"Just what is it?" said Luther. "How do you do it? What's the process?" For an instant their eyes met. To Luther came an odd sensation he had known as a boy--that the tranquil gaze of Cyrus was reading his secret thoughts. As his thoughts at that moment were not for publication the sensation was disturbing. To hide his embarrassment he turned away toward Dr. Alton, and made a joking remark about trips to Europe, over and back, on Saturday afternoon. "It even beats wireless," he said. "Well, rather!" said Cyrus. "Wireless will soon be a back number." Again Luther whistled. "Wireless a back number! Well, that's certainly going some!" But Dr. Alton showed little surprise, merely regarding his son more attentively. "What is to take its place, Cyrus?" "Just the spoken word. Its transmission through the ether with no mechanical appliance for sending or for receiving." Luther smiled. "It will have to be a pretty loud voice." "No louder than wireless. It will be carried by the same forces that carry the wireless message, only more simply applied. The air about us is alive with electric force that is perfectly willing to take our messages without the machinery." Dr. Alton smiled. "Well, you seem to have confidence in it. That's a good beginning, anyway." Cyrus also smiled. "I have already done it." "Already done it?" "Yes, sir; and more than once. Billy Saunders and I went out into the country, stood nearly a mile apart, spoke in ordinary tones and each heard more than half the other said." "With no instruments whatever?" "None except a little receiver about the size of your watch." Luther whistled again. On his face was a look of surprise--the Surprise that's the brother of Doubt. Dr. Alton was looking earnestly at his son. "Is that really true, Cyrus? Are you absolutely sure no previous knowledge of each other's intentions may have helped a little?" Then Cyrus explained the experiments in detail. He told how they purposely chose subjects unknown to each other; how they put on paper the words as they arrived; that the percentage of messages correctly received increased at every trial; and that weather conditions, wind, rain or sunshine seemed to make little difference in the results. After answering other questions, he said to his father: "But that is only the beginning. The day is coming when even the spoken word will be superfluous." "Just what do you mean, Cyrus?" "I mean communicating thought by electric induction--by direct vibrations." "Say, Cyrus!" exclaimed Luther, "the Arabian Nights isn't in it with you!" "No, it isn't," said Cyrus. "For I have already done it." "Done what?" "Sent thought waves--and received them." "Oh, come off."