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Bill Brown's Radio
by
Wayne Whipple
Author of "Radio Boys Loyalty"
and
S. F. Aaron
Co-author of "Radio Boys Loyalty"
[Illustration: MADE IN U.S.A.]
"Come along, Bill; we'll have to get there, or we won't hear the firstof it. Mr. Gray said it would begin promptly at three."
"I'm doing my best, Gus. This crutch——"
"I know. Climb aboard, old scout, and we'll go along faster." The firstspeaker, a lad of fifteen, large for his age, fair-haired, though asbrown as a berry and athletic in all his easy, deliberate yet energeticmovements, turned to the one he had called Bill, a boy of about his ownage, or a little older, but altogether opposite in appearance, for hewas undersized, dark-haired, black-eyed, and though a life-long cripplewith a twisted knee, as quick and nervous in action as the limitationsof his physical strength and his ever-present crutch permitted.
In another moment, despite the protests of generous consideration forhis chum's strenuous offer, William Brown was heaved up on the broadback of Augustus Grier and the two cronies thus progressed quite rapidlyfor a full quarter of a mile through the residential section ofFairview. Not until the pair arrived at the entrance of one of theoutlying cottages did husky Gus cease to be the beast of burden, thoughhe was greatly tempted to turn into a charging war horse when one of agroup of urchins on a street corner shouted:
"Look at the monkey on a mule!"
Gus cared nothing for taunts and slurs against himself, but he deeplyresented any suggestion of insult aimed at his crippled friend. However,although Bill could not defend his reputation with his fists, a methodwhich most appealed to Gus, the lame boy had often proved that he had anative wit and a tongue that could give as good as was ever given him.
"Here we are, Gus, and how can I ever get square with you?" Bill said,his crutch and loot thumping the steps as the boys gained the doorway.
In answer to the bell, a sweet-faced lady opened the door, greeted theboys by name and ushered them into a book-lined study where alreadyseveral other boys and girls of about the same age were gathered abouttheir school teacher.
Professor James B. Gray, although this was vacation time, was the sortof man who got real and continued pleasure out of instruction,especially concerning his hobbies. Thus his advanced classes, hererepresented, had come into much additional knowledge regarding themicroscope and the stereopticon and had also greatly enjoyed theProfessor's moving-picture apparatus devoted to serious subjects. Thelatest wonder, and one worthy of intense interest, was a newly installedradio receiver.
"Come in, come in, David and Jonathan,—I mean William and Augustus!"greeted Professor Gray. "Find chairs, boys. I'm glad you've come. Now,then, exactly in nine minutes the lecture starts and it will interestyou. The announcement, as sent out yesterday, makes the subject the lifeand labors of the great scientist and inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, andit begins with his boyhood. Don't you think that a fitting subject uponan occasion where electricity is the