The Washington herald., 1913-06-08
CHAPTER XII.
The Unknown.


The UnkRowh.
1t will now become necessary t.
glance in passing at the personal char
acteristics of Prof Eldridge. This maj
was in about his fortieth year, tall
spare. keenly intellectual in counte
nance, cold, possessed Of an absolute
reliance on the powers of science, be
yond which his mental processes dit
not stray His manner was distin
guished by a stiff unbending formality
his expression BY glacial GOODNESS o.
steel-gray eyes and straight-lin'
compression of thin lips; his dress b,
a precise and unvarying Journalism. anc
his speech by a curious polysyllabi'
stiffness.
This latter idiosyncrasy would, II
another, have seemed either priggisi
or facetiously intended With Prof
Eldridge it was merely natural meth
cd OF speech. Thus, arriving once a
the stroke of the dinner hour. he re
piled to compliments to his punctuality
by remarking:
Il have always considered punctual.
ity virtue when one is invited to par,
take of gratuitous nourishment"
Withal. his scientific attainment!
were not only undoubted, but so con
siderable as to have won for hin
against many odds the reputation o.
great scientist. His speciality, if such
it might be called, was scientific dag.
nosis. The exactness of scientific laws
was so admirably duplicated by the ex.
Attitudes of his mind that he seemed
able, by a bloodless and mechanical
sympathy, to penetrate to the most OBJ
scure causes of the strangest events
1t might be added that practically his
only social ties were those with the
Warfords, and that the only woman
with whom he ever entered into con-
.versation was Helen.
At sight of him Percy Darrow's
lounging gait became accentuated &c
exaggeration.
Hello, Profr' he drawled. "On the
job, | see. Good morning, Doctor he
greeted Knox. What do you make
of it,"
Il make of it that the Atlas Build
ing will shortly be without tenants,
replied the doctor; me, for one"
Eldridge surveyed barrow colby
through the glittering toric lenses OF
his glasses.
The cause Of these extraordinary
phenomena is self-evident," he stated.
You mean their nature, not their
cause" replied Darrow. In nature,
they refer back to the interference with
etheric and molecular vibrations. That.
he added, is a fact that every boy in
the grammer school physics class has
figured out for himself. The cause is
a different matter"
Il stand corrected" said Eldridge.
Such lapses in accuracy of statement
are not usual with me, but may be
considered as concomitant with I'M
usual circumstances"
"Right-or' agreed barrow cheer
fully. We'll, what about the causes ?"
That l will determine when l am
satisfied that all the elements of the
problem are in my hands"
"Right-oH repeated Darrow. well,
I'll bet you a new hat I'll land the
cause before you do. Be a sportp
81 never indulge in wagers," replied
Eldridge.
Well" said barrow to Jack and
come onp'
Without waiting to see If he was
followed, the young man again plunged
into the black and clinging darkness.
Get hold of my coat his voice
came to the others. We're going to
climb"
Accordingly they climbed, in silence,
up many flights of stairs, through the
GLOWING darkness. At last Darrow
halted, turned sharp to the left, FUN
bled for a door, and entered a room.
Simmons he said
"Herep came a voice.
Il thought you'd be on the job
said barrow, with satisfaction.
How's your Instrument Going, Ell?
We are in the wireless Offices" he told
the others sit down, if you can find
chairs. Wen wal. until the sun is
shining brightly, love, before we really
try to get down to business. In the
an the meantime" repeated both
Jack and Halloweli. in breath. GO
On, my son." conceded the latter. Il
bet we have the same idea
well, was going to say that I'm
not in the grammer-school physics
lass, and / want to know what you
meant by your remark to Eldridge,"
'aid Jack.
That's my trouble" said Hallowell.
ITS simple enough" began Darrow.
we have had, first, failure of all
electricity; second, a failure of all
sound; third, a failure of all light.
The logical mind would therefore ex-
anime these things to see what they
nave in common. The answer simply
jumps at you: Vibration. Electricity
md light are vibrations in ether sound
S vibration in air or some solid.
Therefore, whatever could absolutely
stop vibration would necessarily stop
electricity, light, and sound"
But" objected Jack, "if vibration
we're absolutely stopped, why wouldn't
hey all three be blotted out at once?"
Because, explained barrow, "the
vibrations making these three phe-
lomena are different in character.
Sound is made by horizontal waves,
Tor example, while electricity and
light are made by transverse waves.
Furthermore, the waves producing
electricity and light differ in length
Now. it is conceivable that condition
which would interfere with horizon
al waves would not interfere with
transverse waves; or that a condition
which would absolutely deaden waves
wo hundred and seventy ten-millionths
If an inch long would have absolutely
10 effect on those. one hundred and
ifty-hye ten-millionths of an inch long.
Am | clear"