Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Jan. 9, 1913, edition 1 / Page 2
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i I God Covering Adam SYNOPSIS. Fran arrives at Hamilton Gregory's home in Llttleburg. but finds him absent conducting the choir at a camp meeting. She repairs thither in search of him, laughs during the service and is asked to leave. Abbott Ashton, superintendent of schools, escorts Fran from the tent. He tells her Gregory Is a wealthy man, deeply interested in charity work, and a pillar of the church. Ashton becomes greatly interested in Fran and while tak ing leave of her, holds her hand and is Been by Sapphira Clinton, sister of Rob ert Clinton, chairman of the school board. Fran tells Gregory she wants a home with him. Grace Noir. Gregory's private secretary, takes a violent cislike to Fran and advises her to go away at once. Fran hints at a twenty-year-old secret, and Gregory in agitation asks Grace to leave the room. Fran relates the story of how Gregory married a young girl at Springfield while attending college and then deserted her. Fran is the child of that marriage. Gregory had married his present wife three years before the death of Fran's mother. Fran takes a liking to Mrs. Gregory. Gregory explains that Fran Is the daughter of a very dear friend who is dead. Fran agrees to the story. Mrs. Gregory insists on her making her home with them and takes her to her arms. Fran declares the secretary must go. Grace begins nagging tactics in an effort to drive Fran from the Gregory home. Abbott, while taking a walk alone at midnight, finds Fran on a bridge tell ing her fortune by cards. She tells Ab bott that she is the famous lion tamer, Fran Nonpareil. She tired of circus life and sought a home. Grace decides to ask Bob Clinton to go to Springfield to inves tigate Fran's story. Fran offers her services to Gregory as secretary during the temporary absence of Grace. The lat ter, hearing of Fran's purpose, returns and interrupts a touching scene between father and daughter. Grace tells Gregory she intends to marry Clinton and quit his service. He declares that he cannot con tinue his work without her. Carried away bv passion, he takes her in his arms. Fran walks in on them, and declares that Grace must leave the house at once. To Gregory's consternation he learns of Clinton's mission to Springfield. Clinton returns from Springfield and, at Fran's request, Abbott urges him not to discuss what he has learned. On Abbott's assur ance that Grace will leave Gregory at once, Clinton agrees to keep silent. Driv en into a corner by the threat of ex posure, Gregory is forced to dismiss Grace. Grace is offered the Job of book keeper in Clinton's grocery store. Greg ory's infatuation leads him to seek Grace at the grocery. He finds her alone and tells her the story of his past. Grace points out that as he married the pres ent Mrs. Gregory before the death of Fran's mother, he is not now legally mar ried. They decide to flee at once. They attempt to escape during the excitement of a street fair and are forced to enter the lion tent to avoid Clinton. ! .CHAPTER XXIII. Continued. The show-girl was fastened In the central cage. The clowns raised the Inner doors, and the lions shot from their cramped quarters swift as tawny arrows. They were almost against the slight figure, without seeming to observe her. For the fourth time since noon they stood erect, sniffing the air, their bodies unconfined by galling tim bers and chilling iron. For the fourth time this day, they were to be put through their tricks by force of fear. They hated these tricks, as they hated the small cages in which they could not lash their tails. They hated the "baby carriage" in which one was presently to sit, while the other, pushed him over the floor, his sullen majesty sport for the rabble. They hated the board upon which they must see-saw, while the woman stood in the middle, preserving equilibrium. But greater than the lion's hatred, was their fear of the woman; and greater than their fear of her was their terror of that long serpent which, PPPiliifllli ft d "Samson, Up! Samson, Up! Samson, Up!" no matter how far It might dart through space, remained always in the woman's hand. They well knew its venomous bite, and as they slunk from side tc side, their eyes were upon its coiling black tongue. "I met Fran on the street," mur mured Abbott, as he watched, unblink ingly. -'She said she was going to visit a sick friend. When did you see Fran last, Simon?" "Don't know," Simon said, diacour agingly. "Now they're going to see saw. The black-maned one is the hardest to manage. I reckon, one day, he'll just naturally jump afoul of her, and tear her to pieces. Look at him! I don't believe this girl is going to make him get up on top of that board. My! how he is showing his teeth at her. Say! This is a pretty good show, hey? Glad you came, uh? Say! Look at his teeth!" 