John Dixon

“ He seized her hand, and held it a moment. “My! my! but you look one of us to-night, with that sylph figure robed in white standing there ghost-like in the moonlit shadows!”
“I wish I could share your dangers. I’d go on a raid with you if you’d let me,” she cried eagerly.
“No doubt,” he laughed.
“I’ll sit up until you come,” she whispered as she turned and left him.
John Graham leaned against the picket fence and watched intently the white figure until Susie Wilson disappeared. The talk with her had more than half sobered him. ”

“ Behind her stood the rich old mahogany sideboard of Colonial pattern, the Graham silver flashing in the quaint gold mirror which hung above it. In the mirror her own image was clearly reflected. The man opposite could look into her face and at the same time see in the shining silvery picture above the sideboard the black ringlets of curling hair at the back of her neck, as well as the exquisite lines of her figure.
John gazed at her in silent wonder. Never had he seen a picture so appealing in its beauty to every sense of his being. ”

“ He is a young fellow—younger than Father John; a fellow of thirty or thirty-two, with swarthy cheek, black eye, and tawny mane; a man to play the pirate in some drama of virtuous love. "I was a seaman in my youth," he says, "and when we wanted a skipper in the convent, I went over to Kem, where we have a school of navigation, and got the certificate of a master; that entitled me to command my ship."
"The council of that school are not very strict?"
"No; not with monks. We have our own ways; we labor in the Lord; and He protects us in what we do for Him." ”

“ Billy rose trembling, his eyes running over with tears, took a step toward the door, turned and threw himself into John’s arms, sobbing bitterly.
The older brother held him close for a moment in silence, and slowly said at last:
“Now tell me.”
“I was at Judge Butler’s that night!”
John sank to a chair with a groan.
“My God! I knew it!”
“But, of course, you know that I had nothing to do with any attack on a man in whose house I was a guest,” he went on rapidly. “The whole thing is a horrible mystery to us all. Every man in our crowd was in the ballroom dancing.” ”

“ DIXON, JOHN (d. 1715) , miniature and crayon painter, a pupil of Sir Peter Lely, was appointed by William III ‘keeper of the king's picture closet,’ and in 1698 was concerned in a bubble lottery. The whole sum was to be 40,000l., divided into 1,214 prizes, the highest prize in money 3,000l., the lowest 20l. This affair turned out a great failure, and Dixon, falling in debt, removed for security from St. Martin's Lane, where he lived, to King's Bench Walk in the Temple, and afterwards to a small estate at Thwaite, near Bungay in Suffolk, where he died in 1715. ”

“ I’ll look out for myself. You boys do the same and do it quick.”
“We’ll stan’ by you if ye give the word,” persisted Dan.
John left Stella’s side, stepped to the men and growled:
“I’ve given the word. Run, and run like hell!”
“We don’t like the orders, Chief, but orders is orders—git boys!”
The men quickly disappeared, and John took Stella’s hand:
“Come, dearest, we must go.”
“Yes,” she answered, timidly clinging to his arm and holding him back.
“We must hurry,” he urged.
“I won’t hurry,” she said with tender wilfulness.
“When a woman won’t, she won’t,” John laughed. ”

“ Looking through the window John saw that their costumes were exactly like his own and that the six men had scattered through the house bent on plundering every nook and corner. Knowing that it would be impossible for them to distinguish their own men from his, he made at once his plan to capture the crowd without a struggle. Stationing his own six men at the front door, he took Dan Wiley and boldly entered the room where the leader stood covering the Jew with his revolver. ”

“ A letter from Ackerman had aroused anew her curiosity over every detail of the murder of her father and had given her a definite purpose toward which to work during John’s visit. She studied carefully again the paragraph in which he said:
“I have made several important discoveries in the past twenty-four hours. (1) That old Isaac has left the county and is not holding a sanctification meeting as he told his wife. (2) That Larkin and your father had a violent quarrel on the day of the Convention. (3) That a dozen young men, one at a time, have left Independence recently. ”

“ I’ll stand on the doorstep. I want a laugh first from five hundred black throats—on old-fashioned nigger laugh, long, deep and loud! It’ll be a funny sight, I promise you that.”
“We watch ye,” answered a big buck Negro with a grin.
Stella heard the click of the lock of John’s cell with a start and turned to find the deputy marshal standing with a pair of handcuffs.
“We are ready,” he said.
John stepped into the corridor, and extended his hands. The deputy snapped the steel on his wrists, and Stella drew the garlands of flowers from the basket. ”

