The Topeka state journal., 1921-02-26
Eoening Story
Thru Sealed Doors.
BY EARL DAVID KEILMANN.


students were more listless and mat
fthey were inattentive enough at the
other times as well.
Today, the score of young persons
before him seemed not exactly listless,
but very much inattentive. Perhaps
the electrical suspense in the atmos-
phere was to blame. 1t had been an
unusually hot day and storm clou Is
were now piling up in the west,
whence came dull rumble of thun-
der Each pair of eyes seemed
focused on the ever darkening sky
outside, and each pair of ears, SO
Stagg Thought, were inclined toward
the muttering storm signals.
| For the past half hour he had
striven in vain to concentrate their
consciousness on the subject for the
day. He had failed, and now t
seemed as if he were alone in the lit
| tie basement room and that the
whispers and rustlings were the echoes
| of his own voice.
| A clap of thunder nearer than the
others caused him to pause. Then
taking on some of the nervousness so
apparent on the faces of his class, he
hurried to his conclusion, speaking in
quick, jerky sentences, as tho racing
with himself toward the finish.
Summarized, then, the fourth
dimension is only an imaginary thing.
We know and can understand matter
measured by its length, breadth and
thickness, but fourth dimension, or
dimension, are both on an entirely diff
ferent plane from US of the three
dimensions"
| He halted, a sarcastic smile on his
asthetic countenance and began gath
| ering up the books and papers. The
students half arose from their seats
! but subsidized as the sarcastic smile
became a grin and he laid down the
books he had started to insert in the
green baize bag. He Strengthened and
pacing once more to the other extrem-
| ity of the little platform, challenged
| his class once more.
Now, if there are any further ques-
/ tions-. Every one fully under
stands? Yes? Very well, the class is
dismissed
The room was cleared in a mo-
| ment, everyone seeming in a race with
the approaching storm. For a mo-
ment there was a gust of sound, then
gradually diminishing echo of re-
| treating footsteps, then silence, The
| instructor stood where the class had
last seen him, his thin straight figure
| outlined against one of the half win
dows that filtered the light into
| the almost subterranean apartment.
Apparently he was watching the
clouds pf1ing up against the setting
| sun, and obliterating the last waning
| light of an autumn day.
His lips moved as tho he was re-
peating a formula to himself. The
| Pickering light of the distant light
| ming revealed that his eyes were half
disbelief had remained fixed about his
mouth, Suddenly he shrugged his
shoulders and turned quickly back to
/ his desk.
With an agility, hitherto unsuspect-
| ed, he 1eaped backward. He had al
| most col1ided with a figure that had
approached and stood there in the
gathering gloom awaiting the instruc-
tors attention.
Michael, what a start you gave
me-" Professor Stages demeanor
plainly indicated that this heart was
! palpitating and that the sudden ap-
pearance of a human form in this
manner was in some way connected
with his thought when he had stood
| peering into the depth of the vast cur
4 tain of blackness fast covering the
sky.
mistaken on that fourth dimension.
you've been talking to the students
all day?"
"Why. of course, may be mis-
ftaken, Michael. The fourth dimen-
sion is only theory, you know. and
theories are being exploded every
day." and the teacher, with a patron
4 izing touch of the hand, began pre-
/ pairing for his departure.
The uncouth figure of the janitor
followed him toward the desk and as
Stagg irritatedly glanced upward, the
words of rebuff froZe on his lips In
the darkness Michael's eyes seemed to
/ gIeam and against the dim light of
- 70 fO-
ward the ceiling. Even his voice, as
4 he started speaking, did not seem the
voice of the janitor whom Stage had
known day by day for the last several
years. 1t had a resonance that filled
the little room and Stages ear drums
quivered with the rhythmic monotone
of it. He was speaking for several
moments before the instructors brain
| registered the meaning of his words.
Its the shadow of the other three.
It is not a dimension in itself, but
! combination of the others. Like the
diameter of a sphere, it is all dit
mepsions in one"
The booming accents suddenly
ceased and the shadowlike figure fit
ted toward the blackboard, where a
flying hand began tracing diagrams in
white that thru the dusk CLEANED with
almost phosphorescent vividness as
each line 1eaped into being.
With both hands braced against the
desk, the professor watched. his lips
repeating the words he had heard, his
eyes straining to follow each white
line from its start to its conclusion.
He hardly noticed when voice dwin-
died into nothingness and when the
| shadow no longer stood before him.
HE has found it he, an ignorant
janitor, the secret of the ages re-
iyeaIed Does he know what he has
said? He cannot, he even used Ian
guage far beyond his education. But
he must know. No. he cannot But
does he? Does hep
The professor, animated by this
thought sprang toward the door.
Michael" he shouted. Michael
where are you? Come here. Michael
| Only the echoes of deserted base
ment answered him. He stood but for
ian instant and again he rushed into
the darkness, this time toward the
upper floor and thru the door thai
gave onto the street beyond. On the