is preparations.
She knew he had been working steadily for the past few days. She gripped
the arms of her chair, and her heart burned within her.

The professor was making sure of his apparatus. He tested this bulb and
that, and carefully inspected the curious oscillating platform, over
which was suspended a thickly bunched group of gray-green wire, which
was seemingly an antenna. The numerous indicators and implements seemed
to be satisfactory, for at quarter after eleven Burr gave an exclamation
of pleasure and nodded to himself.

Burr seemed to have forgotten the woman. He spoke aloud occasionally,
but not to her, as he drew forth a suit made of the same metal cloth as
Allen must have on at this moment.

* * * * *

The tension was terrific, terrific for the mother, who was awaiting the
culmination of the experiment which would rescue her son from the
electric chair--or would it fail? She shuddered. What if Burr were mad?

But look at him, she was sure he was sane, as sane as she was.

"He will succeed," she murmured, digging her nails into the palms of her
hands. "I _know_ he will."

She pushed aside the picture of what would happen on the morrow, but a
few hours distant, when Allen, her son, was due to be led to a legal
death in the electric chair.

Professor Burr placed the shiny suit upon his lank form, and she saw him
put a duplicate coil, the same sort of small machine which Allen
possessed, under his tongue.

The Mephistophelian figure consulted a matter-of-fact watch; at that
moment, Mrs. Baker heard, above the hum of the myriad machines in the
laboratory, the slow chiming of a clock. It was the moment set for the
deed.

Then, she feared the professor was insane, for he suddenly leaped to the
high bench of the table on which stood one of the oscillating platforms.

Wires led out from this, and Burr sat gently upon it, a strange figure
in the subdued light.

Professor Burr, however, she soon saw, was not insane. No, this was part
of it. He was reaching for switches near at hand, and bulbs began to
glow with unpleasant light, needles on indicators swung madly, and at
last, Professor Burr kicked over a giant switch, which seemed to be the
final movement.

For several seconds the professor did not move. Then his body grew
rigid, and he twisted a few times. His face, though not drawn in pain,
yet twitched galvanically, as though actuated by slight jabs of
electricity.