Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 41 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION so utterly and hopelessly Phil left school with Gregory Simpson tagging along. He knew of no simple, direct way of getting rid of the eager child. “I’m doing variable star studies with my scope—would you like to see it now that I’ve got it painted ?” “How do you go about variable star studies?” Phil said, evasively. ““You can’t have very much equipment.” The boy brightened at the faint show of interest. ““We do them, though. Several of us kids. I’m doing Mira just now. What you do is try to compare it with the brightness of some star you already know.” “But Mira has been pre- cisely measured,”’ put in Phil. The boy frowned slightly, then brightened again. ““The observatory in Los Angeles always gives us Mira to start on. When you get good at it they give you a different one.” ““How accurate is your parabola ?” “Huh ye Phil fought his impatience. “How accurately did you figure your mirror?” “Oh, gee, Phil, I don’t know about that. My dad sent it in to the observatory and they said it was all right to go ahead with. Anyway, I don’t think it matters much on my mirror. The focal length is pretty long. Would you like to see it? I painted it up real slick...” “T’ve got to get home now, Greg. Maybe some other time.” Phil hurried on away from the boy. He suppressed a feel- ing of shame at the look of disappointment on the other boy’s face. He had just finished work- ing the absurdly simple water problem when his mother called him to the ’phone. “You won’t talk too long, will you, dear? Supper is nearly ready.” *“No, mother.” *“And, Phil——’”’ she _hesi- tated. ““We’d like you to stay in tonight.” He waited until she had disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. “Listen, Phil, something’s come up,” said the adolescent voice on the other end of the 132 cConmicbooks.coh