They darted along,
their headlamps lighting up the roadway brilliantly. There was,
however, something strange even about their motion. Arthur and
Estelle watched in growing amazement and perplexity.

"Are--are you seeing what I am seeing?" asked Estelle
breathlessly. "_I_ see them _going backward_!"

Arthur watched, and collapsed into a chair.

"For the love of Mike!" he exclaimed softly.

II.

He was roused by another exclamation from Estelle.

"It's getting light again," she said.

Arthur rose and went eagerly to the window. The darkness was
becoming less intense, but in a way Arthur could hardly credit.

Far to the west, over beyond the Jersey hills--easily visible from
the height at which Arthur's office was located--a faint light
appeared in the sky, grew stronger and then took on a reddish
tint. That, in turn, grew deeper, and at last the sun appeared,
rising unconcernedly _in the west_.

Arthur gasped. The streets below continued to be thronged with
people and motor-cars. The sun was traveling with extraordinary
rapidity. It rose overhead, and as if by magic the streets
were thronged with people. Every one seemed to be running
at top-speed. The few teams they saw moved at a breakneck
pace--backward! In spite of the suddenly topsyturvy state of
affairs there seemed to be no accidents.

Arthur put his hands to his head.

"Miss Woodward," he said pathetically, "I'm afraid I've gone
crazy. Do you see the same things I do?"

Estelle nodded. Her eyes wide open.

"What _is_ the matter?" she asked helplessly.

She turned again to the window. The square was almost empty once
more. The motor-cars still traveling about the streets were going so
swiftly they were hardly visible. Their speed seemed to increase
steadily. Soon it was almost impossible to distinguish them,
and only a grayish blur marked their paths along Fifth Avenue and
Twenty-Third Street.

It grew dusk, and then rapidly dark. As their office was on the
western side of the building they could not see that the sun had
sunk in the east, but subconsciously they realized that this must
be the case.

In silence they watched the panorama grow black except for the
street-lamps, remain thus for a time, and then suddenly spring into
brilliantly illuminated activity.

Again this lasted for a little while, and the west once more began
to glow. The sun rose somewhat more hastily from the Jersey hills
and began to soar overhead, but very s