The public mind
should have been reassured long before. Much terror and physical suffering
might thus have been avoided--not to speak of financial loss. Scientific
men, furthermore, went frantic over his unwarranted destruction of the
formulas. Percy Darrow was variously described as a heartless monster and
a scientific vandal. To these aspersions he paid no attention whatever.
Helen Warford, however, became vastly indignant and partisan, and in
consequence Percy Darrow's course in the matter received from her its full
credit for a genuine altruism. Hallowell, also, held persistently to this
point, as far as his editors would permit him, until at last, the public
mind somewhat calmed, attention was more focused on the means by which the
man had reached his conclusions rather than on the use of them he had
made.
The story was told three times by its chief actor: once to the newspapers,
once to the capitalists from whom he demanded the promised reward, and
once to the Warfords. This last account was the more detailed and
interesting.
It was of a late afternoon again. The lamps were lighted, and tea was
forward. Helen was manipulating the cups, Jack was standing ready to pass
them, Mr. and Mrs. Warford sat in the background listening, and Darrow
lounged gracefully in front of the fire.
"From the beginning!" Helen was commanding him, "and expect
interruptions."
"Well," began Darrow, "it's a little difficult to get started.
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