The Argosy for May — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

238 an old one, and about the last place any one would look for us.” They worked frantically, for a‘ red streak in the east told them that daylight would soon be at hand. ‘The electric lights went out again, and they had to use candles. After making the proper connection, they carried the wire through a trap-door in the roof, down a long lad- der, through a musty garret, and so to the top floor. ‘Then they took it down the stairs, floor after floor, until the ground was reached. On the corner was a jewelry-store. In the rear was a small room originally de- signed as a workshop, with ample light from windows and skylight. - The back room could not be seen from the treet. It was an ideal place for their project. While Haverson fastened a key and sounder to a table and went about put- ting the apparatus in working order, Bob left the building and hurried across the street to a grocery-store. He filled a large box with food and carried it back to the little rear room. Fred went with him on the next trip, and before they finished they had an ample store of provisions in their new headquarters. Bob rifled a hardware-store for an oil- stove. Fred got five gallons of oil from the grocery. Then they both went to a furniture establishment, and carried back a cot and two chairs, one a rocker. On their last trip they entered a dry- ‘goods emporium and_ selected heavy blankets and a few towels. It was dawn now; too light for them to be in the streets unless they wished to risk discovery. _ “ Breakfast!’? Bob demanded, laughing, he began to prepare it. They didn’t have to leave the rear room for water; and soon they sat- down to fried eggs and bacon, and coffee which, Bob declared, was not quite as good as\they were used to having, but a great deal better than nothing. “And now,” said Haverson, ‘“ we'd better call the tower.” Fred called, and the tower operator answered immediately. “Thought you had disappeared,” he said. “We're still on the job,” Fred re- plied. and, THE ARGOSY. “Why did you take that hour off?” “Don’t ask questions, because we can’t answer them,” Fred tapped. The wire “ broke,” and the unknown operator cut in. “It is now break of day,” he said. ‘“T trust you men remember my warn- ing. You have until noon to leave the city of Merton.” ‘““We’ve decided to stay a little longer,’’ Bob said, for he had relieved Fred at the key when the unknown cut in. : ‘“You are warned. I’ll say no more!” “We'll not be sorry to be deprived of your conversation,” Bob wired. “Fool!” came the solitary word as answer. ‘Then the wire was still. An hour after that, the operator in the junction tower, out of she kindness of his heart, began to give Bob and Haverson a condensed report of the doings in the outer world. Congress, the report said, had ap- pointed a committee to proceed to the city of Merton and make an investiga- tion. Distinguished’! scientists were coming from abroad. The eyes of the world were upon Merton, and upon the two operators there, who braved an un- known peril to give to those outside a truthful description of what was taking place within. Those who were formerly residents of Merton, and especially those who had interests there, were frantic. Millions of dollars’ worth of property was at the mercy of the mysterious unknown who called himself master of the world. Haverson stood at ‘Bob’s side as this report was coming in. ‘There was not much to interest them, but it served to pass away the time. In fact, the time passed faster than they realized. The tower operator ceased sending, and Bob whirled around to talk to Fred. ‘“T don’t like this hero business,” he said. ‘“We’re just attending to our duty, that’s all.” There came a call on the sounder, and Bob answered. It was the myste- rious unknown. : ‘Do you realize that it is ten o’clock in the morning, and that you have only two hours in which to leave the city?” he demanded. Pa ‘Didn’t realize it was ‘so late,” Bob COMICOOOKS aC