Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-04-13
"What in time % gasped Smithsc

/ shook my head, thrust the envel-
ope into my pocket, and rose to my
feet. l stretched out my hand for
my hat.
81 think l had better be going" l
observed.
"And for Heavens sake get the an
swer in quick!" begged Smithson.
"We1l beat the town tonight. I'll
have everything ready but the head
and tall
l nodded and opened the door.
Outside fairly ran through the To-
cal room, plunged at the stairs and
out to my waiting cab. It's little
clock had been eating up money all
afternoon, but l knew now that no.
body around the Record was going to
kick when the bill came in.
"Urania, quick" / called to my
driver and yanked open the door.
We were off. The last lap of my
chase lay before me. was going
back to Dual.
AT the Urania l gave the chauffeur
an order on the office and sent him
away.
Then | turned into the great en-
trance and back to the cages, and
presently l was walking from the
shaft to the great stairs that led up
up to the abode of Dual.
came out on the roof and paused
moment, arrested by the awful
beauty of the scene.
The great tower rose in its white
purity of outline against the darkened
west. Back of it the clouds of the
piling in mighty masses, from which
came now and then the growl of the
thunder.
Yet where l stood all was calm
even quiet with the strange hush
which precedes the storm. The
flowers and shrubs stood straight and
silent in the gathering gloom.
But there was something in the air,
tense electric something which
seemed to speak of coming terror, of
a horror of earth and air, which
| created vague mental discomfort,
dread of what would happen when
the fury of the elements was let loose.
Those piling clouds seemed to me
almost like the cohorts of vengeance
gathering to overwhelm the guilty
And l was come to the place where
justice was to be done, and that ven-
genance struck.
Minute by minute as the wheel
turned the setting for the grim end
ing was evolved. Yonder was no
longer the tower of modern sky
scrapper, but an ancient temple of
justice, in which was to behold the
sword of that justice fall.
| crossed the annunciator- plate and
the bells came thrilling across the
dusk.
passed up the path and as near
ed the little dial glanced again at its
circle. The sharp-pointed spear of
steel with which Dual had replaced its
former mark no longer cast it's shad-
ow across the carven surface.
1t stood like metal finger, point
ing to the darkening sky.
The door of the tower stood ajar
and | entered. The reception-room of
deserted and l went on to the door of
| the inner room. AS | neared it, it
opened and Semi Dual himself waved
me into the room.
glanced at him in surprise. He
had cast off the suit he had been wear
ing in the morning and now appeared
clad from neck to ankles in a long,
loose gown of twany linen, with short
sleeves ending at the elbows, below
which his strong, sinewy arms We're
bare.
He looked like some savant of the
Continent at work in his laboratory OF
clinic, and as let my gaze sweep be-
yond him my surprise grew apace.
The room itself carried out the ap-
pearance of Dual.
1t had been completely changed
since | left it at noon. Now it might
well have passed for the work-room
of some wealthy dabbler in the ma
terial sciences.
In one end, with its back to the
windows, stood huge camera, its
bulls eye trained upon the room, a
large black drape hanging to it's tri.
pod. Beside it on a table was a
fiash-light apparatus and an extra
holder.
The great desk had been cleared OF
books and papers, and it's top covered
with slab of thick glass, upon which
was arranged series of bottles of re-
agents, test tubes in racks, graduated
pipettes and droppers, an alchol lamp