The Washington herald., 1919-01-26

to Magnetism. We have Osweriander
on switchboards and Carbon Trans
mitters. We have Burke on Circuits
and Batteries. We have"
Hold on. please" said Drew. catch
Ing his breath. II better try some
thing easy. One of those juvenile
books with simple diagrams and
switchboards or junction boxes"
Drew carried the book to an alcove
which was deserted. He took on his
coat, hung 1t on the back Of chair,
upended his hat and sat down with
tired smile. Soon he was busy in
the mystery of electricity In relation
to the telephone. He conned over the
pages. He browsed along Ike a
novice trying to understand trfgo-
nometry. He frowned over such
terms as micro-ampere and micro
volt. He grew dizzy following wiring
diagrams which were far worse than
any clew he had ever attempted.
"A telephone engineer" he said half
aloud. "A man who could trace out
this stun ought to make a mighty
fine detective. ] never saw such
snarl. Now what does hysteresis
and laminations mean? what's the
idea of having an alternating current
Of low voltage on the same line with
talking current Of three voltsT
don't see how they can get two cur
rents on one set of wires. Maybe
they don't"
He tossed the book to the table in
front OF him and rose with frown.
This frown changed to wrinhled
furrow of half amusement as he
hurried back to the little prim lady.
TOO deep for me- he said, re-
o. 10 had
him. That may be beginners
treatise, but I'm in the kindergarten
class in electricity. What's micro
vault?"
I'm look it up, sir" she said.
+ Never mind. / wouldn't know.
after you did Suppose you get me
book on magpies."
The librarian fingered her files.
Try Birds of England she sug-
Gested. coming from behind her desk
and gliding like a pale shadow over
TO a bookcase. Try this. It's COM
pIete You'll find magpies and star
lings and piemags and any number
OF plates of six colors in this splendid
volume"
The one that interested me was
black as crow" he said. as he
turned toward his alcove. Perhaps
there are white magpies as well as
white crows. never saw one,
though. My birds a deep one"
The little librarian stared after
Drew's vanishing form with slight
pucker between her eyes. For a man
of his solid respectsbility. the series
OF actions were strange indeed She
sat down and wondered IL he was
moving picture editor trying to con-
fRlPnhnngg
Drew appeared in two minutes. He
leaned over the desk and startled the
lady with a request for anything per
tanning to guns and projectiles. These
she had in plenty. A great many war
books had been purchased during the
period which followed Americas
declaration.
The detective erected a breastwork
with the books che brought He
conned them with understanding un-
til he came to ballistics and ira
jectory. He stopped there. He rose.
His brain was crammed with fact
upon fact. He had the formulae of
smokeless powder and the analysis
of cupronickle bullets. He had ao-
sorbed muzzle velocity and angle of
fire. He fairly bubbled over with
good humor as he thrust his hands
into his overcoat. caught up bis hat
and started out the door after glanc-
ing back and bowling to the librarian
who smiled a good-by.
The street was dark save for the
glow OF the overhead arcs. He thrust
out his arm and tested the snow fall
1t was not as heavy as when he'had
entered the library. He went down
the steps. turned toward the north
and plowed along the sidewalk.
Suddenly the thought came to him
to glance at his watch. He had for
gotten time and place over the hours
in the pursuit of knowledge which
might and might not be applied to
the case at hand. 1t was almost 6
O'Clock.
Lord" he said in surprise. I'm
going crazy. Two hours In a trance.
Now for work. / wonder what the
operatives will have TO report? They
ought to have something. l wonder
he added. peering under the fine
drizzle of snow, Il wonder where the
nearest telephone is located? An
other block. l guess"
His brain gathered up the skeins
of the case as he hurried along.
Finger prints. plaster casts. smooth
bullets. locked rooms and a raven
black magpie, trooped into their
proper formation. He dwelt longest
on the telephone information he had
gathered in the library. The case
seemed bound up in whispering wires
and broken connections which might
be spliced together with patience and
hard work.
The whole matter, from the call OF
the millionaire, down to the clew dis
covered in comparing the finger prints
at detective headquarters, was a city
spread network Of telephone connec-
tions which had to be traced back
to an elusive individual who fitted
like a shadow or a whirling dervish
across the detectives vision.
He reached the drug store, paused
outside, glanced up and down the
white-robed street. then pressed the
door open and stamped inside. He
found a nickel. Dropping this in the
slot and closing the booth. he asked
central for his Office phone.
The connection was made with Har-
rigan on the other end. What's new
in the Stockbridge csse?" asked Drew
in a whisper.
He listened. He grew rigid as the
faithful operative summed up the en-
tire series of reports. There were six
of them. The last was from Delaney.
Hang up!' the detective almost
shouted in his eagerness. Hang up,
Harrigan. and let me get him"
Finding a quarter instead Of a
nickel, Drew dropped it in the large
slot and jiggled the receivers hook
until central answered.