Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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AFTER WORLDS COLLIDE CHAPTER XI—Continued —17— . They went cautiously toward the bro ken ship. No sound came from it The crowd watching held its breath; The two men were under tha shattered • • . Now they were climbing tiie Tony looked cautiously through a winr , '»^. inside the plane, alone, on its floor, in a puddle of blood, lay Von Belts. Tony yanked the door open. Taylor followed him inside. Von Belts was badly wounded, but still breathing. They lifted him a lit tle. He opened his eyes. A stern smile -cai^g upon his Teutonic face. “Good!” he mumbled. “I escaped. They have the power city. They plan to cut you off as soon as It is cold enough to freeze you to terms. I do not know where the power city is— It is not like the other cities." He closed his eyes. . "Did they kidnap you here?” Tony asked. He thought that Von Belts nodded an affirmative. From the outside came a yell of warning from many throats. Tony looked. The gate was open. People were pointing. In the north was a fleet of enemy planes winging toward . the spot “Hurry” Tony said to Taylor. “Take his feet Gently—and fast! They’re -going to try to bomb us be- fpre we get Von Beitz's information back to the others!" The watchers ceased to be mere spectators, and poured out of the city. Eliot James shouted for all but one other, besides himself, to keep under the shield of the city; and he and that other ran forward as Tony and Jack Taylor emerged from the half-wrecked plane and pulled out the limp form of Von Beltz. The two uninjured men, bearing Von Beltz,'began to run across the open space between the city and the ship; and Eliot with his companion, Water man, ran toward them. From the north the swarm of pursu ing planes approached—the planes of the Other People, of the Vanished Peo ple of this planet, which had been ap propriated by the Midlanites. - Bullets, or somp sort of projectiles, splashed up dirt but none of the foul* was hit. The attack from the air ceased; the planes veered away and dispersed so suddenly that it seemed to Eliot that they must have been signaled. Waterman and he reached Tony and Taylor, and the four bore Von Beltz within the gate, which swiftly- was shut behind them. Eliot pressed back the people who crowded too close. Dodson opened bis kit, which had never been far from his hand during the perilous months on this planet. .He began to administer drugs. “Half starved," he muttered. "No bones broken. Ex haustion. In terrible flghL Fists. Knife—at least some one had one In the fight Walt!” The German ,o|>ened his eyes and sat up. "Danke schon.” he said. “Not yet!” Dodson warned, pushing his patient back into a reclining posi tion. "Take your time,” Tony begged him as he gazed up through the shield over the city Into the sky, for the air planes which' had pursued. “Where are they?" Tony fold to James. “What scared them off?" Eliot shook his head; the planes were gone, whatever had turnetl them back; thought of them cbtfld engage neither Eliot nor Tony—nor Eve Hendron since they had spared Tony. She clung Hose to him in tender concern. They were In the Inner edge of the circle, watching the German, who lay now with eyes shut and a scowl on his face. The spaspi of pain appeared to pass; he opened his eyes, and looking up at Tony, he winked. It was the most reassuring thing he could have done. “Good stuff I" Tony whispered to Eve. “Where was he, Tony?” The German seemed to have heard; he spoke to the doctpr. “1 should not - SB up, eh f-Fooh I You’ve heori search ing for me, eh? And now you want Jo know why I, come In a ship from the north ? Wsti—1 wlll-teU you. I can eat later. But 1 will lie down. You must know at once. **I rounded a corner in this city, as you know; and to you, I vanished. To myself—four men seized me," Von Beltz said, in spite of Dodson's orders that he be quiet until bis wounds were dressed and he had some hot soup. “A cord about the neck, a sack over the head. It gave me no fear that my as sailants might have been men from Bronson Beta,” Von Beltz added sar donically. “The technique was too much of our world as we have known It I was down and helpless, knowing by EDWIN BALMER and PHILIP WYLIE Copyright, 1934, by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylia. r-. WNTJ Service. no