The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-21
OM THIS GREAT NOVEL

My God, it's truev' the planter cried as he stared out across the island For plain before his eyes he could see river of silver light widen ing across his plantation. Already, crowding up to the higher ground of the manor house, came shouting groups of negroes, men and women and half-naked children, carrying their belongings with them. Already the river of silver light had widened into a lake. Out of the night came the screams of frightened girls, the pitiful calls of children, the dull roar of the water as it swept brushwood and fence boards and shack walls before it. And Golden knew that no time was to be lost, for already the sea had crept to the lip of the manor garden itself.
 Then, as the water rose about his feet, he suddenly turned and rushed back into the manor house.
 "Margory," he called, like a man gone mad. "Margory, where are you?"
 But that call remained unanswered. for the old negro nurse, at the first shouts of alarm, had caught up the child and carried her out through the servants entrance, on the way to the wharf-cut where she knew the boats to be moored. The child had proved too heavy for the quiveringly old arms, so. she had left the girl. with her kitten still clutched to her breast. safe in the door way of a cotton shed. while she herself staggered out on in- firm old legs. to seize an empty punt drifting by on the rising water. But the current was too strong for her, and as negress and boat were carried away the water rose still higher about the child's feet. Yet, thinking more Of her frightened kitten than of her own peril, as the flood crept closer the child clambered up the broken : timbers of the cotton shed to the roof. There she sat, calling forlornly for her lost nurse.
 Golden, in the meantime, ragged through the flooded manor house threatening and storming and com manding his servants to find his child. He was still deep in that agonized search when three of his older servants appeared with a small surf boat and called frantically for him to. come, while there was still time. This boat was without oars, two of the negroes padding it with bits of boards.
 Golden. rousing himself at his serv- ahts' shout, saw that this second craft, rowed by @ bearded white man. was bearing down on a nearby cot ton-shed. At the same moment that he caught sight of his daughter Mar gory on the roof of this shed he made out the figure of. Palidori himself di- recting the movements of the beared man so frenziedly rowing the boat. Above it's gunwale showed one arm. bandaged in white. But that boat had swung in beside the shed roof be- fore Golden could even realize the meaning of the movement. As he saw the Italian and his confederate drag the child from the flooded shed roof, a sudden cry burst from his throat.
 My child-they will kill my child." he gasped.
 Open laughter showed on Palidori's sinister face, as with his sound arm he held the struggling figure in white close to his side.
 Have no fear of that" he called back across the swirling water, as his. bearded confederate bent to the oars. She will live. But she will live in a. way that will leave you praying she died!'