Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-14

up-I think we can see-some inter-
The car Slid forward over the piney
carpet Brainard turned on its lights.
which instantly built up Gothic arch
of the towering trees. They slid away
through 1t as If driving up an enormous
cathedral aisle-as grotesque in its
phantom dignity as the towering rage
of a mob defeated by q rusei
They came out suddenly upon a
high spot, beyond which the land fell
away in long, dark abyss toward the
west. Nothing that could obStruct
the view stood between them and the
sea, provided eyes had the power to
reach so far. Brainard abruptly shut
of the lights of the car.
And Pasadena lay spread out below
them, q city of broadcast lights, itself
a bay with every ripple catching q
CLINT Of stars. Beyond, Los Angeles
in the dwindling distance, like a dark,
twinkling oceanl And far, far there
in the blue distance q ragged yellow
stretch of flame lay like the crater
of some island volcano, mere fiery
crack in calm, untroubled deepl -.
ut doesn't look so big from here"
Brainard said grimly.
But suddenly, to the girl the scene
seemed to change, like something de-
ceptively first seen, then coming clear.
And that far molten spot was like a
red-lipped break in the planets crust
through which inner fire had leaped
out to char the whole wide earth
and sing back leaving a million Smol-
dering sparks behind!
But Brainard had got out of the car
and was opening the door for her.
Presently she stood beside him while
he unlocked carrying case on the
rack behind. She recognized inside
it, as the lid swung up. the half
familiar, glittering line of one of his
smaller multiple machines. He touched
the dials and swung a small lever over;
then went to the throttle Of his engine.
The great machines almost noiseless
movement increased till the condenser's
song reached pitch that satisfied him.
Then from the tonneau he took small
metal cylinder, like an elongated fire
extinguisher, and carried 1t to the edge
of the lookout.
IT recorded this while I was wait
ing for you," he said. tits what hap
pened in Santa Monica an hour age"
He held the small cylinder in his
hand. He opened a tiny door In its
side. shot a bolt within: and tossed it
out into the valleyful Of darkness be-
low them.
And suddenly, there over the dark
chasm hung Frightening scene-the
street of the little home city!-but
lighted by fire and filled with the
swaying, roaring mob! And once more
Phyllis was standing, as she had stood
at midnight, looking up at the worried
tower of the Bonmar! Again the
crowd howled and surged; men ran
in and out of the lighted entrance
Ike ants over the spot where she had
thought she saw Brainard fall. But
they we're avoiding a hole broken in
the marble stairs.
A warning cry went up. The crowd
began to back-then turned and be-
gan to run. The space before the
door Of the white building cleared.
The doorway was empty. The throng
swept clear from the pavement like
masses of leaves before sudden gale.
What was it? Fire again? But surely
building Of steel and tile would not
burn! And then, all at once, q puff
of smoke burst out from 20 shattering
windows together, out from under the
scaffolding still supporting the lower
floors, rising in queer jets from cracks
between the pavement stones, shooting
like water from giant nozzles out of
ventilators, windor transoms, crevices,
clefts, assures, that opened as If to let
1t forth. And the tan, thin building,
poised there like bather stripped for
plunge in the surf almost at its feet,
began to crumple and sink In upon
itself, its walls gaping-while from the
depths of the rocks upon which it
stood. fountain Of smoke rushed up to
stand like a white statue in its placel
And a crash of explosion like a fort