Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-10-01

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1t just skins 1t but with q distance
the thickness Ola piece Of paper be.
tween them. You will readily under
stand that for an instant there is con-
siderable air commotion on small
scale in that fraction OF a second and
fraction of an inch when the balls are
SO close together-first a rush OF wind
as the small ball approaches and
forces the air ahead OF it, next COM
preston Of air at the closest point be-
tween them, and third the suction
which all rapidly moving bodies Gre
ate behind them and which Is partial
vacuum. This is illustrated by the,
fact that a cannon ball may snatch
ones breath away without hitting him.
It was so with US but upon much
vaster SCALE. First we had our violent
winds, then the compression when the
visiting body was hurting directly over
our heads, and lastly the vacuum as 1t
rushed away dragging the air after It.
The gale which followed that was
caused by the air rushing back to
place in the restoration of normal at
mospheric equilibrium. As soon as
that twas restored the wind ceased.
"And the awful roar? ,. I'd
1T could hardly be expected that
the passage Of a large body through
space at an inconceivable velocity
would be attended by absolute silence
when 1t comes In close contact with
another body. You know the sound
that bullet makes In passing through.
the air. Very we'll. Now that bullet
might not make sound that the hui
man ear could hear In passing through
anything as intangible as space, but
you must remember that this body Of
which we speak is hundreds of miles
In diameter and that whilst modern
bullet travels with q velocity OF only
two thousand miles an hour, this small
world may well be going two hundred
thousand miles an hour-one hundred
times as fast. Therefore no matter
how thin the ether Of space may be-
we might well expect sound to accom-
pany an object OF that size travelling
ut that enormous speed"
VI .'You spoke, professor, of the Wis
itor's having an atmosphere Would it
be possible in the event such is the
case that it is Inhabited by human
beings q *.
II would scarcely think so. In the
first place its size would hardly seem
to justify such thing, yet were its
other conditions favorable its area is
sufficient to support a population Of
several millions, that is judging its
conditions to be similar to those upon
favored. places on this earth. But 1t
may be safely assumed that II 1t does
possess human population-and by
human mean reasoning and speaking
creatures, they would In all probability
be vastly different from US physically,
and therefore in the nature of things.
mentally. But as, to, what these differ.
'ences might consist OF no one can have
any conception" He started as
though surprised. leaned forward
and rubbed his finger across Alan's
bosom. A black streak instantly APP
peared in the wake Of the finger.
Were you not dressed IN black when
you arrived here this EVENING"" he de-
manded crisply. And you. too. doctor
and you?" h
They looked at each other in won
derment. From head to foot they
were gray, as gray as had ashes been
filtered over them through sieve,
while by the glow OF the lanterns and
brighter electric lights the ground
seemed to be carpeted with sooty
snow. In their absorbed listening they
had not noticed the phenomenon. but
now as they lifted their faces upward
they were conscious Of the falling OF a
soft, impalpab1e substance. fine As
-four, sinking al gently as thistle
down. Desmond brushed a spoonful Of
1t into his palm, scanned 1t, rubbed 1t
between his fingers, smelled of it. even
tasted 1t. then shook his head.
Undoubtedly organic dust brushed
from the visitor by atmospheric frio-
tion," he muttered5 He suddenly bent
over with another sharp exclamation
OF surprise. Hello! What's this r.,
A small twig had come twirling
IOOWu " ul0 ASSk nuO A6 pAChSV ~ ny
and turned it over slowly as they
crowded around him. ANY OF you
ever seen anything like this ?" he de-
handed at length as he passed it from
hand to hand. Critically they scanned
1t. The twig was about the length
and size OF a lead pencil and at its end
was leaf black as jet perfectly round
and about the size OF silver dollar.
Upon the leaf and extending from rim
to rim was stamped in glittering white
strange caballstic design. Doris
leaning forward for better view
gasped sharply and clutched at the or
nament below her throat. Removing
it with quick motion she laid 1t be-
side the leaf, while from all sides
arose expressions OF amazement. For
In size, in color, In design, in all re-
spects Save that her trinket was OF
jade and diamonds whilst the leaf was
all vegetable they were identical.
"A most marvellous coincidence"
muttered Desmond dreamily, his eyes
half closed. "Inexplicable. The plot
is thickening fast, Dust falls. Vegeta-
ton descends. What II after all-my
God, what's that?" rs.
He turned his face quickly upward.
every eye following. every ear alert.
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