CHAPTER VII

 

 

Dr. Dowie and his party had moved on to Ade­laide. Mrs. Dowie's relatives had a picturesque and commodious summer home on the south­ern slope of Mount Lofty, about eighteen miles from the city. It stood in a gray-green forest of giant euca­lyptus, two thousand feet above the coastal plain. Built of stone, with verandas on three sides, it was cool and comfortable. This was to be their retreat for a few weeks' rest.

"Well, what do you think of this?" exclaimed Her­bert, looking up from a letter. "Jess says the Steel­havers are in Zion City."

An American mail had just been brought out from Adelaide by Overseer Voliva. Nancy, Herbert, Colonel Erdman, and Harold Winans sat on the west veranda, overlooking the gardens. Here they had im­provised an office. The sun was shining, a light breeze tempering its midsummer rays-this was in early March-laughing-jackasses were making the woods ring with their merriment, the General Overseer and his family, with Overseer Voliva, were on the east veranda with their mail, and all had dropped every­thing else to devour their letters from home.

"But," objected the colonel, "the General Overseer threw 'em out of Zion."

"Yes, I know," said Herbert, "but listen here. Jesse says:

 

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”'I suppose you remember the Steelhavers-the honeymooners that got bounced because the lady was too well supplied with husbands. Well, they’re here at the hospice, and have begun honeymooning all over again. He tells me that after they left Zion their consciences began to hurt, so they decided to separate. Then, about two weeks ago, her :first husband was killed in an automobile accident, so they hunted up the old wedding-ring, got Overseer Darling to wish it on her again, and here they are. They are willing to let bygones be bygones. But let me say, dear esthetic boss, that woman adds more solace for wearied optics to the landscape of our town than a whole forest of azaleas.' "

Everyone laughed.

Just then Overseer Voliva came around the corner.

"General Overseer wants you, Deacon Renbrush," he said.

Herbert sped away along the west and south ve­randas to where Dr. and Mrs. Dowie and their son sat reading their mail.

"Ah, Herbert, my son, peace to thee. Have you and Mistress Harrow finished preparing those reports for 'Leaves of Healing'?"

"Just about, General Overseer. Not more than an hour's work on them now, I guess."

"That is good. I wish you would get them all ready at once. I want you to return to Adelaide with Over­seer Voliva and carry my command to some of our members there that they shall sell their properties at once and bring the returns into Zion.

"Deacon Gaines has far exceeded his authority in

 

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holding back remittances, and I am very angry with him. He may think he can go as he likes and do as he pleases because the General Overseer is ten thousand miles away, but he will find that the General Overseer has a very long arm. Ah, what's this?"

A carroty-haired, liberally freckled youth with steel clips holding the legs of yellow nankeen trousers tight around his ankles had come from the north front of the house.

"You Mister Dowie?" he asked.

"I am Doctor Dowie, yes," answered that gentle­man, with reproving dignity.

"Got a cible for yew," said the youth, ignoring the reproof. "Sign heah."

"Ah, thank you," said the preacher, handing the messenger a half-crown anyway.

"Excuse me, Mama," he murmured, and tore it open.

"Ah, in code," he said, portentously, "from Zion City. My code book is in my study."

To Herbert's surprise, instead of sending for the book, he got up and trotted indoors. In half an hour the great man reappeared. His eyes glowed, his head was held high, his face shone.

"Mama," he said, glancing mysteriously at the others, "will you please come to my study. I have something to show you."

Mrs. Dowie rose and followed him.

Nearly an hour passed. Dr. and Mrs. Dowie re­turned, the doctor more flushed with joy than before. In much the same way, one at a time, Gladstone, Over­seer Voliva, Colonel Erdman, Nancy, and Harold

 

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Winans were mysteriously taken to the study. Herbert was called, with the same air of state secrecy.

