Image provided by: Silverton Country Historical Society; Silverton, OR
About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1897)
THE TORCH of REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THCRSDAV, -Il I-V 21), IS!),. w»e to m arrv BlHHChe. T hcre’d be Is it strange, th en , th a t the great- GOLDEN THRONE. no lawsuit then, and we could both e»t acts of wrong-doing should take [ a romance by SAMUEL P. PUTNAM. J W|.<>y , he fo rtu n e.” upon them a divine sanction, and ■ „ . „ ¡ „ . i 1,in,«elf an object of di- “ Did B la n c h e accede to this ar- m erito rio u s.- T h is in n a te im a g in e d b im s tll an J BaVi,Kery of O rthodoxy breaks out vinefavor. Some are so accustomed rangementV « "IF ) to their villanv th a t it ceases to he -S h e d id n ’t understand it as well at tim es,and we see its terrib le result villanv in their eves, hut rather as 1 did, hut filially I persuaded in the red hand oi m urder, a father justifiable, if not found out and her.” slaying his own child. 'is is the fortune favors Gooch had intended “ But the fortune was hers any- legitim ate result of the old belief in after he had obtained possession of way.” m iracles and inspiration. It is B lanche’s fortune, to e n d o w s the«»- “ Yes, legally. I could have softened and defeated, I grant, in logical sem inary; and this end made trouble, though; for it d id n ’t m any noble an d beautiful natures, justified the means. He had tlior- seem right to come so near having th a t, clinging to O rthodoxy with a » - i I • A . \7 . a . . £ 1 t A, 1 1 , .A-» I i i I Lll n I 1 11 tl tl H oughly identified “ God” with every- a fortune and not have it. You sort of intellectual blindness and thin g th a t was for his self-interest, see, if she had been dead, the for- weakness, are yet trained and de veloped by higher ideas. I bey do He read the bible through the eyes tune would have been m ine.” of his own lust: the whole plan of “ So you thought you would kill walk som ew hat in the light of sci ence. But in wholly ignorant salvation from all eternity was an her by m arrying her? ’ arrai.gem ent by which Gooch could “ 1 was willing she should live; m inds we see the 1« >gic of O rthodoxy: he m ade happy. He never thought but I knew she d id n ’t need the and what is it but m urder and as of it in an y o ther light: the com- the money, and w ouldn’t use it for sassination, finding its im pulse in m and to leave fath er and m other the glory of the Lord as I would, a so-called divine voice, within and brother and sister was sim ply I ’m sorry she’s dead, hut I acted which is only the nam e for a fierce anim al passion. T he Bible has au th o rity to let these take care of for the b est.” justified every crim e; and it needs them selves, so far as m aterial “ You’ll go to E ngland th en ?” things are concerned, while he “ Yes, there’s about a million <lol- no stretch of logic for a man like couId he free to devote himself to lavs coming. I shall give a hu»»- Gooch, intensely selfish, t<> find au thority for any wrong th a t will im securing a h arp of gold. dred thousand to the C hurch.” This was the sum and substance “ D idn’t you know th a t Morton prove his chances, and so add to the coffers of his divinity. I ex of Gooch’s religion, a h arp of gold, was engaged to Blanche?” If the h arp had been brass, I don’t “ I rath e r thought so; ami I felt pect that Gooch believes him self to thin k he would have been quiet so it my du ty to save her. Morton be a sort of am bassador of God, and good a C hristian. Gold, gold,— w ouldn’t give a cent of money to so is capable of com m itting any this was the all-devouring aim of the C hurch. I m arried her, in crim e in his Deity’s name. C hris bis life; and Bible and Church and order th at the Lord m ight get her tian ity should not disown Gooch, regeneration w *re valuable to him money. It w asn’t for myself th a t when at last the halter is draw n only as they converge so this end. I cared, hut for the welfare of Zion. about his neck. He is the creature He was ready to do anything for Our church at Scooptown needs a of its own teachings.” C iL lil its sake, and he had the wonderous new bell: and the people talk of C H A P T E R X X V I. facility of th in k in g that all he did startin g a m issionary sem inary C aptain Furgeson returned to the for him self he did for the Lord, there, in order to educate I he young “ A lbatross,” and reported the situ Hence, he could com m it a crim e, men to preach the gospel to the ation of affai's. w ithout a qualm of conscience. He heathen, and I was anxious to en- “ I’m ready,” said the doctor. was as cold as a lizard. N othing «low a professorship. You see how “ M orton will he awake in a few could touch him . The ap p aren t m uch good I can do with the m inutes, and in prime condition. death of B lanche had no perceptible m oney.” We couldn’t have a better day. ••fleet. He did not care for her only “ Did Blanche think as you d id ?” The sea is as clear as glass, and we as she was an in stru m en tality to the “ Not exactly, hut I think she can walk through it as easily as acquirem ent of w ealth; and, since would in time. Shese»*med to hate through a meadow. The m achinery her death gave him more complete me ami religion and everything . , ___ sway, he had only a m echanical th a t was good. She was wilful. 