the most informal basis. If it pleases us to dine together coatless and cuffle

e together, but it is done in the most proper evening dress. It seems to be the law-unwritten but unalterable-

nless it is that the memory of my brand-new dress suit, which

oned, my wife and I din

be chuckling with triumph, or some kindred emotio

er works at Pompton-hardly a subject to excite mirt

horrified, "is there anything humorous in

" smiled the inventor. "It merely struck m

notion?" I

present methods of mani

ave a better sch

ife, in terror that was not al

began Hawkins, st

enough with your inventions, but you have n

know about explosives, and what

ed my wife. "A sort of superstitiou

n any other man would have earned him the best licking I could give

thoritatively. "Be still. Ac

lence, and the meal ended wi

wkins and I were left, theoretically, to smoke a post-prandial

he muttered, as foot

seem t

spered Hawkins, heading me t

inquired su

eculiar glitt

the ascent. "Oh, I'll tell you what," he continued, pau

dee

my wife. It's the whole sex. They chatter and prattle and make sill

said soothingly, "you

es?" demanded Hawkins heatedly. "Dynamite or rhexite or meganite or carboni

kins, stop

hing intelligently? And yet my wife tells me-I, who have spent nearly half a lifetime in scientific l

cientific labors have made h

ed Hawkins, climbing toward the t

p or laboratory. It was on the floor with the servants, who, poor th

humming?" I asked, pa

sneered Hawkins. "It won't

g, brass bolt on the

hat lock, Griggs. It simply can't be opened from the outside, and only from the inside by

ured. "You might faint or something, and I'd be sh

a grown man, you're the most chicken-hearted individual I ever met.

es," I said wearily. "You're

reason. In a day or two, you'll hear the country ringing with my name, in connection with explosives. But

realized then the bitter

ng-or was I saying it?-they all have their fault

ver that li

e when you do want them to, or they're liable to explode spontaneously, or something else. It's all due,

es

what would you sa

lied decidedly. "I should p

-what would you think of an explosive that could be

arka

into which a man might throw a lighted lamp witho

ink I should have grave doubts

tell you that I had thought and thought over this problem, and finally hit upon an idea for just

ed thea

kins

sorb any of his enthusiasm. "But let us tha

sn't!" cried

springing to my fee

o you see that littl

d, I saw. It stood there, half-filled with a sticky mess, through

e process of manufacture!

over me. I made inst

way, until I undo the lock. But there's no danger what

de standing for the moment impossible. I drew my chair to the diagonally opp

ok the scientific principle which I have discovered. For instance, out there at Pompton the vat exploded in

cried invo

entirely different combination of chemicals. Now, if there was any trouble of that sort comin

hoarsely, pointing a shak

what is

managed to

ose as soon as I said that, you began to

ide of his mixer. Then he stepped awa

he devilish mess in the vat was t

the power," muttered Hawkins,

, Griggs, the mass will cool a

would it-would it

ervously. "But as soon as the mixing cease

eems to me to be gett

ed. "Five minutes from now, that stu

e even brown, why not clear

with a readiness which refused to be masked unde

ever on his fancy lo

me

open th

uttered the inventor, twisting the

!" I groaned. "Has your lo

t his lever with almost frantic energy. "It's stuck-a little new

at the same time that despite the cessation of the st

wkins, digging at one of the screw

There's

ou-you seem to be a little ne

, "what are those

shot. "Great Scott, Griggs! There were no bubbles

he vat, from which a new ebullition of scarl

ns, turning white and

ated, shaking him.

tself, after all. Lord! Lord! However did it happ

omething. Wha

, there's power enough in that little vat to demolish the Brooklyn Bridge, according to my calculatio

shut in her

s! But l

turn the water

ome the second it touched! Don't stand there gaping, Griggs! Help me smash down this door! We must get out,

f a great puff of red gas, "we can never do it in two minutes. Better not attr

n to blazes?" cried Hawkin

plintered. He raised the stool again, and I could hear footsteps

ribe my sensations with any accura

that the same thing had happened to Hawkins. For the tiniest fraction of a second he seemed to be floating h

gas-light went out just as it caught my eye. And then an awful flash blinde

iligently winding a bandage around my right ankle. An important-looking youth in the uniform o

emblance to an article of clothing; they had covere

gure of a policeman standing

e department. In the dim light, I saw the figure of a policeman standing tiptoe upon a satin

lath in huge patches. The windows had disappeared,

na which might once have been parts of ornaments. Hawkinsite had evidently not been quite as powerful as its inventor h

my head and my eyes fell upon two firemen in the hallway. The

harmed. Hawkins himself leaned wearily back upon a divan, a huge bandage sewed about

fficial; for one fond moment I hoped that Hawkins w

doctor," said the

as the ladies rushed to my side. "Now,

to life? Say, Griggs, just think of it! My workshop's blown to smithe

my wife, Mrs. Ha

k Hea

y notes! The carefu

considerably-better

at astonished sergeant of police. Hawkins must have had some sort of influence with the pres

o spread the tale broadcast. I had some no

t think that a man whose inventive genius will survive an explosion of