more of my attackers than that they must be men from earth. “We spent I do not know bow long hiding high In a building In this city. My eyes were taped- shut 1 was gagged much of the time, but I was given food, and—except on occasions^ which I- will come to—I was not badly treated. ^ “At first they spoke between them selves In tongues I could not under stand, but It was not language of an other planet It was speech from our old world—Russian sometimes, I am sure; sometimes, I think, Japanese." “Did you discover how many there were?” Eliot James asked. “Here in this city watching us,” Von Beltz proceeded after a moment “there were four, at least 1 am sure I heard four different voices speak. Sometimes It seemed to me that more moved back and forth; but I cannot be certain that more than four actual ly were here." “Men?” asked Tony. “They were all men. I heard no woman speak; it was never a wom an’s hand that touched me. But they talked a great deal about women as they watched us,” Von Beltz said. “You mean, you heard them talking about our women? They talked In some language you understood?" “No; not then. They talked about our women In th§lr <Jwn tongues. But I did not need to understand the words to know they were talking about women.” “I 'see," said Tony. “They did talk to me in English later—two of them did.” He stopped again. “What did they tell you?” — / “Tell me?” repeated Von Beitz. “Nothing. They asked me.” “Asked you what?” “About you—about us. They wanted “Conduit for what?” ^ ^ "I could only suppose what My eyes were taped, and durtng ttris journey even my ears were muffled; but I am sure from my sensations during the Journey Jhat I was underground, argl carried througlTa long close conduit like a great pipe." > — “Carried?” repeated Tony, as the others In the group excitedly crowded closer to catch the weak words “How did they carry you?” “In a car, They set me up in some sort of small car wMch ran very rap idly. I learned later, that it was a work car, built by the Old People for their workmen in the conduit. I was taken into a power tunnel, I believe, and transported in a work car through the. cogdult to the other city. Cer- taUffly- wtien, after "a time I, can only estimate as hours, I was brought up to daylight, it was in the city occu pied by Russians and Japanese, and with them, on the same terms, some Germans. There are also English there, men and women; but not on the same terms as the others.” “Go on!" begged several voices. “They let me see the city—and them selves," said Von Beitz. ‘it Is a great city—greater thifh this, and very beau tiful. It offers them everything that they could have dreamed of—and morel It makes them, as they succeed In mastering its secrets, like gods! Or they think so*” “Like gods?” “Yes," said Von Beltz, “that is our great danger. They feel like gods; they must be like gods; and how can they be gods, without mortals to make them obeisance and do them reverence? So they will be the gods; and we will be the mortals to do their bidding. Al ready they have taken the English and set themselves above them, as you have heard. They tried to take ue—as you Ifnow. We killed some of them—some of the most ruthless and dangerous; but others remain. They know they need not endanger themselves. They wait for us confidently.” “Wait for us? How?” “To come to them.” Tony and Jack Taylor Emerged From the Half-Wrecked Plane and Pulled Out the Limp Form of Von Beitz. Eliot and His Com panion, Waterman, Ran Toward Them. to know what we knew, ho,w far we i had progressed in mastering the secrets ofl the Old People.” “Ah!” said Tony. “They were here—those four—be fore we moved into this city. They were sent here as similar squads of them were sent to every other city ac cessible to them. You see. they moved Into their city—which apparently was the old capital of this planet or at least of this continent—long before.we made any move at all.” “Yes," said Tony. “That’s clear.” “Our delay,” breathed Von Beitz, “laid on us a great handicap. For they grasped the essentials of the situation almost at once. It lay, of course, In mastery of the mechanics of the an- rlent civilization- So they seized at once and occupied the key city; and they dispatched a squad to each of the Other cities, to explore and bring back to them whatever might be useful” Again he had to rest, then: “Par ticularly diagrams—the working plans of the cities, and the machinery and nf the passages which, without the dia grams, you could not suspect." “Underground passages?” “Precisely. That is how they took me out of the city. They laughed at us guarding all the gates! When they decided to take me away, two of them escorted me underground and led me on foot to a door that was Opened only after some special ceremony, and which communicated with a conduit.” THE STORY FROM THE BEGINNING Under the leadership of Cols Hendron, American scientist, over 300 persons escape In two Space Ships just before a cosmic collision wipes out the earth, and-J&nd, on Bronson Beta, Vegetation la found, and great forests of dead trees, preserved by the absolute cold of space. An airplane flies over theJcamp, making no attempt to communicate with Its people, who realise that they are not alone •on the new planet, and that their glsltors may be enemies. Exploring, Tony Drake and Eliot James come upon a 'city, enclosed under what seems like half an Iridescent glass bubble. Among thlslr finds, In the city. Is sn edible grain- millions of bushels. On their flight back they stumble on the camp of more than 200 persons who left the earth when they did. In a second Space Ship piloted by Dave Ransdell. Tony learns that Russian, Japanese .and'German scientist Com munists have reached Bronson Beta, and probably 'sent the mysterious plane to spy on Hendron s camp. The Asiatics gas tjie Hendron camp, but when they return In an armada of the Bronson Betans’ planes Tony and his men anni hilate them with atoiplc blasts from the Space Ship’s propulsion tubes Hen- wren’s health falling, he orders Tony to remove everybody to one of the Sealed Cttlas. This Tony succeeds In doing. Von Belts, a leader, disappears. Hendron dies. Tony's party realises that « receives heat, light, and power only because the Asiatics ration power to them. They find passages two miles underground «od great stores of food, but the "Midlanites" still threaten. •Why?” ‘We have no help for ourselves—an^ they know it. For the truth Is as we feared. For all these great cities of the eastern section of this continent," the German declared solemnly and slow ly, “there Is a single power city—or station. It Is located deep underground —not directly beneath their city, but near It Of course they control it, and control, therefore, light. and power— and heat. Any of these we cair enjoy only as they ration It to us. “We move out as we know, toward the cold orbit of Mars, where hedt will mean life In our long dark nights. They wait for that moment for us to admit their godship, and come and bow down before them." cavern city wh^re are the engines which draw power from the hot center of this planet, a guard of the 'gods' stands watch. It Is the citadel of their authority, the palladium of IhelF powef. 1 have not seen the station; but yesterday I learned ltd. location. I stole a diagram and traced it before I was discovered. I escaped my guards. I fought my way into a ship this morn Ing.” ^ “You have the tracing?" Dodson whispered. i The German smiled. have 1L” He shut bis eyes and gave a sigh tfiat was partly a groan. Dodson leaned over him. “We’ll carry you to the center of the city now. You’ve taken a terrible beating." Von Beitz opened one eye, then, and a grin overspread his battered fea tures. “My dear Dodson.” he replied spiritedly, although In a low tone, “if you think I’ve taken a terrible beating, you ought to see the other fellows. Three of them I One I left without so 'many teeth as be had had. The one who had the knife I robbed of his weapon, and I put It between his ribs —where, I fear, It will take a mortal effect The third—alas, his own moth er would neither recognlze\or receive him l" With • those words the co Von Belts quietly fainted. Tony told Jack Taylor to post Acall for a meeting, In the evening, of tbe Council of the Central Authority; and he himself accompanied those who bore Von Beitz to Dodson's bospitat It was, of course, really a hospital of the Other People which Dodson bad pre-empted. The plan of the place and its equipment delighted Dodson and at the same time drove him to despair try- ing to Imagine the right uses of some of the Implements of'the surgery,'and the procedures of those^ Vanished Peo ple. Von Beitz’s case was, however, a sim ple