eam
it."

"No, you didn't dream it, no matter how wild it sounded. He said it, and
it is all true. I cannot explain it to you; Dick himself cannot explain
it, even to me. But I can give you an idea of what we both think it may
come to."

"Yes, do."

"Well, he has discovered something that makes copper act mighty
queer--knocks it off its feet, so to speak. That day a piece went up and
never did come down."

"Yes, that is what is so preposterous!"

"Just a moment, please," replied the imperturbable Crane. "You should
know that nothing ordinary can account for Dick's behavior, and after
what I have seen this last week I shall never again think anything
preposterous. As I said, this piece of copper departed, _via_ the
window, for scenes unknown. As far as a pair of good binoculars could
follow it, it held to a perfectly straight course toward those scenes.
We intend to follow it in some suitable vehicle."

He paused, looking at his companion's face, but she did not speak.

"Building the conveyance is where I come in," he continued in his
matter-of-fact voice. "As you know, I happen to have almost as much
money as Dick has brains, and some day, before the summer is over, we
expect to go somewhere. We do not know where, but it will be a long way
from this earth."

There was a silence, then Dorothy said, helplessly:

"Well, go on.... I can't understand...."

"Neither can I. All I know is that Dick wants to build a heavy steel
hull, and he is going to put something inside it that will take us out
into space. Only occasionally do I see a little light as he tries to
explain the mechanism of the thing to me."

After enjoining upon her the strictest secrecy he repeated the story
that Seaton had told him, and informed her as to the present condition
of affairs.

"It's no wonder the other chemists thought he was crazy, is it, Martin?"

"No, especially after the failure of his demonstration the next morning.
You see, he tried to prove to the others that he was right, and nothing
happened. He has found out since that an electrical machine in another
room, which was not running that morning, played a very important part.
When the copper refused to act as it had the night before they all took
the snap judgment that he had suffered an attack of temporary insanity,
and that the solution was worthless. They called him 'Nobody Holme'."

"It almost fits, at that!" exclaimed Dorothy, laughing.

"But if he thought of that,"