by C. N. and A. M. Williamson

“ As the night wore on, to the selfish but infinite relief of the Editor, telegrams began to arrive confirming in the fullest particulars the details which Stafford had supplied the night before. Refugees fleeing to the sea-coast and into neighbouring States carried with them wild tales of a savage uprising of the oppressed blacks, of an awful revenge that was being taken for bloody acts of Lynch-law. United States troops were moving with all speed to the scene; but precise facts were difficult to obtain owing to the continued interruption of the wires. ”

“ Next morning the Editor waked at an unusually early hour with all his faculties on the stretch. Sitting up in bed, he opened the Thunderer and read the few cautious words in a conspicuous position of the middle page: "As we go to press a rumour reaches us of a rising of negroes in some of the Southern States of the Union, accompanied by sanguinary acts of violence. It is said that the rebellion has been long planned and has already attained alarming dimensions. The rumour is unconfirmed, and we publish it with all reserve." ”

“ The Editor looked at the young man critically through his pince-nez. "My sole objection to you personally is that you are mad," he replied.
"A number of persons who eventually proved successful were called mad in their time," returned Mr. Stafford.
"They happened to be geniuses."
The young man smiled at the emphasis.
"If you were not mad, and if you had an income of ten thousand a year, you might come to me again and ask for my daughter," said the Editor of the Thunderer. "Then, I should be inclined to give you a different answer. You cannot cite such an income?" ”

“ Midnight came and no Stafford. The "chief" made excuses for stopping late at the office, but at length he had to go home with a vague sense of flatness and disappointment. He was annoyed with himself for his neglect in not having secured the mysterious young man's address when he called last, though, of course, it would not have done to seem anxious; and he visited his annoyance on the assistant-editor.
Another day passed and still Stafford made no sign. A halfpenny daily published a bit of exclusive news, and the great man asked himself if the finger of his discharged "sub" was in it. ”

“ Still, almost anything eccentric might he credited of Robert Stafford. The great man glanced at his watch. "I have still five minutes, which I can spare you with pleasure," he said. "After that, I am afraid——"
"Five minutes will do, sir," said the young man. "It is a mere question of 'yes' or 'no.' I want to marry your daughter."
"Good heavens, you must be out of your senses!" exclaimed the Editor.
"If to be very much in lore is to be out of one's senses, I plead guilty."
"Good heavens!" remarked the Editor again. "What confounded business is this? ”

“ I have invented a new coherer" (he touched a small upright brass case, with an elaborate net-work of vibrating wires) , "and with this I can receive, practically instantaneously, electric impulses transmitted from no matter what distance. The conversion of the electric impulses into visible writing is, of course, simplicity itself."
"Still, I don't understand," said the Editor. "The electric impulses don't reach you by chance. Someone must transmit them, and by a machine similar to this. Am I not right?" ”

“ When the commissionaire had left them alone Stafford asked permission to lock the door, which was granted. "You know all about Marconi?" he said, with his hand on the box. "Well, I've gone one better, that's all."
[ Illustration: "THE EDITOR, CURIOUSLY EXCITED, FOUND HIMSELF PEERING AT AN APPARATUS OF INTRICATE PARTS." ]
He lifted the lid from the box, and the Editor, curiously excited, found himself peering at an apparatus of intricate parts, with coiled wires, springs, and an automatic printing-machine like that of the familiar "ticker." ”

“ Into the midst of this mood came a messenger with a card. The Editor looked at it impatiently. "Stafford, Stafford," he repeated twice before the name took a particular meaning for him. When it did, he flung the card aside with an uncomplimentary exclamation.
"Confound his impudence," he muttered. "Like the fellow's cheek to come at all, especially at this time of night when he knows I'm busiest. Go, tell this gentleman"—to the messenger—"that I can't see him."
"Yes, sir," responded the messenger. "He said his business was very urgent, sir, or I wouldn't have——"
"Hang his business ”

“ Poison is suspected, but it will probably be given out that death was the result of a stroke. The news will he kept from the people in Constantinople for some hours, and it won't get over the wires to London until the Thunderer and all the other papers have gone to press. No morning paper—except yours, now that I've told you—can print the news, though of course to-morrow's evening papers will have it. ”

“ With a quick knock the messenger returned. "They can only take the cable at your risk, sir," he announced. "There's some unexplained interruption at the other end." The Editor dismissed him with a nod, rose to the full height of his imposing figure, and faced his visitor.
"Your extraordinary story seems so far confirmed," he said. "Kindly give me some further particulars."
"I do not know many details yet," was the quiet answer, "though further information will reach me soon. I can only tell you that the blacks are well armed, that there has been fighting in the streets in many places ”

“ He took a swift cab, drove direct to Marlborough House, and was astonished into speechlessness on being assured that the happy event had undoubtedly happened, in the course of the preceding night, at about the hour of half-past eleven, English time, adding that the King had been waked soon after one in the morning to have the telegram handed to him. ”

“ They first seized the telegraph offices and cut the wires——"
"Then, if the wires were cut to begin with, how can you know anything of what has taken place?" The Editor leaned forward and glared severely at the young man as he launched his crushing question. "Come, come, sir; this won't do! You go too fast! ”