Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-01

with terrific spllntering crash. rolled
over on one side and was stIll. An.
drea's eyes had been watching II, fas-
clrated; now they swcrved and stop.
ped almost with click Of the sudden
ly arrested muscles.
Between her and tho door Of Tire
vor's hut stood the towering figure OF
man in quarter profile. She could
see his great shock OF bushy red hair,
bit OF his shaggy benrd, his enormous
ly broad shoulders and the white CLEAN
Of his two hands hanging almost at his
knees. He was hntless and dressed
In faded blue dungarees many sizes
too small for his bulk.
As she watched, him he raised his
arms In wide still gesture and began
to sing. At the FIRST note, quite I'm.
conscious Of action. she let the door
swing open and stepped out on the
verarda. II was the aria from Faust"
the same aria, but obi how different.
The voice OF this man was like huge
and sllttering serpent or sound that
wrIthed smoothly into the air, chal-
ienging the dome. OF heaven itself.
II there was one thing that Andrea
knew better than another, 1t was the
accurate valuation OF every operate
voice that had sung in Europe during
the last decade. She had been taken
TO Covent Garden regularly before she
was out. as matter of education, ard
no less regularly after her eighteenth
birthday, as matter Of matrimonial
business.
She knew instantly that this extra
ordinary appari;ion in the wilderness
was nothing less than the solution of
a world mystery. He could be but enc
man and that q person whose tremen-
dous triumph had been go short as TO
leave him with fome but without
name. She was hearing the Great
Yo!ce-the voice Of the star that had
shoRe for a single night; resounded
but once through the Scala, set as
swiftly as Il had risen and disappeared
forever, leaving behind no trace be-
You'd a memory so short that It had
become 4 recollection almost unbeliev-
able to the few that had heard It.
Now her ears were filed with its
music to the exclusion Of thought or
reason or consciousness of self. She
became nothing more than a sentlent
channel. The easy power OF the Voice
lifted 1t beyond the common standards
OF vocal classification and gave st the
allure and the terror of the superhu-
man. Its tenuity seemed a thing in
corporated apart. an actual substance
with beckoning arms and hands. 1t
drew her slowly, steadily out into the
quivcring moonlight, held her, lifted
her face with it toward the sky.
With her Breast rising and falling in
aching accompaniment 10 the mount
ing rhythm, cheeks pale, lips parted.
eyes staring in vain pursuit of the In
credible flight of sound, she stood,
slim tense figure for once made free
Of that domain that is beyond art, be-
yond genius and Is called quite simply,
Gift of God. With a toss ard back
ward shake of the mans great head,
the voice climbed smoothly TO that stu
pendous high c thar has wrecked the
reputation Of many pygmies and
brought fame 70 daring few. It held
ard still held until earth and moon and
stars seemed little things that paused
TO listen, Distracted in unimportant
courses. Breath suspended until her
lungs were near to bursting, Andrea
waited for that note to come down IN
TO the range Of normal belief. but to
her mind at least It was destined to
hang eternally IN the heavens. for the
man had turned --,-
Her eyes knew horror for the first
time. The mans face was half oblit-
Grated. 1t had been plowed by confu-
ent smallpox and destroyed by worse
disease. The nose was soce, leaving
an ignoble ruin Of stripped cartilage.
dried in the air till it was like wealth
cred parchment. One ear had been
ravaged IN a clean cut so that il rose
TO a needle-point. That the wounds
were healed only added an inexorable
finally to their responsiveness.
Only the mans thick red lips and
his blazing eyes seemed to have es-
capped the pestiience. AS his startled
gaze fell upon Andrea his mouth
opened to wide, soundless laugh
With broad shoulders stopped, his alb.
normally low-hanging hands curved up
Ike monstrous talOns and his shaggy
beard wagging to that silent laughter
he advanced upon her, encircled her
waist with his fingers and shot her up
lightly so that she fell doubled across
his back and chest. He gave low
whistle and sped from the craal at an
, incredible pace. The boat-boys arose
stealthi!y and fitted after him.
To Andrea's transfixing terror was
added memory-a fleetlng glimpse
Of Trevor, standing, hands in pockets,
before his door. On his face was an.
ger--cOId, white, unforgiving anger.
She thought she cried out to MacClos
ter to stop. to give her but one moment
to explain, to beg forgiveness, to
grovel at the feet Of the one man In
eli the world: but no sound came from
her lips.
Not until she stood totterng on the
canted bottom Of MacC,oster's boat cid
life come back to her heart and veins
and lungs. She threw up her head
and screamed as she. bad never known
mortal could scream--a wild, terror
winged wall Of desperate appeal. Mac
Closter snatched' tiiler' from rudder,
struck her across the shoulders
,.,o,I,od por Feon iSnrep Sntn %of;G