Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

_—— HE MAN WHO MASTERED TIME. “ All the more reason why you ought to have me with you,” Georgie declared. “No. You see—well, I might never come back. And if I don’t, if I’m not coming in ten years—twenty years—you'll know it a month from now. Father has a paper from me which will explain all that.” “ What of it? Why shouldn’t I go along with you—” “No. Father will want to follow me, and I’m counting on you to join him.” Georgie was somewhat mollified. “ Oh! Sure Ill do that.” ‘ “ But not a word now?” “No. But, say, Loto, don’t bother to come back, will you? Give us a chance to come on after you.” Loto laughed. “ All right. Maybe I won’t come back. I'll count on you, any- way.” They shook hands solemnly. | “ You bet,” Georgie agreed. ‘‘ And give my regards to Azeela. You didn’t say you mentioned me to her.” “T didn’t. I was pretty busy. But I will, Georgie.” “ Right. Do that. Good luck, old man!” Within five minutes more Loto was again in the plane, with its cabin door closed upon him. Again that queer, insistent humming. The plane glowed phosphorescent—seem- ingly brighter now, for the lights of the in- closure had been extinguished. Then that translucency of the solid cabin walls and the huge, spreading wings; a fleeting instant when they seemed vapory—a shimmering mist dissolving into nothingness. Then only the memory that the plane had been there, but now was gone. In the starlight and gloom of the board inclosure the Big Business Man turned emo- tionally to his friends. “I wonder if I would dare make a trip in that—thing!” CHAPTER IX. THE MESSAGE. N evening in September. Loto had been gone a month. Almost con- stantly some one of his four friends, or his father or mother, had been about the rooftop. But the Frazia plane had not ap- 5 A | 705 peared; the board inclosure where it had rested was empty. The fear in Lylda’s eyes had grown daily almost into terror. But she had not spoken of it, and her husband’s consoling, hopeful words—couched sometimes in the seeming- ly cold, logical phrases of science—she had received with a brave, pathetic smile. The month of waiting—almost intermin- able to them all—had passed; and now, at Rogers’s request, they were again secluded in a private room of the club. Rogers sat by the center table, in the circle of illumina- tion of the electrolier, with a sheaf of pen- ciled script in his hand, and a torn en- velope beside him. The men were facing him, expectant. Lylda sat in the shadows near by, staring before her into vacancy. “A month,” Rogers was saying. “It has seemed longer. I opened Loto’s letter this afternoon—and then I telephoned to you all. Let me read you the message he left us.”’ He adjusted his horn rimmed spectacles. ‘The men stirred in their chairs; Georgie lighted a cigarette and began puffing at it vigorously. “It says: “ My FATHER AND MY FRIENDS: “When you read this I shall have been gone from your time world for thirty of its days. You will know that I am not coming back. Had I been forced to stay ten or twenty years of time as I would have lived them, I would still return to the exact evening—or be- fore it—on which you are-reading this letter. “That was my promise to you, father. The fact that I am not returned will let you know that probably I am never coming. “ Mamita must not worry, for I gave you another promise. When danger threatened me—or when I wanted your help—I would raise a light signal so that you coming after me might know exactly what point of time at which to stop your flight. * As I write this, now before leaving you, IT renew that promise. When I find I can- not return, I will raise a light from the south- eastern tip of the island. I will hold it in the sky for a day and a night. You will see it, if your time flight is slow enough, and I shall know that when I extinguish it you will be there. “ Tell mamita I shall not wait for danger, but anticipate it. You will see my light, no matter when I raise it. A year after I get there—or ten years—it will be no different to oO eomleinooks Eo t ay , 4 Db hy . Neb (seo. ]