Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-12
CHAPTER XVI.
he Professors Experiment

The Professors Experiment.
T THROUGHOUT all this excite
ment Percy barrow did alb
solutely nothing He spent all
his time, save that required for meals
and the shortest necessary sleep, in
a round-armed wooden chair In the
wireless station of the Atlas Building.
Jack Warford sat with him. Darrow
rarely opened his mouth for speech,
but smoked slowly a few cigarettes,
and rolled many more, which he held
unlighted in the corner of his mouth
until thew dropped to pieces. He
watched quietly all that went on;
glanced through such messages as
came in from Monsieur x, read the
papers, and dozed To reporters he
was affable enough in his drawing
slow fashion, but had nothing to'say.
"Eldridge is doing this he said to
them; Pm only in the position of
an interested spectator"
Eldridge had taken hold in a thor
oughly competent way. Back of the
cold precision of his undoubted sci
entific attachments lurked, unexpect-
ed by most, strong ambition and a
less admirable hankering for the
limelight. His opportunity to crafty
all these appetites-science, advance
ment and fame-was too good not to
cause him the deepest satisfaction.
81 have determined" he told the
reportrs, that this particular instru-
ment alone receives the messages
from the unknown perpetrator. Our
Investigations must be initiated,
therefore, in this apartment"
How do you explain it?" asked
one of the reporters.
II can not explain it scientifically"
admitted Eldridge, "but I can sur
mise that the fact either purposely or
accidentally has to do either with
this Instruments location or with
some slight Instruments location or
with some slight undetermined pc
culiarity of its tuning"
you could easily tell which by
moving the instrument to another
station where they aren't getting the
messages now" suggested barrow
lazily.
Certainly" snapped Eldridge, ANY
child could deduce that. But fail
to see the use or necessity for the
determination at all-unless in a
spirit of frivolous play. Our task is
not to discover where the messages
can be received, but whence thy are
sent"
He gazed frostily at the man who
had interrupted him. Darrow smiled
softly back. a
How far will your instrument
NIL 4
Simmons. ii
Its extreme is about 200 miles"
Then we can safely assume that
circle drawn with two-hundred-
mile radius would contain this man
you call Monsieur X"-the news
papers had adopted Darrow's nick
name for the Unknown-"since you
have succeeded in communicating
with him."
Marvellous" said Darrow to Jack
but under his breath.
CAS- the sending of Monsieur X is
faint, it follows that he is some
where near the periphery of this cir
Gle, or that he is possessed of 8
primitive or weak instrument. BY
the doctrine of probabilities we
should be justified in concluding
against the latter superstition"
"How's that, Professor" asked
the Morning Register man. III
doesn't get to me-"
HE is evidently a man not only
of scientific attachments, but of i'm
mense scientific possessions-as is
evidenced by these phenomenal re-
suits he is able to accomplish. But
we are not justified in reasoning &C
cording to the doctrine of probabili'
ties. Therefore, we shall proceed me
thodically. I have already made my
preparations"
Eldridge looked about him with al
air of triumph.
II am fortunate enough to have, II
the present crisis, unlimited financia
backing" he said. Therefore, / an
in a position to carry out the mos
exhaustive of experiments"
He stretched his hand out for
long roll, which he laid fat upon thu
table, pinning down the corners.
Here is a map of the Easter
States" said he. 81 have drawn
circle on it with -hundred-mil'
radius. At this moment a private in
strument with a full crew to strint
sending and receiving wires is TIVE
hundred miles from here on the New