Stooping to recover his electric lash, Satan used it to punctuate his
reply. “I’m hoping against hope, just as you are. If only he would be
sent this way--_ah!_ My latest wireless from Earth, however, leads me
to fear not. The newspapers are headlined with his heroism. Imbecile
earthlings are going to erect a memorial to him. And, would you
believe it, that hunting parson of yours has used your friend’s death
as a stepping-stone out of the muddle-puddle of his ecclesiastical
disrepute? With Cabot as his text, he preached to thousands in Central
Park, exampling himself through the viciously attacked philanthropist
who, although proved guilty of weakness of the flesh, rose to the moral
strength of a god in an emergency. Get the idea? His plea is for all
men who have been dragged down by women. Should not he know that Cabot
was too greatly tried, since the same she-devil ruined him with his
church? You recognize the allusion? The prayers he sent up for the soul
of his fellow victim were indirectly for himself. As a result he is to
head the new Church of the Broad-Minded. Could you beat it--or him?”
At her consternation, he chuckled enjoyably.
“How the people of Earth like to bunk themselves! But you look fogged.
Is your faith getting cured? Care to come into the receiving room and
sit while you wait? I left some unfinished business.”
As they mounted the steps of the stone-like structure, he added a
mental lash to her punishment.
“You remember, of course, the lawyer who lost Mrs. Cabot’s divorce
case? Last you saw of him, in ‘The Turn-Turtle,’ he was being thrown
out of his profession for mal-practicing that delicate art called
‘double-crossing.’ The timely birth of your ill-begot, with fatherhood
pinned on John Cabot by Seff’s testimony and the guilty admission of
your suicide, was a-plenty and to spare to ruin Rufus Holt. But along
comes that judge you tricked, Roscoe Strang, of the good-sport tie.
He has Holt’s case re-opened and carries through a daring example of
man-to-man friendliness.”
From his belt he took the paper-like slip on which wireless messages
were sent down by Gehennan operators.
“Let’s see just what he testified, this brotherly judge. Oh yes; ‘The
accused did bring the Trent girl to me, but to let me judge of her
guilt. She looked so pure that I was not convinced and stood, as I
stand now, on my right to judge. If fault there was, that fault was
mine.’ After that, there was nothing for the Bar Association to do but
open their arms to the brother they had misjudged.”
“I am glad,” Dolores said. “For a time I blamed Rufus Holt for my
sufferings. But he tried to be a true friend to John.”
“I dare say,” sneered Satan as he opened the station door, “and made
a mess of it, as true friends usually do. At that, you’ve got a good
start with him and can use him in our new campaign.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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