New Britain herald., 1924-10-01
S.En2Eyck BotIrhe
 and Ola,,IesE,uIcis Bouykc

DOuYI21s N rubber mating with carefully lifted feet. ''So!" the chemist smiled, his glance fitting from the cool young men to the tanks with their signing mixture, ESQ, all is well yet? I see those little thunder heads we have been having have left a mark on your faces-it will pass And the pow der that will not harden as wish, how goes it with that?" With catlike tread he moved about the tanks, comparing the relative thermometers, fixtures, everything.
 There were places in that vaporzing mass where spider web might hang un- detected-but here with his picked men, everything was right.
 Pipe cool, connecting the tubs, so that the mixtures may mix while you mix, good Valve free, to dump the contents of the tubs into the drowning vat in case of need that's well You are twins. working at the Siamese twin tubs-and have you any complaintY'
 Why, it's this way, professor" Hazs ard said, speaking his mind as to one of safe sympathy. ''Ihere are times when one man is left alone here, and too much depends on the work of us to afford to have anything happen, from inside or out Now that we are getting near the end, slg- gest that two be always together-and there be a watcher at of times It's dangerous, you know, and then, the Government tests are so near-'
 LIE WAS not even thinking of what Slut 1 A ton had said, but his fellow mate scowled The professor nodded.
 Good It shall be done The work must go forward-if this devilish thunder weather permit For the powder that would be only dangerous when it begins to solidify, and so far that has not happened. Then, a spark-any nything-might set it of. We shall sec
 Well nitro will burn. and do it mighty quick, at the best" Hazard insisted, land there's all this prepared metal and the imported fxings that we couldn't replace not in time, anyway"
 He was fighting for his chance at safe and happy future, when this dangerous work should be over, and he cared neither for the professors knowing smile nor Slut tons scowl Every man for himself in Powder Valley.
 That is all it will do, now-unless a u-irn pCith p,rrppt he dropnad ;r the thickening mass. Even that now would merely shock the mixture into fire. So fear nothing"
 The big chemist was familiar with the @ whims of nitro workers and for their sake often saw no danger where danger by com mon consent existed. But Hazard had spoken because, as Sutton said, he was in terested in the success of the experiment.
 As for Sutton himself. no man but him self knew what his snarlng nerves were saying to his own dissatisfied outlook on life.
 He had taken himself to the open door way, gazing out on the Valley of Death while the men within talked over its de. tails.
 NO OHe CuuNhlltu blul' Ht itHcNlcu Uit terly-always Hazard had the lead, with the girls favor, the professors success, everything.
 And what was this Professor Powder, :" after all but food for great warships' guns to annihilate lives and property, even as it threatened to annihilate the men who were forced to tend it in it's infancy of conception?
 A man wouldn't be blamed for delaying such work, Sutton pondered, gazing out where men in silence went their daily rounds of calls at death houses.
 Suppose one of these ominous houses burned down, as might happen to this very mixing shack should anything go wrong with the powder in it's present stage That would not endanger life. It would make one threat less.
 In the back of his head Sutton kept harping on the sophistry of the princely reward that could be claimed from the riya powder company as the price of a good deed though he did not figure how he should collect it.
 Its on the cards that another would ElNe IDtSS IlIIl ptOpit Il udiu up II l uluu |, he argued with the temptation, not stopping to analyze it any more than he had his owr obliquity. And I'd be doing a favor tt the poor devils that might get shot up witt the powder-there' enough devilish stuf loose now, Heaven knows!' Nerves it might be, with Jim Sutton nitro workers nerves" that make al things easy and confuse the good with tn evil once a man surrenders to their mas
 tery. But they had mastered Jim Sutton The chime of the midday gong was call ing the nitro workers to the big hotel O the hill-the one break in the days routin of perils-when the telephone tinkled.
 Hazard took down the receiver, the turned to the professor with little smile Miss Lucille calling you, sir" he said. t Operative Sutton's face was not good t 5 see e be listened.
 l Yes, will fetch Friend Hazard t 1 dinner with us-with this storm grumbIin in the valley he will be safer,' the pro