Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

176 myself. During my absence I comple- ted my test work on the televisor and made a number of successful models. If you'll come into the projection room with me right now I'll show you some results that will amaze you.” He took up the big suitcase he had brought from home and the four of them went down to the little theater built for the purpose of testing the cor- poration’s various products, on the sec- ond floor of the building. From the suitcase he took a roll of film and placed it in one of the cor- poration’s latest synchronizing projec- tors for talking motion pictures. He turned on the device with a word of explanation. “This first exhibit shows how the televisor camera operates in a dim light over a short wire. The mirror was hung in the back of a fireplace in a room purposely lighted very poorly. I’m sure I could not have seen to read in it. It was simply suspended down the chimney from a single wire, by the way, without the knowledge of the regular occupants of the room. Which shows how the thing can be used in detective work. The recording camera was in my home just across half my yard from the little cottage where the mirror hung.” As he spoke, Ward was watching Coddington surreptitiously. He saw the vice president start and turn pale. He also noted in the back of the room near the door a police officer who had just entered, in response to one of the suggestions he had made to Inspector Curley in the memorandum he had dic- tated that morning. But Ward con- tinued to act as though he were mak- ing a purely impersonal demonstration. At first, the other two suspected nothing, as the arch-criminal Redfern was shown in the little living room of the Moran cottage playing with his radio dials. Then clearly came to their ears the sound of a soft knock at the door. ‘They saw Redfern press the light button then start for the door. — ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘ Notice that the camera works just as well in the dark as in the light,” Ward explained. “ This man has just switched off the light while he is open- ing the door. He does not wish any betraying gleams to shine out through the open door. The room is now plunged in absolute darkness as far as we are concerned with ordinary light which our own unaided eyes can see. But the camera works from the so-called black light ray from the little box at the back of the mirror in the fireplace. Notice the host has to lead his caller in. Now he is pressing the light button and illuminating the room again.” At this point the figure of the caller on the film turned and showed the face of Coddington. That person in the flesh beside Ward leaped to his feet. The other two, still unsuspicious of the real nature of the scene, looked at him and grinned. “So you were in on this Codding- ton, you sly dog,” Wainwright com- mented a little enviously. “Mr. Coddington didn’t know he was,” Ward said dryly. “This is a plant, a dirty piece of trick photography!’ Coddington stormed. “I was not there.” “No, it’s not a plant in the sense you mean, Mr. Coddington,’ Ward as- sured them. “I know this thing is all right, because | hung the mirror of this apparatus down the chimney myself a little earlier in the evening, while this gentleman, your host, was out, presumably summoning you to the meeting. I came across a convenient tree limb that bridges my wall and overhangs the roof of this house where your friend is staying. I happened to discover his secret residence the eve- ning before while I was following one of his spies off my ground. “His band were holding a secret meeting at the moment and I listened to a part°of it from the chimney top. Unluckily, it cost the spy his life. He caught sight of me, and, as his gang 2A COPMIC OOO KS (E@)