owin' away
six months every hour this way."

"'Twon't be long," Rebecca replied, as she turned the hot water into her
dishpan. "You come in here an' help wash these dishes, an' ef I don't
soon wake up that mis'able--" She did not trust herself further, but
tightly compressed her lips and confined her rising choler.

"Why, Rebecca Wise," said Phoebe, "you know it will be hours before
that man's got sense enough to run this machine. I'm goin' to stop it
myself, right now."

Rebecca had just taken a hot plate from her pan, but she paused ere
setting it down, alarmed at Phoebe's temerity.

"Don't you dast to dream o' sech a thing, Phoebe!" she cried, with
frightened earnestness.

But Phoebe was confident, and crossed the threshold with a little
laugh.

"Why, Rebecca, what you scared of?" she said. "It's just as easy as
that--see!"

She pulled the starting lever.

The next instant found her flying out into the middle of the main room
following Droop, the table, and all the movable furniture. In the
kitchen there was a wild scream and a crash of crockery as Rebecca was
thrown against the rear partition.

Phoebe had pulled the lever the wrong way and the Panchronicon was
swiftly reaching full speed.

"Heavens and airth!" cried Rebecca.

"Whatever in gracious--" began the dismayed Phoebe.

She broke off in renewed terror as she found herself pushed by an
irresistible force to the side of the room.

"Here--here!" she heard from the kitchen. "What's this a-pullin'? Land
o' promise, Phoebe, come quick! I've got a stroke!"

"I can't come!" wailed Phoebe. "I'm jammed tight up against the wall.
It's as though I was nailed to it."

"Oh, why--why did ye touch that machinery!" cried Rebecca, and then said
no more.

The speed indicator pointed to one hundred and seventy-five miles an
hour. They were making one revolution around the pole each second--and
they were helpless.

As she found herself pushed outward by the immensely increased
centrifugal force, Phoebe found it possible to seat herself upon one
of the settles, and she now sat with her back pressed firmly against the
south wall of the room, only able by a strong effort to raise her head.

She turned to the right and found that Droop had found a couch on the
floor under the table and chairs at the rear of the room, also against
the south wall.

In the kitchen Rebecca had crouched down as she found herself forced
outward, and she now sat dazed on the kitc