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Show iVS&C' BLAZED T?AL. ' SYNOPSIS. Vrrcj Dfurow, young scientist in -irch of a Job. enters the office of S -Boss" McCarthy of New York. Mo-' Mo-' artliy has Just been threatened by an umnymous message ordering him to flee T a Europe. He does not take the mes- I I nun seriously. Darrow goes up the II devttor to try for a position with Dr. Knox Suddenly the electric apparatus the Atlas building goes out of business. busi-ness. Experts are unable to locate the iwible. All at once, without apparent eason. electric connections are restored. 1. tie next evening McCarthy Is warned Jiat unless he leaves at once for Europe illi l i'Sn will be sent him at six. Prompt-t Prompt-t at that hour the entire electric apparatus appar-atus of New York Is cut off. Percy Dar- - vw thinks he has a clue He engages it lie help of Jack Warford. a college ath- 3ll ete. They visit McCarthy and offer to un down the cause of his mysterious rii rouble. McCarthy has Just recenved an-her an-her warning by wireless. At six a leathlv stillness falls on the Atlas bulldog bulld-og blotting out all sound. Darrow Is irrested as he leaves the building. He s undisturbed because he believes he is )0 the right track and that another por-ynt por-ynt will appear at six. This time the n thole town is thrown Into darkness and P Ul hearing suspended. Under cover of e confusion Darrow escapes from jail, darkness hits the Atlas building In broad '31, lavlighL Prof. Eldridge. the noted scientist, sci-entist, becomes interested in the phenom- "lfl (na. Darrow's theory Is that the man (d rho is sending the warnings has dls-wvered dls-wvered some force by which he can cut ' 01 trough the vibrations of electricity, light :.. ind sound. McCarthy has disappeared. Darrow places Eldridge in possession of d. ill the facts In the case and of his own iieories in relation thereto and challen- )u-i M him to solve the mystery. its CHAPTER XIII. Continued. "Stay," he decided at last. "I'll bet JY; Bore than my life that I'm right," he muttered. "Now," he continued, a 5. trifle more briskly, "be prepared for Ireworks. Unless I'm very much mis-taken mis-taken this little old town Is going variously va-riously and duly to be stood on its lead at odd times soon. That's the , ray I size It up. Don't be frightened; lon't get caught unprepared. I think ire've had the whole bag of tricks. At j ilmost any moment we're likely to be ' :ut off from all electricity, all sound. r all light never more than one at a time. I imagine we shall have ample earning, but perhaps not. In any case, i lon't be frightened. It's harmless in jj itself. Better stay home nights. You Q jean reassure your friends if you want i to; but on no account get my name in J this. If I am quoted, It will do incalculable in-calculable harm," ' "Why not tell the public that it is karmless?" demanded Helen. "Think ,r; Jf the anxiety, the accidents, the gen- i line terror It would save." I Darrow rose slowly to go. He walk-r- sd quite deliberately over to Helen, flind faced her for a moment In si- ' lence. "Helen," he said impressively at last, A 1 have talked freely with you be- :auae I felt I could trust you. Believe Be-lieve me, I know the exigencies of this I :aae better than you do; and you must Jbey me in what I Bay. I am speaking 'ery seriously. If you allow your lympathies to act on the very limited rnowledge you possess, you will prob-ibly prob-ibly bring about Incalculable harm. Ke walk in safety only while we stick to the path. If you try to act in any sse on what your judgment or your lympathies may advise, and without insulting me, you may cause the city, toe people, and all that you know or re for to be blotted out of existence. Do you understand? Do you believe 1 ne?" ) "I understand; I believe you," re-; re-; ?eated the girl a trifle faintly. Harrow left without further cere-i cere-i "ony. Helen stood where he had left er on the rug, staring after him, a i e expression in her eyes. She had r mown Percy Darrow for many years, "ways she had appreciated his intel-but intel-but deprecated what she had con-"Wered con-"Wered Mb indolence, his Boftness of haracter, his tendency to let things mft. For the first time she realized jt not Invariably do manners make e man. CHAPTER XIV. The Fear of Danger. Before leaving the houBe, Darrow ' ,Ufflnwned Jack Warford. 'Come on, old bulldog," said he. ' J0ure to live with me a while now. ; ,n game Is closing down." ; jg!117'" 8aid Jack. "I'll pack a suit lown!8 11 d0De f0F y0U' and Bent j n to my place. We must hustle ' " e Atlas Building now." 8 doine?" asked Jack, as they """led a surface car. . D8lutely nothing for uome time ! aP8- But we must be ready. And the waiting will be amusing, I promise you that." When they arrived at the Atlas Building Darrow was surprised to find Simmons already in charge of the office "Thought you were on night duty?" said he. "I am," replied Simmons curtly. "But judging by what you said this morning, I considered I'd better be on the job myself." "Good boy," approved Darrow. "J see I've made no mistake in you. Just stick it out twelve hours more, and we'll have it settled. Anything more?" Simmons thrust a message across the table. Darrow took it quite calmly. At this moment Hallowell entered. "What time did this come?" asked Darrow, nodding to the