THE WONDERFUL SCIENCE
The boys arrived at the street floor breathless but triumphant, and started in the direction of home at so brisk a pace that poor Jimmy had some difficulty in keeping up. He was in as much of a hurry as any of the others, however, and by great effort managed to keep up with his companions.
“After this, we all should be eligible to go in a walking race,” laughed Bob, as they paused a minute at his door. “Can you all get around this evening and listen to some radio? I’ve got to get out some lessons this afternoon, and I guess you have, too.”
“I should say so!” exclaimed Joe. “You know how much chance we had to do them yesterday, and I’ve got a good three hours’ work ahead of me. I guess I can get around this evening all right, though.”
Herb and Jimmy both said that they would be on hand, and then they went on, separating as each reached his own home. 174
Shortly after supper that evening they all met at the Layton home according to appointment. As it was Sunday, they did not do any work on their new set, but the whole Layton family gathered around the loud speaker that evening, as a prominent preacher was to deliver a sermon by radio, and they were all eager to hear it.
Before the sermon there was an organ recital, and they heard this perfectly, after the boys had succeeded in tuning out one or two amateurs who sometimes made them trouble. Of course, everybody enjoyed the recital, and also the sermon, which was delivered in very effective style.
“This is certainly being up to date,” commented Mr. Layton, when the sermon was over. “When I was the same age as you boys, I was expected to be in church every Sunday evening without fail. But now it does not seem quite so necessary, when it is possible to have religious services right in the home, as we have had them this evening. I think the Layton family is indebted to you boys, as the chances are neither Mrs. Layton nor I would ever have become interested in it if Bob and you hadn’t introduced us to it.”
“I’ll bet you never thought much of it when we first started to build an amateur set, now did you, Dad?” accused Bob.
“As I don’t see any way out of it, I suppose I’ll have to confess that you’re right,” laughed 175 Mr. Layton. “But you must remember that you boys were among the first to take up wireless in Clintonia, and at that time nobody in town had thought anything about it. I guess we didn’t realize its possibilities.”
“It was a surprise to me when that first set that you boys made really worked,” admitted Mrs. Layton. “I remember that it sounded very nice right from the start, too.”
“Yes, that was a good old set,” said Bob. “It didn’t satisfy us for long, though. It was all right under favorable conditions, but you couldn’t do much tuning with it.”
“Not only that, but the range was pretty limited, too,” chimed in Joe. “When I think of all the planning we had to do before we got it made, I feel like laughing.”
“It was no laughing matter then, though,” said Herb. “If it hadn’t worked, we’d have been a pretty disappointed crowd.”
“I’ll never forget the sensation when that first music came in over our set,” said Bob. “It was certainly a grand and glorious feeling. I only hope our new set comes up to scratch as well as that one did.”
“I guess there isn’t much doubt about the new set,” observed Joe, confidently. “It will just have to work.”
“Look out,” laughed Mr. Layton. “Don’t forget 176 the old saying, that ‘pride goeth before a fall.’”
“Yes, we may have an awful bump coming to us, I suppose,” said Joe. “But we’d be awfully sore if it didn’t work, after all the labor we’ve put on it.”
“We’ll make it work, all right,” predicted Bob. “Maybe not on the very first trial, but we’ll get it going in the end, I’ll bet a cookie.”
“I surely hope it will be all right, because I know how bad you would all feel if it didn’t,” said Mrs. Layton. “I never knew boys would work so hard at anything, just for the sake of the fun they expect to get out of it.”
“They may get a good deal more than just fun out of it,” remarked Mr. Layton, seriously. “It looks to me as though radiophony were only just starting at present, and it seems certain that it offers a big field for any one who has the desire and ability to take up that line of work. It may turn out to be a fine thing for them later on.”
“I suppose that’s very true,” said his wife, thoughtfully. “Although that side of it never occurred to me before.”
After a little further conversation, Joe, Herb, and Jimmy said good-night and took their leave, thinking, as they walked home, of what Mr. Layton had said. They had all entertained the same idea before, but his words had encouraged them. 177 Why not? Surely there must be many openings in so large a field for bright and ambitious young fellows, and in their dreams that night the boys had visions of fame and fortune attained through the medium of wireless telephony.
They were discussing this the next afternoon on their way home from school, when their speculations were brought to an abrupt end by the sight of Larry hobbling down the street toward them as fast as he could travel with his crutch, his face flushed and his free arm wildly waving.