Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1934-11-09

lucy were Staudins together on the
balcony overlooking the brightly lighted
AMI sim noisy city Their arms were
locked together In defiance Of their
oath to the league.
Hell succeed" Tony said
-l.e has succeeded, except that
every rocket he builds is limited In the
distance II can fly and the power It
can use by the fact that Its propulsive
tubes melt. There isn't a metal nor
an alloy in the world that viii with
stand that heat"
Tony did not answer After n long
silence she spoke again. Its an awful
thing, Tony Look down there. Look
down on the city. Think OF the peo-
pie. Look at the lights, and then
imagine water. mountains of II. Water
that would reach to here"
Tony held her arm more tightly.
Don't torture yourself, Eve"
Il can't help 1t. Oh, Tony. Just
think Of Ill"
well, that's the way things have to
be, Eve" He could not say any more.
When Tony went down. the street
was still filled with people. All the
people were talking. They walked.
but Il did not seem to matter to them
what direction they took or what
chance company they shared.
The strange small moon. growing
larger each night, shone palely In the
sky. y
Tony hailed a cab. His eyes settled
on his shoes when he sat down. into
every thought daftea the face of Eve
as he had last seen liza face growing
hourly more haggard He remembered
the downcastIng OF her eyes
When Tony arrived at his apartment
he called number in Greenwich.
Connecticut. walled an abnormally
long time, then asked maid for Mrs
Drake. His voice was warm and calm.
well, Mother. How are you?'
His mothers reply was controlled
but nerves stabbed, through every word
A., she said. "Tony. darlingi I've tried
and tried TO reach you. Ont I'm lust
an Inch short of faintIng. thought
something had happened to YOU
sorry. Mother. I've been busy
al know. Come right out and tell
me all about it,
al can't"
There was pause. "You can't put
It in wordsf'
"No."
There was another long pause. Mrs.
brakes voice WAS lower. more trem-
thousand yet 1t was not the voice of
a historical or an unreasoning wom-
an. ''Tell me, Tony, how bad is II
4 going to bef'
How could he tell her that for her,
there was annlhilation. but for him
self some chance of escape? She
would wish II for him. whatever hap
pened to herself: but he could not
accept it. A berth in the Space Ship,
| leaving her here! Leaving here mill
lions Of mothers-and children, TOOL
But probably no one at all would
be saved, Tony recollected almost with
relief. Work on the Space Ship, in
recent days, was not really advancing
They were held up from lack of a ma
terial to Withstand the power that
science now could loose from the
atom. The idea of escape was prob.
ably only q fantasS. utterly vain. So
thinking, Tony ended his talk. and put
up the receiver.
Taxicabs had been sent for Tony
and his party. They made their way
Immediately downtown to the big
building which housed the Hendron
laboratories. The cab had covered a
few blocks when Tony realized that
throughout its length and breadth Man
haitian had been depopulated. Here
and there a lone figure was visible
usually a figure in the uniform of a
policeman or soldier. Once he
thought he caught sight of a man
skulking in the shadows Of doorway.
But he was not sure. And there were
no women, no children.
After the sun had set, It was easy TO
appreciate why the last recalcltrant
thousands of New York's populace had
departed. The Bronson Bodies, on
this night, rose in frightful majesty; a
sphere Of lustrous white larger than
the moon. and a second sphere much
smaller. bur equally brilliant Their
awesome illumination flooded the city.
rendered superiluous the street lights
which, however. remained stubbornly
burning.
! There were few lights In the sky
scrapers. AS the takes bowled through
the murk and dark. unchecked by
traffic signals, Tony and Jack Taylor
shuddered Involuntary to see the
black buildings which man had de-
serted.
At the elevator they were met by
Eve. She kissed Tony, in an ecstasy
Of defiance, and then hurried to assist