1 In truth, the black-maned lion opened his mouth to a frightful extent, making, however, not the slightest Bound. He refused to budge. Abbott shuddered. inn' MM 1 I mm, ''mi Mali i w-- "Samson!" cried the woman, im pellingly. The other lion was patient ly standing on his end of the board, waiting. He seemed fast asleep. Sam son, however, was wide awake and every cruel tooth was exposed as he stretched his mouth. In his amber eyes was the glow of molten copper. Suddenly Samson wheeled about, and made a rush for his end of the seo-saw. He stepped upon it. He was conquered. His haste to obey, evi dently the result of fear and hatred. produced a ripple of laughter. The other lion, feeling the sudden tremor of Samson's weight, opened his eyes suddenly and twitched his tail. He was not asleep, after all. Abbott found himself intensely nerv ous. He longed to have it all over, anxious, above all, to prove his fears groundless. Yet how were so many coincidences to be explained away? Fran had been a show-girl, a trainer of lions, and Abbott distinctly remem bered that she had spoken of a "Sam son. Fran had just these movements and this height. He missed Fran's mellow voice, but voices may be dis guised; and the hands now raised to ward the audience may have been stained dark. Who was that "sick friend" that Fran had possibly men tioned only as an excuse for escaping? Was that a subterfuge? And why this red mask which, according to Simon Jefferson, was an Innovation? At every trick, the black-maned lion balked. When the time came for the clown to hand the woman her violin he was afraid, and withdrew his arm with marvelous rapidity. His grotesque dis guise could not hide his genuine un easiness. The members of the band, too, played their notes with unusual care, lest the slightest deviation from routine work bring catastrophe. Noth ing had gone right but the see-sawing act; but of all this, the crowd was ig norant. After the violin playing "Now," Si mon Jefferson announced, gleefully, "there's only one more act, but it's a corker, let me tell you that's why she's resting a minute. La Gonizetti gets astride of Samson the one that's mad and grabs his mane, and pre tends to ride like a cowboy. Calls her self a rough rider. Makes Samson get on top of that table, then she gets on top of him." "But this isn't La Gonizetti," Abbott protested, shuddering again. "Now you've said something. That's right. But it looks like she's game she'll try it we'd better stand a little farther back." A hand was laid upon Abbott's arm. "Abbott," said the voice of -Robert Clinton, harsh from smothered excite menC "You went to Gregory's house did you see him?" Abbott did not hear. The refractory lion, knowing that his time had come to be ridden, was asserting his inde pendence. He would not leap upon the table. The other lion stood watch ing sleepily to see if he would obey. "That you, Clinton?" Simon's greeting was tense with enjoyment. "Got here for the best of it didn't you! Seems to me I saw Gregory somewhere not long ago, but I wasn't thinking about him." "Hercules!" the masked woman ad dressed the gentler of the lions. "Go to your place. Hercules go to youi place!" Hercules turned to his blue box, and seated himself upon it, leaving his tail to take care of itself. The show-girl was fiercely address ing the black-maned lion. "Now! Now! To the table! To the table!" Samson did not budge. Facing the woman of the mask, he opened his mouth, revealing the red cave of his throat past the ivory sentinels that not only stood guard, but threatened, one could look down and down. This was no yawn of weariness, but a sign of rebellion a sort of noiseless roar. The trainer retreated to the farther side of the cage, then made a forward rush, waving her whip, and shouting clangorously, "Up, Samson, up Sam son, up!" She did not pause in her course till close to his face. Again he opened his mouth, baring every tooth, voiceless, but uncon quered. Hercules, finding that affairs had come to a halt, slowly descended from his box, keeping his half-opened eyes upon the woman. Restlessly he be gan to pace before the outer doer. The slight figure withdrew several steps, then smote the rebellious lion a sharp blow across the mouth. He snapped at the lash. It slipped away from between his teeth. Having res cued her whip, she shouted to the oth er lion: "Back to your place, Hercules. Hercules back to your place!" She stood pointing sternly toward the box, but Hercules stretched him self across the place of exit and lay watching her covertly. I BY JOHNBKCKENEIDGE ELL" ILLUSTRATIONS BV nO-naVIN-MYEBS The faces of the band boys had be come of a yellowish paleness. From behind -the mask came the voice so loud that it sounded as a scream "Up, Samson, up, Samson up!" Then it was that Samson found his voice. A mighty roar shook the loose ly-set bars of the central cage they vibrated visibly. The roar did not come as one short sharp note of de fiance; it rose and fell, then rose anew, varying In the inflections of the voice of a slave who dares to threaten, fears even while he threatens, and gathers passion from his fear. At that fearful reverberation, the audience started up, panic-stricken. Hitherto, the last act had been regard ed as a badly-played comedy; now tragedy was in the air. Gregory and Grace Noir at that In stant, became alive to their surround ings. Hitherto, despising the show, re bellious at the, destiny which had forced them to