“Herbert, my son," said the great man impressively when they had seated themselves in the study and Dr. Dowie had satisfied himself that there were no eaves- droppers, “before I left Zion City I made certain very important provisions for its finances. You, I know, have been loyal to your General Overseer and have kept your faith in Zion's glorious future. But I grieve to say that some, even some high in the councils of Zion, have been fearful and have been a great trial to me. I have been patient with them because I knew their human frailties. I have tried to show them that there were many untouched resources, known to me, which I could not safely reveal to them until the proper time, but they, by reason of their years of bondage to the world's godless methods of finance and banking, had little faith in what they could not actually see and handle. As a result, they have caused me a great deal of needless irritation on this mission for God and for Zion by their constant worry over its cost. Now, however, they see that I have looked farther ahead than they could, that I have laid my plans well, and that all their fears and complaints were only obstacles to my success in this great for­ward movement in obedience to God's Will.

“Long months ago I practically concluded negotia­tions with gentlemen in charge of a new electric railway between Chicago and Milwaukee to sell them a right of way through Zion City. These negotiations have now borne their expected fruit, as you will see

 

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by this cablegram, which Gaines sent me in code this morning, and which I have decoded."

With this the General Overseer, his eyes glowing, his face beaming, his mustache twitching, handed over a slip of paper, in his carefully drawn vertical handwriting. Herbert read:

"Sold North Shore right of way for $100,000 cash."

“Do you see what that means?" exulted Dr. Dowie, striding about. “Not only do we place this hundred thousand in our treasury, but the building of the road means many months of work at high wages for our people, and the railway, when completed, will add millions to the value of property in Zion City."

He laughed gleefully.

“I guess you think I'm a knowing card."

Then he grew mysterious again.

"I have confided in you, Herbert, because you are responsible for real-estate operations in Zion City. But you see, of course, that this information, sent to us in secret code, must be carefully guarded. Zion does not make known all her business, not even to her own people. There are affairs of finance that it is unwise to discuss with anyone not directly con­cerned. I trust you absolutely. You have never be­trayed a confidence. I know this vastly important in­formation is safe with you.

"Another matter-my son wants to go to Ade­laide to-morrow to some cricket match or other. I do not like to have him go alone, so I want you to go with him. I believe this match continues two or three days. You will be very nicely entertained at the home

 

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of Mistress Dowie's relatives. Go and enjoy yourself, my son; you have earned it."

"But what about those people I am to see?"

"I have been thinking that over. It would be better to wait until they have attended my meetings in Ade­laide. Come, let us join the others."

Luncheon was an hour late, but was a happy event, Dr. Dowie triumphantly discussing the great $100,000 sale for the benefit of all those present, including two servants who waited upon table.

 

 

CHAPTER VIII

 

 

The General Overseer's first public appearance in Adelaide was at the Town Hall, a week after events related in our last chapter. The whole party had moved into rooms at the York Hotel.

That evening, early, crowds began to gather in the streets. They were noisy, singing "Boys of the Bulldog Breed" and "We'll Hang Jack Dowie on a Sour­-apple-tree," and yelling, "Bring the old faker out." A cordon of mounted police was sent to escort the preacher's carriage. Mrs. Dowie, Gladstone, and Her­bert rode with the General Overseer, Colonel Erdman with the coachman. Boos and hisses greeted them as they passed, and pieces of "road metal" were thrown.

The Town Hall stood on a corner with an L­-shaped alley on one side of and behind it. Street en­trances to this alley were guarded by massive iron gates ten or twelve feet tall, as was the main entrance to the building itself. The auditorium was on the sec­ond floor, with both front and rear stairs.

A squad of police stood at the gates guarding the alley opening from King William Street. Without slackening pace, the carriage was driven up to these gates, policemen swung them open just in time, the vehicle swept through, and before anyone could

 

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follow they were banged shut again. Long before this the hall had filled and iron gates at its front door had been closed and locked.

When the General Overseer and his three compan­ions came up the rear stairs they found pandemo­nium. A few Zion people in front seats were quiet and evidently scared. A few strangers clustered near them. The remainder of the crowd was singing, romping up and down the aisles, and chanting, "We want Dowie."

The General Overseer, Mrs. Dowie, Gladstone, and Overseer Voliva mounted the platform, Nancy and Harold took their places at a small table in front ready to write their reports, Colonel Erdman stood guard at the rear door, and Herbert posted himself in front of Nan and Harold.

