t to go, sure."

"Were you in New York?" asked Roger vaguely. "War in Europe! I can't
realize it."

"Why try?" suggested Ernest. "It'll be over before you succeed. What's a
war in Europe to us, anyhow? Let's go in to supper."

War was indeed a vague and shadowy affair to the little desert
community: quite overshadowed by the importance of Ernest's successful
trip. Roger did brood a good deal for a day or so over the disclosures
in the bundle of newspapers, then the excitement of the testing of the
plant swallowed everything else in life.

There was no ceremony about this test. The memory of that other trial,
with little Felicia as the central figure, was too fresh and too
poignant. Just before the girls called breakfast on Monday morning,
there sounded a soft chug, chug from the new engine house. It was so
very soft that at first Charley thought she must be mistaken. Then she
slipped out to see. Roger, his hot face tense and eager, was standing
before his engine watching the perfect mechanism play.

"Look at her, Charley! Look at her! Isn't she a dream? Ernest, look at
that indicator--does she do any work? Has she power? Why man, she could
pull the waters of the Yangtse Kiang up through the bowels of the earth
and throw 'em on Dick's alfalfa fields!"

Ernest stood staring at the engine, round eyed, his mouth open! "Man,
what have you been putting over on me! Why, Rog, the old girl is
practically noiseless. Throw in the pump, will you?"

Dick promptly threw in the pump, but almost immediately roared. "Hey,
slow her down! Slow her down! She's going to pull the pump up by the
roots."

"Rog, let's see your drawings a minute, you old sly boots, you!" said
Ernest.

"You will laugh at me and tell me to increase the absorber area, will
you!" exclaimed Roger. "Why, old man, I've developed _the_ low
temperature, high speed engine! It's the one the world has been looking
for for years!"

In all the years Ernest had known his chum, he never had heard him
express such enthusiasm as this, over his own work. Ernest's eyes were
still staring, his mouth still open.

"I believe you have, Rog! I believe you have! Lord, I wish I'd known
this when I went East."

"No more sweating down to Hackett's for gasoline, eh?" exclaimed Dick.

Roger grinned. "Day before yesterday's sun is turning the wheels just
now. Come on in to breakfast, folks. We can leave her to herself for a
while."

Then, as Elsa and Dick followed Ernest up