attend it, they had been wholly absorbed in their efforts to escape observation. The roaring of the lion startled them to a perception of the general alarm. Grace clung to Gregory. "Oh, save me!" she panted hysterically. The voice of the woman behind the bars rang throughout the tent "Sit down!" The voice was not loud, now, but singularly penetrating. "Sit down, all of you, and remain absolutely mo tionless, or I am lost." Grace Noir, her eyes closed, her cheeks pallid, leaned her head upon Gregory's shoulder, quivering convul sively. "There, there," Gregory whispered in her ear, soothingly, "everything will be all right." The masked woman for the second time addressed the terrified audience, still not venturing to turn her head in their direction: "Whoever moves, or speaks, or cries aloud, will be my mur derer. I have only one hope left, and I'm going to try it now. I ask you people out there to give me just this one chance for my life. Keep absolute ly still." Again Samson uttered his terrible roar. It alone was audible. Tier above tier, faces rose to the tent-roof, white and set. The audience was like one huge block of stone in which only faces have been carved. The penetrating voice addressed the band boys: "Don't play. He can tell you're frightened." The agitated music ceased. Then the woman walked to the far therest side of the inclosure. In do ing so she was obliged to pass the crouching form of Hercules, but she pretended not to know he was jthere; she, moved slowly backward, always facing Samson. At last the vertical bars prevented farther retreat. Then she lifted her hand slowly, steadily, and drew off her crimson mask. It dropped at her feet. Despite the muffled street-noises that never ceased to rumble from afar, the whispering sound of the silken mask, as it struck the plank floor of jthe cage, was distinctly audible. "Grace!" Gregory whispered in hor ror "it's Fran!" Grace started from his embrace at the name and glared down upon the stage. She sat erect, unsupported, petrified. Gregory's brow was moistened with a chilled dew. "It's Fran," he mum bled, "it's Fran! Grace pray for her!" Fran looked Samson steadily in the For a few moments, this tween life and death remained breaking point. Had a stranger at that moment looked under the tent entrance, hemight have thought every body asleep. There was neither sound nor movement. Grace whispered "It is the hand of God!" Her tone was almost inaudible, but Gregory shrank as from a mortal blow; its sinister meaning wa3 unmis takable. Swiftly he turned to stare at her. In Grace's eyes was a wild and om inous glare akin to that of the threat ening lion. It was a savage conviction that Fran was at last confronted by the justice of heaven. Suddenly Fran crouched forward till her head was almost on a level with her waist, in so much that it was a physical exertion to hold her face up lifted. In this Binuous position she was the embodiment of power. If she felt misgivings concerning this last resource, there was no look to betray it. Straight toward Samson she rushed, her body lithe and serpentine, her direction unerring. To the beast, Fran had become one of those mysterious flying serpents which bite from afar. He felt the sting of her terrible eyes and his ?aze grew shifty. It wandered away, and. on returning, found her teeth bared, as if feeling for his heart. '1 OWyuiGHT 1912 BOBBS-MEPeiLLCO.) Rushing up to his very face "Sam son!" she cried, impellingly. Again he seemed to feel the lash upon his tawny skin. "Samson. Up, Samson, up, Samson up! Suddenly Samson- wheeled about, and leaped upon the table. Fran stamped her foot at the ether lion. "Go to your place, Hercules!" she cried, with something like con tempt. Hercules slowly rose, stretched him self, then marched to his box. He looked from Fran to the immovable Samson waiting upon the table, then mounted to his place, and seemed to fall asleep. And now, at last, Fran looked at the spectators. Stepping lightly to the bars, she threw kisses this way and that, smiling radiantly. "Oh!" she cried, with vibrating earnestness, "you people out there you can't think how I love you! You've saved my life. You are perfect heroes. Now make all the noise you please." "May we move?" called a cautious voice from a few feet away. It was Abbott Ashton, with eyes like stars. Fran looked at him. wondering at his thoughts. She answered by an up ward movement of her hand. As though by a carefully rehearsed arrangement, the audience rose to its feet, band boys and all. Such a shout! Such waving of, hats and handker chiefs! Such unabashed sobs! Such inarticulateness such graspings of neighboring hands! The spectators had gone mad with joyful relief. Fran leaped upon the table, and mounted Samson. "Now, I'm a rough rider!" she shouted, burying her hands In the mane, and lying along the lion's back in true cowboy fashion. She plunged, she shouted loudly, but Samson only closed his eyes and seemed to sleep. After that, making the lions return to their cramped side cages was a mere detail. The show was ended. Fran, remaining in the empty cage, stood at the front, projecting her hand through the bars to receive the greet ings of the crowd. Almost