"Good-by," said he. "Sleep tight."
They went out. Darrow seated himself in his chair, drew his hat over his
eyes, and fell into a doze. In the meantime, outside, all through the
city, hell was getting ready to pop.
CHAPTER XXI
IN THE FACE OF ETERNITY
Hell popped just as soon as the newspapers could get out their extras.
Monsieur X had at last struck, and both interest and belief urged the
managing editors at last to give publicity to all the theories, the facts,
and the latest message from the fanatic Unknown.
The latter came about three o'clock:
"TO THE PEOPLE: You have defied me, and you have doubted my power.
There is no good in you. I, who would have saved you, now must bring
about your death as a stubborn and a stiff-necked generation. In
humanity is no more good, and of this world I desire nothing more.
Prepare within the next three hours to appear before a mightier
throne than mine."
Percy Darrow, reading this, said to Jack Warford, "It is time to act,"
and, accompanied by the younger man, quietly left the room.
The reader of imagination--and no other will read this tale--must figure
to himself the island of Manhattan during the next two hours. The entire
population, nearly, tried to leave it at once. When only the suburban
dwellers, urged simply by the desire for a hot dinner, attempt to return
home between five and six, the ways are congested enough.
Pages:
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133