Mr. Carr emitted a hollow, despairing sound—­a sort of musical groan—­and feebly plucked at space.

“I tried every lever, screw, and spring,” she went on calmly, “but the machine must have been out of order, for I only got one miserable little spark——­”

“You got a spark?”

“Yes—­just a tiny, noiseless atom of white fire——­”

Her father bounced to his feet and waved both hands at her distractedly.

“Do you know what you’ve done?” he bellowed.

“N-no——­”

“Well, you’ve prepared yourself to fall in love!  And you’ve probably induced some indescribable pup to fall in love with you!  And that’s what you’ve done!”

“In—­love!”

“Yes, you have!”

“But how can a common wireless telephone——­”

“It’s another kind of a wireless.  Your brother-in-law, William Destyn, invented it; I’m backing it and experimenting with it.  I told you to keep out of that room.  I hung up a sign on the door:  ’Danger!  Keep out!’”

“W-was that thing loaded?”

“Yes, it was loaded!”

“W-what with?”

“Waves!” shouted her father, furiously.  “Psychic waves!  You little ninny, we’ve just discovered that the world and everything in it is enveloped in psychic waves, as well as invisible electric currents.  The minute you got near that machine and opened the receiver, waves from your subconscious personality flowed into it.  And the minute you touched that spring and got a spark, your psychic waves had signaled, by wireless, the subconscious personality of some young man—­some insufferable pup—­who’ll come from wherever he is at present—­from the world’s end if need be—­and fall in love with you.”

Mr. Carr jumped ponderously up and down in pure fury; his daughter regarded him in calm consternation.

“I am so very, very sorry,” she said; “but I am quite certain that I am not going to fall in love——­”

“You can’t help it,” roared her father, “if that instrument worked.”

“Is—­is that what it’s f-for?”

“That’s what it’s invented for; that’s why I’m putting a million into it.  Anybody on earth desiring to meet the person with whom they’re destined, some time or other, to fall in love, can come to us, in confidence, buy a ticket, and be hitched on to the proper psychic connection which insures speedy courtship and marriage—­Damnation!”

“Pa-pah!”

“I can’t help it!  Any self-respecting, God-fearing father would swear!  Do you think I ever expected to have my daughters mixed up with this machine?  My daughters wooed, engaged and married by machinery! And you’re only eighteen; do you hear me?  I won’t have it!  I’ll certainly not have it!”

“But, dear, I don’t in the least intend to fall in love and marry at eighteen.  And if—­he—­really—­comes, I’ll tell him very frankly that I could not think of falling in love.  I’ll quietly explain that the machine went off by mistake and that I am only eighteen; and that Flavilla and Drusilla and I are not to come out until next winter.  That,” she added innocently, “ought to hold him.”