pture vibrations that radiate from private
and secret actions and discover them to others who have no business to
know them? This would be a fine world if every body could peep into
every one else's affairs, wouldn't it? And here is your Character
Marker. Nice thing for a decent person to own, isn't it? Any one who
would take advantage of such a sneaking invention as that would be
worse than a thief! Oh, I've used them, of course, and I ought to be
spanked for having been so mean and underhanded; but I'll never be
guilty of looking through them again."

The Demon's face was frowning and indignant. He made a motion to rise,
but thought better of it and sank back in his chair.

"As for the Garment of Protection," resumed the boy, after a pause,
"I've worn it for the last time, and here it is, at your service. I'll
put the Electric Tube with it. Not that these are such very bad things
in themselves, but I'll have none of your magical contrivances. I'll
say this, however: if all armies were equipped with Electrical Tubes
instead of guns and swords the world would be spared a lot of misery
and unnecessary bloodshed. Perhaps in time; but that time hasn't
arrived yet."

"You might have hastened it," said the Demon, sternly, "if you had been
wise enough to use your powers properly."

"That's just it," answered Rob. "I'm NOT wise enough. Nor is the
majority of mankind wise enough to use such inventions as yours
unselfishly and for the good of the world. If people were better, and
every one had an equal show, it would be different."

For some moments the Demon sat quietly thinking. Finally the frown
left his face and he said, with animation:

"I have other inventions, which you may use without any such qualms of
conscience. The Electro-Magnetic Restorer I offered you would be a
great boon to your race, and could not possibly do harm. And, besides
this, I have brought you what I call the Illimitable Communicator. It
is a simple electric device which will enable you, wherever you may be,
to converse with people in any part of the world, without the use of
such crude connections as wires. In fact, you may--"

"Stop!" cried Rob. "It is useless for you to describe it, because I'll
have nothing more to do with you or your inventions. I have given them
a fair trial, and they've got me into all sorts of trouble and made all
my friends miserable. If I was some high-up scientist it would be
different; but I'm j