmed. And in II
streets-in the forest, rather"
rps he ia SoTmsnSsd fme fNr bestatT fsh
io or for weakness; ! know you'll star
your share of all that we must suffe
ent dare. and do together.
m Some way or other I've got to NAL
~ ~ you comfortable. I've got to loca
Dr., food and drink Immediately. Got to g
the my bearings. Why, do you think /
lis. going to let you, even for one night
80 ment, and all that sort of thing?
ase sth 'If so. you're mistaken! No, you mu
~ spare me for an hour or TWO. Inside
,taI that time ought to make beginning
''"i "A whole hour?'
or 1.-TWO would probably be nearer 1t.
ora promise to be back inside of that time
eys But" and her voice quivered Just
ege aar Se' 'Upp''e
"Oh! I'm not quite so foolhardy as
that" he retorted. I'm not going
venture outside till tomorrow. Ny Id
is that can find at least a few esse
oo tials right here in this building.
JlI ITS a city in itself-or was. Offic
stores, shops, everything right here
the gether In lump! II cant possibly Ia
ny out something for your comfort.
an NOV that the first snock and surpr