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Hotel Massilon, N. Y.
April 25

My dearest Anne,

Please forgive the delay in replying to your letters and cable. The
truth is that I was quite unable to write, anxious as I was to do so.
It's a rather long story, but I would like to explain just how this came
to be and so prove how unfounded your suspicions were.

You see, shortly after I arrived here, I ran into a Professor
Phelps-Smythe Burdinghaugh, lately of England. Professor Burdinghaugh
has been forced to resign from several universities in England because
of the rather free manner in which he conducted his experiments. He
admitted that no less than 16 physics laboratories have been demolished
through his own miscalculations.

At any rate, finding the atmosphere in our country somewhat cool toward
his continued researches, he came to New York, which, as you know, is
inhabited wholly by wealthy eccentrics, tourists and boors. Such an
environment was eminently suited to the Professor's needs and he settled
here to work on an anti-gravity belt, his lifelong project.

You may wonder, reasonably enough, what Professor Burdinghaugh has to do
with the delay in writing to you, but I assure you that, were it not for
him, you would have heard from me much sooner. Much sooner indeed.

It all began with a Scotch-and-water. The Professor and I were each
having one and inevitably we struck up a conversation. We chatted on a
great number of topics and I remember that he was quite impressed when I
told him you were indeed the _Chemicals_ Anne Harrodsbury. Not long
after this, the old boy (he is fiftyish and rather heavy) invited me in
the flush of good comradeship (and good Scotch) to take part in his
latest experiment with his anti-gravity unit. Feeling rather
light-headed, I heartily acclaimed his suggestion and we repaired to his
laboratory.

"My boy," he said to me later, as he strapped a bulky belt around my
waist. "My boy, you are about to witness a milestone in history. Most
assuredly, a milestone."

I nodded, basking in the old boy's magnificent confidence.

"We are about to enter a new era," he continued. "The Era of Space!"

His voice dropped to a low, comradely whisper. "And I have chosen you,
my boy, to assist me in forging this trail to new suns, new worlds, new
civilizations! The whole Galaxy lies before us!"

I could see only Professor Burdinghaugh's massive girth before me, but I
assumed he could see things much more clearly