Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-16
IAPTER XXI Continued.

CHAPTER Xxi Contlnued.
A shadow had fallen upon the trair
the shadow of the huge Reuton sta
ton. In the half-light on the platform
Mr.. Magee encountered the mayor O
Reuton. Above the lessening roar o.
the train there sounded ahead of then
the voices of men in turmoil anC
riot. Mr.. Cargan turned upon Magee
Z face placid and dispassionate as tina,
OF one who enters an apple orchard in
May.
"Ths boys" he smiled grimly, wei
coming mo home"
Then the train came OF stop, and
Mr.. Magee looked down into great
array Of faces, and heard for the first
time the low unceasing rumble of an
angry mob. Afterward he marvefed
at that constant cultural roar. how il
went on and on, humming like tune
never stopping, disconnected quite
from the occasional shrill or heavy
voices that rang out in distinguishable
words, The mayor looked coolly down
into those unturned faces. he listened
. moment to the rumble of thousand
throats, then he took of his derby
with satiric ponteness.
"dlad to zee one and all!" he cried
And now above the mutterings angry
words could be heard. That's him.
~Fhat's two-hundred- thousand-dollar
Cargan," Flows the weather on Bald
pate?" and other sarcastic filings. Then
q fashion OF derisive cat-calls came
and went. After which, here and
theirs, voices spoke of ropes. of tar and
feathers. And still the mayor smiled
a. one for whom the orchard gate
swung open in May.
A squad of policemen, who had en-
tered the car from the rear, forced
their way out on to the platform.
want us to see you through the
crowd. Mr. Cargan?" the lieutenant
asked.
New boots and cries assembled to the
station rafters "Who pays the po-
lice?" 1--WE do" "Who owns 'em?,
"Cargan." Thus question and answar
were banded back and forth. Again
voice demanded in strident tones
the ignominious tar and feathers.
Jim Cargan had not risen from the
slums to be master of his town without
a keen sense Of the theatric. He or
dered the police back into the car
"And stay there he demanded. The
lieutenant demurred. One look from
the mayor sent him scurrying. Mr..
Carean took from his pocket a big
cigar, and calmly lighted 1t.
"Some Of them guys out there he
remarked to Magee, "belong to the
Sunday school crowd. Pretty actions
for them-pillars OF the church howl
Ing like beasts"
And still, like that of beasts, the
mutter Of the mob went on, now in an
now louder, and still that
voice that first had plead for tar and
feathers plead still-for feathers and
tar. And here group preferred the
rope
And toward them, with the bland
smile of a child on his great face, his
cigar tilted at one angle. his derby at
another, the mayor of Reuton walked
The roar became mad, defiant. But
Cargan stepped forward boldly. Now
he reached the leaders of the mob. He
pushed his way in among them. smil-
ing but determined. They closed in
on him. A little man got firmly in his
path. He took the little man by the
shoulders and stood him aside with
some friendly word. And now he was
past ten rows or more of them on his
way through. and the crowd began OF
scurry away They scampered like
ants. clawing at one another's backs
to make path.
And so finally, between two rows OF
them, the mayor Of Reuton went his
way triumphantly Somewhere, on
the edge Of the crowd, an admiring
voice spoke. Hello. JIM" The
mayor waived his hand. The rumble
Of their voices ceased at last. Jim
Cargan was still master Of the city.
'say what you will remarked Mr.:
Magee to the professor as they stood
together on the platform OF the car,
there goes a man."
He did not wait to hear the profes-
soY's answer. For he saw the girl or
the Upper Asquewan station, stand
Ing on q baggage truck far to the left
Of the mob, wave to him over their
heads. Eagerly he fought his way to
her side. 1t was hard fight. the
crowd would not part from him as it
had parted for the man who owned the
city.