The Doctor and Professor were kept very busy in consultation with governmental officials and scientific men. The naval and military departments were especially interested in the probabilities and possibilities of the use of air-ships in warfare. An arrangement was made to take a party of military men on a trip in Silver Cloud. A very successful and brilliant voyage of several hundreds of miles to the south and return was made, during which the Doctor actually encountered an opportunity to exemplify his theory as to air currents. While they were driving rapidly south at an altitude of but four or five hundred feet, he rapidly rose several thousand feet and encountered a splendid northerly current that carried them back to their starting point in a way that pleased the little man wonderfully well. This was a great triumph for the Doctor, and impressed the governmental party as of vast importance, and added immensely to the effectiveness of the ship in the art of war.
The Government made Will a very liberal offer to act as architect and constructor of another ship similar to Silver Cloud, with such improvements as experience had suggested to him. He accepted the offer, and would enter upon his duties immediately after their return from the South Pole. The Government had immediately acquiesced to their proposition to seek the South Pole, and even urged that they get out as soon as possible. The aluminum pole, a fac-simile of the one already planted, was being constructed.
One day, a month after their return, Mrs. Jones and Mattie were summoned to the parlor at an early hour for callers. They found there a large elderly gentleman and two ladies.
"O Mattie!" cried the younger, "don't you know us?"
"Why! is it possible that you are our friends from Constance House? It is, Maggie, it is! And this is Jennie Barton!"
"I declare that I was never so surprised and delighted in my life! Can this be Mrs. Barton?" And then such kissing and handshaking.
"And how do you do, Mrs. Barton? I would not have known you. How you have improved!" And Mrs. Jones scanned her face very critically. "Are you entirely recovered?"
"She is so much better that we no longer consider her an invalid. But I was desirous that the Doctor should see her again, and so we have come down. We were in Montreal when I saw in a paper an account of your return to Washington. That was the first we had heard of you since you sailed from Constance House, and you can well believe that we were exceedingly pleased to hear of your safe return. So we made up our minds that we would run down and see you at once," said Mr. Barton.