Show 04 T BLAZED L A ze 0 arail r C oab A MV 6 fat LT r 11 ax GIAR boys pili company COM nANY 2 SYNOPSIS percy darrow a young scientist in search parch ot of a job enters entera the office 0 of f HOBS boms mccarthy of now new y york ork me Carthy arth has just juat leen threatened by an a anonymous message ordering him to ice flee t to 0 europe lie he adges not take the mag age seriously darrow fc koca oes up the elevator to try for a position with dr knox suddenly tho the electric apparatus in the atlas bullying bull bu ding goes out of bustness business experts laro are un unable aves ae to locate tho the tro trouble u all at once without apparent rea reason mon electric connections aro are res restored torea tho next evening mccarthy la in warned that unless lie he leaver at once for or europe V a sign will be sent alm ilm at six prompt ly 11 at t that hour the entire electric appart tua of new york Is cut offo off CHAPTER IV darkness and panic probably tho enoy men in the whole ot of now new york v ho accepted promptly and unquestioningly angly the fact that tho the entire electrical apparatus ot of the city was paralyzed wore those in the newspaper offices these capable citizens accustomed to quick adaptations to new environments and to wide reaches of the made two or three laments and accepted the inevitable within ton minutes the despatch had messenger boys on tap instead of bells bicycles instead of telephones and a variety of lamps and candles in place of electricity everybody else info in iown W n vae speculating why in blazes this had struck them the despatch was out after news marsden city editor detailed three men to dig up expert opinion on why it had bad all happened and it if the scientific men any other notions nations ask ern em it if its anything to do with the earth passing through the tall tail of the comet lie he told thern them tho the rest ot of the staff ho he turned out for stories of the effects ills irn imagination 9 was struck by the bontemp contemplation a of a modern civilized city deprived v of its nerve system after covering the usual police sta aton theater and hotel assignments he sent hallowell to the bridge longman to the grand central kennedy Nen nedy warren and thomas to tho the tubes subways and ferries the others he told to go out on the streets they saw a city of four million peo pie stopped short on its way home to dinner they saw a city miles in extent sot back without preparation to a communication by messenger only they saw a city unprepared blinking its way by the inadequate illuminations of a half century gone byl by hallowell found a packed mass of humanity at the bridge where ordinarily Is a crush even with incessant outgoing trains sucking away at the surplus eur plus now wasa was a panic a panic the more terrible in that it was solid sullen on inert motionless women fainted and stood unconscious erect men sank slowly from sight agonized their faces contorted but unheard in the dull roar of the crowd and were seen no more around the edges people fought frantically to get out others with the blind unreasoning home instinct fought as hard to get in n the police were unavailing they cant you see how we need each other could not penetrate to break the center across tho the bridge streamed a procession of bruised and battered I 1 escaped from or cast forth iby by the maelstrom the daylight was fading and within the sheds men ifould not see ono ona an others faces longman at the grand central observed a large and curious crowd that the building and packed the le round about they waited for their trains and the twilight gathered wor tea len minutes trains continued to jenter enter the shed this puzzled long man until he be remembered that gravity would bring in those this side of har ism bem none went out the waiting throng was a hotbed for rumors long roan man collected much human interest and wis was quite well satisfied with ills story until lie ho saw what it had bad elsewhere for in the subways and tubes the stoppage of the trains had automatically discontinued the suction auction ventilation the underground thousands in mar mortal tal terror of the nonexistent non existent third rall rail danger groped their way painfully to the stations with inconceivable swiftness the mephitic vapors gathered strong men staggered fainting into tile the streets when revived they told dreadful tilles tales of stumbling over windrows wind rows of bodies there helow below through the gathering twilight ot of the streets dusky dually and shadowy flitted flirted bat like tho the criminals of tho the underworld what they saw that they took growing bolder they progressed from pocket picking to holdups from holdups to looting the police reserves were all out they could do little favored by obscurity the thieves plundered it would have needed a solid cordon of officers to have protected adequately the retail district swiftly a guerrilla warfare sprang up bullets whistled anarchy raised its snaky looks locks and peered red eyed through the darkened streets of tile the city hero here and there fire broke out men on oil bicycles brought in the alarms then as twilight thickened men on foot chief croker promptly established lookouts in all tile the tall towers as watchmen used a hundred years yeara ago to watch the