Page:Amazing Stories Volume 10 Number 13.djvu/129

Rh to be able to leave this industrially subsidized group of so-called educators for more pleasant fields. Of course I do not like the intimation that I am suffering a mental lapse,—that my mind has failed me. I feel that remark by the Dean was uncalled for."

"But you will spend the summer in the North?" Alan might have admitted that he was more interested in Mary Howell than in either work or world cataclysms.

Dr. Howell laughed: "Of course, Mary has planned for the summer vacation and we must not disappoint her. But at the same time I have some plans,—that is if you care to work with me in my laboratory there. The General Power Company plan to have their Cosmic Ray generator in operation by fall, and I have a feeling that soon after they start all will not be well with the world."

"Why, I'll be glad to help you out, Doctor," Alan was eager at this new chance.

"Thanks, Alan. There is much to be done, and we must have our work completed before the generator is placed in operation,—if we intend to survive. I am very much afraid, that after all, I am more interested in living than in protecting the world, or in saving it from destruction."

LAN had been impressed with the serious words of Dr. Howell, but now, after a summer of hard work intermingled with doubts, he sometimes questioned the wisdom of the scientist. And Mary Howell's present doubt of her father's sanity was a blow which left him sick at heart. But his loyalty prevailed and he elected to stay until the finish.

Labor Day came and the World awoke, rubbed its sleepy eyes to a sudden realization that this was to be the Day of Days in Science. For at twelve o'clock noon, the President of the Nation would speak a few words of praise for those scientists who had made this thing possible, then press the magic button which would officially place in operation the huge Cosmic Ray generator at Niagara Falls. Vast gatherings of people were scheduled where loud speaker systems could be used to carry the messages of the "great ones" to the gaping populace. Truly, this must be made a day long to be remembered as another great milestone of economic progress.

Though celebrations were the order of the day, the four people composing the little group on the Crawling Stone, perhaps alone of all those in the entire world, sat waiting tensely for the coming of the zero hour of noon. Dr. Howell had returned only the day before, defeated and a self-confessed failure. The learned Council of Science had considered his figures briefly,—and turned them down cold. But in spite of all, the scientist appeared relieved; the mental strain had gone and in its place was an outwardly calm acceptance of this bitter decree of the fickle Goddess of Fate.

"But you haven't told us about your trip, Frank," Mrs. Howell sought to break the growing ominous silence.

"There isn't much to tell, Eleanor," replied Dr. Howell. "Nothing happened outside of my visit to the Council. They received me pleasantly enough and listened to my statement of unpublished facts, the results of this summer's work. I just left my calculations and the formulas I used, there with them, and later they notified me that further consideration of the matter was useless."

"Did you see Dean Furner?"

"No, he didn't come to the Council