men burned to death for refusing to attend Protestant churches.
Frank quoted the Fundamentalist who asserted that evolutionists were literally murderers, because they killed orthodox faith, and ought therefore to be lynched; William Jennings Bryan, with his proposal that any American who took a drink outside the country should be exiled for life.
"That's how these men speak, with so little power—as yet!" Frank pleaded. "Use your imaginations! Think how they would rule this nation, and compel the more easy-going half-liberal clergy to work with them, if they had the power!"
There were constant grunts of "That's a lie!" and "They ought to shut him up!" from the back, and now Frank saw marching into the hall a dozen tough young men. They stood ready for action, looking expectantly toward the line of prosperous Christian Citizens.
"And you have here in your own city," Frank continued, "a minister of the gospel who enjoys bellowing that any one who disagrees with him is a Judas."
"That's enough!" cried some one at the back, and the young toughs galloped down the aisle toward Frank, their eyes hot with cruelty, teeth like a fighting dog's, hands working—he could feel them at his neck. They were met and held a moment by the sympathizers in front. Frank saw the crippled tailor knocked down by a man who stepped on the body as he charged on.
With a curious lassitude more than with any fear, Frank sighed, "Hang it, I've got to join the fight and get killed!"
He started down from the platform.
The chairman seized his shoulder. "No! Don't! You'll get beaten to death! We need you! Come here—come here! This back door!"
Frank was thrust through a door into a half-lighted alley.
A motor was waiting, and by it two men, one of whom cried, "Right in here, Brother."
It was a large sedan; it seemed security, life. But as Frank started to climb in he noted the man at the wheel, then looked closer at the others. The man at the wheel had no lips but only a bitter dry line across his face—the mouth of an executioner. Of the other two, one was like an unreformed bartender, with curly mustache and a barber's lock; one was gaunt, with insane eyes.
