The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-04-21

mentarily becoming more drunken up
on the strength of his announcement
that this would probably be their last
night OF earthly life. He saw scrub
women strewing their savings which
had been earned upon their calloused
knees into the fingers OF jeering gut
tersnipes. He saw wanton women
kneeIing with tears streaming down
their crimson painted cheeks; he saw
erstwhile staid men of respectability
hurrying into public houses, for what
purpose-good or eviI-he could only
guess. He. saw the stolid march of the
undisturbed whom nothing short of an
1 earthquake could impress; he saw the
satirlcal smiles of the cynics, the
/ boisterousness of the reckless, the
maudlin bewilderment of the weak of
mind as they swayed alternately be-
/ tween doubt and despair, and he saw
! here and there an earnest faced one
! hurrying silently past or slipping into
church or chapel From somewhere in
| the city a church bell was booming
solemnly, and from this place and that
came the sound of voices that dis
corded in a tumble of rag time and
psalms He saw human nature keyed
to it's highest pitch and taut as harp
as it sounded it's manifold notes of
harmony and jangle. He saw the
wicked become virtuous and the vir-
tuous wicked, the thief restoring and
the erstwhiIe virtuous thieving, while
above and around this human bedlam
hung the stiffness of air such as often
precedes a great electrical storm. And
this was but one insignificant spot up
on the continent! And If this was but
a sample, what then was happening in
the great cities of the land which were
strewn from the Atlantic to the Pa.
cific-what nameless crimes and out
RACES which must be laid at his door
if he had erred. Fortunes gathered to-
gether by years of labor would be scat
tered riotously in one debauch. Muir
ders would be committed, suicides
done, souls damned-and out of it all
so little good could come. 1t would
have been better, far better, if he had
let them die as they had lived, un-
warned like those who are stricken in
their sleep. He had been criminal in
his thoughtlessnesO. Alternately he
berated himself with savage venom or
prayed despairingly as he plunged
from street into alley and alley into
street as he sought by turnings and
. doublings to escape from the things
which haunted him on every side.
He stumbled from refuse cluttered
alley out into the light of broad
thoroughfare, sleekly groomed and
bordered by the houses of the eity's
more fortunate and better class. Here
1t was quiet and orderly as usual and
in his relief at having left the rabble
behind he breathed deeply of the fra
grant air, Strengthened his hat and
hair and proceeded more leisurely
upon his aimless way. Before him he
saw a yard generously studded with
trees, from the limbs OF which pale
| Japanese lanterns glowed in softly
tinted radiance He paused and
4 glanced about as he collected his
I thoughts. Yes, it was the residence oi
I Judge Fulton, and this was the lawn
party TO which March, taking advan
1 tage of his own acquaintance with the
4 Fultons, had invited him In the name
af Doris. He was near enough now tC
see the forms that strolled carelessIy
| about or sat upon the summer seats
I beneath the trees, near enough to ever
| catch tinkle of laughter from somt
| softly cleaning white throat as tn,
lady responded lightly to the jest o
- her companion as to the horror 81
soon to come. He paused in indecisiQr
To return to the lights and sound
from which he had just escaped wa
upthinkable, while before him, thoug
y there was more skepticism than in tn
rabble, there was also decency an
r. order. For moment his nina VIZ
yeFed between retreat to some sol
tary corner and a bold advance to tn
companionship of those beyond. the
with sudden determination he presse
. forward. threw open the gate and el
tered.
March, espying the grizzled head an
tall, gaunt form of his friend as /
slowly approached up the walk leadin
TO the house, spoke hurriedly int
l. Doris ear. 1T is Professor Desmon
of course you have met him. Yo
know | took the responsibility of /
viting him to drop in among us.
thought he might wish to be amor
friends tonight in case-well, in eith'
-. case, you know" She smiled in swi
= acknowledgment, and nowhere cou
= there be found a smile sweeter ths
4 Doris either in her light or sometim
3 serious mood.
. Il want to thank you for asking hi
= to come. We will make him our lilo
= l have always admired him, and had
& known all this was to happen wou
4 certainly have asked him TO come,
= the hope of somewhat diverting /
= mind as we'll as our own. He mu
& be under greater strain even tn
Z the rest of US, for he believes mo
= implicitly than We" She went Iight
9 forward, her hand outstretched, fra
3tS' welcome shining in her large hai
eyes.
Professor Desmond am delig
ed to be so honored. Have you q
late news to encourage us?'' He sho
his head with a grave smile as he fl
bowed over her hand and then straig
ened up with his usual dignity and 7
his eyes over the assemblage.
mo. Miss Fulton nothing moro tn
continued on Fourth Page)