Show I 1 10 SYNOPSIS darrow young scientist in teh of a job enters the office of POM mccarthy of bew york me erthy hs just been threatened by an message ordering him to flee a europe lie doe not take the mes nwee barrow goes up the to try tor a position with dr axx suddenly the electric apparatus to the atlas building froes out of bust tsi experts are unable to locate the trouble AD at once without apparent electric connections are restored next mccarthy Is warned chat junices he leaves at 01 e or europe waln will ba sent him at six prompt as that hour the entire electric alpar to nr new york Is cut off percy dar row thinks he has a clue he engages che help of jack warford a college ath tele they visit mccarthy and offer to m down the cause of his mister loua trouble mccarthy has just received an warr warning by wireless at six a tc athly falls on the atlas build tax blotting out all sound next day the tide ton Is thrown into darkness and ill suspended aus prof eldradge alia noted scientist beco nes interested in te phenomena darro s theory Is that vw man who Is sending the warnings has some force by which he can nu through the vibrations of electricity baht and sound mccarthy has alsap ln apfl darrow places in pos of all the facts in the case and of fits own theories in relation thereto and challenges him to solve the mystery more terrifying messages come dar irow through the newspapers reassures the people he fears the unknown will atop the of heat which would wan complete annihilation of all life animal and vegetable the unknown threaten to wipe out the city anda of people flee darrow sits non s1 sa wireless messages in mccarthys McCar thys office wl lie Fl dridge expert with the purpose of locating the unknown eldridge s experiments fall TT artty la thrown again into a panic and ts trying to escape the mayor of his cohorts are found frozen ath 1 the y hala 1 the bildat of crooked deal CHAPTER in the face of eternity hell popped just as soon as the could get out their extras monsieur X had at last struck and both interest and belief urged the man aging editors at last to give publicity co all the theories the facts and the balbat message from the fanatic un known the latter came about three 0 clock TV the people you have defied me nd you have doubted my power there 1 BO good in you I 1 who would have iou now must bring about your th a stubborn and a stiff necked in humanity la no more wod and ot athla world I 1 desire nothing prepare within the next three ora to appear before a mightier throne taa mine vercy darrow reading this said to jack warford it Is time to at and accompanied by the aunger man aul ay left the room the reader of imagination and no har will read this tale must figure the island of manhattan the next two hours the entire nearly tried to leave it at nce when only the suburban dwell ws urged simply by the desire for hot dinner attempt to return home between five and six the ways are con enough now stricken with kho fear of death the human cattle sought frantically to reach the inadequate ealta of the great theater of tragedy there as fighting in the streets and panic and stark rumor of course and there was heroism and coolness and the taking of thought to the shue roup of men in the top floor of leading by the arm a strange and figure she atlas building the roar of riot auno up like the thunder of the or cheatta che atra before the rise of the curtain most of the people in the streets fled a danger they did not understand eldridge was there looking somewhat flustered for the first time in his we and tour of the large committee that had employed him sammons sat almly at his post and of all the reporters hallowell Ual lowell alone had stood by tie had faith in darrow and he knew that in the despatch office a little men stood in the shadow of on the off chance of the biggest aop bance higah s flood aby four eolla citizens looked at one another the oldest turned to ela then your opinion Is that the city Is doomed I 1 can offer no other solution bar said the scientist it ie at last evl dent that this man s power over ethereal vibrations extends to those form ing beat rays if this Is so it follows that be can cut off all life by stopping all heat it his threat Is carried out we can but look forward to a repeal alon on a large scale of the city hall affair the aged financier now spoke to sammons and the last report from the searchers he asked formally the search Is being pursued sir replied the operator by twenty thou sand men there remain some fifty miles of country to go over mr ly ona lons turned his shaggy head toward a younger allm keen eyed man of fifty and the city will in your judgment mr ns take how long to empty days in the present confusion said shortly we can move only a limited percentage thank god most of our men are standing by I 1 think all our roiling stock Is moving lyons nodded twice and you be asked the third of the party a stout young man of thirty eight or so how many stations are on the job sammons asked this man all but two sir replied the opera tor D and P don t answer I 1 guess they beat it how do they report the bulletin men on the job replied the wireless man the stout couig man turned to lyons well belr said he 1 I don t know whether we or the hand of death will be called on to quiet them be