Life — March 3, 1910 — page 48: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

392 “EERE “What will happen to me if I try it?” “Nothing. I can tell instantly whether the adjustment is to0 great to make. Are you willing to try it?” Greenson sat for a moment in deep thought. “OF course,”’ he said, “you don’t know what the result is going to be?” “Not mentally, I will guarantee no physical danger. But if I am right about it, and I can place you in exact tune with old man Leterber, then you will be able to know his thoughts. You will follow him around mentally. It seems like magic, doesn't it? But it’s a perfectly natural and logical conse- quence. It isn't one whit more wonderful than wireless telegraphy or the phonograph. The human machine is a dynamo anyway. Of course I may be wrong—" Greenson got up “Go ahead!" he shouted. “I'm perfectly willing. I have the utmost confidence in you.” He stepped forward into the instrument in obedience to Thornbur's directions. The doctor wound around his body a complete metal network, with meshes almost as fine as a mosquito bar “Don’t have the slightest fear,” he said smilingly. He turned on a switch. The machine began to hum quietly to itself. “Any inconvenience?” “ Yes—a little.” “ That's because you are slightly different in your vibratory sphere from Leterber. Now you will begin to feel more in- convenience as I increase the current. How is that? Can you stand it?’* “T can stand it.” “Good! You sce I was right. near to him you couldn't have stood it more.”* “All right gether. said. “That's all. But, relax, man, relor! Don't fight it. Give in to it. You have got to stand treble the charge.* Just give up and don’t be worried. I'm watching you.” If you hadn't been fairly Now, old man, here's Go ahead."’ Greenson snapped teeth to- You are just fitting me to him, aren't you?’’ he Three hours later Greenson, lying on a lounge in the doctor’s office, opened his eyes slowly and looked around him puzzled, “What have you been doing to me?’ he asked. Thurnbur, his hand on his pulse, explained “T gave you a succession of charges first,"” he said; “then I put you to sleep hypnotically. While you were asleep I charged the air around you, that’s all. It’s perfectly simple. How do you feel?" “All right. A trifle stupid, maybe.” urally. You see a process of readjustment has been going on, and—" In spite of himself Thornbur’s voice trembled. The crisis had come. He hardly dared to go on. ‘Ten years’ constant work lay in the balance. But his scientific temperament, long ago inured to disappointment, came to his aid. Very gently he began again. “You remember,” he said, “perfectly the object of all this?” ” Perfectly.” Greenson’s brows were knotted together. He knew what he had to do, and he was trying to do it. His keen mind was reaching out over miles of space. Suddenly he jumped into a sitting posture. “Ha!l’’ he cried. “Yes, yes! By Jove! There you are, old fellow—Great Scott—playing shuffleboard—in the room of your country house—Heavens! you missed. What did you do it for? You could have made that shot. Too hard! Too hard! There you go again. Thornbur waited to hear no more. He rushed into the other room. He grabbed the telephone. He shouted out the number of Leterber’s country house to the central. A pause “Hello! * came a faint voice. “Hello! Is this Mr. Leterber’s residence?" “Yes, sir. Who is this? "* “This is Dr. Thornbur. Is Mr. Leterber there?” . * came back the faint voice. “He is playing “Yes, sir,” shuffleboard down stairs. Wait a— Thornbur did not wait. He jabbed back the receiver and rushed into the other room. Greenson, almost as excited as himself, was criyng out like a madman. ‘There you go again,” he was saying. “Another miss. Hello, there. Your man comes in. You are wanted on the telephone. It's Doctor Thornbur. Ha— “Stop him!’ exclaimed Thornbur. “Will him not to come. I merely wanted to see if it was all right. Victory!” “Tcan't,"” cried Greenson. “I can’t control a will like that, man! All I can do is to follow him.” “Well, that’s cnough, old fellow,’’ groaned Thornbur, his voice freighted with joy. At this moment the telephone rang. Thornbur told Leter- ber he merely rang him up to learn how he was feeling A little later they talked it over quietly from the business standpoint. “You sce,”’ said Thornbur in conclusion, “it’s really very simple. You follow him. Pretty soon you are bound to learn something to our advantage. He is constantly attending di- rectors’ meetings and controlling the market with a few pals. You'll hear all right. But when you do let me know at once. Don’t do anything without consulting me.” “There is nothing wrong about it, is there?’ he asked Greenson. “How can there be anything wrong? All you do is to take advantage of his knowledge. You harm no one. Re- member, call me up the moment you hear anything.”’” “Good! I'l do it.” They shook hands cordially, and Greenson went out and home. But not to the commonplace life he had been leading He was now in close touch with the leading financial spirit of the age. : Nearly two days passed. Dr. Thornbur, going about his accustomed duties, was more preoccupied than usual. He was iting, waiting for news. At twelve o'clock on the second day it came. phone rang and with a kind of prescience that Greenson he sprang to the box. “This you, old man?'? came Greenson’s voice. aye “Welly I've got something for you. per.”” “Is that from headquarters?" From the real fountain head. Only one other man knows it. They decided to do it an hour ago. They are going to push up the stock twenty points, and right away. There's no time to lose. I just called you up to let you know. I'm going to buy a thousand shares at once.”” “Good!” cried Thornbur. “ But, say!” vas" “Is that for your account?" “Yes. I'll put it through my broker and we'll divide up. You're busy and you needn't bother. It will be all right.”’ “The old man said so for sure, did he?” “Absolutely. I know. You know that I know. Well, I'm off.” “ All right. Go ahead, and if you want any margin——" “Not necessary. Good-by."” Greenson, hurrying from the telephone, made his way to his broker's, where he executed his commission, buying a thousand shares of Crucible Copper, at 89%. Then, happy in heart, he went off to get his luncheon. Tt was, indeed, a great sensation. All he had to do was by a slight effort of his will to place himself in harmony with Leterber. It was hard to explain. It wasn’t exactly visual, but he seemed to be an unconscious part of the old multimHhonaire. He entered his thoughts. He knew what the old man was thinking. It was an absorbing occupation. Au hour later he strolled over to the ticker. Crucible Copper was down to 85. He experienced a sudden chill. Was there something wrong? He couldn't make it out. He made the effort and as with Leterber again. But it was on a golf links. The old man was in a bunker and having a hard time to get out. (Continued on page 411) The tele- was from Buy Crucible Cop- comicbooks.com