Air Wonder Stories, July 1929 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

50 AIR WONDER STORIES “T’ve heard he is a doctor of some sort. Let's see—his name is Lawson or Larson as I remember it, He has lived here for years—was here when (franscontinental installed this airport and beacon.” “He must be a radio amateur,” spoke up Tillot- son, from the rear seat. “See that erection of wires between those masts? That is just the kind of rig my brother is always experimenting with on some of the short wave bands.” Boyer was deliberately climbing out of the ma- chine. “I’m going over and talk to him if he’s home; maybe he has noticed something funny about the light.” Doctor Lawson H® companions followed, helping each other through the fence by holding the strands of wire apart. The place appeared to be deserted as they approached, but Boyer crossed the low porch and knocked loudly upon the door. The impatient pilot rapped again, more insistently, when he was startled by a voice behind him. “What do you wish, please?” The three turned and beheld a grey haired old man, of less than medium height. He was wearing a chemist’s apron over nondeseript clothing and his feet were encased in frayed carpet slippers. Sparkling blue eyes re- garded them from under bushy brows. “Are you Dr. Larson?” asked Tommy. “Lawson, Lawson, not Larson.” “Pardon me Doctor. We saw your radio towers and thought we would drop in to see your station, if you don’t mind, We are from the Transcontinental airport over the hill.” “T have no radio station. I am engaged at all times in very intricate and important scientific re- search and so do not make friends.” The finality of the statement caused an un- comfortable pause. Tommy decided to try a new angle. “We are having trouble with the beacon on the hill, Doctor Lawson. It has caused a number of bad crack-ups lately.” Tommy turned and pointed to the tower as he spoke. Dr. Lawson looked at it for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. “Have you noticed anything peculiar about the light from your house here?” “Peculiar? What do you mean?” Tommy felt uncomfortable under the fixed stare of the old man but replied, “the beacon has ap- peared to move as we flew toward it.” “ART? “What did you say?” “Nothing, nothing,—go on.” “Sometimes the light seems to swing to the right or the left as a pilot comes close to it. Several planes have been wrecked and a number of men killed because the beacon seemed to shoot sudden- ly into the air. I suppose you have heard of the trouble it has caused us however?” “No.” “Have you any suggestions to offer, Doctor? Don’t you think that it may be caused by re- fraction, as light rays are bent when they pass at an angle through water? I have even thought of what little I’ve read of the Einstein theory, in connection with the bending of light rays from a star as they pass near the sun,” Royce finished with a smile. “What do you know of relativity? And as for theories—bah! Why don’t these theorists prove their statements? Ill tell you why—because they do not know how.’ Lawson's eyes glittered as he became animated. “These men, Newton, Leverrier, Michelson, Einstein, they thought they knew what to look for but they go at it wrong. They try to prove these things from the stars and by trying to measure the velocity of the ether! I can show in my researches how man can bend light in degrees, many degrees, mind you, where others ob- serve a bending of star light during an eclipse of less than two seconds! I have done it in my labora- tory. As for your beacon light—I am not inter- ested.” The three pilots were momentarily bewildered under the tirade and before any of them could think of a suitable reply the man was gone, shuffling around the corner of the adobe building. The slam of a door was followed by silence, “That guy spoke over my head, but I bet he knows more about the beacon than he told us,” growled Boyer. “I’m going in the house.” He gave an experimental yank at the door knob, as if testing its strength. “Wait, George, let’s find out something about him first. This is his property and we are trespassing. I think he is crazy but he would have a right to shoot us for housebreaking if you tear down the door. Let’s go back to headquarters and find some- one who knows what he was talking about.” Tillot- son seconded Tommy’s suggestion that they wait until the matter was reported to McCrea, and Boyer reluctantly abandoned the idea of forcing an immediate entry. The division trafic manager was more than in- terested in the report of the meeting with Dr, Lawson, and called in Mr, Clark, the chief radio operator and the Bureau of Aeronautics inspector, to hear the story. “How does it happen that the man is living so close to the beacon,” inquired Cavanaugh. “Tt’s this way,” the San Francisco executive re- plied. “I remember at the time we located this airport, we tried to buy Sentinel Hill and found out that it was part of the land owned by this doctor or scientist. However, we finally reached an agreement with him to lease a site for our beacon tower, in return for the privilege of electrici- ty from our power plant. The underground cables were extended past the beacon to a point he de- signated near his house. I remember we had to put in an extra wire to switch the beacon on and off from the field without cutting off his supply of current.” “Yes,” added McCrea, “he insisted upon having the meter for his extension located at the beacon tower. Wesend a monthly statement through the local post office and it is always paid promptly by check,” “Obviously the thing to do is investigate this man’s laboratory or whatever it is he has in the house,” Clark regarded the group thoughtfully for a moment before he continued, “Royce, Tillotson and Boyer, you three having found this lead ought to be the ones to return tonight I think.’’ The men nodded eager assent. “I should like to be a member of the party,” said Cavanaugh, comnliclooolks.com