“ He woke with a laugh, and caught the glint of the first beams of the rising sun stealing through the window of the corridor.
A Negro boy brought his breakfast of corn bread and bacon in a dirty tin plate.
John looked at it a minute with a curious smile: “No, thank you, my boy, I’ve just had my breakfast of ambrosia. I’ll take a chair, however, if the jailor can spare one!”
“Yassah, I’ll tell ‘im when I goes down,” he replied. “But I spec dey ain’t none lef. We got lots er boarders now.” ”

“ It’ll be more sociable like to feel that we’re all here.”
The sergeant placed his men and followed Aunt Julie Ann to the kitchen.
Stella drew John to the old davenport:
“Quick, John darling, through the old secret way—the way of love——”
“Dearest!” he said reproachfully.
She extended her hand to press the spring in the panel.
“Quick, the soldier at the door can’t see you. I’ll stand in front. Wait for me in the vault. I’ll let them search the house and when they go, I’ll join you and we can leave before daylight.”
“I must face it. There’s no other way.” ”

“ It is impossible to give too much praise to Sir John Anderson and Colonel Dixon for the untiring and intelligent zeal with which they carried out the plans, as well as for the numerous improvements which they introduced. ”

“ There’s a powerful lot er damfools gettin’ ermongst us, an’ I want ter ax ye one question?”
“What?”
“Are ye goin’ ter git drunk ter-night?”
John walked to Dan’s side and placed his hand on his shoulder, and said slowly:
“I’ll never touch another drop of liquor as long as I live. Does that satisfy you?” ”

“ De Jedge say he be down as soon as he dresses—he all dress now but he des want ter keep you waitin’.”
“I understand,” said John with a laugh. “Are you sure, Aunt Julie Ann, that the ghost of the Major you saw last night wasn’t the real man himself?”
“Cose I’se sho’. Hit wuz his speret!”
“Alfred says he’s walking in his sleep of late; at least he found mud on his shoes the other morning when he got up.”
“De Lawd, Marse John, hit wuz his speret, des lak I tell ye. He didn’t look crazy no mo’n you is. He look des lak he look in de ole days when we wuz all rich an’ proud and happy. ”

“ Mathematics were taught (till 1714) by John Barclay. Among Dixon's pupils John Taylor, of the Hebrew concordance, George Benson, the biblical critic, Caleb Rotheram, head of the Kendal academy, and Henry Winder, author of the ‘History of Knowledge.’
In 1723 (according to Evans's manuscript; Taylor, followed by other writers, gives 1719) Dixon removed to Bolton, Lancashire, as successor to Samuel Bourn (1648–1719) [q. v.] He still continued his academy, and educated several ministers; but took up, in addition, the medical profession, obtaining the degree of M.D. from Edinburgh. ”

“ Thou hast answered thy rival's challenge as only a brave man couldst; and now most freely do I give thee my daughter to wife. She shall dower thee ten thousand times more handsomely than any woman of the star-world, Ramos, thou hast lately left.'
"'And her husband shall not be penniless, for I hereby promise him the sum of fifty thousand pounds sterling, as soon as communication is again established between Gathma and Earth, and he may be able to present my cheque for that amount,' said Temple, jumping to his feet in excitement. ”

“ You must know, the girls who go to the proposeress leave with her a list of what they have—so many samovars, so much linen and household stuff. It is not often they have silver spoons. These lists the patriarchs come to her house and read. A sly fellow, like Old Dan, will steal to her door at dusk, when no one is about, and putting down his flask of whisky on the table, ask the old crone to drink. 'Come, motherkin,' he will giggle, 'bring out your list, and let us talk it over.' 'What are you seeking, Father Daniel?' leers the crone. 'A wife for Vanka, motherkin, a wife! ”

“ He had made three speeches from the steps of the Eagle and Phoenix building and the crowds still stood there yelling his name and cheering. Broad-shouldered, bronzed men had rushed into his office one by one that night, hugged him and wrung his hands until they ached. He must have rest. The strain had been terrific and in the reaction he was pitifully tired.
The lights were still burning in his wife's room. She was waiting with Cleo for his return. He had sent her the bulletins as they had come and she knew the result of the election almost as soon as he. ”