A hymn was announced and sung, but could not be heard above lusty strains of the bulldog song. Mrs. Dowie read a passage of Scripture while the mob mimicked her voice, yowled like cats, and threw hymn-books and programs at her. Fortunately, their marksmanship was as poor as their manners. Another hymn was tried-and drowned. Overseer Voliva of­fered prayer amid a shower of hymn-books and a clatter of songs and witticisms. Then the General Overseer began his sermon. For an hour he matched his voice against that of the mob. Their ammunition of hymn-books being exhausted, they began breaking up seats, but the yield was disappointing.

"Come on, me 'earties, let's tyke 'im," some one shouted, standing half-way up the middle aisle. He was joined by a score of larrikins and they started a rush for the platform, howling threats. Herbert

 

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quietly stood his ground, hands hanging at his sides. Nancy and Harold sat unmoved behind him. The General Overseer stepped forward, ceased speaking, and fixed his eyes upon the leader of the mob. They slowed up, stopped just as the vanguard reached Her­bert, hurled some obscene epithets, crumbled, and drifted away. Three times, each time with a different leader, an attack was organized, made its advance, and melted down.

Meanwhile the mob outside had wrecked one of Adelaide's quaint two-story street-cars and had smashed twenty pounds fifteen shillings' worth of window-glass in the Town Hall. Dr. Dowie learned the exact amount of damage, because he had to pay the bill-also for broken seats in the hall.

A lieutenant of police came to the rear door and warned Colonel Erdman, "The chief says you'd better close up and get out while you can. The crowd's get­tin' violent and you may all be killt if you wait too long."

Chris signaled the General Overseer, who pro­nounced the benediction. Quickly he and his party slipped through the rear door and down into the alley. Dr. and Mrs. Dowie sat on the rear seat of the carriage, Gladstone and Herbert on the front seat facing them. Windows in the upper part of the car­riage doors were let down, so that no one should be cut by flying glass. Gladstone put his shoulders and back in one window, Herbert his in the other. Colo­nel Erdman and the coachman took their places on the box, pulled down their silk hats and turned up their coat collars.

 

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All was ready. The carriage was headed toward Pirie Street, about thirty yards from the gates, which were guarded by police.

The coachman cracked his whip, shouted to the horses, and they leaped forward. When they reached the gates they were galloping. The huge iron portals swung open in the nick of time. Snarling and cursing, the mob cringed back, madly trampling one another. Careening drunkenly as it turned into Pirie Street, the carriage soon righted itself and in a twinkling had outdistanced the swiftest of its pursuers. As it turned and fled, there was a crashing of brickbats and cobble­stones upon it. Both Gladstone and Herbert felt a blow or two. But their only casualty was the coach­man, who had an ugly scalp wound.

For a week, meetings were held only afternoons and were undisturbed. The great, final gathering of the series, and of Dr. Dowie's mission to Australia, was to be held in Government Exhibition Building on Sunday. On Wednesday afternoon Adelaide's chief ­of police and one of his captains were closeted for half an hour with Dr. Dowie. When they had gone, the leader sent for his party. They came into his suite wondering, and found him walking the floor in deep thought, his little black skullcap awry, his hands clasped behind his back.

“My beloved helpers," he said, "the chief and a captain of the Adelaide police urge me to cancel next Sunday's meeting. They say that the building is a mere wooden shell, with doors all around, so that it would take ten times as many police as they can command to protect us. His men all report to him

 

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that plans are being made to kill me; that all the worst element of Port Adelaide, notorious thugs, are making open threats that I will not live to see Sun­day's sunset.

“I told him, at first, that I would not cancel the meeting.

“He then said, 'Well, I suppose you have a right to throw your own life away if you feel like it, but what about your people? I suppose they'll try to pro­tect you. If they do, they'll all be killed or badly hurt too.'

"I had not considered that. I told him I would de­fer to your wishes. Shall we hold the meeting, as we have announced, or shall we cancel it, as the police urge? What do you say, Overseer Voliva?"

“As far as I am concerned, we hold the meeting, General Overseer."

Dr. Dowie solemnly put the question to each one. All said, “Hold the meeting."

