e it
will not take him long to become known when he has an audience of
somewhere around a half a million people every evening."

"That's true enough," said Frank Brandon. "But it seems hard to realize
that science has really made such a thing possible."

"I'm ready to believe that nothing is impossible these days," said Dr.
Dale. "If I read in the paper some day that we had got into wireless
communication with Mars, I should believe it easily enough. In fact, I'd
hardly feel surprised."

"I'm sure I shouldn't," agreed the radio expert. "A person has to have a
receptive mind to keep up with these quick-moving times."

"You're right," agreed Dr. Dale. "But now, as we've heard Larry and feel
reasonably sure that his performance has been a success, I propose that we
go back and have our dessert. Does that meet with your approval, Jimmy?"

"Does it!" exclaimed Jimmy. "I should say so. I never feel as though I'd
really had anything much to eat unless I have dessert to top off with."

"After the dinner you ate, I don't really believe you could feel hungry,
even if you didn't have dessert," said Herbert.

"That must be just one of your phony jokes," said Jimmy. "You know I was
sitting beside you, Herb, and I felt pretty lucky to get anything to eat
at all. Anybody within three places of you on each side doesn't have much
of a show, you know."

"It's no use you're talking that way," said Herbert. "Everybody here knows
you too well, Doughnuts. You've got a reputation as an eats hound that
you'll never be able to live down."

"Oh, well, I don't care," said Jimmy, soothed by the sight of a big apple
pie that was on the table. "That's better than having a reputation for
making punk jokes like yours. If I eat too much, I'm the only one that
gets a stomach ache from it, but your jokes give everybody a pain."

CHAPTER XVII

VAULTING AMBITION

"Bang!" exclaimed Bob, with a laugh. "That was saying something, Jimmy.
You surely hit the bull's-eye plumb in the center that time. Guess that
will hold you a while, Herb."

"It was a terrible slam," acknowledged Herb. "If I weren't so busy eating
this pie, Jimmy, I'd be tempted to make you take back those cruel words."

"Nary take," said Jimmy, positively. "I said 'em, and I'll stick by 'em.
Besides, it's so. Isn't it, Bob? I'll leave it to you."

"Well," said Bob, "in the interests of truth I'll have to admit that as a
rule I'd rather have a stomach ache than listen to