one; and Tony left, fully assured He Was Very Tired, but Excited Too, He Wat Glad to Find Eve Alone, Waiting for Him. that the German would completely re cover. Tony went home—to the splendid, graceful apartment where he knew he would find Eve, and which he and Hendron's daughter called their home because they occupied it But they could never be free from consciousness that it was not theirs—that minds add emotions Immensely distant from them had designed this place of repose. Minds far In the future,.Tony al ways fell though he knew that the Other People actually pertained to the epochal past; but though they had lived a million years ago, yet they bad passed beyond the people of earth before they came to gaze on the dawn of their day of extinction. So, strange ly. Tony knew he was living in an apartment of the past, but felt It to be like one of the future. Time had be come completely confusing. He was very tired, but excited, too; he was glad to find Eve alone, awaiting him. He kissed her, and held her, and for a moment let himself forget all else .but the softness of her in his arms, and the warmth of her Ups on his. “Lord of my love,” she whispered, In her own ecstacy. "Lord, of my love,” she repeated; and holding, him. went on^, . ir To whom In vassalage, Thjr merit hath my duty strongly knit. “Oh." said Tony. “I memorized it as a child, Tony, never guessing at its meaning till now. How could Shakesiware have found words, dear, for so mafiy feelings? . . . This place was planned for love, Tony.” • “Yes.” ‘ “They loved here. Tony; some couple very young—a million years ago. . Where' are they?" “Where we, some time, shall prob ably be; but why think of that? ‘From fairest creatures’—finish that (or me. Eve, can.you?” “The first sonnet, you mean?” "I don’t know the number; but I knew It once—at proton. I had~to learn It to get Into Harvard for the college J)oard examinations. Wait: I’ve got more of It: ^ “From fairest creatures we desire in crease, That thereby beauty’s rose shall never die.” “Where are Harvard, and Groton, now, Tony?" “With Nineveh and Tyre; but you’re here—and beauty’s rose shall never Has Good Word for Divorce Writer Considers Action Advisable When Marriage Hat — Proved to Be a “Misdeal”; Science'Service . Advances Opinion of Interest. By DOROTHY DUNBAR BROMLEY, la the New York World-Tslsgrans. Tbe divorcee, so says {Science Serv ice, has more Intellectual Interests, self-reliance, ambition and tolerance than the happy wife. , By tbe same token—If the scien tists know what they’re talking about —the happily married woman la a comparatively Immature person, al though she la sociable and' warm hearted and emotionally well-bal anced. » If you’ve never known anything bat happinepa In your personal re lations, If you’ve never lost anyone you’ve loved, if your children haven’t been a problem, and If yon’ve never heard the wolf scratching at the door, you may still have an alabaster brow without a wrinkle in It But your character la likely to have no more distinguishing marks than the trunk of a young sapling that is not yet ringed with growth. It seems to be one of nature’s cruel laws that contentment should pre clude personality growth. I think of a friend who was unusually happy for the 15 years that her husband lived. He died very suddenly, leaving his af fairs In bad order, and the lady of leisure had to train herself overnight to hold a Job. She had always had a cultivated taste for books. So she progressed from doing secretarial work for writ ers to book reviewing and reading for a publishing house. She has nev er ceased to regret her husband’s death, and yet she'll tell you with a wry face that she’s more of a per son today than when she was a pas sive, sheltered wife. One of the wise things that Slgrid Undset has said Is that there are two jdnds of happiness In life—the happiness that another person brings yon, and the happiness that you mine for yourself. Her character Ida Elis abeth In her novel of that name thought that she had found happi ness—after a disappointing marriage —with a strong man who snlted'her In every particular. But she could not dose her eyes to the fact that he and her two lit tle boys clashed temperamentally. In the end her love for her children forced her to turn from the happi ness that was ecstasy to a more diffl cult search. I say more power to