Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-08-06


clinging to her uncle.
What are they going to do to you
these people," she sobbed. They
sha'n't hurt you They sha'n't!"
Lenora passed her arm around the
girl.
"Of course not. dear" she said
soothingly, Your uncle has come OF
his own free will to answer few
questions, only think it would be
better II you would let me-
Lenora never finished her sentence
They had reached the entrance now to
the library The professor was stand
ing In the doorway with extended
hand, motioning them to take their
places at the table. Then, with no
form OF warning, the room seemed
suddenly filled with blaze of blue
light. 1t came at first in thin flash
from the window to the table, became
Immediately multiplied thousand
times, played round the table in
sparks, which suddenly expanded to
sheets of leaping, curling flame. The
roar of thunder shook the very fOun
dations of the house-and then silence
For several seconds not one of them
seemed to have the power of speech
An amazing thing had happened. The
oak table in the middle of the room
was a charrad fragment, the chairs
were every one blackened remnants.
"A thunderbolt!" French gasped at
last
Quest was the first to cross the
room From the table to the outside
window was one charred, black line
which had burnt its way through the
carpet He threw open the window.
The wire whose course he had fol-
lowed ended here with little lump
Of queer substance. He broke it of
from the end of the wire, which was
absolutely brittle and natureless, and
brought 1t into the room.
What is 1t 2" Lenora faltered
Say what have you got there?'
French echoed
Quest examined the strengthening
lump of metal steadily The most Gu
rious thing about IL seemed to be than
it was absolutely sound and showed
no signs of damage He turned to the
professor
II think You are the only one who
will be able TO appreciate this, profes
sor," he remarked Look" 1t is
fragment OF opotan-a distinct and
wonderful specimen of opotan"
Everyone looked puzzled
hut what Lenora inquired, "is |
opotan?"
1T is a new metal Quest explained
grayely towards which scientists
have been directing great deal of al .
tentlon lately 1t has the power of col
lectlng all the electricity from the I
air around us There are a dozen
people, at the present moment con
Quoting experiments with ii for the .
purpose of cheapening electric lights
If We had been In the room ten sec
Onds sooner"
lie paused significantly. Then he
swung round on his heel Craig, a
now pititul object, his hands nervous,
ly tNltching, his face CHASTITY, was
covering in the background.
Your last little effort, CRAIG" he
demanded, sternly
craig made no reply. The profes
scr, who had disappeared for a mo,
ment, came back to them.
There is a smaller room across the
hall, he said, which will do for our
purpose
Craig suddenly turned and faced
them
Il have changed my mind " he said
Il have nothing to tell you Do what
yon will with me. Take me to the
Tombs, deal with me any way you
choose, but ! have nothing to say"
Quest pointed a threatening finger
At him
Your last voluntary word, perhaps"
he said, but science is still your mas.
er, Craig Science has brought many
criminals to their doom 1t shall take
Is turn with you Bring him along,
French, to my study. There is way
If dealing with him
Quest felt his forehead and found II
lamp There were dark rims under
lis eyes Before him was Craig, with
1 little band around his forehead and
he mirror where they could all see it
The professor stood a little In the
background. Laura and French we're
jide by side, gazing with distended
yves at the blank mirror, and Lenora
vas doing her hest to soothe the ter.
ified girl Twice Quests teeth came
ogether and once he almost reeled
It's the fight of his life" he nut,
cred at last hut I've got him.
Almost as he spoke they could see
rags resistance begin to weaken.
The tenseness of his form relaxed,
Quests will was triumphing Slow
y In the mirror they saw a little pic.
ure creeping from the outline into
efnlte form, a picture of the profes,
ors library. Craig himself was there
With mortar and trowel, and black
Iox In his hand.
Its coming!" Lenora moaned,
Quest stood perfectly tense. The
icture suddenly flashed into brilliant