The Elbert County tribune., 1914-05-22

time no sound broke the deathly still
ness. Then Percy Darrow spoke, in
his natural voice
We'll. Jack" he remarked, 1T work
ed out, to a second. almost Now I'm
certain"
AS though this breaking - the ST.
lence bad released a force hitherto
held In repression. the room filed with
tumult and clamor. with crashing.
banging and scurrying of heavy bodies.
A final concussion shook the ar. and
then, again abruptly, silence fell.
"Sayl" Hallowell's voice spoke up. a
trife uncertainty. "Ill stand for most
any kind of dark seance, but this
particular spook business is getting on
my nerves. Are you there. Darrow?"
Yes. I'm here" answered the
scientist
We'll. can you explain that phe-
nomenon7"
That" drawled Darrow. a slight
note of laughter in his voice, was
that extraordinary upheaval Of natur-
al forces known as Brother Mccarthy
Jack chuckled.
He hit me on the way out" re-
marked that young man. "I'll testify
he was solid spook."
The reporter was methodicaily strik-
ing match after match, but without re-
suit. After a momen. the acrid smell
of burning woolen rose in the air.
Are you dropping those matches!" 2"
asked Darrow.
Sure; they're no good"
We'll. they're good enough to burn
holes in McCarthy's rugs. Stamp
around little to put them out; and
quit it."
What next; and how long?" asked
Jack. What is 1t? Have we gone
blind. or Is II total eclipse, or what?"
Il don't know how long" came back
Darrow's voice calmly. Next we will
get out of the building. l want to make
some observations. Get hold OF my
hand; we'll have to grope our way
out"
IF we could only get light" NUT
tered Hallowell
You can't stated Darrow.
They felt their way down the ten
flights OF stairs like blind men. A few
inmates of the building they jostled.
or passed. or picked up on the way.
In the lower corridors Darrow halt
ed them.
Here's another thing" said he: IF
I'm right, we should run out of this
just eleven feet beyond the last ele
vator cage"
He felt his way along the grill. made
four PAGES forward. and uttered a lit
tie cry Of satisfaction. The two men
followed him blindly. As though step
ping from one room to another they
emerged into glaring daylight
Both involuntariIy looked back. The
darkness hung there like a curtain.
just inside the outer walls OF the build
ing Already a crowd had gathered to
observe this new and strange phe-
nomenon of the now celebrated Atlas
Building 1t was curious and a IA
cetious crowd, but not awestricken. as
1t had been at the first Manifestations
of this freakish upset of natural forccs
A man observing the fight of an
aeroplane for the first tim~s loses his
sense OF strangeness inside Of . few
minutes; and yet flying has been since
the days OF Icarus considered one of
the impossible achievements So the
general public of Manhattan were be-
coming accustomed to reversals of
form I'm the affairs of the physical
world The frivolous majority, having
discovered nothing to be apprehendedi
from the phenomena save few hours
helplessness Of a sort. and much to be
gained through the SAVIOR of novelty,
were inclined to an amused or ir-
ritated attitude, depending on the ex-
tent to which its occupations were In
terfered with. The minority took to
religious meetings and interpretations.
Darrow's exit, and that of his com.
panions, were greeted uproar.ously.
"'Please go way an let me sleep!'"
sang one, ut the blinking men.
Here's another!" shrilled a gamin.
"Get up! The porter wants to make
up your BERTH"
Several OF the crowd. pending the
usual arrival Of the police to clear the
corridor, had ventured through the
wide portals. and were experimenting
with this strange palpable quality of
darkness. One or two popped inside
the curtain. but emerged quickly, look
ing little scared.
A bright youth made the discovery
that If one lighted a match and step
ped within the blackness. the match
was Immediately extinguished, but
that upon emerging into daylight the
flame came up again. Some one hap
pened along with plumbers gasoline
torch. Immediately this was lighted
and the experiment repeated The
bearer Of the torch. astonished at the
instant extinguishment of the flame,
felt with his hand to see what could
be the matter Instantly he uttered q