paused for an instant with uplifted band the roar and crash and wall of the city wide riot surged into the gap of bis silence but if it Is we he went on our little arrangements are made my men know what to do and my men are on the job he concluded proudly lyons nodded again we have all done our best said he now gentlemen I 1 do not see how we can possibly accomplish anything more by remaining here my au is in concealment in the old stable in the rear of my yacht is standing off the battery awaiting signal to come in we have he glanced at his watch over an hour before the threatened catastrophe he looked up expectantly the men all glanced uneasily at one another except sammons who stared at his bat teries stolidly come gentlemen urged lyons after a moment there la really not much time to lose tor you know the yacht must steam beyond the danger zone deat it spoke up sammons at last there aln t any good of you here it anything comes in I 1 can handle it it s juet a case ot send out orders to your bulletin men 1 I think id better stay observed balge the stout young man with an air of apology I 1 know I 1 m not much use but I 1 ve placed men and they 11 stick and if this freeze out proposition goes through why they re in it and that 8 how I 1 feel broke in per kalns dut you have done your full duty mr lyons and you have no rea son to stay let me get your car around to you oh I 1 m going to stay said lyons it you gentlemen feel it your duty how much more Is it elnel professor he bowed to the you have done your best which Is more than any other mortal man could have done I 1 am sure and you sir he said to hallowell and hallowell shook their heads 1 have tailed said I 1 am a reporter said hallowell we are in the hands of god announced lyons with great solemnity and folded hla bands over bis white waistcoat at that moment the door slowly swung open and percy darrow en he was smoking a cigarette hie hands were thrust deep in his brou trou sers pockets be was bailess bat less and his usually smooth hair was rumpled A tiny wound showed juet above the middle of his forehead from which a thin stream of blood bad run down to his eyebrows he surveyed the room with a humorous twinkle shining behind his long laches well well well well I 1 he remarked in a cheerful tone of voice this Is nice jolly quaker meeting I 1 why don t you get out and make a noise and celebrate like your friends out side thought you d ducked remarked hallowell the others said nothing but looked a grave disapproval darrow laughed no I 1 had to come back to see how eldridge Is getting on he cast a glance at the scientist how goes it old socks he inquired the roan a manner the tone of his voice beamed aa much out of place in this atmosphere of solemnity as a penny whistle in a death chamber darrow refused to notice the general attitude of disapproval but planted himself in front of eldradge all in he challenged or do you belll cherish any delusions that you will get your man inside of he looked at his watch eleven aln cutest A visible belr ran through the room at these words eleven murmured lyons and held his watch to his ear it has stopped he said aloud it seems gentlemen that the only possible hope for us lies in the doubt as to whether or not this un known will carry out his threat hes a hand to carry out threats observed darrow we have done our best bald ly ons calmly let us compose our selves to meet everything or noth ing as the fates may have decided all right agreed darrow with unabated cheerfulness but el dredge and I 1 bad a little agreement or bet he bragged bed get this MOD aler X before I 1 did I 1 d like to know how he feels about bis end of it give laup eldradge looked at him I 1 have failed he acknowledged for mally from lack of time to carry out my investigation from lack of brains said darrow brutally as I 1 believe you once said in private conversation about my old master dr schermerhorn these things are remembered I 1 am delight ed to band this back to you he eyed eldradge the brilliant smile still curving his lips enough of this cried lyons with authority this is unseemly in the face of eternity darrow looked again at his watch we have still six minutes sir and this is an affair of long standing and on which I 1 feel deeply the score is settled he said with entire respect 1 I am now at your command I 1 had intended he went on in a frivolous tone again to kick to you on my gas bill it Is too large you as cespon elble head know it Is but somehow you know the presence here of you gentlemen has disarmed me you dont need to be here you all have the atles to get away here you are I 1 guess you can charge a dollar and a quarter for gaa it you want to he looked from one to another while he carefully wiped back the blood that was flowing from the little wound in his forehead eldradge acknowledges he has failed he repeated I 1 tall to see how you have am proved upon that failure snapped el dredge stung No queried darrow 1 I call hal lowell to witness that the game has been fair we bad an even start the data have been open to both he raised bis voice a little jackl he called immediately through the open door from the hall outside came jack warford leading by the arm a strange and nondescript figure it was that of a small bent old looking man dressed in a faded suit of brown