Under Sealed Orders | Page 2

an elevation in the road where he stopped, and here the shadows which enwrapped the forest were not so heavy. The lingering light of departing day was still in the west and touched this part of the highway with its faint glow. It brought out into clear relief the silhouette of the old man as he stood there with his right hand placed to his ear so as not to miss the least sound drifting down the valley.
So intent was he upon what he heard that he did not notice the sounds of approaching footsteps, so when a man stopped a few yards away and watched him curiously, he was completely unaware of his presence. "Ring on, sweet waters," he cried. "Your voice follows me no matter how far I go. I alone can understand your language, and know what you are saying. All are deaf but me. They hear but do not know your meaning." He ceased, and again listened for a few seconds.
A strange half-mocking laugh startled him, and caused him to look quickly around. Seeing that he was observed, he was about to hurry away, when a man stepped forward.
"Pardon me," he began. "I did not mean to offend you. But your words seem so strange, that I could not help laughing."
"And were you listening to the voice?" the old man eagerly asked. "Do the falling waters speak to you as they do to me? Is that why you are here?"
"Yes, I hear them," was the reply. "But they do not bring any special message to my mind."
"And they do not tell you of power, of the wonderful things they are ready and willing to do when men will heed what they are saying?"
"No, I can't say that they do. They make a noise up there among the trees, but I do not know what they are saying."
"Strange, strange," and the old man placed his hand to his forehead. "You are like all the rest, then. You hear but you do not understand."
"What do you hear?" the newcomer asked, thinking that he was talking to a weak-minded creature.
"I hear great things, which will be for the welfare of the whole community. The waters tell me what they will do. They will make life worth living. They will give light and power to the people all along the river and revolutionise their daily tasks. Instead of hard labour by the sweat of the brow, the waters will do the work. People will be happy, and have time for the beautiful things of life. Grinding toil and sorrow will be banished forever."
"Umph! So that is what you hear, eh? What is the good of hearing such a voice, if you have no power to make it come true?"
"But the people will hear and understand," the old man insisted. "I am telling them about it."
"Yes, I know you are, and they think you are a fool for your efforts. They laugh at you, and call you crazy."
"But they will come to see that I am right. They, too, will hear the voice, and then they will not be able to resist its pleadings."
"If you had the money they would listen to you, for that is the only voice people will heed to-day. If you came here with an abundance of gold, people would hear anything you asked them to in the falls up yonder. But because you are poor, like myself, your ideas will have no more weight with them than the lightest feather. Back your visions with money and people will crowd around you, and you will be heeded. But try to get along without money, and, bah! you are a fool."
Scarcely had these words left his lips ere a raucous honk up the road startled him. Then an auto with blazing lights leaped out of the night. The old man was standing right in its way, unconscious of his danger. Almost instinctively two strong hands clutched him and hurled him into the ditch as the car swept past. Shouts of merriment sounded forth upon the night air from the occupants of the car. The fright they had given the two by the side of the road evidently gave them much amusement. Their laughter caused the rescuer to straighten suddenly up, and clutch the old man fiercely by the arm.
"Did you hear them?" he asked, and his voice was filled with suppressed emotion.
"Yes," was the reply. "They are only thoughtless youths having a good time, I suppose."
"It's just what money does, though. I know who they are, for I caught a glimpse of them as they sped past. It's money that talks with them; that is the only voice they hear. They will ride over the less fortunate, and crush them down as worms beneath their feet. They have