Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

776 matter. Anything faster than four thou- sand waves per second gets right past metal—” ‘Listen, George,” Leonard interrupted impatiently. “Whereas,” George went on placidly, ‘anything slower than fifty waves to the second fails to record at all. But the hu- man ear—”’ ‘Damn the human ear. Listen, George! Look’t the blue of that evening sky out there, just behind that chimney—”’ “Nothing unusual,” George grunted aiter a glance out of the window. ‘“ The air envelope, in a city especially, is particu- larly heavy at this time with particles of dust and soot and the consequent refraction of light’s rays—”’ sg “Don’t you see the resemblance?” Leonard persisted. ‘““ Resemblance?” “Yes. Doesn’t it remind you of any- thing?” “Tt reminds me it’s pretty near dinner time, Len—”’ ‘“Listen! That blue! Isn’t that exactly the shade of the blue in her eyes?” ‘““ Her eyes?” George blinked. “Yes! Beatrice’s eyes.” “ How should I know, Len? Well, as I was saying, you can see what a pretty little problem I was up against. It was a ques- tion, right off the bat, of finding some sub- stitute for the diaphragm Edison developed —something non-metallic and capable—”’ Leonard raised his hand. ‘‘ Hush, George —listen!” George craned his neck. he whispered hoarsely. ‘‘ A strain of music somewhere, just a bar or two. It reminded me so much of her voice. You noticed her voice, didn’t you, George?” George turned snappish. “I don’t hear anything that sounds like her voice—or anybody’s voice,” he said. ‘I can hear a man yelling strawberries, and a truck back- firing, and the ‘L’ trains down in the next block—”’ ‘Perhaps it was only Leonard murmured. ‘“ Her voice haunts me often when I sit here alone. Did you hear her sigh, George, that funny, whim- “ What is it?” imagination,” 4 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, sical little sigh of hers, running down ‘a scale like Pan piping on his reeds—”’ “Hell, no! I didn’t hear her sigh.” “Well, anyway, you heard her laugh, didn’t you?” “Yes, I did.” George turned red with indignation. ‘And I’m darned if I can see what she was laughing at. To my mind there’s nothing funny about a man explain- ing the theory of capillary attraction, espe- cially when the man happens to be some- thing of an accepted authority.” “You mean to tell me her laugh didn’t thrill you!” Lester exclaimed. George shook his head. ““ Now,” he said firmly, “ if you’re done with cross-examining me about this wom- an’s giggling and sighing and breathing and the color of her eyes, maybe you'll let me tell you something that might be some use to you. Having discarded the idea of the metal diaphragm completely, I began scout- ing around in the newer field of electric currents in the hope of finding—” “IT beg your pardon, George,” Leonard broke in earnestly. ‘‘ Just hush a minute, will you?” George swallowed “ Well, what now?” “‘T heard a footfall upon the stair—” “ T hear it—” Leonard shook his head slowly, his ani- mation dying out. “I thought for just a second it was hers! But I’d know her step in a million. It’s kind of different—sounds his indignation. like music—-” ‘Sounds like music!” George echoed. He took off his spectacles, polished them, replaced them, and looked at Leonard long and earnestly. ‘Say, how long has this been going on?” he snorted. ‘What, George?”’ “This hearing things. This sitting around and hearing things that don’t hap- pen—like this woman’s voice and her laugh and her footfall—” “Huh? Oh, I don’t know—” George grasped his friend and shook him. ‘‘ Leonard, answer me. What’s your sales’ record for this last month?” Leonard stared at him dreamily. His mind was on something else—that was plain to see. He bent his head as if to listen im) GComichbooks (S@)