The Sign at Six Read online

  CHAPTER II

  THE SHADOW OF MYSTERY

  Darrow walked up the one flight of steps to the story above. He found hisacquaintance in, and at once broached the subject of his errand. DoctorKnox promised the matter his attention. The two men then embarked on along discussion of Professor Schermerhorn's discovery of super-radium, andthe strange series of events that had encompassed his death. Into themidst of the discussion burst McCarthy, his face red with suppressedanger.

  "Can I use your phone?" he growled. "Oh, yes," said he, as he caught sightof the instrument. Without awaiting the requested permission, he jerkedthe receiver from its hook and placed it to his ear.

  "Deader than a smelt!" he burst out. "This is a nice way to run a publicbusiness! Thanks," he nodded to Doctor Knox, and stormed out.

  Darrow rose languidly.

  "I'll see you again," he told Knox. "At present I'm going to follow thehuman cyclone. It takes more than mere telephones to wake McCarthy up likethat."

  He found the boss in the hall, his finger against the "down" button.

  "That's three cars has passed me," he snarled, trying to peer through theground glass that, in the Atlas Building, surrounded the shaft. "I'll tansomebody's hide. Down!" he bellowed at a shadow on the glass.

  "Have a cigarette," proffered Percy Darrow. "Calm down. To the scientificeye you're out of condition for such emotions. You thicknecks are subjectto apoplexy."

  "Oh, shut up!" growled McCarthy. "There isn't a phone in order in thisbuilding two floors either way. I've tried 'em--and there hasn't been fortwenty minutes. And I can't get a messenger to answer a call; and thatring-tailed, star-spangled ornament of a janitor won't answer his privatebell. I'll get him bounced so high the blackbirds will build nests in hisear before he comes down again."

  After trying vainly to stop a car on its way up or down, McCarthy stumpeddown a flight of stairs, followed more leisurely by the calmly unhurriedDarrow. Here the same performance was repeated. A half dozen men by nowhad joined them. So they progressed from story to story until an elevatorboy, attracted by their frantic shouts, stopped to see what was thematter. Immediately the door was slid back on its runners, McCarthy seizedthe astonished operator by the collar.

  "Come out of that, you scum of the earth!" he roared. "Come out of thatand tell me why you don't stop for your signals!"

  McCarthy stumped down a flight of stairs.]

  "I ain't seen no signals!" gasped the elevator boy.

  Some one punched the button, but the little, round, annunciator disk inthe car failed to illuminate.

  "I wonder if there's anything in order in this miserable hole!" snarledMcCarthy.

  "The lights is gone out," volunteered the boy; and indeed for the firsttime the men now crowding into the car noticed that the incandescents weredead.

  While McCarthy stormed out to spread abroad impartial threats againsttwo public utility concerns for interfering with his business, PercyDarrow, his curiosity aroused, interviewed the janitor. Under thatfunctionary's guidance he examined the points of entrance for thedifferent wires used for lighting and communication; looked over theprivate-bell installations, and ascended again to the corridor,abstractedly dusting his fingers. There he found a group of thebuilding's tenants, among whom he distinguished Doctor Knox.

  "Same complaint, I suppose--no phones, no lights, no bells," heremarked.

  "Seems to be," replied Knox. "General condition. Acts as though themain arteries had been cut outside."

  "Inside bells? House phones?" suggested Darrow.

  The repair men came in double-quick time and great confidence. Theywent to work in an assured manner, which soon slackened to a slowerbewilderment. Some one disappeared, to return with a box of newbatteries. The head repair man connected a group of these with a smallbell in the executive office. The instrument, however, failed torespond.

  "Try your ammeter," suggested Darrow, who had followed.

  The delicate needle of the instrument did not quiver.

  "Batteries dead!" said the repair man. "Jim, what the hotel-bill do youmean by getting dead batteries? Go back and bring a new lot, and _test_'em."

  In due time Jim returned.

  "These test to fifteen," said he. "Go to it!"

  "Test--nothing!" roared the repair man after a moment. "These are dead,too."

  Percy Darrow left the ensuing argument to its own warmth. It was growinglate. In the corridor a few hastily-brought lamps cast a dim light. Percycollided against Doctor Knox entering the building.

  "Not fixed yet?" asked the latter in evident disappointment. "What's thematter?"

  "I don't know," said Darrow slowly; "it puzzles me. It's more than anordinary break of connections or short-circuiting through apparatus. Ifone could imagine a big building like this polarized in some way--anyhow,the electricity is dead. Look here." He pulled an electric flash-lightfrom his pocket. "Bought this fresh on my way here. Tested it, of course.Now, there's nothing wonderful about these toys going back on a man;_but_"--he pressed the button and peered down the lens--"this is a funnycoincidence." He turned the lens toward his friend. The filament was dark.