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"How did you dare to take such chances?" cried Helen.
"I took no chances," answered Darrow. "Don't you see? If he were to attempt to destroy the city, he must either involve himself in the destruction, or he must set another bit of clockwork. If he had left his office again I should have seized him, broken into the office, and smashed the apparatus."
"But he was crazy," spoke up Mrs. Warford. "How could you rely on his not involving himself in the general destruction?"
"Yes, why did you act when you did?" seconded Helen.
"As long as he held to his notion of getting hold of McCarthy," explained Darrow, "he had a definite object in life, his madness had a definite outlet--he was harmless. But the last message showed that his disease had progressed to the point where McCarthy was forgotten. His mind had risen to a genuine frenzy. He talked of general punishments, great things. At last he was in the state of mind of the religious fanatic who lacerates his flesh and does not feel the wound. When he forgot McCarthy, I knew it was time to act. Long since I had provided myself with the requisite key.
You know the rest."
CHAPTER XXIV
WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD
There remains only to tell what became of the various characters of the tale.
McCarthy, on whom the action started, returned, but never regained his political hold. Darrow always maintained that this was only the most obvious result of his policy of delaying the denouement. People had been forced to think seriously of such matters; and, when aroused, the public conscience is right.
Darrow demanded, and received, the large money reward for his services in the matter. Pocketing whatever blame the public and his fellow scientists saw fit to hand out to him, he and Jack Warford disappeared in command of a small schooner. The purpose of the expedition was kept secret; its direction was known only to those most intimately concerned. If it ever returns, we may know more of it.
Eldridge went on being a scientist, exactly as before.
Simmons received a gold medal, a large cash sum, any amount of newspaper s.p.a.ce, and an excellent opportunity to go on a vaudeville circuit.
Hallowell had his salary raised; and received in addition that rather vague brevet t.i.tle of "star reporter".
Helen Warford is still attractive and unmarried. Whether the latter condition is only pending the return of the expedition is not known.
As for the city, it has gone back to its everyday life, and the riffles on the surface have smoothed themselves away. In outside appearances everything is as before. Yet for the present generation, at least, the persistence of the old independent self-reliance of the people is a.s.sured.
They have been tested, and they have been made to think of elemental things seriously. For some time to come the slow process of standardization has been arrested.
THE END