every one wanted to shake hands with her. "Look, look!" Simon Jefferson sud denly grasped Robert Clinton's hand, and pointed toward the tent-roof. "There they are!"' Something very strange had hap pened up there, but it was lost to Clinton's keen jealous gaze one of those happenings in the soul, which, however momentous, passes unob served in the midst of the throng. "Not so fast!" Grace cautioned Gregory. "We must wait up here till the very last don't you see Mr. Clin ton? And Simon Jefferson is now pointing us out. We can't go down that way-r-" "We!" Gregory harshly echoed. "We! I have nothing to do with, you, Grace Noir. Go to him. if you will." Grace turned ashen pale. "What do you mean?" she stammered. "You tell me to go to Mr. Clinton?" "I tell you to go where you please. That girl yonder is my daughter, do you understand? Don't hold me back! I shall go to her and proclaim ber as my child to the world. Do you hear me? That's my Fran!" Grace shrank back in the suspicion that Hamilton Gregory had gono mad mm,1 IRVING WAS NOT ALL MIND English Actor One of the Most Lov able of Men, According to Life long Associate. It has been said of Irving that he lacked feeling, that he was all mind and no heart. Speaking to me. Miss Ellen Terry said: "He is gentle, not tender' The late Henry Labouchere wrote of him that "he was always act ing." Greater errors could not have been made. Irving knew enough of human nature to know that it is fre quently selfish and in many ways in firm, and he realized that "there is no art to find the mind's construction in the face," but, essentially, he was one of the most loving and lovable of men when and where ha fully trusted. He was singularly sensitive to kind ness, and any little token of remem brance that reached him from a friendly hand, if it were only a trifle as inconsiderable as a cravat or a cigar case was treasured by him with a gratitudo almost pathetic. But he did not "wear his heart upon his quiver te-mimm i at the mmmmmmmm m ,,-wmn. like the rest of the crowd. "Do you a mean that you never want to see me again? -Do you mean that you want me to marry Mr. Clinton?" "I do not care what you do," he said, still more roughly. "You do not care?" she stammered, bewildered. "What has happened? You do not care for me?" She looked deep into his eyes, but found no intense burning there. The shrine was cold. "Mr. Gregory! And after all that has passed between us? After I have given you my myself" Gregory seized her arm, as if to hold her off. His eyes were burning dan gerously: "I saw murder in your heart while you were watching Fran," he whispered fiercely. "That's my daugh ter, do you understand? I know you now, I know you now. . . ." Grace stared after him with blood less cheeks and smoldering eyes, Clearly, she decided, the sight of Fran's fearful danger had unbalanced his mind. But how could he care so much about that Fran? And how could he leave her, knowing thai Rob ert Clinton was beginning to c!Jm,b upward with eyes fastened upoa her face? But it was not the sight of Fran's danger that had for ever alienated Gregory from Grace Noir. In au in stant, she had stood revealed to him as an unlovely monster. His sensitive nature, always abnormally alive to out ward impressions, had thrilled re sponsively to the exultation of the au dience. He had endured the agony of suspense, he had shared the universal enthusiasm. If, in a sense, he was a series of moods, each the result of blind impulse, it so happened 'that Grace's hiss "It's the hand of God," turned his love to aversion; she was appealing as a justification of person al hatred, to the God they were both betraying. Grace began to tremble as she watched Robert Clinton coming up, and Hamilton Gregory descending. She had trusted foolishly to a broken reed, but it was not too late to pre serve the good name she had been about to besmirch. The furnace-heat in which rash resolves are forged, was cooled. Gregory had deserted Fran's mother; he was false to Mrs. Gregory; he would perhaps have betrayed Grace in the end; but Clinton was at hand, and his adoration would endure. In the meantime, the voice of Fran was to be heard above .that of the happy crowd: "I love you all. You helped me do it. I should certainly have been mangled but for you per fect heroes. Yes, thank you. . . . Yes, I feel fine. . . . And, oh, men and women, I could just feel your spirits holding mine up till I was so high 1 was in the clouds. That's what subdued Samson. He knew I wasn't afraid. He knew it! And I wanted to win out for your sakes as well as my own yes I did! Thank you men. . . . Thank you, women. . . . Well, if here aren't the children, too bless your brave hearts! . ." . And is that your baby? My goodness, and what a baby it is! . . . No, I'm not a bit tired" She stopped suddenly, on feeling a crushing grip. She looked down, a frown forming on her brow, but the sun shone clear when she saw Aobott Ashton. She gave him a swift look, as if to penerate his inmost thoughts. fTO BE CONTINUED.) sleeve." and he did not trust many persons. Ho had suffered much, and he was lonely to the last. He was one of the most Intellectual persons that ever trod the stage, but