The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-10-07
CHAPTER XIV.

WIS IKE the depths OF translucent
sea in which the distant electric lights
OF Mountain View avenue shone as
blurs OF phosphorescent life on one
hand. and the great dark bulk OF Leb
anon loomed as the massive founda
uona OF shadowy island on the other.
Farther on, the recurring fare from
the tail vent Of the blast furnace light
cd the haze depths weirdly. turning the
mysterious sea bottom into fathomless
aDysses Of dull-red incandescence for
the few seconds OF It's DURATION
SLOW lightning flash submerged and
half extinguished.
Gordon was passing the country col
onys church when one OF the torch
IKE flares redeemed on the night, and
the glow picked out the gilt cross at
the top Of the sham Norman tower.
he flung up a hand involuntarily, as II
TO put the emblem, and that for which
i stood out Of his life. At the same
instant whlf Of the acrld smoke from
the distant furnace fires tingled in his
posrils, and he quIckened his pace.
The hour for which all other hours had
been waiting had struck. Love had
called. and religion had made its silent
protest; but the smell in his nostrlls
was the smoky breath of Mammon, the
breath which has maddened a world:
he strode on doggedly thinking only OF
his triumph and how he should pres
emily compass It.
The two great poplar trees, sentinel
ing what had once been the gate OF the
old Gordon homestead, had been spared
through all the Industrial changes.
When he would have opened the wicket
to pass on to the log house offices, an
armed man stepped from behind one of
the trees his gunbutt drawn up TO
strike. Before the blow could fall. the
furnace flare blazed aloft like a mighty
torch, and the man grounded his weap-
on.
Il beg your pardon, Mr. Gordon; I
took ye for somebody else," he STAN
mered; and Tom scanned his face
sharply by the light Of the burning
gases
"Whom?-for instance" he queried
'Why-e-yeh-I reckon It don't make
any diffrence-my telhn' you: you'd
ought to have 1t in for him, too. I was
layin' for that houn'- dog at walks on
his hind legs and calls hisself Vint
Farley"
Who are you?" Tom demanded.
Kincaid's my name, and I'm s'posed
to be one O. the strike guards; least
wise, that's what I hired out for a lit
tie spell ago. I couldn't think of mare
a better way o. gettin' at"
Gordon interrupted bruskly. Tell
me what you owe Vint Farley. If your
debt is bigger than mine, you shall
have the first chance"
The gas-flash came again. There
was black wrath in the mans eyes.
You can tote 1t up for yourself,
Tom-Jeff Gordon. Late yeste- day
evenin', when me and Nan Bryerson
drove to town for your Uncle Silas to
marry us, she told me what I'd been
mistrustin' for a month back-that
Wat Farley was the daddy o. her chill
lern. He's done might nigh everything
short o. KILN her to make her swear
'em on to you; and 1 allowed I'd jest
put off goin' back West till I'd fixed his
lyin face scat no yuther woman'd
ever look at it."
Gordon staggered and leaned against
the fence palings, the red rage of muir
der boiling in his veins. Here, at last, |
was the key to all the mysteries; the |
source of all the cruel gossip; the |
foundation of the wall of separation |
that had been built up between his |
love and Ardea. When he could trust |
himself to speak he asked a question. |
"Who knows this, besides yourself?" |
Your Uncle Silas, for one: he al |
lowed he wouldn't marry us less'n she |
told him. l might nigh b'lieve he had |
his suspicious. too He let on like it |
was Farley that told him on you, years
ago when YOU was a boy"
HE did? Then Farley was one of
the three men who saw us up yonder
at the barrel-springw
"Yes; and l was another one of em.
: was right hot ar you that mornin'; 1
shore was"
well, who else knows about it?"
Brother Bill Layne, and Aunt
M'randy, and Japhe Pettigrass. They
all went in town to stan up with me
and Nan"
Then Tom remembered the figure
coming swiftly across the lawns and
the call Of the voice he loved. Had
lambeth told her, and was she hasten
ing to make such reparation as sha
could? No matter, 1t was too late now.
The fierce hatred of the wounded saw
age was astir in his heart and 1t would
not be denied or silenced.
GIVE me that gun, and you shall
have your first chance" he conceded.
'I make but one condition: If you kill
him, I'll kill you"
'T was only allowIn' to sp'ile his face
some, and a rock'll do for that. You
can have what's left O. him after 1 get
thoo-and it'll be enough to kill, I
reckon"
At the moment of weapon passing
there came sounds audible above the
sob and sigh of the blowing engines
a clatter Of horses hoofs and the
of carriage wheels on the
pike Gordon signed quickly to Kin
cald and drew back carefully behind
the bole of the opposite poplar.
1t was the Warwick Lodge surrey,
and 1t stopped at the gate. Two men
got out and went up the path, and an
Instant later, Kincaid followed stealth
lly.
Gordon waited for the next gas flare,
and by the light of 1t he threw the
Dreech- lock Of the repeating rife to
make sure the cartridge was in place.
Then he, too, passed through the wick
1t and went to stand in the shadow Of
he slab-fioored porch, redolent of
He had forgotten the les
ser vengeance in the thirst for the
yreater-that he had come to fling
heir misfortunes into the faces Of the
,ather and the son, and to tell them
hat the work was his. He heard only
he voice of the savage in his heart, ,,
Ind that was whispering, kill kill" ,
II was close on midnight when the 7
loor giving on the porch opened and 9
he two men stood on tho threshold. (
rhe younger Of the two was speaking. :
TITS quieter than usual to-night I