his hair was thin and long and white bis face sharp and lean his gaze was fixed straight before him so that every one in the room at the same instant caught the glare of his eyes they were fixed those eyes like an owls or better a wildcats as though they never winked from the pupils which were very small the little light colored lines radiated across very large blue irises there was something bale ful and compelling in their glare so that hallowell cool customer as be was forgot immediately all about the man s littleness and and bent figure and was conscious only of the cruel clever watchful unrelenting hostile spirit As jack dragged him forward the others could see that one foot shambled along the floor gentlemen observed darrow in his most casual tones let mo present montleur Mone leur every one exclaimed at once above the hubbub came lyons voice clear and commanding the proof he thundered this is too serious a matter for buffoonery the proof percy darrow raised his hand through the roar of the maddened city the bell of the metropolitan tower was beginning its chimes by the third stroke the uproar had died almost away the people were standing still awaiting what might come the sweet toned chimes ceased there succeeded the pause then the great bell began to boom one two three tour five elx came its spaced and measured strokes the last reverberations sank away nothing happened percy darrow let his hand fall the proof he repeated Is that you are still here from the night outside rose a wild shriek of rejoicing stupendous overwhelming wh elming passionate balge sprang ackois the room release be shout ed fairly in sammons ear the spark crashed and at a dozen places elmul bulletins flashed at a dozen other points placarded pla carded balloons arose on which the searchlights played eo that people hesitating in their flight in thankfulness over finding themselves etall alive raised their eyes and read Mon leur X Is captured you are lafe at that a tumult arose a tumult of rejoicing darrow had sauntered to the win dow and was looking out from the great height of the atlas building he could see abroad over much of the city here and there like glowing planets hung tho balloons clever idea he observed im glad you thought of it ats hallowell was on his feet hla eyes shining I 1 ve got the only paper on the job he fairly shouted darrow as you love roe give me the story where was het where did you get him darrow turned from the window and sarcastically surveyed eldradge he was in the office next door said be after a moment CHAPTER sp IT the man next door when three hours previous darrow had arisen the remark before chronicled jack warford had followed him in the expectation of a long expedition to the young mans surprise it lasted just to the hall there dar row stopped before the blank door of an apparently unused into the lock of this he cautiously fitted a key manipulated it for a moment and turned to jack with an air of alon you have your gun with he asked jack patted bis outside pocket very well now lieten here I 1 am going to leave the key in the lock it you hear me whistle sharply get in as quickly as you know how and get to shooting shoot to kill it it happens to be dark and you can not make us out shoot both take no chances on your quickness and your accuracy may depend the lives of the whole city do you understand I 1 understand said jack steadily are you sure you can make yourself head above all this row darrow nodded and slipped inside the door he found the office chamber ed save by the subdued illumination gathered his last vitality in a tre effort to jerk loose that came in around the drawn shades of the window against the dimness he could just make out the gleaming of batteries in rows an ordinary deal table supported a wireless sender A figure stood before the darkened win dow the figure of a little old bent man facing as though looking out through the closed casement the roar of the panic stricken city sounded like a flood the old man was in the atti tude of one looking out intently once he raised both arms the fists clenched high above his head darrow stole forward as quietly as he could when he was about half way across the room the old man turned and saw him for the brief est instant he stared at the intruder then with remarkable agility cast himself toward the table on which stood the wireless sender darrow too sprang forward they met across the table darrow clutched the old mans wrists immediately began a desperate and silent trial of strength the old man developed an unexpected power the table lay between them prohibiting a closer grip inch by inch impelled by the mans iron will his hand forced his way toward the sending key dar row put forth all his strength to prevent there was no violent struggle no nolee simply the pressure of opposing forces gradually the eclen fists youth prevailed against the older mans desperation the hand creeping toward the sender came to a atop then all at once the older mans resistance collapsed entirely darrow swept his arm back stepped around the table and drew his opponent almost back to the window jack he called at the sound of bis voice the old man gathered his last vitality in a tremendous effort to jerk loose from his captor catching darrow un alares he almont succeeded in get ting free the |