“I’ll say so,” agreed Dick, his keen mind already occupied with the possibilities of this new discovery. “Armstrong was the fellow who invented the present regenerative circuit, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” said Phil, adding approvingly, “There’s nothing slow about that boy.”
“You said it,” said Tom, with a sigh. “Wonder why we couldn’t all have been born with brains like that.”
“Speak for yourself, old timer,” grinned Steve, adding, as he turned eagerly to Phil, “Such a circuit would sure solve my problem, Phil. But I suppose it would be harder to operate than the one we have.”
“No, it isn’t, that’s just the beauty of it,” said Phil, enthusiastically. “Armstrong declares it’s easier of operation than the old regenerative circuit. He claims, too, that the invention will eventually do away with the outside aerial. In his demonstration, he used only a small loop.”
“That sure would be a big advantage, too,” said Dick. “The regular aerial surely has caused a great deal of trouble.”
“I wonder,” said Steve, a contemplative eye upon his set, “when I could get this wonder-working contrivance. It sure would be one joy to me.”
“They will probably be in general use before long,” suggested Phil, “and then you could either buy the apparatus or model one of your own on the same plan.”
“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to wait,” admitted Steve grudgingly. So accustomed was he to modern miracles, that it seemed to him as though the apparatus he so ardently desired must be wafted to him on some magic Hertzian waves, to be delivered, ready for use, on the table before him!
After a while, since the weather showed no signs of clearing, and becoming tired of tinkering, the boys clapped on the head phones and prepared for an interesting hour or two of “listening in.”