laboratory and try the new idea. A gleam of hope had come to him.
It was still early evening, and Tom, when enticed out by Ned, had left his photo telephone apparatus in readiness to go on with his trials as soon as he should have come back.
"Now for it, Ned!" exclaimed the young inventor, as he took off his coat. "First I'll sensitize a selenium plate, and then I'll wet it. Water is always a good conductor of electricity, and it's a wonder that I forgot that when I was planning this photo telephone. But seeing the sparkle of lights, and the reflection of ourselves the lake to-night, brought it back to me. Now then, you haven't anything special to do; have you?"
"Not a thing, Tom."
"That's good. Then you get in this other telephone closet—the one in the casting shop. I'll put a prepared plate in there, and one in the booth where I'm to sit. Then I'll switch on the current, and we'll see if I can make you out, and you notice whether my image appears on your plate."
It took some little time to make ready for this new test. Tom was filled with enthusiasm, and was sure it was going to be successful this time. Ned watched him prepare the selenium
