The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-17

air, anu IeelS III cool ana Iresnen nlin, ne
loses all sense of uneasiness, and walks
swiftly and eagerly back to the Office in
Farringdon street, there to await the
maturing of his great plan, and see and
talk to such men as may seek him for In
structi0n or counsel. ...-.
A number of men are in his office;
many have grave, earnest faces, many
Ike himself are little flushed and ex-
cited.
AT half-past eleven most of the men
have left. Some have departed to their
allotted posts, to their homes, several
into the streets to see the effect OF the
titanic blow. .
At half-past eleven on this same night,
Mrs. Ilford sends in all haste messenger
into town for Michael Crane. There is
no unexpected alarm at the house in
Shakespeare Road, but the long anticipa-
ted event is at hand, and it is most de-
sirable that the master of the house
should be at home. The messenger is
the little maid-of-all-work, and she goes
with speed to the Brixton Station, and
takes the train to Ludgate Hill. 1t is
slose upon midnight before she reaches
Farringdon street. She passes under the
Viaduct on her way to the Office, where
Michael Crane now sits all by himself.
At two minutes past twelve Michael
Crane stands up and lights four candles
that stand on the writing-table. Then
sits down in his elbow chair smoking
cigar and staring into the gas lamp on
the table.
At five minutes past twelve the fame
of the gas changes from pale yellow to
faint blue. Soon the flames grow shorter
and thinner. He smiles at it smile of
comprehension and satisfaction. In
three minutes more the fame fickers,
jumps, fickers, and--goes out!
With a wild shout of triumph he
springs to his feet and ;rushes to the win
dow. His gait is not quite steady. He
must have been drinking since he left
Fleet street. He catches hold of the
sash, steades himself, draws up the blind,
and looks out.
All over London at this moment has
fallen sudden pail of darkness. Not
a gas jet burns in chamber or street. The
gas stokers all over London have struck,
and at the same instant turned off the
gas!
At this moment, pale and trembling
with terror, the little maid messenger
from Shakespeare Road opens the door Of
Michael CRANES office and enters the
room. Seeing no one in the room but
him, she is little reassured; she hastens
to him and puts her hand on his shoulder.
He turns round, swaying unsteadily to
and fro, recognizes her, and seizing her
by the shoulder calls out in hoarse,
thick voice:
"Do you see that black darkness? l
made it! Do you remark that silence
that is mine too. But these are only
parts of my work. That darkness and
that silence are designed by me to COM
pei Justice, to make the driver of white
slaves feel the power of the slaves, and
to show those who use the handiwork of
white slaves that the slaves have power
over their handiwork, that they can
withhold their own handiwork if they
choose"
The girl looks into the dense darkness
in terror, then at him in fear. That
darkness is no more to her than the hid
eous cavern of night, through which she
has to regain her home, miles out among
ghostly houses; this man is to her only her
mistress's husband, who has been drink
ing, and who is saving wild things, and
for whom she has been sent in hot haste.
Her throat is dry and her lips feel thick
with dread, but she contrives to whisper:
"Master, missus is bad, and missus's
sister says, sir, would you please come
home at once"
He p sses one hand over his flushed
forehead, and with the other steadies
himself by the window-frame. Then
looking heavily at the girl he says:
"My wife is badl Now, what do you
mean by saying my wife is bad? 1t is
only what we have been expectingw
"That's all, sir, but will you please come
at once? missus is bad-and- and-and
am frightened to 60 by myself" Here
the girl covers her face with her hands
and bursts into sobs. .
There is something in the coincidence
of this news coming at this time which
arouses strange conflict in Michael
Cranes heart. Here is he tonight in
the City surrounded by the accumulated
triumph of LIFETIME. There, beyond
the river, far away through the darkness
of his own creation, the hope of years is
about to be fulfilled; all thst can be
done for the cause is now effected, as far
as his part Is concerned. There is moth
ing more for him to do in town tonight.
He would like to stay and watch the
progress of his victory-but his wifef
For few moments he lis plunged into
torrent Of conflicting thoughts Then he
shakes himself, drops one hand from
his forehead, and the other from the win
dow.frame, and says to the girl:
"Come, Emily, I will 60 at once with
you. We are vet in time to catch the
twelve-twenty-four from Ludgate" AL
though his purpose is clear to him, his
memory of recent things is almost wholly
obscured.
Seizing the girl by the arm, partly to
steadv himself and partly to guide her