reporter. "At twelve thirty." Darrow nodded twice with great satisfaction. sat-isfaction. Then quite deliberately he unfolded the paper and perused its contents. Without change of expression he handed it to Hallowell. The latter read aloud: "To the People: A traitor is among you one who has betrayed you. one and all. but whom you cherish to your bosoms bos-oms as a viper. I. who am greater than you all. have laid my commands upon him. and he has seen fit to disobey. He is now in hiding among you. This man must be produced. I would not willingly harass you. but this, my will, must be carried out. If he la not found by six tomorrow to-morrow a sign will be sent to you that you may believe. I am patient, but I must be obeyed." "No, what do you think of that!" cried Hallowell: "He doesn't even mention the name of his friend to the dear people who are to hunt him down! Fine dope!" Darrow's face expressed a sleepy satisfaction. He stretched his arms and yawned. "You might supply the deficiency," he suggested. "Well," he remarked to Jack, "that settles it. Everything's running like a catboat In a fair wind. He's in communication with us; he is gaining confidence in his inflated imaginary importance; we are to have a continuance of his peculiar activities; activi-ties; and we can put our hands on him at a moment's notice." "What!" shouted Hallowell and Jack Warford, leaping to their feet. "Where is he?" demanded the reporter. re-porter. "How do you know?" cried Jack. Simmons, his head-piece laid aside, looked up at him in silent curiosity. "It is sufficient for now that I do know," smiled Darrow. "As for how I know, that last wireless proved It to me." All three men immediately bent over the message for a detailed perusal. "The Danger Isn't the Point It's the Fear of Danger." After a minute's scrutiny, Hallowell looked up in disappointment. "Too many for me," he confessed. "What is there in that?" But Darrow shook his head. "I play my own same," was all the explanation he would vouchsafe. "You may as well knock off, old man," he told Simmons. "I don't think there'll be anything more doing tonight; to-night; and it doesn't matter if there is. Tell your other man to jot down anything any-thing from that sending, if any corns. Now," he turned to Hallowell, "I want to see your manajing editor." The three took the subway to City Hall Square. The managing editor received Darrow with much favor as the vehicle of a big scoop brought in far enough ahead of going to press to permit of ample time for its development. develop-ment. "Now, Mr. Curtis," said Darrow to this man, "this is going to be an interesting in-teresting week for you. Here's you last exclusive dispatch. From tomorrow tomor-row morning every paper in town will naturally get every wireless that comes in." "H'm," observed Curtis, reading the dispatch. "What next?" "He'll fulfil his threat. Tomorrow evening at six o'clock he will stop the vibrations either of light, of electricity, or of sound probably of electricity, as he has appointed the rush hour." "Most likely," Curtis agreed. "Warn the people to keep out of the subway, and not to get scared. Take it easy. There's no danger. Explain why in words of one syllable." "Sure." "Now, this is what I'm here for. Up to now these manifestations have been harmless In their direct effects. But follow the hypothesis to its logical conclusion. Suppose this man can arrest ar-rest the vibrations not only of light and sound, but also of the third member mem-ber of the vibratory trinity. Suppose he should go one step farther; and. even for the barest fraction of time, should be able to stop the vibrations of heat!" The managing editor half rose. As the idea in its full significance gained hold on their imaginations the three men turned to stare blankly at one another. "That is annihilation!" Curtis whispered. whis-pered. "On a wholesale scale," agreed Darrow Dar-row calmly. "It means the death of every living thing from the smallest insect to the largest animal, from the microbe to the very lichens on the stones of Trinity. I agree with the way you look." Ha laughed a little. "But the case isn't so bad as it sounds," he went on. "If the crust of the earth were to collapse, that would be annihilation, too. But it isn't likely to happen. There are several things to think of." "What, for the love of Pete!" gasped Curtis. "Any small efforts at muckraking muck-raking this refrigerator trust would be thankfully received." "In the first place, as you know," explained Darrow, "his power seems to be limited in certain directions. He apparently ap-parently can stop vibrations only of certain cer-tain defined wave-lengths at one time. It may be that he is unable to stop heat vibrations at all." "You'll have to do better than that,' growled Curtis. "The reBt is faith on your part," replied Darrow. "For I'll guarantee that even if Monsieur X has this power, pow-er, I'll stop him before he exercises it" "Guarantee?" inquired Curtis. "There's nothing to prevent my moving mov-ing to California or Mombassa if I thought myself in any danger here," Darrow pointed out. "It would be very easy for me quietly to warn my friends and quietly do the grand sneak." "True," muttered Curtis, rummaging on his desk for a pipe. "The danger isn't the point it's the fear of danger," said Darrow. Curtis looked up, arresting the operation