u've been a mighty good father to
me. Always."

Babs flung her arms about him. "Alan. Don't!"

"But I must." He smiled whimsically as he kissed her. "You wouldn't want
to leave George, would you? Never see him again? I'm not asking you to
do that, am I?"

"But, Alan--"

"You've been a great little pal, Babs. But I have to go."

"Alan! You talk as though you were never coming back!"

"Do I? But of course I'm coming back!" He cast her off. "Babs, listen.
Father's upset. That's natural. You tell him not to worry. I'll be
careful, and do what I can to save that little city. I must find Glora
and--"

Babs was suddenly trembling with eagerness for him. "Yes! Of course you
must, Alan!"

"I'll find her and bring her out here! I'll do it! Don't you worry." He
was dwindling fast. Dr. Kent had collapsed to a rock, staring down with
horror-stricken eyes. Alan called up to Babs:

"Listen! Have George watch the chunk of gold quartz. Have it guarded and
watched day and night. Handle it carefully, Babs!"

"Yes! Yes! How long will you be gone, Alan?"

"How do I know? But I'll come back--don't worry. Maybe in only a day or
two of your time."

"Right! Good-bye, Alan!"

"Good-bye," his tiny voice echoed up.

Babs could see his miniature face smiling up at her. She smiled back and
waved her arm as he vanished into the pebbles at her feet.

* * * * *

It has broken Dr. Kent. A month now has passed. He seldom mentions Alan
to Babs and me. But when he does, he tries to smile and say that Alan
soon will return. He has been very ill this last week, though he is
better now. He did not tell us that he was working to compound another
supply of the drugs, but we knew it very well.

And his emotion, the strain of it, made him break. He was in bed a week.
We are living in New York, quite near the Museum of the American Society
for Scientific Research. In a room of the biological department there,
the precious fragment of golden quartz lies guarded. A microscope is
over it, and there is never a moment of the day or night without an
alert, keen-eyed watcher peering down.

But nothing has appeared. Neither friend or foe--nothing. I cannot say
so to Babs, but often I fear that Dr. Kent will suddenly die, and the
secret of his drugs die with him. I hinted that I would make a trip into
the atom if he would let me, but it excited him so greatly I had to
laugh it off with the assurance that of course Alan