We must keep absolutely still about these materializations. Mind, not a

hint of them must escape--not a hint. To say nothing of how my wife and

daughter--high-strung, sensitive organizations--might feel about them,

the negroes wouldn't stay on the place a minute."

"That's true, they wouldn't. It's well you spoke, for I'm not naturally

discreet with my tongue when I'm not warned."

Sellers reached out and touched a bell-button in the wall; set his eye

upon the rear door and waited; touched it again and waited; and just as

Hawkins was remarking admiringly that the Colonel was the most

progressive and most alert man he had ever seen, in the matter of

impressing into his service every modern convenience the moment it was

invented, and always keeping breast to breast with the drum major in the

great work of material civilization, he forsook the button (which hadn't

any wire attached to it,) rang a vast dinner bell which stood on the

table, and remarked that he had tried that new-fangled dry battery, now,

to his entire satisfaction, and had got enough of it; and added:

"Nothing would do Graham Bell but I must try it; said the mere fact of my

trying it would secure public confidence, and get it a chance to show

what it could do. I told him that in theory a dry battery was just a

curled darling and no mistake, but when it come to practice, sho!--and

here's the result. Was I right? What should you say, Washington

Hawkins? You've seen me try that button twice. Was I right?--that's the

idea. Did I know what I was talking about, or didn't I?"

The American Claimant