Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-17
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The
Miracle
Man
FRANK L.
PACKARD !.
cspyrisht, 1915,
Dy Frank 1. Packard.
FRANK L.
PACKARD
Copyright, 1915,
Dy Frank 1. Packard.
CHAPTER XIX.
Ths Shrine.

CHAPTER XIX.
rhs Shrine.
DOR q little time Madison stood
ID there III his room, mohonless,
staring unseeingly before him.
and then, as one awakening
from a dream, he took up his hat me-
chemically, left the room, descended
by the back stairs to the rear door of
the hotel and took the road to the
Patriarch's cottage.
And az he walked In the freshness
of the night he was master OF himself
ngain-and yet master Of himself no
more!
He smiled little at the seeming par
adox-smiled q little wistfully. BE
was beaten by the game he had won.
He could understand Helena and the
Flopper and Pale Face Harry now.
with them it had como slowly. With
, him it had come in crash, unheraM-
ed, that had left him naked. CULVER
ing. stricken thing.
He had lost Helena. but he under
stood her now-understood the depth
sof remorse that she was living through,
the terror and the dread rs she sought
escape, the fear Of him-yes, It would
be fear now where once It had been
love! He had lost Helena-that was
the price he had paid-but he under
stood her now, and he was going to
her to help her II he could, going to
tell her that he, too, was changed-as
she was changed.
His hands clinched suddenly. God.
the misery. tho hopelessness, tho wreck
and ruin that lay at his door! And
amends? What amends could he
make? Il was TOO late Tor thatt How
clearly he saw now-when It was too
late! Her life was Z broken thing, rob
bed, stripped and despoiled for "a the
years to come.
Thornton had asked her - marry
him that night, and she had rsfused
him because tho past, a. q shuddsr-
ing, hideous phantom, had risen before
her-had left her no other thing to
do but turn away. 1t seemed he could
see her SEQ her bury her face in her
hands and
He stopped short In his walk. Was
he changed - much - this! DID he
care 20 mueh that Il was her happi-
nass-evss WIN Ancther-that counted
most? Yes, It was true; he was chang
ed indeed. And the change had
brought him, too. It seemed, to learn
what love was-too late.
He went forward again little more
slowly nova sadness upon him, but
through the sadness IN uphft from
that new senSe Of frssdom that was
~ balm, soothing him A the most
curious way.
He had reached the end Of the wagon
track now, ana he walked across the
lawn, his steps noissless on the sward,
and passed between the naples. and
the moon gleam-for the flying clouds,
rear guard Of the routed storm, were
flung wide apart-fell upon q coiled
and huddled little figure all in white.
quite still and motionless. upon the rus
tic seat beside the porch.
Helena he said unsteadily. "Hel-
enaw
Her dark eyes played questioningly
upon him, and he could see that they
were wet with tears and that the face
from out Of which they looked was
very white.
"Why have you come back here to-
night?" she asked in low tone, and
then suddenly there was 4 terror in
her, voice ~ the Floppers warning
flashed upon her.
'Tbornton-you have seen Thorn.
tonY
Yes" hs said, surprised little that
she should know. II saw Thornton =
few minutes ago."
What have you doneT she cried
tensely. Answer mel You-you met
him on your way here7"
It was q moment before Madison re-
piled. He had schooled himself, Of
course, for more than this, yet the
words hurt-that was why she had
asked for Thornton-she was afraid
that he had harmed him.
No. he said, II did not meet him.
think you must have been longer hero
on that bench than you imagined.
haven't you? He came to my room"
"Your room! What for? Tell mel"
Madison smiled with grave whlm-
sicality.
ITO call me gentleman and repose
trust"
She stepped back again uncertainty.
Are you mad?" she whispered.
NO." be answered; mot now. That
II past"
And Thornton?" she asked at last
at was trust" said Madison slow:
II. but It was betrayed before 1t was
given. He did not know the game
He did not know what was between
you and me-"
no" she ssid, and the word came
Utmost inaudibly.
"And So" Madison went on, II will
tell you, for it cannot matter now In
any case. He told me that he had ask
/. ed you to marry him tonight and that
you had refused
YES" she said and reached again
for the back OF the bench.
''He Is going away" Madison con-
finued, "and he Is to send more money
here for the cause when ask for 1t,
only you are not to know, because you
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