It must have been first at some chance meeting here on the doorstep in Kelly Row that young Halsey let drop reference to an idea. It was the whisper of some passing wing in the universal ether, but he did not know that. It is not always the mind of the idealist which produces. But now this thin, faint, mystic sound had fallen upon the material mind of John Rawn, covetous, eager, receptive of any hint to further his own interest, concerned not in the least with science, not in the least with altruism, troubling not in the least over the fate of this republic or the welfare of mankind, concerned only with his own fate, interested only in his own welfare. Whereupon John Rawn--barring that certain prophetic outburst of his egotism with which he favored his wife but recently--in silence had accepted this sign and taken it as his own, devised for his use and behoof, and for that of none other than himself. VII This difference, then, lay between Rawn of the Personal Injury department of the railway office, and Halsey of the drafting offices; Rawn believed in himself, Halsey had not yet figured out whether or not he believed in anything. They met on the doorstep at Kelly Row, and out of their meeting many things began in Kelly Row which matured swiftly elsewhere, and in surprising fashion. We now come on, sufficiently swiftly, to the history of the birth and organization of the International Power Company, Limited; a concern which grew out of nothing except the five factors of survival--environment, heredity, variation, selection and isolation. Its cradle was in Kelly Row. CHAPTER VIII POWER I "Charles," said John Rawn one evening, with that directness of habit which perhaps we have earlier noted, "I have been thinking over some scientific problems." "Yes?" replied Halsey. "What is it--a patent car coupler? There isn't a fellow in our office who hasn't patented one, but I didn't know it was quite so catching as to get into the Personal Injury department--they only settle with the widows there." "In my belief," went on Rawn, frowning at this flippancy, "I am upon the eve of a great success, Charles." "What sort of success, Mr. Rawn?" inquired Halsey, more soberly. Rawn smiled largely. "You will hardly credit me when I tell you, almost all sorts of success! To make it short, I have formed a power company--a concern for the cheap generation and general transmission of power. In the course of a few months we'll proceed in the manufacture of electrical transmitters and receivers for what I call the lost current of electricity." Halsey stood cold for a moment, and looked at him in amazement. "You don't mean to say--why, that's precisely what _I've_ been thinking of for so long."