Ned Newton peered in the window of the shop at his chum, who was
busy over a bench.

"This is my latest invention, Ned. Come on in."

"Looks as though you were going to give a magic lantern show. Or is
it for some new kinds of moving pictures? Say, do you remember the
time we gave a show in the barn, and charged a nickel to come in?
You were the clown, and--"

"I was not! You were the clown. I was part of the elephant. The
front end, I think."

"Oh. so you were. I'm thinking of another one. But what are you up
to now? Is it a big magic lantern?"

Ned came over toward the bench, in front of which Tom stood, fitting
together sheets of heavy brass in the form of a big square box. In
one side there was a circular opening, and there were various wheels
and levers on the different sides and on top. The interior contained
parobolic curved mirrors.

"It's a SORT of a lantern, and I hope it's going to do some MAGIC
work," explained Tom with a smile. "But it isn't the kind of magic
lantern you mean. It won't throw pictures on a screen, but it may
show some surprising pictures to us--that is if you come along, and
I think you will."

"Talking riddles; eh?" laughed Ned. "What's the answer?"