he night before their steamer's date of
sailing.

For some reason, perhaps because the elements of superstition still
lurked in the mind of Colonel Harris, he decided not to stop any more at
the Hotel Waldorf. It had brought him ill-luck, so his party was driven
to the tall Hotel Plazza which overlooks the Central Park.

Fortunately George had inherited a talent for untiring investigation
and the power of close observation. His reasoning faculties also were
excellent. Besides his education, gained in a practical school at Troy,
George, with, his father, James Ingram, had made many experiments,
mostly after business hours; each experiment was numbered and the various
results had been carefully noted. Before leaving Harrisville his
investigations were all drifting towards great possible changes in the
production of iron and steel. He was glad to take this trip to Europe,
as it might afford him opportunity to verify or change some of his
conclusions. He resolved to use every moment for the enlargement of his
powers.

After bidding May and Gertrude good-night, he told the colonel that he
should now take the Elevated Railway for the steamer "Campania," as he
wished to observe at midnight the firing of the great battery of boilers
of the steamer; and that he would return in time for breakfast with the
party. "Let eight o'clock then be the hour, George," and the capitalist
and his trusted superintendent separated for the night.

The elevated railway was not swift enough to carry George Ingram to Pier
No. 40, so anxious was he to see the midnight fires started in the
hundred furnaces of one of the two largest steamers afloat. It was
fifteen minutes to twelve o'clock when he reached the dock, and provided
with a letter of introduction to the chief engineer, he hurried as fast
as possible to the officer's cabin.

The young engineer's night ashore had been spent at the opera, and,
advised of George Ingram's visit, he had promptly returned to the
steamer. Mr. Carl Siemens, engineer, was a relative of Siemens Brothers
& Co., Limited, the great electrical and telegraph engineers of London.
His education had been thorough, and he was very proud of his steamer the
"Campania," especially of the motive power, which he helped to design. He
gave young Ingram a cordial greeting.

For two hours they examined and talked of mechanism for ships and mills,
and they even ventured to guess what the earth's motive power might be.
It was now