I had met him at West Point years before, when he
was a cadet. It was when General Merritt was superintendent. He had the
reputation of being an able officer, and also of being quick-tempered
and plain-spoken.

This smoking-party had been gathered together partly for business. This
business was to consider the availability of the telelectroscope for
military service. It sounds oddly enough now, but it is nevertheless
true that at that time the invention was not taken seriously by any one
except its inventor. Even his financial support regarded it merely as a
curious and interesting toy. Indeed, he was so convinced of this that
he had actually postponed its use by the general world to the end of
the dying century by granting a two years' exclusive lease of it to a
syndicate, whose intent was to exploit it at the Paris World's Fair.
When we entered the smoking-room we found Lieutenant Clayton and
Szczepanik engaged in a warm talk over the telelectroscope in the German
tongue. Clayton was saying:

'Well, you know my opinion of it, anyway!' and he brought his fist down
with emphasis upon the table.

'And I do not value it,' retorted the young inventor, with provoking
calmness of tone and manner.

Clayton turned to Mr. K., and said:

'I cannot see why you are wasting money on this toy. In my opinion, the
day will never come when it will do a farthing's worth of real service
for any human being.'

'That may be; yes, that may be; still, I have put the money in it,
and am content. I think, myself, that it is only a toy; but Szczepanik
claims more for it, and I know him well enough to believe that he can
see father than I can--either with his telelectroscope or without it.'

The soft answer did not cool Clayton down; it seemed only to irritate
him the more; and he repeated and emphasised his conviction that the
invention would never do any man a farthing's worth of real service.
He even made it a 'brass' farthing, this time. Then he laid an English
farthing on the table, and added:

'Take that, Mr. K., and put it away; and if ever the telelectroscope
does any man an actual service--mind, a real service--please mail it
to me as a reminder, and I will take back what I have been saying. Will
you?'

'I will,' and Mr. K. put the coin in his pocket.

Mr. Clayton now turned toward Szczepanik, and began with a taunt--a
taunt which did not reach a finish; Szczepanik interrupted it with a
hardy retort, and followed this with