“ They listened to the beat of his horse's hoof on the white roadway toward Washington. As the tall soldier listened he heard the roar of the hoofs of coming legions. And a warrior's soul leaped to the saddle. But the soul of the man, of the father and brother uttered a cry of mortal pain. He looked about the hall in a dazed way as if unconscious of the presence of the women of his home.
Mrs. Lee saw his deep anxiety and whispered to Mrs. Marshall.
"Come to my room, Annie, and rest before you say anything to Robert—"
She shook her head.
"No—no, my dear. I can't. My heart's too full. ”

“ A look of fierce triumph overspread the dark features of the little mother. Her eyes grew misty. She fumbled in her bosom and slowly drew out the blood-stained flag her boy had worn on his breast.
“And I have the flag, signorina! When I tear the red crown from the staff I wave this one and shout for my bambino.”
Virginia merely nodded. Her mind was sweeping the last possibility of accident.
“You haven’t been able to reach a single man among the wireless operators of the Woolworth tower?” she asked dreamily.
“Not one, signorina. The old devil up there don’t like the girls. ”

“ Nan cried from the door. She had listened outside to the duel in the stateroom.
"All right," he answered, gaily, "quick about it. You've got a rig?"
"Yes, a half dozen," she cried, with childish glee. "Come into my stateroom and show me which one to put on to-day."
"Oh, you have one for each day of the week?"
"Yes, of course; why not?"
Stuart stepped gingerly inside and inspected the suits she laid out on her bed.
He turned them over and laughed.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"They're all wrong. These things were made to hunt butterflies in the tropics, not ducks in Virginia." ”

“ Dixon, hearing all quiet, came in out of the kitchen.
“Don't you be alarmed on my account, my dear,” he ses, turning to 'is wife; “it's child's play to wot I've been used to. I'll just see these two mistaken young fellers off the premises, and then we'll 'ave a cup o' tea while the old man minds the bar.”
Mrs. Dixon tried to speak, but 'er temper was too much for 'er. She looked from her 'usband to Charlie and Bob and then back at 'im agin and caught 'er breath.
“That's right,” ses Dixon, nodding his 'ead at her. “I'm master and owner of the Blue Lion and you're first mate. ”

“ So engrossed had Dixon been in the final stages of his work that for the last seventy-two hours he had literally lived there in his laboratory. It remained now only for him to step outside and test the effect of the little contact grenade, and at the same time get a badly needed taste of fresh air.
He set the safety catch on the little bomb and slipped it into his pocket. As he started for the door he threw back his hood, revealing the ruggedly good-looking face of a young man in the early thirties, with lines of weariness now etched deeply into the clean-cut features. ”

“ I never see such a feller in all my born days."
"I was so glad to get 'ome agin I didn't think," ses Dixon. "I hope you're not 'urt."
He started telling them all about his 'ardships while they were at tea, but none of 'em seemed to care much about hearing 'em. Bob said that the sea was all right for men, and that other people were sure not to like it.
"And you brought it all on yourself," ses Charlie. "You've only got yourself to thank for it. I 'ad thought o' picking a bone with you over those letters you wrote." ”

“ One night will cure you of sleeping in the open."
"Rats!" replied Chet good-naturedly. "I'm not afraid of the dark."
"Cut out the jawing and let's get started," said Biff Hooper. "No use hanging around here. Are you ready?"
"All set!"
"Let's go then. Good-bye, everybody."
"Good-bye!" every one shouted. Frank and Joe cheered, the girls clapped their hands, and the Envoy slowly moved away from the dock, with Chet Morton and Biff Hooper waving to their chums.
Tony Prito swung his motorboat around.
"I'll go along with you to the end of the bay," he shouted.
Frank glanced at Joe. ”

“ He sho must be wore out."
"It's daylight," she said, "open the windows and put out the lamp."
Mary climbed the stairs again to get her father to eat. Ben drew the curtains and the full light of a beautiful spring morning flooded the room. A mocking bird was singing in the holly. A catbird cried from a rosebush, a redbird flashed and chirped from the hedge and a colt whinnied for his mother.
The old negro lowered the lamp, blew it out and began to straighten the room. A soft knock sounded on the front door.
He stopped and listened. That was queer. No guest could be coming to Arlington at dawn. ”