Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Freak Here he saw portents in the eager faces before him and raised his hand, ‘‘One mo- ment! As soon as I have finished speaking, court 1s adjourned until to-morrow. On payment of a nominal fine of one dollar, for firing a gun in city limits, the respondent - is discharged!” CHAPTER VI OUT NORTH AVENUE WAY [° WAS wise to adjourn thus, for there were doings. Trainor never got as far as the clerk’s desk to pay his fine. He was struggling mightily to get down from the shoulders of a yapping mob of students. George Washington Kinyon was one of the most disheveled of the maniacs who tried to form a parade with a street-band, to bear Trainor in triumph to the Yard. But their victim escaped by violence and came to hunt me out of my room, where I had gone to sulk. My first thought was that he might have saved me all this worry, but I had decided that it was just punishment for my private doubt. The first sight of his glowing face showed that he was another man. No human being, however great, can be entirely indifferent to the attitude of his fellows. In the moment of his triumph he had lost his bitterness. He had tasted power and it was sweet. He had felt the kindly response to the reins in his strong hand. The new warmth and charm of the big fellow were irresistible. ‘“‘Well, Old Oracle, did y’ ever see such a pack of fools? Come on out and witness the unconditional surrender of George Washing- ton! For all his stiff dignity, he has got to admit that he was a fool and he’s got to hand over that last story of his, the one he’s so sensitive about that he won’t send it to be published! You wouldn’t think it, but I’ve found out that he would rather be skinned by inches than have anybody poke fun at that story!” It was his day entirely. Things came his way with a rush, as they do only in life and history, for fiction will not stand for it. When we reached the house, a fine old lady with the Trainor nose was taking her leave. She marched straight up to him, standing dumb. “I was there and heard you, John. You can take care of yourself, I admit it now. 963 Finish your A. B. course, or enter the Law School, as you please. Here’s your check- book. But the less you use now, the more you'll have when I die. Come out to see me. Good-by!”’ And she left him still dumb, with working nostrils. But even that was not enough. The Girl and little Bill were behind the vines on the end of the porch, and now she came for- ward, most deliciously pink. “IT think it is splendid, Cousin John!” And she said no more, seeming to be relieved at the arrival of Kinyon. “T am a fool!” he called from the side- walk. “More kinds of a fool than anybody but me will ever know!”’ The Girl flushed red under his gaze. Then he seized Train- or’s hand and pumped vigorously while he looked straight into the steady steel-blue eyes. “‘But no man can congratulate you more entirely, old man!” ““How about that last story of yours?” Trainor growled. ‘“‘V’ve got it here—now what?” “You are going to read it to us, right now!” YOU have read it, and if you are human you have finished wet-eyed and choking, but I mustn’t tell you itsname. It was an audience keyed to high feeling that heard it on the porch that evening, and when it was finished, little Bill wandered off into the dusk without saying a decent good-night. Then Kinyon fol- lowed him, after a husky murmur, hat in hand. I looked at the black clouds in the west, while I heard Trainor’s voice behind me say, “Just think! To be able to write like that a “It’s still finer to act like that—to have power to move men—and to use it gener- ously!”’ the Girl said. She spoke so low that I knew it was not meant for me to hear. I got up from the edge of the porch. A rain-drop splashed on my bare forehead. ‘‘What’s the matter?” Trainor spoke very low, as if he were in church. ‘“‘I may be most kinds of a fool,” I said, holding out a hand, and another drop fell on it from the lowering clouds, “but I know enough to go home when—it’s going to rain.” 59 COmiclbook CO