human
What's the trouble, boys?
gpt
No trouble, exactly, Cub replied.
human
Just another mystery.
gpt
That's interesting, the yachtsman commented.
human
Tell me about it.
gpt
You get my goat, dad,
human
Why do I get your goat, Bob?
gpt
Because the more mystery there is floating around, the better pleased you are.
human
Is that so? Well, what's the mystery now?
gpt
You tell 'im, Hal, requested the youth of the
human
Well?
gpt
Well! . repeated Cub vociferously.
human
Is that all you can say?
gpt
I'd like to return your goat, Bob, but I don't see how I can,
human
In other words, you don't see anything startling about that fellow's last performance,
gpt
No--o, nothing startling,
human
What do you make out of it, then?
gpt
I don't know that I make anything out of it, except a lot of nonsense.
human
You think it's a joke?
gpt
I wouldn't call it anything but a lot of nonsense until I know more about it.
human
But doesn't it make you impatient to find out what it all means?
gpt
No, not in the least. I got over that long ago, my son. Don't let any such habit grip you; it'll wear your nerves out, and then you won't have any lead-in to connect your antennae with your brains.
human
Ha, ha, ha,
gpt
When did you begin to study radio, Mr. Perry?
human
Oh, I've been learning rapidly ever since I was thrown into the company of you hams, was the reply.
gpt
But don't let me get you off the question.
human
The question--what was the question?
gpt
Mystery, wasn't it?
human
Yes, that's it, Bud replied.
gpt
The mystery of the Radio Robinson Crusoe in the Lake of the Thousand Isles.
human
That sounds interesting, but it's mostly a poetic, or ecstatic, jumble of words, said Mr. Perry.
gpt
And right there is the secret of many a mystery. It's clothed in a maze of language. Remove the maze, and it begins to look simple.
human
Where is the maze of language in this affair?
gpt
From what I've heard, the whole affair seems to have consisted principally of language. Now, I tell you what we'll do. We'll go to bed early and have a good sleep. In the morning, we'll shake this affair up in a sieve and see if we can't get rid of everything but the main lumps of the facts. Then we'll size them up and see what we can make of them. In my opinion, we can get at the bottom of what you choose to regard as a profound mystery.
human
If you do, pa, you'll return my goat,
gpt
It's up to you, Bob, was his father's reply.
human
I've no desire to keep him in my stable.
gpt
Goat
human
Yes, said Bud, his sense of humor stimulated by this allusion;
gpt
I didn't say I was going to do that,
human
What--return the goat or disprove the mystery?
gpt
Now you're getting facetious,
human
Not necessarily, objected Mr. Perry.
gpt
I didn't promise, or have in mind, to do either of those things. The fact of the matter is, a mystery represents the state or condition of mind of the person mystified. Now, I am not mystified over this affair at all; hence there is no mystery in it, so far as I am concerned.
human
Then explain it to us,
gpt
Oh, no; I didn't mean I could do that.
human
Then you must be mystified,
gpt
Suppose you have a difficult example to do at school, and finally after working at it a long time you have to confess you can't do it--does that mean it's a mystery and you are mystified?
human
Cub, you're the highbrow of our bunch,
gpt
Oh, get away with that stuff, Cub protested, but, somehow, a faint glimmer of satisfaction at the
human
No, I won't, either, Hal insisted.
gpt
It's true. This thing is too much for Bud and me. You've got to settle it for us.