The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-27
Copyright. .ola. ~ Harry Irving er.e~s
Vie Lash Of Circufh14aAe.!
Barbara d The Sflowsss:

Harry Irving Sreo.s0
really 50 2-.:.a4-.-ole: w Sl5v-so
very extraordinary! Is it not just
possible that you are mistaken 40 9th.
ers have been In this direction time
and again?"
II have never prophesied or believed
in the liability Of such thing
happening before. But my eyes are
good, my mind normal, my instru.
ments and mathematics accurate and
cannot doubt such evidence.
thought you might wish to know about
It, that's all. Use 1t or not as you see
ft" The voice OF the other came
quickly back, the newspaper mans
instinct now dominant.
Certainly will use 1t with all the
pleasure in the world-well. not exact
" with pleasure either. But you know
what will happen to you II ! scatter
that story world wide and 1t turns out
to be false alarm. am looking out
for you and ourselves at the same
time. 1t will mean that If things don't
materialize as you say you will be the
laughing stock of the world and thor
oughly discredited in your profession.
We have had astronomical scares be-
fore and you know how they have all
turned out-pure bugaboos. And I'd
hate to see you ridiculed. You un-
derstand my position"
Perfectly. and l will assume all re-
sponsibility for the report. 1t Is good
of you to be 30 interested in my well
fare"
mot at all. I'll have them yelling
extras on the streets from Maine to
California within an hour. What
shall l say 1t is-a baby planet, moon.
satellite-quick now, for l want to get
into action"
"Just call it . small body, appar-
emily dense and Of great velocity"
ANY idea where it halls FROM"
mot the slightest. It is something
heretofore unknown"
HAS it an orbit of its own or is it
flying off on TANGENT"
II cannot tell you. But it is COM
ing st.ccitcht Tor - straight IS a
stone falls. It will hit the western
hemisphere of North America at nine
or ten o'clock tonight"
will it destroy us?"
"1n the absence of precedent it is
impossible to state. But the earth
will probably know that 1t has been
hit"
will it be visible to US at any
time?s
From certain points If the atmos-
phere is favorable. But 1t will arrive
by dark"
What can be done? Anything!'
Nothing at all except wait, and
II you are religious pray"
The crash Of the newspaper mans
receiver at the far end OF the wire
and the blank silence which followed
told Desmond that the other had dart.
ed away for the telegraph key. and
hanging up his own instrument he
wiped his forehead and for moment
sat lost in thought over what he had
done. He had staked his jealously
guarded professional reputation upon
one of the widest impr6babilities
known to science, and come what
might, 1t was now too late to recall
his actions. Nor would he have done
so If he could, for unless he was the
victim Of some unaccountable hallu-
cination he knew that he was not
mistaken, and useless though he had
believed it to be to warn the world
against calamity wherein mankind
would be as helpless as ants, he had
yet considered it to be his duty to pos.
sess them with such facts as he had
learned. Yet now in the reaction the
colossal magnitude and unbelievable
wonder OF 1t all dazed him, and he
leaned back weakly in his chair with