Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-15
B, LOUIS TRACY

ment in terms of money and life, hc
| sketched briefly. but with winge
words, the story OF his career ii
! depicted his childhood's days, passt
I IN surroundings with which eyeryCn
| present was familiar, and thus, at tn
| outset, placed himself on q par wit
| the limited intelligence and dismal eX
Ucrienles of his audience. He toll,
! how he had risen to oe u foreman II
| tho iron works, how he ed the strike
ana was befooled like another Sam
son by q Delilah in fine rainment and
Nnamted with sweet-smelling spices
BY wave OF a magician's wand h,
/ led them from the dirt and squalor OF
a working class quarter TO the palaces
i and well-tended lands Of an English
nobleman. He even held them spell
| bound by describing the unhappy
quest which had dominated his man.
! hoods years-that unending and
never successful search for an answer
/ TO the far-reaching question-ls HUI
man!ty in the Grip of Evil?
In less strenuous circumstances the
chief actor In this subdued but ter.
! ribly realistic drama would have
! found inspiration in the tense hold
IN the Imagination of his audience
which he established from the open.
| ng sentence and maintained W tn
evergrowing force. The evil light d ed
! out OF many eyes. No one moved
There was not a sound In the desolate
! room save the measured accents OF
| the speaker, and an occasional gruni
of approving recognition when he
touched on some phase OF life com
mon to all present. Even tina wounded
rlan ceased grooming. for Bill Reilly
had retained his senses, and found
solace for his physical injuries in the
appeal to his emotions made by the
thrilling recital
Burton, of course, remained In
blank ignorance of the astounding fact
that his audience was Increased, for
the three women had crept up un.
heard, and followed every word
through the open window II was well
that this was so. The presence OF
Grace Coe could hardly have failed
to discomfort him. The sight OF her
sweet face must have Induced poig-
nant thoughts fatal to the even flow
of his address.
Seldom. indeed, In the history OF
this gray old world has any man
spoken to such group of cut-throats
in such conditions. BY an inexpllcable
miracle-probably by the unknown
action Of that subtle force vaguely
described ms telepathy--Burtcn broke
off abruptly at an instant when his
hearers were keyed up to the highest
pitch. fa.
| How Is time going?" he inquired
/ and the words fell from his lips SC
nonchalantly that for q few seconds
none stirred. .,
Two-Gun Jake was the first to re-
cover himself. He fumbled at watch
with his uninjured hand.
Guess from what I've been told
you've still got five minutes" he NUT
tered
A white-faced old woman crouched
beneath the wlndowsill gasped when
she heard that voice. Mrs. Evans had
listened like one in a trance She un.
derstood neither the meaning nor the
, intent Of that strange harangue. but
1t held her like the others. As the
poor old creature put II afterwards. In
sentence which could not really be
bettered by skilled writer ut was
just movie in words"
Happily Blanche Griffin was able
to stifle the imminent cry with an EN-.
phatic hand over Mrs, Evans mouth
for the mother had found her LOST
son! ,e..
Then John made his big hit.
II want to use those five minute,