night at eight two hours after the inception a of f the curious phenomena R the condition suddenly passed the intimation came to the various parts parta of the city in different ways strangely enough only gradually did the lights and transportation facilities resume their functions most alost of the dynamos were being inspected by puzzled experts hero here and thero there the blazing of a group of lights the ringing of a bell the response res ponso of at a volt or arn ammeter meter to test hinted to the masters of the that their rebellious steeds again answered the bit within a halt half hour the cites illumination again reflected softly from rom the haze of tile tho autumn sky the clang 0 of f the merry trolley tho the wall of the motors siren again amoto the air Ala malacha lacht Al mccarthy cCarthy having caught a ride on a friendly dray arrived homo home at eight ten his telephone bell for the first time jangled its summons mccarthy answered it im simmons the wireless operator the small voice told him say theres a lot of these fool messages in the air again you know what they said last night about six and what happened lets have em growled mccarthy here she is mccarthy will you do as I 1 tell you answer remember the sign at six its signed al 11 whore where did that come from asked the boss bass cant tell but somewhere a a long ways was off how do you know that by the sound how far about might alight bo be anywhere can you get an answer back 1 I think so cant tell whether my spark will reach that tar far I 1 can send out a call for AL well send this said Al mccarthy cCarthy go to hell on the evening of the phenomena afore mentioned percy darrow had returned to his apartments where he had dressed unusually early and by daylight this was because he had a dinner engagement uptown up town it was an all informal engagement for a family dinner at seven but percy had been requested by one of the members to come at about six this was because the other members would presumably be dressing between six and seven the young man found a fire blazing on oil the hearth although the evening was warm A graceful girl sat looking into the flames she did not rise as the scientist entered but held out her hand with an air of engaging frankness sit down she invited the guest this Is a fearful and wonderful time to ask you to venture abroad in your dribs clothes but I 1 wanted to see you most moat particularly before the rest of the family comes down you are a singularly singular li beautiful woman observed darrow in a detached manner as aa he disposed his long form gracefully in the opposite armchair tho the girl looked at him sharply that is intended as an excuse or explanation not in the least as aa a compliment ment darrow went on you would not be so it I 1 were not beautiful shot phot back tho the girl that to is indeed not compia nien 1 I should be exactly as obliging amended darrow lazily but I 1 should not fetal fea so BO generally satisfied and pleased and rewarded in advance I 1 have more of r feeling of virtue fue and less of one of pleasure 1 I see saia baia too girar lier hor brows still level then I 1 suppose you are nut not interested in what I 1 might ask you as ono one human being to 0 o an another otherl pardon me helen interrupted darrow with unusual decision that Is just what I 1 am interested in you as aa a human being a delicious beautiful feminine human being who could meau mean half the created universo to a lucky man mail hut ut not the tha whole P no not the whole mused darrow relaxing to his old indolent attitude you see ile he roused himself to explain 1 I am a scientist for instance you could not be a scientist you have not the training nor the brains tilt interposed helen warford a bitterly nor tho the kind of brains amended darrow 1 I have enough of that sort myself lie ho added ile ho leaned forward a hunger leaping in the depths of hta his brown eyes helen hei he pleaded cant you see how wo need each other but the girl shut both her eyes and shook her head vigorously I 1 unless people can bo be everything to each other they should be nothing people like us said she 1 darrow sighed and leaned back 1 I feel that way but tile the devil of it Is I 1 cant think it said he then after a pauso pause what la Is it you want of me helen im ready iff ita jack said she the matter with jacky everything and nothing iles hes just out of college this fall he must go to work father wants him to go into an office jack care much and will drift into the office unless somebody stops him well said darrow an office will ruin him lie he in the least interested in the things they do in offices and hes too 00 high spirited to settle down to a grind iles hes like you in spirit helen said darrow what Is he interested in iles hes interested in you what cried darrow wish it were a family trait ile he thinks you are wonderful and ho he knows all about all your adventures L 1 I do he said if youre game and voyages with doctor schermerhorn he admires the way you look and act and talk I 1 suspect him of trying to imitate you helens eyes gleamed with amusement darrow smiled his slow and languid smile the last time I 1 saw jack he stood six feet and weighed about one hundred and eight five pounds he be pointed out IT tie he imitation is tunny funny admitted