Part 35 (1/2)

XXI

THE TELESCRIBE

I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and that I had better go slow that day and regain my strength, a fortunate decision, as it turned out.

Kennedy, also, spent most of the time in the laboratory, so that, after all, I did not feel that I was missing very much.

It was along in the afternoon that the telephone began acting strangely, as it will do sometimes when a long distance connection is being made. Twice Kennedy answered, without getting any response.

”Confound that central,” he muttered. ”What do you suppose is the matter?”

Again the bell rang.

”h.e.l.lo,” shouted Kennedy, exasperated. ”Who's this?”

There was a pause. ”Just a minute,” he replied.

Quickly he jammed the receiver down on a little metal base which he had placed near the instrument. Three p.r.o.ngs reaching upward from the base engaged the receiver tightly, fitting closely about it.

Then he took up a watch-case receiver to listen through in place of the regular receiver.

”Who is it?” he answered.

Apparently the voice at the other end of the wire replied rather peevishly, for Kennedy endeavoured to smooth over the delay. I wondered what was going on, why he was so careful. His face showed that, whatever it was, it was most important.

As he restored the telephone to its normal condition, he looked at me puzzled.

”I wonder whether that was a frame-up!” he exclaimed, pulling a little cylinder off the instrument into which he had inserted the telephone receiver. ”I thought it might be and I have preserved the voice. This is what is known as the telescribe--a recent invention of Edison which records on a specially prepared phonograph cylinder all that is said--both ways--over a telephone wire.”

”What was it about?” I asked eagerly.

He shoved the cylinder on a phonograph and started the instrument.

”Professor Kennedy?” called an unfamiliar voice.

”Yes,” answered a voice that I recognized as Craig's.

”This is the detective agency employed by Mr. Whitney. He has instructed us to inform you that he has obtained the Peruvian dagger for which you have been searching. That's all. Good-bye.”

I looked at Kennedy in blank surprise.

”They rang off before I could ask them a question,” said Craig.

”Central tells me it was a pay station call. There doesn't seem to be any way of tracing it. But, at least I have a record of the voice.”

”What are you going to do?” I queried. ”It may be a fake.”

”Yes, but I'm going to investigate it. Do you feel strong enough to go down to Whitney's with me?”

The startling news had been like a tonic. ”Of course,” I replied, seizing my hat.