Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-14
BEYOND THE GREAT OBLIVION
BY GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND
Copyright 1915. by Frank 4. Munsey Corpupy
(sequel to "The Vacant world')


astronomical data The results OF his COM
putatIons were OF vital interest TO him.
He said to Beatrice one evening;
DO you know, that wandering black
patch in the sky moves in "A regular orbit
of It's OWN It's a solid body. dark, irregular
In outline and certainly not over fve hum
drcd miles above the surface OF the earth"
What can II be- dcar2'
II don't know yet II puzzles mo tre-
mendousIy Now. II 1t would only appear
In the daytime once I'm while, we might
be able 10 get some information or knowl-
edge about II but, coming only at night.
all II records Itself ns ls just q black, NOV
ing thing. I'm working on the size OF II
now making some careful studies. In a
while shall probably know It's area and
mass and density. But what 1t Is cannot
say--not yet
They both pondered while, absorbed In
wonder. At last the engineer spoke again.
Beta" said he, there's another curious
fact 10 note, The axis OF the earth itself
has shifted moro than six degrees thirty
mlnutesr'
ut has? welI-what about lt7' And
she went on with her plating OF reed cord.
age.
"You don't seem much concerned abou,
II"
I'm not Not In the least It can shift
all II wants to. for oil Of me. What hurt
does 1t do2 Doesn't 1t run just ms well
lhat way
Stern looked at her moment, then
laughed
"oh, yes: It runs all right" he answered
"only | thought the announcement that
the pole star had thrown up it's Job might
startle you bit, Hut | see It doesn't. So
far IA practical results go. IL accounts for
the warmer climate and the decreased In
clination TO the plane OF the ecliptIc; or,
rather, the decreased"
There's nothing really wrong. Is there%'
We'll. that depends on how you define
H. Probably an astronomer might think
there was something very much wrong.
make IL that the orbit Of the earth has
altered It's relative length and width by"
mo figures, Allan. there's n dear. You
know I'm awfully bad at arithmetic, Tell
me what II means won't your"
We'll. II means, for one thing, that we've
maybe spent "A far longer time on this earth
since the cataciysm than we even dare
suspect II may be that what we've been
calculating as about n thousand years Is
twice that. or even five times that-no
telling, For another thing, I'm convinced
by all these changes, and by the diminutiOn
OF gravity and by the accelerated rate OF
revolution OF the earth"
ALLAN dear, please hand me those scls-
sOrs. won't your
Stern laughed again.
mere bhtu ne II guess m not mucn
good as n lecturer. But TIL tell you one
thing I'm going TO do, and that's one
best bet. I'm going TO have a try at some
really big telescope before years out.
and know the truth OF this thingl'
"a big telescope Build one, you meanF'
"Not necessarily. All / need is a chance
TO make some accurate observations. and
l can md out all need 10 know. Even
though ! have been out OF college for
let's SEE"
Fifteen hundred years. at a guess" she
suggested
''Yss. all OF that Even so, l remember
a good bit OF astronomy. And I've got my
mind set on pseking through a hrst-class
tube. n tha earth has broken In two, or
anything Ike that and our part is sky
shooting away toward the unknown regions
OF outer space beyond the great ring OF
the Milky Way and is getting into an un-
chartered place In the uniyerse--as II seems
TO be-why We ought 10 have a good look
az things. We ought TO know what's what,
sh9
Then there's the moon I want to In
vestigate, too. No living man except my
self has ever seen the side that's now turned
toward the earth. No telling what good
glass mightn't show"
That's so. dear" she answered. But
where can you find the sort Of telescope
you needT"
IN Boston--in Cambridge, rather. The
Harvard observatory has the biggest one
within striking distance, What do you say |
70 our making our trial trip IN the boat |
up the Sound and around Cape codl 10 !
Bostonf We can spend a week there. then |
slant away for wherever We may decide 70 |
pass the winter. How does that suit you |
Betaf
Shs put away her work, and for a mo-
ment sat looking ia AT the flames that |
vent leaplns 10 the huge boulder chimney /
The room Elqssed with warmth aud light |
that drove away tie eheeFlsssness q q /
fossE late August dFizzle.
De <ea Faelly thtak we're elae se-s