The Project Gutenberg EBook of Earth Alert!, by Kris Neville

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Title: Earth Alert!

Author: Kris Neville

Release Date: September 5, 2010 [EBook #33642]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EARTH ALERT! ***

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EARTH ALERT!

By Kris Neville

[Transcriber note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of
Science and Fantasy February 1953. Extensive research did not uncover
any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: What defense could she raise against mutant
science--telepathy, invisibility, teleportation--especially since Earth
was not aware of its danger!]

CHAPTER I

When Julia (she pronounced the name without the "a" at the end) was
twenty-four, she inherited $22,000 from an obscure uncle in California.
After deducting taxes and administrative expenses, the California State
Court ordered the money transferred to her bank account. It came to
$20,247.50.

She had been working in a local book store. "I haven't the vaguest idea
why it came to me," she told the curious and covertly envious customers.
"I guess he just didn't know anybody else."

She was a small, slender girl. Her eyes were bright and enthusiastic,
her open smile so friendly that it was infectious.

The first afternoon when the money was actually in the bank under her
own name, her father asked, "Well, what are you going to do with it?" He
was genuinely curious. He owned his own home and was about to retire on
a pension. He felt uncomfortable in the face of $20,247.50--for which he
was not able even to imagine a use.

Julia said, "I haven't exactly made up my mind yet." She intended to
shop around for a husband, but she did not say this. She thought it
would sound very callous to say: I'm going to buy me a husband: I've
always wanted one.

* * * * *

Julia gave two weeks notice at the book store. When the time was up she
took her last pay check and went to one of the