by Thomas Dixon
CHAPTER XXX
THE MILLS OF GOD
Norton had dropped into a seat with apparent carelessness, while Tom stoodimmovable, his face a mask.
The girl looked quickly from one to the other, her breath coming in quickgasps.
She turned to Tom:
"Why did you lock the door--what does it mean?"
Norton hastened to answer, his tones reassuringly simple:
"Why, only that we wished to be alone for a few moments----"
"Yes, we understand each other now," Tom added.
Helen's eyes flashed cautiously from one to the other:
"I heard a strange noise"--she turned to the boy--"and, oh, Tom, darling, Iwas so frightened! I thought I heard a struggle and then everything becameso still. I was wild--I couldn't wait any longer!"
"Why, it was really nothing," Tom answered her bravely smiling. "We--we didhave a little scene, and lost our temper for a moment, but you can see foryourself it's all right now. We've thrashed the whole thing out and havecome to a perfect understanding!"
His words were convincing but not his manner. He hadn't dared to look herin the face. His eyes were on the rug and his foot moved nervously.
"You are not deceiving me?" she asked trembling.
The boy appealed to his father:
"Haven't we come to a perfect understanding, Dad?"
Norton rose:
"Perfect, my son. It's all right, now, Helen."
"Just wait for me five minutes, dear," Tom pleaded.
"Can't I hear what you have to say?"
"We prefer to be alone," the father said gravely.
Again her eyes flashed from one to the other and rested on Tom. She rushedto him and laid her hand appealingly on his arm:
"Oh, Tom, dear, am I not your wife?" the boy's head drooped--"must you havea secret from me now?"
"Just a few minutes," Norton pleaded, "that's a good girl!"
"Only a few minutes, Helen," Tom urged.
"Please let me stay. Why were you both so pale when I came in?"
Father and son glanced at each other over her head. Norton hesitated andsaid:
"You see we are perfectly calm now. All bitterness is gone from our hearts.We are father and son again."
"Why do you look so queerly at me? Why do you look so strangely at eachother?"
"It's only your imagination, dear," Tom said.
"No, there's something wrong," Helen declared desperately. "I feel it inthe air of this room--in the strange silence between you. For God's saketell me what it means! Surely, I have the right to know"--she turnedsuddenly to Norton--"You don't hate me now, do you, major?"
The somber brown eyes rested on her in a moment of intense silence and heslowly said:
"I have never hated you, my child!"
"Then what is it?" she cried in anguish, turning again to Tom. "Tell mewhat I can do to help you! I'll obey you, dearest, even if it's to lay mylife down. Don't send me away. Don't keep this secret from me. I feel itschill in my heart. My place is by your side--tell me how I can help you!"
Tom looked at her intently:
"You say that you will obey me?"
"Yes--you are my lord and master!"
He seized her hand and led her to the door
"Then wait for me just five minutes."
She lifted her head pleadingly:
"You will let me come to you then?"
"Yes."
"You won't lock the door again?"
"Not now."
While Tom stood immovable, with a lingering look of tenderness she turnedand passed quickly from the room.
He closed the door softly, steadied himself before loosing the knob andturned to his father in a burst of sudden rebellion:
"Oh, Dad! It can't be true! It can't be true! I can't believe it. Did youlook at her closely again?"
Norton drew himself wearily to his feet and spoke with despairingcertainty:
"Yes, yes, as I've looked at her a hundred times with growing wonder."
"She's not like you----"
"No more than you, my boy, and yet you're bone of my bone and flesh of myflesh--it can't be helped----"
He paused and pointed to the revolver:
"Give it to me!"
The boy started to lift the cloth and the father caught his arm:
"But first--before you do," he faltered. "I want you to tell me now withyour own lips that you forgive me for what I must do--and then I think,perhaps, I can--say it!"
Their eyes met in a long, tender, searching gaze:
"I forgive you," he softly murmured.
"Now give it to me!" the father firmly said, stepping back and lifting hisform erect.
The boy felt for the table, fumbled at the cloth, caught the weapon andslowly lifted it toward his father's extended hand. He opened his eyes,caught the expression of agony in the drawn face, the fingers relaxed andthe pistol fell to the floor. He threw himself blindly on his father, hisarms about his neck:
"Oh, Dad, it's too hard! Wait--wait--just a moment!"
The father held him close for a long while. His voice was very low when hespoke at last:
"There's no appeal, my boy! The sin of your father is full grown and hasbrought forth death. Yet I was not all to blame. We are caught to-night inthe grip of the sins of centuries. I tried to give my life to the people tosave the children of the future. My shame showed me the way as few mencould have seen it, and I have set in motion forces that can never bestopped. Others will complete the work that I have begun. But our time hascome----"
"Yes, yes, I understand!"
The father's arms pressed the son in a last long embrace:
"What an end to all my hopes! Oh, my boy, heart of my heart!"
Tom's hand slowly slipped down and caught his father's:
"Good-by, Dad!"
Norton held the clasp with lingering tenderness as the boy slowly drewaway, measured four steps and calmly folded his arms, his head erect, hisbroad young shoulders squared and thrown far back.
Cleo, who had crept into the hall, stood behind the curtains of the innerdoor watching the scene with blanched face.
The father walked quickly to the revolver, picked it up, turned and liftedit above his head.
With a smothered cry Cleo sprang into the room--but she was too late.Norton had quickly dropped the pistol to the level of the eye and fired.
A tiny red spot flamed on the white skin of the boy's forehead, thestraight figure swayed, and pitched forward face down on the rug.
The woman staggered back, cowering in the shadows.
The father knelt beside the quivering form, clasped his left hand in Tom's,placed the revolver to his temple and fired. The silver-gray head sankslowly against the breast of the boy as a piercing scream from Helen's lipsrang through the silent hall.
