peculiar type of young men;
young men with great bulging foreheads, bald, toothless, and wearing
immense horn spectacles. One square, however, still remained empty. On
noticing this, a look of irritation passed over the professor's
countenance.

But, seeing that every other glass square but this one was filled up, he
commenced to talk.

"I am pleased, gentlemen, to see you all posted at your local Visaphones
this afternoon. I have prepared my lecture today upon a subject which
is, perhaps, of more economic interest than historical. Unlike the
previous lectures, my talk will not confine itself to the happenings of
a few years, but will gradually embrace the course of ten centuries, the
ten centuries, in fact, which terminated three hundred years before the
present date. My lecture will be an exposition of the effects of the
John Jones Dollar, originally deposited in the dawn of civilization, or
to be more precise, in the year of 1921--just thirteen hundred years
ago. This John Jon--"

At this point in the professor's lecture, the frosted glass square which
hitherto had shown no image, now filled up. Sternly he gazed at the head
and shoulders that had just appeared.

"B262H72476Male, you are late to class again. What excuse have you to
offer today?"

From the hollow cylinder emanated a shrill voice, while the lips of the
picture on the glass square moved in unison with the words:

"Professor, you will perceive by consulting your class book, that I have
recently taken up my residence near the North Pole. For some reason,
wireless communication between the Central Energy Station and all points
north of 89 degrees was cut off a while ago, on account of which fact I
could not appear in the Visaphone. Hence--"

"Enough, sir," roared the professor. "Always ready with an excuse,
B262H72476Male. I shall immediately investigate your tale."

From his coat pocket, the professor withdrew an instrument which,
although supplied with an earpiece and a mouthpiece, had no wires
whatever attached. Raising it to his lips, he spoke:

"Hello. Central Energy Station, please." A pause ensued. "Central Energy
Station? This is the professor of history at the University of Terra,
speaking. One of my students informs me that the North Pole region was
out of communication with the Visaphone System this morning. Is that
statement true? I would--"

A voice, apparently from nowhere, spoke into the professor's ear. "Quite
true, Professor.