those who knew him best could testify that his sympathy was as wide as the widest experience of mankind and as deep as the deepest feelings of com passion and tenderness that ever possessed the human heart William Winter, in Collier's Weekly. The Gallant. Judge The lady from whom you stole a kiss declares herself ready to waive her demand for punishment if you will ask her pardon and express your regret for what has happened. Gentlemen (to the offended lady) Yes, I am willing to beg your pardon. But to regret that ;( gave you the kiss, dear madam, that I cannot! Not Her Fault. Mr. Robinson What a singular girl you are, Miss Jones! Miss Jones (coyly) Well, that caa be altered, you know. Stray Storlej. Dy REV. JAMES M. CRAY, D. D. Don of Moody Bible Iottituta Chicago TEXT And unto Adam also and to hi wife did the Lord God make' 'coats ot skins, and clothed them. Gen. 3:21 It is writtenin Scripture t h a t God "covereth him self with light as with a garment"" (Psalm 104: 2), and thero are some who think, we have a sug gestion here ol way In which our first parents were covered before the' fall. But if so,, they lost their outer glory with the inner, for no sooner did- they ' V mmmm commit sin, than "the eyes of them both were opened,, and they knew that they were naked" (Gen. T5:7). At once they took steps, to conceal their shame by making for themselves aprons of fig leaves. How inadequate was the provision! And so we read, that, later on, after their trial had been held, the penalty pro-y nounced, and, blessed be God, the hope of a Savior held out to them, their need in the particular was also met The text suggests the plan. A lamb, was slain, its blood was Ehed, and its covering appropriated for the guilty- pair. ' The whole circumstance is not. only a beautiful, but a most important symbol of God's dealings with the sin ner in the spiritual realm. 1. Sin Is an eye-opener. And this may be said even though it is equally true that the sinner is blind. How oft en he starts on a new career of in inquity, expecting satisfaction and' pleasure, only to discover himself woefully disappointed and deceived.. Happy is he, if at such a time, the- power of the Holy Spirit works with in him that deeper conviction of what sin really is and does, that may lead him to seek eternal salvation from it. 2. The awakened sinner not infre-; quently attempts by his own revising to rid himself of the consequences of sin. The fig leaves he employes are good resolutions, the temporary re linquishment of some bad habit, the giving up of some form of vice, stay ing at home nights, doing some deed; of charity, attending church, perhaps "professing religion," as it is some times called. 3. God only can cover the sinner's- sin. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the wash ing of regeneration, Kiid renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on ui abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior." This is Paul's testimony to Titus, and it is the experience of every soul that is really saved (Titus 5, 6). 4. God covers our sin by a method of his own. As the prophet Isaiah sings: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath cover ed me with the robe of righteous ness" (Isaiah 51:10). 5. God obtains this covering of righteousness for na by the offering up of the life of the Innocent for the guilty. "He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all" (Ro mans 8:32). "He made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in. him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Do we not see .how purposely God's- covering of Adam symbolizes what he is ready to do in the case of any fallen sinner who realizes his need?" Do you realize yours? Are you trying: vainly to help yourself, to cover your own spiritual nakedness? Why not accept God's covering? Why not take Jesus Christ as your Savior by faith?' It is so easy to do this. As an un known author has said so beautifully:: You ask me how I ever came to Christ? I do not know; There came a longing for Him in my souX So long ago. I found earth's fairest flowers would fada and die. I yearned for something that would sat--isfy; And then at last somehow I seemed to dare To lift my broken heart to Him in prayer, I do not know, I can not tell you how; I only know He is my Savior now. You ask me why I ever came to Christ! I can reply: It Is a wondrous story; listen while I tell you why My heart was drawn at length to seek His face. I was alone, I had no resting place; I heard of how lie loved me, with a love Of depth so great of height so far above All human ken, I longed such love to share, And sought it then Upon my. knees in prayer. You ask me why I thought this lovin Christ Would heed my prayer? I knew He died upon ,th'e cross for me, I nailed Him there. I heard His dying cry, "Father, forgive! I saw Him drink death's cup that I might live; My head was bowed upon my breast i$ shame. Ha called me, and In penitence I came. He heard my prayer I cannot tell you how, Or when, or where; . Only I lew Him now. ft' i ?4 i 1 9
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Jan. 9, 1913, edition 1
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