Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-25
~ Wy FAwKES himself would
Sn shudder In that mill Think
IL q of it-five explosions on five
" successive days. and not

clue.'
Our visitor had presented card bear
ing the name of Donald Macleod. chic,
If the METROPOLIS Powder Company's
secret service. 1t was plain that he was
,rea.,v worried over the case about which
he had at last been forced to consult Ken
needy.
As he spoke. / remembered having read
in the dispatches about the explosions
but the accounts had been so meager tha'
/ had not realized that there was any
thing especially unusual about them. Tor II
was at the time when accidents in and
attacks on munitions plants were OF COM
mon occurrence.
why" went on Macleod. 'the whole
business is as mysterious as if there were
some phantom destroyer at work! The
men are so frightened that they threaten
to cult Several have been killed. There
something strange about that TOO. Ihere
are ugly rumors of poisonous gases peihs
responsible. quite as much as 'ne
plosions, though. SO far. I've been aoie u
find nothing in that notion
What sort of place is it? asked Mem
nedy, interested at once.
well. YOU see explained MacLeou.
..s,nce the company's business has increas-
ed SO fast lately, 1t has been Ioreea ~
erect a new plant Perhaps you 10
heard of the Old Grove Amu user, .h,t - ~
which failed? It's not far from that- J,
Macleod looked at US inquirinsS, anu
Kennedy nodded to go on, tnough ! am
sure neither of us was fanliiar Win liie
Mace They've called the new plant Nj
ironolis-rather a neat name for a powder
works. don't you think? resumed MAJ.
Leod Everything went along al rlg On
until few days ago Then one OF tile
buildings, a storehouse. was blown up
We couldn't be sure that it was an accI.
dent, so We redoubled our precautions II
was Of no use That started II
The very next day another buiiolns was was
blown up then another until now there
have been five of them. What may nap
pen today heaven only knows! want 10
get back as soon as l can.
to be condolences" remarked Kennedy
NO: they can't all be accidents" as
serted Macleod. confidently There's
too great regularity for that think
don't see how they can be from bombs
placed nv workmen. At least. it's not
a bit likely. Besides. the explosions
AL occur in broad daylight. not at
men we employ, and they're watched
all the time. The company has guard
of its own. twenty-five picked men.
under me-all honorahiy discharged
you have formed no theory OF your
own?" aueried Kennedy.
Macleod paused. then drew from his
pocket the clipping of dispatch from
the front in which one of the war cor
respondents reported the destruction Of
wire entanglements with heat supposed
to have been applied by the use of re-
fiecting mirrors.
'T'm reduced to pure speculation" he
remarked. To-day they seem to be re-
viving all tive ancient practices. Maybe
some one is going at it like Archi-
medes"
Not impossible returned Craig.
banding back the clipping. Button
tested the probability of the achieve
rnent of Archimedes in setting fire to
the ships of Marce,lus with mirrors
and the SUMS rays He constructed a
composite mirror of hundred and
twenty-eight plane mirrors, and with
II he was able to ignite wood at two
shrewdiy suspect that, even if this
story Is true. they are using hydrogen
or acetylene flares over there But
none of these things would be feasible
Gould IL be some one who is pro-
jecting a deadly wireless force which
causes the explosions" I put in. mind
I'VE all know that inventors have
been working for years on the idea of
making explosives obsolete and guns
Junk. If some one has hit on a way of
air and concentrating at point. NUM-
tons plants could be wiped out
Macleod looked anxiously from me
to Kennedy. but Craig betrayed moth
ing by his face except his interest
Sometimes I have imagined 1 heard
a peculiar. faint, whirring noise in the
Dir" he remarked. thoughtfully. 81
thought of having the men on the
seen a trace IF one. Tt might he some
power either like tbs he added, shak-
ing the Clipping. "or like that which
Mr. Jameson suggests"
It's something like that you meant l
presume. when you called it phantom
destroyer moment ago." asked Ken
needy.
Macleod nodded
IF you're Interested" he pursued,
hastily. land feel like going down there
to look things over. think the best
place for you to go would be to the
Sneddens'. They're some people who
have seen a chance to make a little
money out of the boom. Many visitors
are now coming and going on business
connected with the new works. They
have started boarding house-or.
rather. Mrs. Snedden has There's a
daughter. too. who seems to be very
popular. Kennedy glanched whimsic-
ally at me-
Well. Walter" he remarked. tenta-
lively. entirely aside from the young
lady. this ought to make a good story
for THE Star
"uceV II ouSilt- L replied, enthuSl-
astically.
Then you'll go down to METROPOLIS -,
queried Macleod. eagerly. You can
catch train that will get you there
ABOUT noon And the company will pay
you we'll"
Macleod. with the mystery. Miss
Snedden. and the remuneration, you are
irresistible" smiled Kennedy
THANK you" returned the detective
you won't regret it. l can't tell YOU
how much relieved I feel to have some
one else. and. above all, yourself, on the
case. You can get a train in half an
hour ] think II would be best for YOU
to go as though you had no connection
with meat least for the present"
Kennedy agreed, and Macleod ex-
cused himself promising to be on the
train. although not to ride with us. in
case we should be the target of too in
quisitiye eyes.
For a few minutes. while our taxi
cab was coming. Kennedy considered
thoughtfully what the company detect
i've had said. BY the time the vehicle
had arrived he had hurriedly packed IN
some apparatus in two large grips. one
OF which il fell to my lot to carry
The trip down to Metropolis was unin-
teresting, and we arrived at the little
station shortly after noon Macleod
was on the train. but did not speak TO
us. and it was perhaps just as we'll
for the cabTnen and others hanging
about the station We're keenIy watch
ing new arrivals and any one with Mac
Leod must have attracted attention We
selected or were, rather, selected by one
OF the cabmen and driven Immediately