helen but based on genuine admiration what do you want me to do with him drawled darrow 1 I thought you could take him in with you get him started at something scientific something th that atwould would interest and absorb him and something that would not leave all his real energies tree free tor for mischief darrow leaned his head bead against the back of the chair and laughed softly so long did his bis amusement continue that helen at length brought him rather sharply to account 11 1 1 I 1 was merely admiring then exclaimed clair ned darrow the delicious fern inanity of the proposal it displays at once such really remarkable insight into the psychological needs of another human being and such abysmal ignorance of the demands of what we are pleased to call science sc lenco you are the most superior and exasperating aspe rating and conceited man I 1 know cried helen 1 I am sorry I 1 asked you id like to know what there Is is so 0 silly in my remarks jack Is physically very strong he is most courageous he has a good disposition a gent lemans code and an eager likable nature I 1 gather further that he does me the honor of admiring roe me personally ile he has baa received a general not a special college education well challenged helen barring aIng the last these are exactly the qualifIcation a of a good bull ter rier her oh cried the girl indignantly and half rising you are insulting no denied darrow not that never to you helen and you know it im merely talking sense leaving aside the minor consideration that I 1 am myself looking for employment what use has a scientist for a bull ter rier jack has no aptitude for science he has had none of the accurate training absolutely essential to science ile he probably pio bably be interested in science at tho the moment lie he happens to admira ro aco 0 and im mighty glad and proud that it is so hut but that help if I 1 happened to be a saloon man jack would quite as cheerfully want to bo be a barkeeper id do anything in the world to help belp jaci jac butom but ia not the nian man you want to hunt up somebody t that ha t needs a good bull terrier lots lot Is do d 0 1 I 1 1 I hato hate such a cold blo blooded ad ell way youl or of going at things arif arm d th the 0 girl irl you jack than it if I 1 in allow no more interest I 1 j than if I 1 darrow smiled whimsically indeed I 1 do helen lie ho said quietly clail that Is why I 1 dont want to touch ills life science would ruin him quicker than an all office ln in tile the long run what ho he wants Is a job ot of action something out west or in tile tho construction of our great and good city now if I 1 had a political pull instead of a scientific twist I 1 could land jack in a minute why don you try that fattier father and Ai mccarthy cCarthy aro are enen acs iloa she said simply slie she arose with an air of weariness illow how dark its getting she said and pressed the electric button in the wall the light did not respond queer she remarked and pulled the chain that controlled the reading light on tile the table that too tailed failed to illuminate something must he be wrong with those things at the meter what do you call then them fuses suggested darrow yes it ill ring and have blake screw in another darrow was staring tit at a small object lie he had taken from his pocket it was tho the electric flashlight flash lash light he habitually carried to light his way up the three dark flights at ills his lodgings let me call him for you ho he sug rising ill ring said helen but darrow was already in the call ball blakel blake S he called down the basement stairway bring lamps or call candles candies tho the man mail appeared on the word carrying a lamp 1 I already had this sir he explained the lights went out some time ago did you look at the fuses asked helen yes miss well telephone to the electric company at once we must have light percy darrow had taken his place again in the armchair by tho the fire alre it Is useless said he quietly Use useless lesal echoed helen what do you mean blake stood quietly at attention you will find your telephone tele phona also butof out of order helen darted from the room only to return after a moment laughing you are a true wizard she said tell me how did you know what has happened A city stated percy didactically Is like a mollusk it depends largely tor for its life and health on the artificial shell it has constructed unless I 1 am very much mistaken this particular mollusk Is going to get a chance to try life without its shell 1 I dont understand you said helen you will said percy darrow mr air and mrs airs warford descended soon after they sat down to dinner by the light of the table candles only darrow hardly joined at all in the talk but sat lost in a brown study stud Y from which he only roused sufficiently to accept or refuse the dishes offered him at about eight the telephone tell bell clicked a single stroke as though the circuit had been closed at the sound darrow started then reached swiftly into his pocket for ills his little flashlight flash light ile he gravely pressed the button of ct this then abruptly rose 1 I must use your telephone said he without apology ile he was waa gone barely a minute miri tite then returned to the table with a clouded brow almost immediately after the company had risen from |