of crowding the tobacco into the pipe bowl. "Suppose that throughout the length and breadth of this city the idea should be spread broadcast that at any given moment It might be destroyed. destroy-ed. Can you imagine the effect?" "Immediate exodus," grinned Curtis. Cur-tis. "Immediate Is a nice dignified word," he added. "Quite so, and then?" "Eh?" "What in blazes would four million city people without homes or occupations occupa-tions do? Where would they go? What would happen?" "You see what I mean," went on Darrow, after the slight pause necessary neces-sary to let this sink in. "The fear would bring about a general catastrophe catastro-phe only less serious than the fact itself. It's up to you newspaper men to see that they don't catch this fear. There'll be a hundred letters from foxy boys with Just enough logic or imagination to see the possibility of cutting oft the furnace; but without Imagination enough to get the final effect of telling people about it. Suppress Sup-press it. Unless I'm mistaken, the affair will be over In a week." Curtis drummed thoughtfully on his desk. "It's got to be done, and It will be done," he said at last. "I'll get to every paper in the city tonight if it costs us our scoop." "But won't the people who write the letters tell about it, anyway?" asked Jack. "And won't the outside papers have the same stuff?" I "Sure," agreed Curtis promptly, "but what isn't in the city press doesn't get to the mass of the public; that's a cinch. There will be some thousands or even tens of thousands who will leave; there'll be rumors a-plenty; there'll be the damnedest row since .he Crusades but the people will stick. I'm taking your word for the danger." "Well, I'm the hostage," Darrow reminded re-minded him. "Correct," said Curtis, reaching for he desk telephone. Hallowell followed the visitors to the narrow hall. "Now," said Darrow in parting, "remember "re-member what I have Bald. Don't mention men-tion my name nor indicate that there is anywhere an Idea that the identity or whereabouts of Monsieur X is by anybody suspected. CHAPTER XV. The Master Speaks Again. Having thus detailed rather minutely minute-ly the situation in which the city and the actors in its drama found themselves, them-selves, it now becomes necessary to move the action forward to the point where the moneyed interests took a hand In the game. That was brought about in somewhat some-what more than fifty hours. In the meantime the facts as to vibrations vi-brations were published in all the papers; the dispatches and the relations rela-tions between McCarthy and Monsieur X exclusively in the Despatch to that organ's vast satisfaction and credit; and the possibilities of tragedy In none. This latter fact was greatly to the credit of a maligned class of men. It Is common belief that no cause Is too sacred or no consequence too grave to give pause to the editorial rapacity for news. The present instance disproved dis-proved that supposition. No journal, yellow or otherwise, contained a line of euggestion that anything beyond annoyance was to be feared from these queer manifestations. The consequences on a mixed population popu-lation like that of New York were very peculiar. The people naturally divided themselves into three classes. In the first were those who had received re-ceived their warning from logic, Thousands Upon Thousands Left the City. friends, or the outside world; and who either promptly left town or, being be-ing unable to do bo, lived in fear. In the Becond were all that numerous body who, neurasthenlcally unbalanced unbal-anced or near the overbalance, shut instinctively the eyes of their reason and glowed with a devasting and fanatical fa-natical religious zeal. Among these, so extraordinarily are we constituted, almost immediately grew up various sects, uniting only In the belief that the wrath of God was upon an iniquitous iniqui-tous people. By far the largest class of all, com prising the every-day busy bulk of the people, were those who accepted the thing at its face value, read Its own papers, went about its business, and spared time to laugh at the absurdities absurdi-ties or growl at the inconveniences of the phenomena. With true American adaptability, it speedily accustomed itself to both the expectation of, and the coping with, unusual conditions. It went forth about its daily affairs; It started for home a little early In order to get there in season; it eschewed es-chewed subways and theaters; It learned learn-ed to wait patiently, when one of the three blights struck its world, as a man waits patiently for a shower to pass. This class, as has been said, was preponderantly in the majority, but its mass was being constantly diminished as a little knowtedge of danger seeped Into its substance. News of the possible pos-sible catastrophe passed from mouth to mouth; a world outside, waiting aghast at such fatuity, began to get in Its messages. Street-corner alarmists alarm-ists talked to such as would listen. Thousands upon thousands left the city. Hundreds of thousands more, tied hard and fast by the strings of necessity, waited in an hourly growing dread. "The "sign" had been sent promptly at six o'clock, as promised. It proved Darrow's prediction by turning out to be a stoppage of the electrical systems. sys-tems. This time it lasted only half an hour long enough to