e cause of delay, paused in the doorway to gaze in blank
astonishment at the spectacle of the division superintendent of the
Middle Western, his coat off, energetically working under the direction
of his youngest operator.

[Illustration: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR, THE CENTER OF ALL EYES,
HURRIEDLY WORKING WITH CHISEL AND HAMMER.]

"There you are, my lad," said the superintendent. "What next?"

"Get a stick, sir, and stir the bluestone in the kettle. We must have it
dissolved if the battery is to work the moment we connect it to the
wire."

The copper bottom of the boiler was at last cut through, and hastily
doubling it over several times, in order that it would lie flat in the
crock, Alex turned his attention to the zinc on the stove-board.

The scene in the little station had now become dramatic--the crowd of
passengers, increased until it half filled the room, looking on in
strained silence, or talking in whispers; the tall figure of the
superintendent at the stove, busily stirring the kettle, and in the
middle of the floor, the center of all eyes, the fourteen-year-old boy
hurriedly working with chisel and hammer, seemingly only conscious of the
task before him and the necessity of making the most of every minute.

The zinc was cut, and hurriedly folding it as he had the copper, Alex
sprang to his feet, and running to the cupboard, dragged out a bundle of
wire, and began sorting out a number of short ends.

"How much longer?" said the superintendent in a tense voice. "The train
should be at Zeisler now."

"Just a minute. But she's sure to be a little late, from the fog," said
Alex, hopefully, never pausing. "Has the bluestone dissolved, sir?"

"All but a few lumps."

"Then that'll do. Now please lift down the water-cooler, sir, and place
it by the table."

As the superintendent complied all conversation ceased, and the crowd,
moving hurriedly out of the way, looked on breathlessly, then turned to
Alex, on his knees, fastening two pieces of wire to the squares of copper
and zinc.

This done, Alex dropped the square of copper to the bottom of the big
jar, hung the zinc from the top, connected one wire end to the ground
connection at the switchboard, and the other to the side of the key. And
the task was complete.

"Now the kettle, sir," he said, dropping into his chair. The
superintendent seized the kettle, and emptied its blue-green liquid into
the cooler. The moment the water had covered the zinc Al