Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-16
CHAPTER XIV.
rhe Master spsaI,e Again.

what more than nifty hours.
In the meantime the facts as to vi.
brations were published in all the
papsrs: the dispatches and the rela'
lions between Mccarthy and Monsieur
x exclusively in the Despatch-to that
organs vast satisfaction and credit:
and the possibilities Of tragedy in mona
This latter fact was greatly to the
credit Of q maligned class Of men. It
10 common belief that no cause IL too
sacred or no consequence too grave
to give pause to the editorial rapacity
for news. The present instance dis.
proved that superstition. No Journal.
yellow or otherwise, contained . line
Of sugsestion that anything beyond
annoyance was to be feared from these
queer manifestations.
The consequences on mixed popu.
lation like that of New York were
very peculiar. The people naturally
divided themselves into three classes.
In the first were those who had re-
csived their warning from logic
friends, or the outside world: and
who either promptly left town or. be
Ing unable to do 50. lived In fear. In
the second were all that numerous
body who, neurasthenically unbal
anced or near the overbalance. shut
instinctively the eyes Of their reason
and slowed with q devasting and f.
natical religious zeal. Among these,
% extraordinarily are We constituted,
almost Immediately grew up various
sects, uniting only In the belief that
the wrath Of God was upon an iniqut
tous people.
By far the largest class OF all. com
pFising Tie evsu-day busy bulk Of the
pooplA were those who aooeptsd The
thing q its face value, read III own
papers. went about its business. and
spared time 70 laugh ct the ahsardi
ties or growl st the inoonvenisnoss Of
the phenomeua. With true American
adaptability. II speedily accustomed
itself 70 both the expectation Of, and
the coping with. unusual conditions.
It went forth about it, daily affairs:
Il started for homo Q little early u
order to get there IN season: II %.
chswed subways and thsatsrs; Il learn
cd 70 wait patiently. when one Of the
three bNghts struck it, world. - Q
man waits patiently tor . shower 20
pass.
This class. - has been said. vas
prepondesantly in the majority, but it,
mass was being constantly diminished
a. little knowledge Of danger sespsd
into it, substance. News Of the Dos
sible catastrophe passed from mouth
70 mouth: . world outside, waiting
aghast at such faulty, began to eok
IN its messages. etrset-cornef alarm
ists talked to such - would listen.
Thousands upon thousands left the
city. Hundreds Of thousands more,
tied hard and fast BY the strings Of
necesstty, waited In an hourly growing
dread.
'The 'sign" had been sent promptly
ct six o'clock. ~ promised. It proved
DaErow's prediction BY turning out to
be stoppase Of the electrical syn
TENS. This time It lasted only half
an hour-long enough to throw tho
tra@o and transportation into confu-
sion. It was followed 1T short inter.
walls By demonstrations In light and
sound: none was Of long duration.
After the nrst few. their occurrence
came freakishly, in flashes. ~ though
the hidden antagonist delighted in con
fusinx his immense audience. Tho
he sent over the wireless In
the Atlas Building grew more and
more threatening and grandiose. They
demanded Invariably that Mccarthy
should be sought out and delivered up
to . rather vaguely described ven
geance; and threatened with dire ca
families all the Inhabitants Of Man
haitian II the Unknown's desires were
not fulfilled. These threats grew more
definite in character az time went on.
The effect Of all this, in the long
run was, Of course. confusion and in
People laughed or cursed;
but they also listened and reasoned.
throughout the city. dread
was extending the blacknsss Of ito ter
ror. A knowledge that would have
caused Q tremendous panic IL It had
been divulged suddenly now gave
birth to deep.seated uneasiness.
Where the panic would have torn
men up BY the roots and flung them
In terrorized mobs through the coz
gested ways and out Into the inhos-
pitable country. the uneasiness Of
dread held them covering ct their 40
tasks. They Wero afraid;
but they had had time to think, and
they realized what Il would mean to
leave their beloved or accustomed or
necessary city. % tho case might be.
And Il must be remembered that the
definite knowledge Of what might be
feared was not yet disseminated
among them.
But this attitude hurt business. and
business struck back. The subways
were practically deserted: the theaters
empty; the accumstomed careless life
OF the Great White Way thinned; the
streams Of life slackened. Further
more, the intelligent criminal imme-
diately discovered that ideal shields
we're being provided him gratis behind
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