“It’s quite wonderful,” Norma exclaimed. “I shouldn’t wonder if something tremendously important would come out of it.” She was not wrong in this prediction.
“Black Knob is an important point,” said Bess. “It’s so far off shore.”
“It must be,” was the quick reply. “Particularly for enemy submarines. I’m going to tell Lieutenant Warren about it.”
“But not about television,” Bess warned. “At least, not without grandfather’s consent.”
Once again the hand had vanished from the square of light. This time Beth pushed the apparatus into a corner and threw a cloth over it.
“He reports once each hour until midnight,” she explained. “If anything really startling comes up, he gives us a buzz on a short-wave radio and we turn on television for a special report.”
“Two elderly ladies take over until morning. They use short wave entirely. During the day fishermen who live there keep a sharp watch.”
“It’s not much of a setup for so important a spot,” Bess said. “One old man, two women and some fishermen. But it’s all there is there in winter.”
“It might be improved upon,” Norma agreed.
“Well,” said Bess, drawing on a heavy coat, “I’ll get out on the listening platform. It’s all ears from now till morning.”
“Unless they show a light,” Norma suggested.
“No enemy would show a light,” was the reply.
As Bess left her comfortable place by the fire Norma noticed that outside the wind was picking up and snow beginning to fall.
“Not going to be a nice night,” was her comment.
“Winter’s almost gone,” was Beth’s reply. “We’ve had some really bad nights, I can tell you.”
“What’s the payoff?” Norma asked without thinking.
“This is our country!” Beth drew herself up proudly. “No enemy planes have ever got past us—I mean all of us—not just Bess and me. And they never will! There are hundreds of watchers all along the coast.”
“And if you hadn’t been here they would have tried?” Norma suggested.
“It’s grand work! We’re going to help you all we can.”
“That’s not all there is to it.” Beth leaned forward. “We saved two lives. Fighting men they were, too. They gave us the credit, just Bess, grandfather, and me. See?” She held out a medal that read FOR VALIANT SERVICE.
“That’s wonderful!” Norma exclaimed. “I hope I can do as much.”