The president laughed next day but said
that joke had gone far enough; then he showed Thomas A. Edison how to
open his first bank account."
Again the lecturer's voice ceased to be heard; again another voice
announced that the fourth talk would be given on a certain date a few
days later. A negro song with banjo accompaniment followed and the radio
entertainment was over.
Everyone was talking, laughing and voicing pleasure in the increasingly
wonderful demonstration of getting sounds out of the air, from hundreds
of miles away. Only Gus and Bill remained and the two--as Billy always
referred to their confabs--went into "executive session." This radio
receiver was altogether absorbing, much too attractive to let alone
easily. The boys were proud of their very successful construction and
they could neither forget that fact, nor pass up the delight of
listening in.
This time Gus had the first inspiration. Billy often thought how,
sometimes strangely or by chance or correct steering, his chum seemed to
grasp the deeper matters of detection. Gus eagerly acknowledged Bill as
possessing a genius for mechanical construction and invention, without
which the comrades would get nowhere in such efforts, even admitting
Gus's skill and cleverness with tools. But when it came to having
hunches and good luck concerning matters of human mystery, Gus was the
king pin.
"I'm going to see what else we can get from near or far," Gus said,
detaching the horn and using the head clamp with its two ear 'phones
which had been added to the set.
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