The Fall of a Nation: A Sequel to the Birth of a NationDixon, Thomas, Jr.
Science
The Fall of a Nation: A Sequel to the Birth of a Nation
Dixon, Thomas, Jr.
Peace movements -- Fiction; Political fiction; Science fiction; United States -- Fiction
To his relief the man of money made no further attempt at conversation,
save for an occasional whispered order to his liveried chauffeur.
Vassar’s eyes rested on the military cut of this chauffeur’s clothes
with new resentment. The gilded coat of arms on the door of the tonneau
had not escaped him as he took his seat beside Virginia. Nor was the
lordly manner in which the new master of men condescended to talk with
his servant at the wheel lost on the young leader of democracy.
He wondered what Virginia Holland could see in such a man. He refused
utterly to believe that she could love him. Elemental brute strength and
stark physical courage he undoubtedly possessed. The solid mass of his
bull neck and the cold brilliance of his gray eyes left no doubt on that
score.
There could be but one explanation of her association with Waldron. He
had generously loosed his purse strings and given her cause the
unlimited credit needed under modern conditions to conduct a great
political movement. No one could blame her for that. It was good
politics.
All the same he would give a good deal just now to know whether she
cared for the man. He must yield the devil his due. Waldron was the
type of domineering brute that appealed to many women. He wondered if
Virginia Holland had felt the spell of his commanding character.
For the hundredth time he asked himself the question why should he care.
There was the rub. Devil take it, he did care. He had never been so
foolishly happy in his life as in the hours he had spent by this girl’s
side. It infuriated him to think how easy had been his conquest. But
yesterday he had scorned her name. They had met and talked a few hours
and he had become her lackey. At her bidding he was now on his way to
the house of the man he hated.
He caught himself grinning for sheer joy to find himself seated close
beside her in the smooth gliding car of his enemy. He could have enjoyed
this wonderful ride had they been alone.
The afternoon was one of glorious beauty. The rains of the first days of
July had swept the city clean. The sun had broken the clouds into
billowing banks of snow-white against the dazzling azure of the skies. A
brisk inspiriting breeze swept in from the sea and rippled the waters of
the North River into little white lines of foam. The trees along the
Drive flashed in splendor.
The temptation was all but resistless to touch her hand. He started
with terror at the crazy thought. She was anything but an Amazon, but he
could see her pitching him headforemost into the road for daring the
impertinence. He glanced at her furtively, alarmed lest she had read his
thoughts.
Well, there was no help for it now. He was in for a fight for his life
with this demure, quiet, dangerous little woman, who could sit calmly by
his side mistress of her thoughts and no doubt perfectly conscious of
her power over his.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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