"Of course, you know the newspapers and the magazines--all of them managed by a lot of reformers who have no weight in the world of affairs--have done all they could to thwart the plans of these brainier men. But they can't stop what's going to happen. A few men are going to control the resources of this country. A few men are going to administer the business affairs of this country. It can't be stopped. Even the Supreme Court realizes that now. Congress learned it long ago--the Senate proves it every day of the week. My son, this invention of mine is going to make that likelihood a certainty, a certainty! I want my place among those men, those few leaders who are to control this country. And I'm going to have it!" Young Halsey, dull white, simply sat staring at him as he went on. "We all know what the old ideas of fuel and power are--they're obsolete. Electricity is the power of the future, the power of to-day. _Speed, speed, speed_ is what we want. _Power, power, power_ is what every industry needs, as well as what every man craves. "Now, heretofore, the only question has been to get electricity over the country, to distribute it cheaply. The water powers manufacture it well enough, but even water powers cost money; and there has always been a limit to the range of transmission. Now, when I set aside all these old, costly, inefficient methods, and hand, ready-made, to the great capitalists of this country the very answer to the last question they have been asking, what is going to be the natural result? When I tell them that I can wipe out all this enormous industrial waste that has been going on in power, what are they going to say to me? Are they going to kick me out of their offices? "They didn't kick me out. When I went to them--a few of them, men who run our road--and told them that I could separate electricity into two parts, two sorts, common and preferred, old and new, costly and cheap, localized and wholly mobile--what were they going to say to me? They didn't kick _me_ out of the office! They got up and locked the office door. That's what they did. They were afraid I'd get away from them! "They had thought of these things before--about as much as you have, I reckon. That is, they had _hoped_ something would be discovered some time, by somebody. But I told them that I could send one-half of this divided power up into the air, now! I said I could store it in the air without cost to any one, and then take it down, at any manufacturing plant, anywhere, any lighting plant, any enterprise using power, whenever and wherever I pleased, at a cost not worth mentioning--and now! It was then they locked the office door, for fear I'd get away." IV "It's wonderful," said Halsey, warmly as he could.