admitting and rehearsing the absurdity of it all. I even blamed myself
for having been so easily deflected from my former experiments, by what
now seemed to be merely an idle fancy.

Suddenly I bent over the frame and gazed eagerly at the surface of
wires, for there, on the top edge, appeared a touch of the
phosphorus-colored glow. My heart thumped with wild excitement. I
stooped down until my eyes were on the level of the wires, and looking
up toward the window I could just see the rim of Mars appearing above
the casement. A shout of joy burst from my lips at the sight of it, for
it was now beyond all doubt that the phenomenon was attributable to
Mars. Brighter and brighter became the light as it covered the surface
of wires, until all its resemblance to a phosphorus glow had gone, and
it shone with such brilliancy that my eyes, accustomed as they were to
the darkness of the room, quailed before it. Turning away so that my
eyes might gradually become accustomed to the glare, I noticed that in
spite of the brilliant white light on the surface of the wires, the room
was in perfect darkness--the light had no power of illumination!
Impenetrable mystery enshrouded the agent which Mars was employing to
communicate with Earth!

A curious humming sound issuing from the frame, much louder than I had
noticed the night before, caused me to turn involuntarily, and as I did
so I uttered a cry of wonder at the marvelous vision that met my eyes.
There lay before me, as bright as daylight, a picture that a thousand
times surpassed my highest, wildest hope. The great secret of another
planet was revealed, and I stood motionless, beholding an inhabitant of
a star millions of miles away.

Among the vast multitude who for centuries have yearned for a glimpse