or even to give me a chance to demonstrate my
process to them. On the other hand, suppose I try this thing secretly.
How can I prevent any one from learning my trade secret, leaving me,
and making gold on his own account? Men will desert as fast as I
educate them. Think of the economic result of that; it would turn the
world topsy-turvy. I am looking for some one who can be trusted to the
last limit to join with me, furnish the influence and standing while
I furnish the brains and the invention. Either we must get the
government interested and sell the invention to it or we must get
government protection and special legislation. I am not seeking
capital; I am seeking protection. First let me show you something."

He turned a switch, and a part of the collection of apparatus began to
vibrate.

"You are undoubtedly acquainted with the modern theories of matter,"
he began, plunging into the explanation of his process. "Starting
with the atom, we believe no longer that it is indivisible. Atoms
are composed of thousands of ions, as they are called--really little
electric charges. Again, you know that we have found that all the
elements fall into groups. Each group has certain related atomic
weights and properties which can be and have been predicted in advance
of the discovery of missing elements in the group. I started with the
reasonable assumption that the atom of one element in a group could
be modified so as to become the atom of another element in the group,
that one group could perhaps be transformed into another, and so on,
if only I knew the force that would change the number or modify the
vibrations of these ions composing the various atoms.

"Now for years I have been seeking that force or combination of forces
that would enable me to produce this change in the elements--raising
or lowering them in the scale, so to speak. I have found it. I am not
going to tell you or any other man whom you may interest the secret of
how it is done until I find some one I can trust as I trust myself.
But I am none the less willing that you should see the results. If
they are not convincing, then nothing can be."

He appeared to be debating whether to explain further, and finally
resumed: "Matter thus being in reality a manifestation of force or
ether in motion, it is necessary to change and control that force and
motion. This assemblage of machines here is for that purpose. Now a
few words as to my theory."

He took a penci