1! (JS a ir W ork slow and sure.” and outside sorrow in view’ of it. m ade o u t by the exercise of a par- Morton was soon awake, When “ Tne burial will lie a t two o’clock ental au th o rity to m arry her. told, he cried : — this afternoon,” said Soekdolliger. G rad u ally , she was becoming sub- “ Is it possible? How brave she u W ill you re m a in , g e n tle m e n ? ” du«-d. Sin* se»*iued to feel the force “ Yes,” said Paddie and W ill. of my rem arks. If she had lived, I is! Now, we m ust show our spirit; “ I m ust re tu rn ,” said C aptian think she would have become a and all will he well.” “ Keep cool,” said the doctor. Furgeson. hriyht and shining light.” “ I t’s all ov«*r w ith,” said Paddie “ W hat a phenom enal hypocrite “ We m ust not hurry. Put your to the deacon after Furgeson had the deacon is!” said Paddie to W ill, suit on.” The grotesque suits were put on, departed for his own ship, “ and they sauntered alone to the th ere’s no need of q u arrellin g ; hut, ship’s side. “ He can cover rascal- and Morton and the d«»ctor looked really, I do not u n derstand your ity with the slime of his theology, j like a couple of immense ghouls m arriage. It was sudden, was t it ? and swallow it whole. He could w’ith enorm ous eyes. Paddie was somewhat of a diplo- easily convince himself th at it was “ You see, I ’ve arranged a little m atist, and he was determ ined to right to kill \o u or me, if by so do- com pass in your hand, and so can find out-a th in g or two. ing five cents could he put into the direct our course. We ehan’t ’fail “ It was ra th e r sudden,” said the treasu ry of the L ord.” to strik e the ‘Betsv J a n e ’ by the deacon, “ hut it was kind ©’n atu ra l, “ Tie is th a t m onstrous th in g ,” shortest path. 1 hen, I ’ve a few after all. We were cousins. My said W ill, “ which only O rthodoxy torpedoes tucked aw ay; an d , if big- m other was a Kennedy. You see can produce,— a hypocrite and £er than we attack us, we ther«* was a big fortune in E ngland rogue, who finds in the pages of an crtn f?’ve them more th an they bar for tin* K ennedys, and I r«*ckoti to inspired hook justification for every gain for with these little cannon.” Morton went to his task with a come into it through mv m oth- act he can com m it. Of all crime, e r’s rights; hut she was an heir inspired crim e is the w orst. It has determine«! spirit. He had not a after W illiam and R alph Kennedy, no conscience, and it is incapable particle of fear, and he would not and I found by inquiry th a t Miss of remorse. It can wield the knife allow him self to he disturbed even Blanche was the heir of lioth. You of the assassin, and glory in the by th e m om entous results th a t m ight see there was a conflict. I thought deed. D< h * s not O rthodoxy justify happen. Placed in such new and the best wav to settle the m atter even m urder for the glory of its G« h 1? o ra n g e circum stances, about to u n dertake what had never yet been accomplished even by the most daring, he faced the trem endous journey with scarcely a trem or. He m eant to succeed, if it lay within hum an power; and he knew th at only the utm ost steadiness could carry him safely along. All was ready; and they were lowered into the sea, and sank into its profound bosom. The waters closed over them , and not a ripple was seen. They were in the awful depths. They could com m unicate with each other only by slow and aw kw ard signs. Down they sank, u n til they were a hundred feet below the su r face. Above, they could behold a confuse«! and m ost dazzling light, and occasionally coruscating colors with infinite variety of movem ent. Fishes glided by, and hardly seem ed to notice them , any more th an if they were fam iliar m onsters of the sea. Around them rolled ever the th u n d er of the deep. Slowly, very slowly, they advanced, as if they were clim bing an im mense hill. The route appeared interm inable, for there was nothing by which to m ark the way. The doctor, however, advanced as if guided by an unerring instinct. lie seemed to he at home am id the un- travelleJ waters. As he turned to his com panion, his eyes looked like two blazing balls. He was like a huge giant hewing his way through the liquid wilderness. Morton fol lowed his firm step. He met all the horrors of the deep with unflinch ing gaze. At length, the doctor signalled a halt. They rose by pressing the air-valves, arid f«>und th a t they were just beneath the “ Betsy Ja n e ,” which like a great p lan et rolled and heaved in the m idst of a sheet of light. The top of the sea flashed over them like a b rillia n t firm a m ent; and intense and splendid hues chased each other with m vraid evolutions, while beneath stretched an awful ami unsounded darkness. Here they rem ained, w aiting for the prize to drop from the sp ark ling firm am ent above. All on board the ‘‘Betsy J a n e ” gathered to listen to the funeral service. B urnham and McConnell were there, w atching with in ten t gaze th e silent form, wondering if indeed the spirit were in the mask or in the reality of death, so v erit able it all seemed and so like a dream . C aptain Soekdolliger read the burial service, the grotesque yet wonderfully eloquent passages from St. Paul. It m ust be adm itted th at he read them with solemn and heautiftil effect, for he profoundly Itelieved every word th a t he u tter- ed. He had undoubting faith in the resurrection of the body,— th at all would come forth from the sea and land some day at the tru m p of the archangel, and C hrist would ♦ I „ « a r» 1 T I a A *A O Hi!