The last vestige of the Silver Menace was turned to yellowed water
within a month. Submarine sirens, carefully tuned to precisely the
pitch that would cause the tiny shells to shatter themselves, were
hastily set aboard huge numbers of fast steamers, that swept the ocean
in patrols, clearing the sea as they went. Whenever the clear note was
poured out by one of the under-water sirens the silvery animalcules
died in their myriads. Slowly, as the evil smell of their bodies
dissipated, the inhabitants of the Atlantic Ocean came back to their
normal haunts. By shoals and schools, by swarms and in tribes, the
fishes came down again from the North. A week after the destroying
steamers began their patrol rain fell on the Atlantic coast. The
abnormally dry air above the ocean took up water avidly and poured it
down on the parched earth with a free hand. The ocean, too, took up
again its former function of furnishing cool breezes during the day
and warm breezes at night. The seashore became once more a place of
charm and delight. At least Davis and Nita found it so. Davis was being
waited upon with decorations and honorary degrees, with the freedom of
cities and medals of honor from learned societies. At each presentation
solemn speeches were made in which he was told how superlatively clever
he was. Remembering the purely accidental nature of his discovery, he
found it difficult to keep from laughing. These things were tiresome,
but were not active nuisances until after his marriage. When he
found that he and Nita would not be left alone, that no matter how
scrupulously they concealed their identity it was sooner or later
discovered and they were interviewed and written up in special articles
for the newspapers he grew annoyed.
The climax came on a beautifully moonlit night at a seashore resort
where they were quite confident they would not be discovered. The beach
was like silver, and the waves were dark and mysterious, except where
the reflection of the moon glittered on their shining sides. Davis and
Nita, forgetting the world and devoutly hoping that they were by the
world forgot, sat and looked at the moon and played idly in the sand
and told each other the eternal foolishnesses that are probably the
truest wisdom. They were utterly happy just being alone with each other.
A dark figure looked up over and coughed. They started.
"You are Flight Commander and Mrs. Davis?" said a voice deprecatingly.
Davis groaned and admitted it.
"Our little villagers learned that you are visiting here, and a banquet
has been prepared in the pavilion in your honor. Won't you do us the
honor to attend?"
Davis muttered several words under his breath, for which Nita later
reprimanded him, and rose heavily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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