"Did you hear anything more?"
"Well—yes, sir." The words came haltingly. "But I can't tell what it was."
"Try to describe the nature of the sounds. Take your time, Miss Carter; think hard."
She pondered.
"Well," she began after a moment, "I should say that what I next heard was made by some one pounding the transmitter with a hammer, and at the same time rubbing it with sandpaper; that is the best way I can describe it."
"You know," the night manager again interposed, "a very loud sound close to the transmitter sometimes becomes indistinguishable; it produces simply an ear-piercing noise that is mighty trying upon the operators."
"It was nothing like that," the young woman added, confidently. Converse asked:
"If you had been familiar with the sound, could you have identified it?"
"Yes, sir. But I never heard anything like it before."
Converse considered, regarding Miss Carter thoughtfully. Presently he stirred and sat upright.