Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 1 — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

oe : gently—anything at all, any word at all, my dear, which you think of first. I will hold this little horn over you to speak into. Do you understand?” The big eyes closed in assent. The others drew nervously nearer. Reiland took the receiving drum at the end of the second set of wires and held it before the girl’s lips. Trant picked up the mouth metals attached to the starting wires. “We may as well begin at once,” Trant said, as he seated himself beside the table which held the chronoscope and took a pencil to write upon a pad of paper the words he suggested, the words asso- ciated and the time elapsing. Then he put his mouthpiece between his lips. _ “Dress!” he enunciated clearly. The pendulum, released by the magnet, started to swing. The pointer swung beside it in an are along the scale. “Skirt!” Miss Lawrie answered, feebly, into the drum at her lips. The current caught the pointer instantaneously, and Trant noted the result thus: 1, dress—2.7 seconds—skirt. “Dog!” Trant spoke, and started the pointer again. “Cat!” the girl answered and stopped it. Trant wrote: 2, dog—2.6 seconds—cat. A faint smile appeared on the faces of Mr. Branower and Dr. Joslyn, but Reiland knew that his young assistant was merely establishing the normal time of Margaret’s associations through words without probable connection with any dis- turbance in her mind. “Home,” Trant said; and it was five and two- tenths seconds before he could write “father.” Reiland moved, sympathetically, but the other men still watched without seeing any significance in the time extension. Trant waited a moment. “Money!” he said, suddenly. Dr. Reiland watched the swing- ing pointer tremblingly. But “purse” from Mar- garet stopped it before it had registered more than her normal time for innocent associations. Money—2.7 seconds—purse. “Note!” Trant said, suddenly; and “letter” he - wrote again in two and six-tenths seconds. . ~~ ge we por Fa ya ah ee © a ee a - i ne ie 5 “4 “<> at = * .o Vy et ‘ a FS ~ —_ e Wea. te: - 2 a Steet “. Dr. Joslyn moved impatiently; and Trant brus- quely pulled his chair nearer the table. The chair legs rasped on the hard-wood floor. Margaret shiv- ered and, when Trant tried her with the next words, she merely repeated them. Dr. Joslyn moved again. “Cannot you proceed, Trant?” he asked. “Not unless we can make her understand again, sir,” the young man answered. “But I think, Dr. Joslyn, if you would show her what we mean—not merely try to explain again—we might go on. I mean, when I say the next word, will you take the mouthpiece from Dr. Reiland and speak into it some different one?” “Very well,” the President agreed, impatiently, “if you think it will do any good.” “Thank you!” Trant replaced his mouthpieces. “October!” He named the month just ended. The pointer started. ‘“Recitations!” the President an- swered in one and nine-tenths seconds. “Thank you. Now for Miss Lawrie, Dr. Rei- land!” “Steal!” he tried; and the girl associated “iron” in two and seyen-tenths seconds. ae a ~. oo sa THE MAN IN THE ROOM Gist yr pe ee Cy = sf aWent » i as * Fer eee Ae he Sg oo ~, arg ve #4: \ 2 oe PT * woe a ees 5 A eee ea, 49 “Good!” Trant exclaimed. “If you will show her again, I think we can go ahead. “Fourteenth!” he said to the President. Joslyn replied “fifteenth” in precisely two seconds and passed the drum back. All watched Miss Lawrie. But again Trant rasped carelessly his chair upon the floor and the girl merely repeated the next words. Reiland was un- able to make her understand. Joslyn tried to help. Branower shook his head skeptically. But Trant turned to him. “Mr. Branower, you can help me, I believe, if you will take Dr. Joslyn’s place. I beg your par- don, Dr. Joslyn, but I am sure your nervousness prevents you from helping now.” : een hee Get hesitated a moment, skeptically; then, smiling, acquiesced and took up the drum. Trant replaced his mouthpieces. “Blow!” he said. “Wind!” Branower answered, quietly. Trant mechanically noted the time, two seconds, for all were intent upon the next trial with the girl. “Books!” Trant said. “Library!” said the girl, now able to associate the different words, in her minimum time of two and a half seconds. ‘ “T think we are going again,” said Trant. “If you will keep on, Mr. Branower. Strike!” he ex- claimed, to start the pointer. “Labor trouble,” Branower returned in just under two seconds; and again he guided the girl. For “conceal” she an- swered “hide” at once. Then Trant tested rapidly this series: ta Margaret, conceal—2.6—hide. Branower, fall—2.1—autumn. Margaret, thief—2.8—-silver. Branower, twenty-fifth—4 :5—twenty-sixth. “Joslyn!” Trant tried an intelligible test word suddenly.. He had just suggested “thief” to the girl; now he named her father’s friend, the presi- dent of the university. But “friend” she was able to associate in two and six-tenths seconds. Trant sank back and wrote this series without comment: Margaret, Joslyn—2.6—friend. Branower, wife—4.4—Cora. Margaret, secret—2.7—Alice. Trant glanced up, surprised, considered a mo- ment, but then bowed to Mr. Branower to guide the girl again, saying “wound,” to which he wrote the reply “no,” after four and six-tenths seconds. Immediately Trant made the second direct and intelligible test. “Branower !” he shot, suggestively, to the girl; but “friend” she was again able to associate at once. As the moment before the President of the Trustees had glanced at Joslyn, now the President of the University nodded to Branower. Trant con tinued his list rapidly: Margaret, Branower—2.7—friend. Branower, letter-opener—4.9—desk. “Father!” Trant tried next. But from this there came no association, as the emotion was too deep. Trant, recognizing this, nodded to Mr. Branower to start the next test, and wrote: Margaret, father—no association. Branower, Harrison—5.3—Cleveland. Margaret, university—2.5—study. Branower, married—2.1—wife. ~~ comicbook 2 ‘572 ~~? “ : ‘ y Foe _c tio tees php” Cees fo ar, ea oe! = ee a ew as * rept: a ey shed Per A