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Page 104
The damage was irremediable. The steel frames of the racks, the
cheaper metal of the boxes, the residue of the burning film, all
constituted a hideous, shapeless mass clinging against the sides
and in the corners and about the floor. Only one section of the
room retained the slightest suggestion of its original condition.
The little table and the boxes of negative records, the edges of
the racks which had stood at either side, showed something of
their former shape and purpose. This was directly beneath the
ventilating opening. Here the chemical mixture pumped in to
extinguish the fire had preserved them to that extent.
All at once Kennedy nudged the fire chief. "Put out your torch!"
he directed, sharply.
In the darkness there slowly appeared here and there on the walls
a ghostly bluish glow persisting in spite of the coating of soot
on everything.
Kennedy's keen eye had caught the hint of it while the electric
torch had been flashed into some corner and away for a moment.
"Radium!" I exclaimed, entirely without thought.
Kennedy laughed. "Hardly! But it is phosphorus, without
question."
"What do you make of that?" The fire chief was curious.
"Let's get out!" was Kennedy's reply.
Indeed, it was almost impossible for us to keep our eyes open,
because of the smarting, and, more, the odor was nauseating. A
guard was posted and in the courtyard, disregarding the curious
crowd about, Kennedy asked for Wagnalls and began to question
him.
"When did you close the vaults?"
"About two hours before the fire. Mr. Manton sent for me."
"Was there anything suspicious at that time?"
"No, sir! I went through each room myself and fixed the doors.
That's why the fire was confined to the negatives."
"Have you any idea why the doors were open when we went through?"
"No, sir! I left them shut and the boy I put there while I went
over to McCann's said no one was near. He"--Wagnalls hesitated.
"Once he went to sleep when I left him there. Perhaps he dozed
off again."
"Why did you leave? Why go over to McCann's in business hours?"
"We'd worked until after midnight the night before. I had to open
up early and so I figured I'd have my breakfast in the usual
morning slack time--when nothing's doing."
"I see!" Kennedy studied the ground for several moments. "Do you
suppose anyone could have left a package in there--a bomb, in
other words?"
Wagnalls's eyes widened, but he shook his head. "I'd notice it,
sir! If I do say it, I'm neat. I generally notice if a can has
been touched. They don't often fool me."
"Well, has any regular stuff been brought to you to put away;
anything which might have hidden an explosive?"
Again Wagnalls shook his head. "I put nothing away or give
nothing out except on written order from Mr. Manton. Anything
coming in is negative and it's in rolls, and I rehandle them
because they're put away in the flat boxes. I'd know in a minute
if a roll was phony."
"You're sure nothing special--"
"Holy Jehoshaphat!" interrupted Wagnalls. "I'd forgotten!" He
faced Manton. "Remember that can of undeveloped stuff, a two-
hundred roll?" He turned to Kennedy, explaining. "When negative's
undeveloped we keep it in taped cans. Take off the tape and you
spoil it--the light, you know. Mr. Manton sent down this can with
a regular order, marking on it that some one had to come to watch
it being developed--in about a week. Of course I didn't open the
can or look in it. I put it up on top of a rack."
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