The Glenwood post., 1913-12-27
CHAPTER XIII.
NoSs IL Al Waa.

Now Il Al Wse.
For his share in the foregoing Percy
Darrow was extensively blamed. 1t
was universally conceded that his &C
ton in permitting Monsieur X to con-
tinue his activities up to the danger
point was inexcusable. The public
mind should have been reassured long
before. Much terror and physical suf-
fering might thus have been avoided
not to speak of financial loss. Scien-
titic men, furthermore, went frantic
over his unwarranted destruction of
the formulas. Percy Darrow was va
rionsly described as a heartless mon
ster and scientific vandal. To these
aspersions he paid no attention what
ever.
| 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 a genuine altruism. Hal
lowell. also, held persistently to this
point. as far as his editors would per-
nit him. until at last. the public mind
was somewhat calmed, 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
its chief actor: once to the newspa-
pers, once to the capitalists from whom
he demanded the promised reward.
and once to the Warfords. This last
account was the more detailed and
interesting.
1t 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 Dasrow
iounsed gracefully in front Of the are.
From the besinning!" Helen was
commanding him, "and expect inter
ruptions."
Well" began Darrow. Its . little
dihicult to get started. But let's b.
/ gin with the phenomena themselves.
I've told you before. how, when was
: In jail, l worked out their nature and
the fact that they must draw their
pO"Si iiom oOLue SouTCt ludt COulu Uc
exhausted or emptfed. You have read
Eldridge's reasoning as to why he
thought Monsieur X was at distance
and on a height. He took as the
basis Of his reasoning one fact in con-
nection with the wireless messages
We were receiving-that they were
faint. and therefore presumably far
distant or sent by . weak battery He
neglected. or passed over as an i'm
portant item Of tuning. the further
fact that the instrument in the Atlas
Building was the only instrument to
receive Monsieur Ks messages.
Nov. that fact might Be explained
either on the very probable supposi-
don that our receiving instrument
, happened In what we may call it, an.
| dertones to be the only one tuned to
the sending instrument Of Monsieur
x: or 1t 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 op-
orator as though 1t came from a dis
lance. Nevertheless, it was a possi-
bility. Taken by itself, 1t was not
nearly so good a possibility as the
other. Therefore, Eldridge chose the
/ other.
There were number OF other
/ strictly scientific considerations of
| equal Importance. / do not hesitate to
say that if had been Influenced only
by the scientific considerations, l
should have followed Eldridge's lead
| without the slightest hesitation. But
as told him at the time, q man must
have Imagination and human sympa-
| thy to get next to this sort of thing.
Leaving all, science aside for the
! moment, what do we find in the mes
sages to Mccarthy? First, a command
1 to leave within a specified and brief
/ period; second. threat in case of
disobedience. That threat was always
carried OUT
Darrow turned to Mrs. Warford.
With your permission, l should like
9. to smoke" said he. Il can follow my
I thought better
by all means" accorded the lady.
Darrow lighted his cigarette, pufted
moment, and continued:
For instance, at three o'clock he
threatens to send a sign unless Nc
Carthy leaves town by six. Mccarthy
does not leave town. Promptly at six
the sign comes. What do yoa make
! Of it,"
Nobody stirred.
-Why." resumed Darsew, '1ov. n
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