"It is only fair to warn you," said the General Overseer, after he had thanked them, "that I think the police are right. I counsel you each to put his affairs in order, to write such communications to relatives and friends as you wish sent, and leave them with the manager of the hotel on Sunday morning, and, above all, to make your peace with God. Go, and may God forever bless you."

They filed out, silently, and went each to his room. Herbert made no attempt to "put his affairs in or­der." He wrote no letters. Instead, putting the thing out of his mind, he went on with his work. So, he learned, did the others.

 

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The last of the afternoon meetings was held Friday. The General Overseer preached about restoring all things as carried out by himself as Elijah the Restorer, Consummation of the Age, Times of the End, the Great Tribulation, the Coming of Christ and His Millennial reign.

"When that Day comes," he said, "He will set up His Kingdom and, with Him, we who have been faithful to His commands shall rule the earth in righteousness. The kings of the earth who now rule in unrighteousness will have to take a back seat, and some of them mighty low down. King Edward will have to step down from his throne. He cannot rule under the King of Kings. Everybody knows he has no religion to spare."

"You leave the King alone!" shouted an old gentle­man in a front seat.

"Be still," screamed Dr. Dowie, striding angrily across the platform toward the interrupter. "You be still or I will say more. I will take no dictation from you or anyone else but God Almighty as to what I will or will not say."

The General Overseer finished his sermon, a hymn was sung, the benediction pronounced, and the audi­ence dismissed.

The whole Zion party, except Overseer Voliva and Harold Winans, took carriages and drove out to Mount Lofty, where they expected to rest until Sun­day morning. When they reached the house, servants told them that some one had been trying to get Deacon Renbrush by telephone.

 

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A few minutes later the telephone rang and Her­bert answered.

"Are you there, Renbrush? This is Bickford of ·The Beacon.' "

"Yes, Bickford."

"For God's sake get Doctor Dowie and his party away from there! He said something or other about the King at the Town Hall this afternoon and people here are wild. Several mobs are forming to go out there to-night and string him up or shoot him, or beat him to death."

"It's mighty kind of you, Mr. Bickford, to let us know. I'll tell the General Overseer. I can't say, of course, what he will do about it."

"I tell you to get him away, Renbrush," cried the reporter in great excitement. ((There's no holding this crowd down here, and there'll be an awful tragedy if they find him. We don't want that to happen. All kinds of nasty complications. You people are Amer­ican citizens and we don't want trouble with your Government. "

"Well, then," said Herbert, ··why doesn't your Government protect him and us?"

"They wouldn't dare to lift a finger on this, where an attack on the King is involved. No, the only thing is to get Doctor Dowie away somewhere until this blows over. Don't fail, now."

While reporting this conversation to the General Overseer, Herbert had to answer the telephone again. This time it was Harold Winans.

"Hello, Herb. Say, things are pretty hot down

 

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here. The newspapers came out with big scareheads this afternoon, ’Dowie Vilifies the King,' and stuff like that. There's a mob goin' out there on bicycles and another on the train, and they're talkin' big. Can't tell what they'll do, of course, but thought I'd let you know. They're pretty mad."

Then another newspaper man who knew Herbert called up and frantically warned him to hide Dr. Dowie somewhere in the mountains. "You've got time," he said, "if you'll make haste."

Herbert, Gladstone, and Colonel Erdman watched, night after night, at the iron gates of the estate, but no mob appeared.

However, Herbert had the novel experience of see­ing his General Overseer almost collapse with fright.

Next day Dr. Dowie was called to the telephone. Overseer Voliva, in Adelaide, reported that the State of South Australia, owner of the Exhibition Build­ing, had canceled Dr. Dowie's lease for Sunday after­noon. The General Overseer protested that he had signed in good faith and paid good money, therefore the Government was legally bound and could not cancel. He himself called up the Premier. The Premier was adamant. Dr. Dowie had insulted the King. He could not be permitted to speak on government prop­erty. The General Overseer called back Overseer Voliva and ordered him to go and lease the Town Hall. In half an hour the Overseer telephoned that the city authorities refused.

Nothing more could be done.