The Washington times., 1912-04-16

way back to the engtne-room.
| 1t was a strangely critical
moment when he seized the corroded
throttle wheel to start the dynamo.
The wheel stuck, and would not
bulge.
Stern. with a curse Of sheer exae-
peration. snatched up his long span
ner. showed 1t through the spokes
ana wrenched.
Groantng. the wheel gave way. 1t
| turned. The engineer hauled again.
go ont" shouted the man. start!
Movew
bellious against this awakening after
its age-long sleep, the engine creaked
into motion.
In spite Of all Stern's oiling, every
journal and bearing squealed in an
guish. A. rickety-tremble possessed
the engine as 1t gained speed. The
dynamo began to hum with wild.
strange protests of racked metal. The
ancient drive" of tarred hemp strain
| ed and quivered, but held.
And like the one-hoss shay about
to collapse, the whole fabric Of the
resuscitated plant, leaking at a score
of joints, creaking, whistling, shak-
Ing, voicing hundred agonized me-
|
absurd and shocking imitation of it's
one-tpe beauty and power.
At sight Of this ghastly resurrec-
been se 9nsaseT IN svs wsgs % e
ice, of machinery felt a strange and
He sat down, exhausted. on the
Yet, all covered with sweat and dirt
and rust as he was this moment of
triumph was one of the sweetest he
had ever known.
He realized that this was now no
time for inaction. Much yet remained
set to work.
First he made sure the dynamo wa.
running with no serious defect and tina,
his wiring had been made properly
Then he heaped the furnace full OF Goa
and closed the door. leaving only
enough draft to insure a fairly STEADY
heat for an hour or so.
This done. he toiled back to where
Beatrice was eagerly awaiting him ir
the little wireless station on the roof
Ing for breath. wild-eyed, his coal black
ened arms stretching out from the
whiteness of the bear skin. he made a
singular picture.
currentsits good for a While, anyhow
Eow-now for the test!''
For moment he leaned heavily
against the concrete bench to which
/,
the day had drawn close to its end
The glow of eveping had begun to fad'
q trifie, along the distant skyline; anC
beyond the palisades dull purple pal
BY the dim light that filtered through
the doorway. Beatrice looked at hi
deep-lined. bearded face. now reekin,
with sweat and grimed with dust ant
!, For through that mask she read tn
: ! dominance, the driving force, the cour
age Of this versatile, unconquerabl
. man.
, a strange accent in his voice, "wel
then. here goes for the operator in tn
Eiffel Tower, eh?"
g Again he glanced keenly. in the fail
ing light. at the apparatus there oefor
"she'n do. guess" judged he, slip
ping on the rusted head-receiver. H
laid his hand upon the key and tried
few tentative dots and dashes.
Breathless, the girl watched, DARN
no longer to question him. In the III
electrice. the green sparks and squirt
q Of living fame began to crackle and t
o hiss like living spirits of an unknow
: power.
!, Stern. feeling again iarnessed to hi
: touch the .life-force Of the world tha
+. once had been. exulted with wild emo
tion. Yet, science-worshiper that h
n was, something OF reverent awe tinge
: the keen triumph. A strange CLEAR
r dwelt within his eyes: and through nj
h lips the breath came quick as he fun
= his very being into this supreme eS
. | pertinent.
He reached for the ondometer. Care
| fully, slowly, he tuned up the wave
= lengths: up, up to 5000 feet, then bac
Q again: he ran the whole gamut Of tn
e wireless scale.
u Out. ever out into the thickenin
e gloom, across the void and vacancy q
: the dead world, he flung the lightning
= ! in a wild appeal. His face grew har
u and eager.
y Anything? Any answen?'' aske
y Beatrice, laying a hand upon his shou
: der-a hand that trembled.
He shook his head in negaton. Agai
he turned the roaring current on; agai
he hurled out into ether his cry &
warning and distress, of hope, of inv
; tation-the last lone call OF man
? man-of the last New Yorker to an
other human being who, by the meres
z chance, might possibly hear him in tn
s wreck of other cities, other lands. IS
:. Q. ST. cracked the green flame, "E
= o. S. s. o. So
Thus came night, fully. as they wall
ed, as they called and listened: as, tC
= | gether there in that tiny structure o
a | the roof of the tremendous ruin, the
n swept the heavens and the earth wit
= | their wild call-ln vain,
Half an hour passed, and still the er
gineer, grim as death, whirled tn
chained lightnings out and away.