In silence they watched the panorama grow black except for the street-lamps, remain thus for a time, and then suddenly spring into brilliantly illuminated activity.

Again this lasted for a little while, and the west once more began to glow.  The sun rose somewhat more hastily from the Jersey hills and began to soar overhead, but very soon darkness fell again.  With hardly an interval the city became illuminated, and then the west grew red once more.

“Apparently,” said Arthur, steadying his voice with a conscious effort, “there’s been a cataclysm somewhere, the direction of the earth’s rotation has been reversed, and its speed immensely increased.  It seems to take only about five minutes for a rotation now.”

As he spoke darkness fell for the third time.  Estelle turned from the window with a white face.

“What’s going to happen?” she cried.

“I don’t know,” answered Arthur.  “The scientist fellows tell us if the earth were to spin fast enough the centrifugal force would throw us all off into space.  Perhaps that’s what’s going to happen.”

Estelle sank into a chair and stared at him, appalled.  There was a sudden explosion behind them.  With a start, Estelle jumped to her feet and turned.  A little gilt clock over her typewriter-desk lay in fragments.  Arthur hastily glanced at his own watch.

“Great bombs and little cannon-balls!” he shouted.  “Look at this!”

His watch trembled and quivered in his hand.  The hands were going around so swiftly it was impossible to watch the minute-hand, and the hour-hand traveled like the wind.

While they looked, it made two complete revolutions.  In one of them the glory of daylight had waxed, waned, and vanished.  In the other, darkness reigned except for the glow from the electric light overhead.

There was a sudden tension and catch in the watch.  Arthur dropped it instantly.  It flew to pieces before it reached the floor.

“If you’ve got a watch,” Arthur ordered swiftly, “stop it this instant!”

Estelle fumbled at her wrist.  Arthur tore the watch from her hand and threw open the case.  The machinery inside was going so swiftly it was hardly visible; Relentlessly, Arthur jabbed a penholder in the works.  There was a sharp click, and the watch was still.

Arthur ran to the window.  As he reached it the sun rushed up, day lasted a moment, there was darkness, and then the sun appeared again.

“Miss Woodward!” Arthur ordered suddenly, “look at the ground!”

Estelle glanced down.  The next time the sun flashed into view she gasped.

The ground was white with snow!

“What has happened?” she demanded, terrified.  “Oh, what has happened?”

Arthur fumbled at his chin awkwardly, watching the astonishing panorama outside.  There was hardly any distinguishing between the times the sun was up and the times it was below now, as the darkness and light followed each other so swiftly the effect was the same as one of the old flickering motion-pictures.