Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-03
CHAPTER XIII.
Aow II All waa.

How Il All was.
For his share in the foregoing Per-
cy barrow was extensively blamed.
1t was universally conceded that his
action In permitting Monsieur X to
continue his activities up to the dan
ger point was inexcusable. The pub
lie mind should have been treasured
long before Much terror and physical
suffering might thus have been avoided
not to speak of financial loss. Scien-.
tific men, furthermore, went frantic
over his unwarranted destruction OF
the formulas Percy Darrow was
variously described as heartless
monster and scientific vandal. To
these aspersions he paid no attention
whatever.
Helen Warford however. became
vastly indignant and partisan, and In
consequence Percy Darrow's course In
the matter received from her its full
credit for genuine altruism. Halo
we'll, also, held persistently to this
point, as far az his editors would per-
nit him, until at last, the public mind
somewhat Gained, attention was more
focused on the means by which the
man had reached his conclusions
rather than on the use of them he had
made.
The story was told three times by it's
chief actor: once to the newspapers,
once to the capitalists from whom he
demanded the promised reward, and
once to the Warfords. This last &C
count was the more detailed and In
teresting.
It was Of late afternoon again.
The lamps were lighted, and tea was
forward. Helen was manipulating the
cups, Jack was standing ready to pass
them, Mr.. and Mrs. Warford sat IN
the background listening. and barrow
lounxed gracefully In front Of the fire.
"From the beginning!" Helen was
commanding him, land except inter
ruptions."
'Well," began barrow, ''it's little
dificult to get started. But lets be-
gin With the phenomena themselves.
rye told you before, how, when was
In iail. worked out their nature ana
the fact that they must draw their
nature and the fact that they must
power from some source tnat
could be exhausted or emptied.
You have read Eldridge's reasoning as
to why he thought Monsieur x was at
q distance and on height. He TOOK
as the basis Of his reasoning one fact
In connection with the wireless mes
sages We were receiving-that they
were faint, and therefore presumably
far, distant or sent by a weak battery
He neglected, or passed over as an
important item of tuning, the further
fact that the instrument in the Atlas
Building was the only instrumental re.
ceive Monsieur KS messages.
"Now. that fact might be explained
either on the very probable supposi-
tion that our receiving instrument
happened in what we may call it's un-
dertones to be the only one tuned to
the sending instrument OF Monsieur
X. or It might be because our instru-
ment was nearer Monsieur KS instru-
ment than any other. This was un-
likely because Of the quality OF the
sound-it sounded to the expert oper-
ator as though it came from dis
lance, Nevertheless, it was possi-
bility. Taken by itself, it was not
nearly so good q possibility as the
other. Therefore, Eldridge chose the
other.
"There were a number OF other
atrctlv scientif1c considerations OF
equal Importance. I do not hesitate 10
say that II I had been influenced only
by the scientific considerations, ,
should have followed Eldridge's lead
without the slightest hesitation. But
as I told him at the time, a man
must have Imagination and human
sympathy to get next to this sort OF
thing.
moment, what do we find in the mes.
sages to Mccarthy? First, a command
to leave within a specified and brief
neriod: second, threat in case OF
disobedience. That threat was al.
ways carried out"
barrow turned to Mrs. Warford.
"With your permission. should like
to smoke" said he. Il can follow my
thought better"
"By all means" accorded the lady.
barrow lighted his cigarette, puffed
q moment, and continued: ~,
"For instance, at three O'Clock he
threatens to send sign unless Nc
Carthy leaves town by six. Mccarthy
does not leave town. Promptly at six
the Sign comes. What do you make
Of IT."
Nobody stirred. !.
"Why," resumed barrow. "how, II
Monsieur x was a hundred miles or so
away, as Eldridge figured, did he know
that Mccarthy had not obeyed him ?
We must suppose, from the probable
fact OF that knowledge, that either
Monsieur x had an accomplice who
was keeping him informed. or he
must be near enough to get the in
formation himself
There is a third possibility" broke
lin Jack. Monsieur X might have
sent along his sign at six o'clock. any
how, just for general results"
barrow nodded his approval.
Good boy, jack said he. THAT
is Just the point could not be sure
about. But finally, at the time. you
will remember, when predicted Nc.
Carthy's disappearance, Monsieur X
made a definite threat He said," OBJ
served barrow, consulting one Of the
bundle of papers he held in his hand ::
"My patience is at an end. Your
last warning will be sent you at nine
thirty this morning. II you do not sail
/