throw the traffic and transportation into confusion. confu-sion. It was followed at short intervals inter-vals by demonstrations in light and sound; none was of long duration. After the first few, their occurrence came freakishly, in flushes, as though the hidden antagonist delighted in con ' fusing his immense audience. The' messages he sent over the wireless lu the Atlas Building grew more and more threatening and grandiose. They demanded Invariably that McCarthy should be Bought out and delivered uj' to a rather vaguely described vea-geance; vea-geance; and threatened with dire ca-' lamities all the inhabitants of . Man hattan if the Unknown's desireB were' not fulfilled. These threats grew more-definite more-definite In character as time went on- The effect of all this in the long: run was, of course, confusion and in' stability. People laughed or cursed; but they also listened and reasoned. Gradually, throughout the city, dread was extending the blackness of its terror. ter-ror. A knowledge that would have caused a tremendous panic if it had been divulged suddenly now gave birth to a deep-seated uneasiness. Where the panic would have torn-men torn-men up by the roots and flung them In terrorized mobs through the con--gested ways and out into the inhospitable inhos-pitable country, the uneasiness of dread held them cowering at their ac-' customed tasks. They were afraid; but they had had time to think, and-they and-they realized what it would mean to leave their beloved or accustomed or necessary city, as the case might be-And be-And it must be remembered that the definite knowledge of what might bo-feared bo-feared was not yet disseminated among them. But this attitude hurt business, and business struck back. The subways-were subways-were practically deserted; the theaters empty; the accumstomed careless life of the Great White Way thinned; the streams of life slackened. Furthermore, Further-more, the intelligent criminal immev-diately immev-diately discovered that ideal shields were being provided him gratis behind which to conduct his crimes. In the-silence the-silence a man could blow out the side-of side-of & bank building with impunity, pro-vided pro-vided only he kept out of sight. Is the darkness he could pilfer at will, with only the proviso that he forget not his gum shoes. The possibilities of night crime when electricity lack have already been touched upon. To meet unusual conditions the people peo-ple individually and collectively rose to heights of forgotten ingenuity. The physical life of a city is so well established es-tablished that the average city dweller grows out of the pioneer virtue of adaptability. Now once more these-people these-people were forced to meet new and untried conditions, to guard against new dangers, new opposing forces. In. an incredibly short space of time they grew out of aimless panic. They learned learn-ed to sit tight; to guard adequately their lives, their treasure, and even to" a certain extent their time against undue un-due loss. In the meantime the moneyed powders powd-ers had been prompt to act. They did not intend to stand idly while their" pockets were being picked by unto--ward circumstances; nor did they in tend to continue Indefinitely the unusual un-usual expenditures necessary to guard-themselves guard-themselves against even a greater loss As there seemed to be two men to find, they employed the best of detectives de-tectives to search for McCarthy; and Professor Eldridge, as the greatest living expert, to hunt down the Unknown. Un-known. Thus unexpectedly Eldridg found himself with definite backing ia his strange duel with Darrow. It is now desirable to place before" the reader samples of the messages; sent by Monsieur X and received inv the wireless office of the Atlas Build' ing, after which we can proceed ones' more to follow out the sequence of events. "To the People: The sign has been sent you. You must now believe. The traitor' is among you, and you must hunt him down. This is your sacred duty, for 1, your master, have laid it upon you.". That was one of the first. After . round dozen of similar import, ther" came this: "To the People: I. your master, am displeased dis-pleased with you. The visitations of dark-ness dark-ness and of silence have been sent, but:-you but:-you have heeded little. I doubt not tha ye search, as I have commanded, but yoifc do not realize to the full your sacred ob ligation. You go abjut your business andi' you carry on your affairs. Your business' and your affairs are not so Important a these, my commands. Beware lest you-draw you-draw down the wrath of the Lord" Anointed. I am patient with your ignor--ance: but give heed." The last at present to which your' attention is called came just before the events to be detailed: "To the People: Your time is drawing: short. You are a stubborn and a stiff necked generation. My patience Is ebbing ebb-ing away. You have been shown Jh power of my right hand, and you hav gone your accustomed, ways. .You hav defied the might of the liight Hand of God. Now I will lay on you my commands. com-mands. You must seek out Apollyon and deliver him even into my hands, and that shortly. 1 shall be patient yet a little" while longer, for I know that you grop ' in darkness and have not the light th.t shines upon me. But soon I shall strike." (TO BE CONTINUED.) |