arnestly, there within that ruined place. Too eager for some knowledge o

om to clean the floor with. But Stern, first-of

l one corner of the office floor free of rubbish. This gave them a prelimina

grew deeper, "so then, we'll apparently have to

ave happened. Some sudden, deadly, numbing plague or

o-organism, propagating with such marvelous rapidity that it swept the world clea

a fissure in the earth's crust, or otherwise. Other hypothe

somehow escaped with only a long period of completely suspended animation. How

t have been less than a hundred years. Great Heavens!" and she burst into a li

But no matter about the time question

e rest of the world. Whether London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and every othe

ability that life, human life I mean, is eve

way back here again, back to New York, where all thes

moment they both sat speechless. What could it be? Some distant wall toppling

g I'll look for, after food. There ought to be good hu

oon teach you. Lots of things both of u

r to the window and stood for a minute peerin

tation. "What right have I to be staying here, theorizing,

ols, arms--a thousand things. And above all, water! And h

to leave me--not to-nig

ce the floor, sliding and stumbling through the rubbish, a singular figure in his tatters and with his

ngeries of ruin which once was called New York, surely enough must still remain intact for

out she stretched her hands to him. "Don't, please! We can

n in the shops and stores, w

And in the streets--i

for hesitating or for weakness. I know you'll stand you

k immediately. Got to get my bearings. Why, do you think I'm going to let you, even f

spare me for an hour or two. Inside of

ole h

arer it. I promise to be

red just a trifle, "but su

not going to venture outside till to-morrow. My idea is that I

hing right here together in a lump. It can't possibly take me

ng are over, we can't go on in this way, you know--h'

dim figure in the dusk. The

," said she

r stay. It's

I'm g

e run int

d. Take me

ressed it. Thus for a moment they stood. Then, arousin

ht? Why, there isn't a match lef

ren't injured. Glass is practically imperishable. And if I'm not mistaken, t

silently delved through the triturated bits of punky wood and rust

's another! This certainly is luck! H-m! I shou

Some were broken, probably by the shock when they and the

light through the window, and by the sense of touch, Stern was a

what more could I reasonably ask? Here's alco

ering admiration, Stern thought h

cabinet, a steel strip about eighteen inches long, frail in

to a ball as big as his fist. Around this ball he twisted the metal st

ol bottle, and with the fluid saturated the rags. Then, on a clear bit of

ked. "I've tried that, too, and I guess it's only in books a white ma

t the phosphorus ablaze. Stern heaped on a few tiny lumps of sulphur. Then, coughing as

clear, throwing no very satisfactory light, yet

ce, long-bearded and dusty, as he

gineer's resourcefulness came to her, and in her heart she had confidence that, though the whole wide worl

practicality. From the floor he arose, holding the fl

he torch on high to light her way

ded. Her eyes gleamed

and along the wrecked hall, they started on t