“It will be a new one on my friend, too,” declared Smithers with an eager twinkle in his eyes. “But seriously, it’s a very good thing, and I want my friend to get the benefit of it without having to wait until we’ve protected all our rights with patents.”
“Why don’t you express them to your friend right from here?” asked Guy.
“That’s just the point that I want you to help me get around. I’m afraid to put a pair of those shoes in the hands of anybody here in England. I know we’re being watched by persons who wouldn’t hesitate to steal the idea from us. You see, the revenue officers make a close inspection of all such shipments, and I’m afraid they’d ask embarrassing questions if I tried to send the shoes as you suggest. There’s no telling what might happen, for the persons who are watching us have good government connections. The best way to get around this danger, it seems to me, is to have some trustworthy person take the shoes to America and there express them to my friend. There’d be no revenue charge on a personal item of that kind.”
“That’s very interesting,” said Guy; “and I’ll be glad to do anything I can to help you get the shoes to your friend. But aren’t you putting too much confidence in me? I might make a blunder of some kind that would give your secret away.”
“I’m not afraid of that,” assured Smithers. “The only way you could do me any harm is by purposely betraying me, and I’ll risk that without any fear whatever. Of course, if it would inconvenience you any—”
“No inconvenience at all,” interrupted Guy reassuringly. “You can depend on me to take care of the matter without fail. But I admit I’m curious to know why you call them wireless shoes.”
“Because they are strictly wireless shoes, operating on the same principle as wireless telegraphy.”
“You don’t say. But, understand, I’m not asking you to reveal your secret to me. Of course, you wouldn’t do it if I asked you to.”
“No, not all of it,” Smithers replied. “But I’m glad to tell you this much: Inside the heels are small induction coils. The antenna consists of a wire belt with fine flexible wires running down inside the trouser legs and coupling with wire posts at the tops of the shoes. This antenna is sensitive to wireless waves constantly pulsating in the ether. When the connections are complete, the induction coil is thrown into action by the wireless waves received, and a condition of electro-magnetism is produced. One necessary connection is made by pressing the bare sole of the foot against two electrodes on the inner side of the sole of each shoe, so that each foot gets the benefit of the wireless waves and the electric reaction. That sounds like the whole secret, doesn’t it, but there’s another important element I’m holding back.”
“The idea’s clever,” said the boy with a smile of amused interest. “I’ll be glad to take a pair and express them to your friend in New York, and I hope they’ll cure his rheumatism.”