Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-12


And then Madison shook himself to"
gether and smiled ironically. And At
the smile the Flopper hurried on.
Madison stepped out on the porch
Helena. Within him seemed to burn a
rage Of hell. but It seemed, too, moe
strangely that for the moment this
rage was held IN allegiance; that some
thing temporarily supplanted it--this
scene before him.
Onward across the lawn moved the
Patriarch, and the Flopper had Joined
him now. but the Patriarch, unheed
ing, turning neither to the right nor. to
the left his arms still extended be-
fore him. kept on. And the people
cried aloud:
HE is coming! He is coming! The
Patriarch! The Patriarch"
Madison moved on-out upon the
lawn himself.
From every where-from every scat
tered spot where they had lurked-men
and women ran and limped and drag
ged themselves along, all converging to
one point-the Patriarch.
Madison In the midst Of them now.
hurried. for 1t was plainly evident that
the Flopper's control over the Patri.
arch was gone He reached the old
man himself and touched his arm, and
ut the touch the Patriarch halted In
stantly. His hand went out and lay
upon Madisons sleeve In recognition
He turned his face, and it was smiling,
and there was relief upon 1t and conf
dence and trust as. suffering himself
to be guided. they started back toward
the cottage.
I And then upon Madison came again
that sense of ave- but now intensified
From efery side tear stained faces
greeted him-white faces. faces full OF
sorrow and suffering. through which
struggled hope They flung themselves
before the Patriarch, yet never blocked
the way. They cried, they wept, they
prayed-and some We're silent.
It seemed that souls. naked. stripped
bare. held themselves up to his gaze.
Men, PROSTATE on stretchers. tried to
rise and stagger ncarerTand fell
Friends, where there were friends to
help. tuggcd and dragged desperately
at cots, and from the cots in piteous,
agonized appeal the helpless cried out
to the Patriarch to come to them. All
of human agony and fear and hope and
despair and terror seemed loosed In
mad and swirling vortex. And ever
the cries arose. and ever around them,
giving way. closing in again, pressed
the soul rent throng.
And presently to Madison 1t seemed
as though he had awakened from some
terrifying dream us, in the Patriarch
room again, he swept away bead or
sweat from his forehead and stood and
looked at the Patriarch and the Flop
per.
The latter licked his lips and pulled
the Patriarch's chair forward, but his
hands trenbled violently.
"It's been gettin' me, Doc" he whls-
pered, IAN can't help 1t. It's been
eettin' into me all de time, Say,
visit It was over. Honest l sure
do! Dis-dis makes me queer. Say,
de Patriarch's got me, Doc, an'-an-
saw. dere's been somethin' goin' on In
side me OATS got me hard
Madison did not answer. but he
started suddenly and as suddenly
stepped to the window and looked out.
Over the cries, the wailings, the con-
fused medley Of voices, growing lower
now, there had come the throb OF a
motorcar.
Madison's eyes narrowed. The car
was coming to stop before the porch
Thornton was helping Helena to alight.
Madison turned and caught the Flop
per's arm In q fierce imperative grasp
Of steel. .'-'.
you keep your mouth shut, do you
hear?" he flung out. clipping on his
words. "You haven't seen me today
understand" And, dropping the Flop
pers arm, he stepped quickly across
the little hall to Helena's door. opened
1t, went in and closed the door behind
him.
And the Flopper. staring, licked his
lips again.
"Swipc me" he croaked hoarsely.
"Pipe de eyes on de Doc! Dere III be
somethin' dom now''
There was grim, merciless smile on
Madison's lips, and whiteness in his
face Widowed the passion that seethed
within him. He stood mot1onless, lis
tening. In Helena's room. He heard
the automobile going away again; then
he heard Helena's light step In the hall
way without, and the smile died as
his lips thinned.
But she did not come in Instead, he
heard her go into the Patriarchs room
heard her talking to the Patriarch and
bidding the Flopper to go to the kitch-
en- and make her some tea. Then the
Flopper's step sounded passing down
to the rear Of the cottage.
The minutes passed: then that light
football again. The, door Of the room
swung suddenly wide and closed.
There was cry. and Helena, wide
eyed, the red Of her cheeks fading
away, leaned heavily back against the
door.
Neither spoke. Madison. in the-cen-
ter Of the room, did not move. The
smile came back to his lips.
Helena's great brown eyes met the
gray ones, read the ugly CLINT, dropped,
lifted again and held the gray ones
steadily. ....
\ Madison gave short laugh that was
like a curse. His hands at his sides
knotted into Jumps.
Then he spoke