The Argosy, April 1916 — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

180 parents—was certainly far from enlighten- ing. He had seen the big house, of course, with its trim lawns and walks. And also he had seen another building that had been erected since the fence. It was built much like a garage, but didn’t quite look like a garage either. Protruding out of it was the queerest thing—almost like a huge egg of blue steel, with slabs of heavy glass, and many encircling bands of iron. It was some time after this that another ~boy, returning in the late dusk from his -nilk-delivery, had a story to tell that no one had ever quite believed. As he talked his face flushed and his eyes widened. He said that something almost spherical in shape, dark except for lighted windows, had rolled up into the air above the fence, straight up unwaveringly, and had kept on going! The boy had watched it till the haze of evening shut it from his sight—until it had vanished among the early stars. “You imagined it, my son,” said his father. But his mother noticed that her husband was perplexed. “No, I didn’t! see you.” “‘ Well,” concluded the father, ‘ we'll probably know what it was in the morning. *“ But, dear,” he added, turning to his wife, “that Avison is quite a scientist. The delivery-boy wandered into the wrong door at the Avison place one day, and he told me he went into the uncanniest-looking room he was ever in. A laboratory of some kind it was, with big machines of porcelain and steel and copper.” ‘“‘ And you know he wrote some sort of a scientific article just when he got out of college,” supplemented his wife. ‘It caused quite a sensation among the scien- tists.” | “ That’s right. It was about gravity, wasn’t it? Let’s see; that was four years ago. I had almost forgotten. He’s a smart young chap all right.” ‘“‘ But why doesn’t he go into business?” the woman protested. “ He’s been engaged for almost a year now to that Cole girl, you know, and if something should happen to him—” ‘Oh, well, he’s probably pretty careful. And you're sure you didn’t imagine it, son, or dream it?” “No, sir!” replied the boy. I saw it as plain as I THE ARGOSY. Nor had he dreamed or imagined it. And had Charles Avison wished he could have surprised even more the scientific world. But he wished to wait. It was true he had been engaged to Agnes Cole for twelve months. In truth, she was mightily afraid of an accident to the young scientist. Even Avison had confessed to the danger in this latest experiment of his. The afternoon before the Vulcan ascend- ed Avison had spent with Agnes. They had had a long talk, in which he told her much of his plan, but little of the danger. But there was a chance, he said, that he would not be at hand to marry her on the June day selected. She had tried to dissuade him. ‘““T must go,” he said... “ You can’t imagine how much it means. But I’m sure nothing will happen. Oh, Il come back all right! My trial flight was a wonderful success.” 3 His great, dark eyes glowed at the thought of it. ‘““ Good-by, dearest! ”’ They had kissed and she had cried. Then from the porch of her home she had seen the strange, dark bubble of a thing float away into the skies. il, A FEW nights later the farmers, thirty miles from Avison’s home, might have ob- served a few spots of light hovering in the air over the wide field of a deserted farm. They might have discerned the light-spots dart back and forth, then down, then up a way, and then descend to earth. But it is not recorded that any man was awake to see. Charles Avison unscrewed the round door of the Vulcan and crept out. In- stantly the light died from its windows. At first he could not stand, but staggered twice and fell in a heap under the curved side of the machine. He lay a little while, then flashed his light about and into the door of a great, deserted barn, in front of which his machine had alighted. He climbed to his feet and steadied him- self. After a little while he thrust his shoulder against the dark sphere and rolled it as silently as a great snowball into the high doorway. Then he glanced at his watch. : ‘““ Not far from morning,” he said. He walked unsteadily toward the road. comiclboool C@