the woman who accepts her lonely destiny; If she has no honest Alternative, and weaves her own pattern. The oltra-religl- ous won’t admit It, bat there’s some times virtue Is divorce. When s man and a woman so rids each oth er’s nerves that even the chlklnHi get jittery, then It’s time they called Jbelr marriage a mlsdeaL The onbappy married woman brightens few corners. Science Sere* Ice penetratlngly describes bar as “Inclined to be self-centered. Irrita ble, Intolerant, neurotic and indn* Halve." She commits the unpardon able sin of always blaming some one else—nsnally her husband—for her frustrations and disappointments. She has never waked np to the fad that yon must cast bread upon tbe waters before It will come back to you. Maybe the scientists are right an< then maybe they have gotten their curves mixed up. There’s this to be said for the well-adjusted wife, eves If she Is less self-reliant than the self-supporting divorcee: She sends out happy wave lengths, and ‘hat’s something in these soul-trying times. BOYS! GIRLS! Mtead the Grape Nuts ad In another column of this paper and learn bow to join the Dizzy Dean Winners win valuable free prizes.—Adv. Man's Inhumanity Chief menace to man on earth la still man.—Exchange. Quick Sufo Rolicf For E v oI r r 11 a 11 ■ d By E * pour*• To Sun Wind —Tony atarofl allently «» Von Rplfx dle - • • • And ' G—d. no one will The weakened man went on: “In the l a ke you from me—or freeze you tn the _»a ' ■ /vnlH ^f Y rlrart*# Ixnf cvnai •* cold. If I don’t let you go.’ “You’ve the diagram that Von Beltz brought?” asked Eve;— “I’ve seen It—studied IL" Tony re plied. “Ha did wellbut not enough. We know now where Is the great cen tral power station; but we don’t know even how they get in and out of this city.” “We can’t say theyr still do?” ‘We can’t say that they don’t Un doubtedly Von Beitz was right; he was taken out by way of some conduit^ We’ll have to find that first, and stop It up or guard It; and then there may be a dozen underground doors leading anywhere, for purposes we’ve not pro gressed enough to guess. We’ve got to catch up on the old records of this place—though It’s plain that some of them have been removed by the men who captured Von Beltz. Yet we’ve as awful lot to learn that we can learn.* — TCTBE PONTimJliU. * Enemies of Grasshoppers Among the most active of the insect enemies of grasshoppers are several small two-winged files and some little wasps. Maggots of tbe flies, either de- poslted directly on the grasshopper or batching, from eggs laid on IL pierce the hopper’s body and feed on Its con tents. The wasps sting their victim into a state of coma and then drag H off to their underground nests to loed their yonng. Scientist Claims That Noises Can Be Deadly Do women make more noise than motor hub?—*—: — According to an American pro fessor of physics, yes. Giving evi dence In an action to restrain a fac tory from making an excessive amount of noise, he described experi ments with a sound meter which be had carried out In the district These showed that women talking In their homes made 40 times jnore noise' than the factory, and 50 per cent more noise than passing can. / ' Apparently women talk more loud' l/‘ln America, for experiments In this country show “load converse t!on” as only double" the noise of a suburban street and two-thirds that of a'pneumatic drill at 20 feet dis tance. But the worst noise of all, accord ing to one distinguished scientist is owe tire can’t hear. A few months ago he sbowed tbe congress of radio biology b^w ultra-sound waves could burn the fingers of s man holding a glass tube, although tbe tube Itself was not heated. He claimed that 11 was possible to be killed by these vibrations, which were really sounds, although they coaid not be perceived by the naked ear.—London Answers. FUR YOUR I Y I S Don't Walt Toe Long He who laughs last—too far last —gets laughed at BILIOUSNESS KILL ALL PUES DAISY FLY KILLER HELP KIDNEYS \V7HEN kidneys function badly and vv you suffer backache, dizziness, burning, scanty or tpo frequent urina tion, getting up at night, swollea feat and ankles; feel upset and Miserable ... ust Doan's Pills.* Doan's art especially lor poorly working kidneys. MilHons of boxes are used every year. They .are receen mended by users di Ask your neighbor! 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