At last he arose, slow and feeble. Mammon was old, centuries old. With uncertain steps he tottered forward and cautiously descended the long flight of marble stairs that led to the huge vaults behind the altar. His trembling hands unlocked the massive bronze portals, the golden hoard that greeted his sight thrilled his soul with magic delight. With miserly greed he dug his long fingers into the heaps of yellow coin, and as he thought of the thousands of similar vaults throughout the land, all his own, his cruel face relaxed into a satisfying grin. Delirious with joy he at length came out of the treasure house and began the toilsome ascent. Each step he mounted, commemorated in letters of blood the ruins upon which his temple was built.

When Mammon at last reached the gilded throne, his quivering form sank exhausted upon the hard, unyielding seat. Long he sat in the ominous silence, and waited long - in agonized suspense - ! Hours - profound and awful passed - and no one came. Mammon's face bore the image of some - "forgotten Idol."

A mysterious wind began to stir the air - ! The atmosphere grew - dark - and suffocating! The rumbling of distant thunder was heard. Fitful lightning flashed! Windows began to rattle! The wind howled threateningly about the temple - ! With a sudden outburst, a furious gale rushed with a terrible force against the massive doors - ! The heavy locks cracked! The doors flew open! - and - a spectral shadow of - "Death" - dashed wildly between the glittering columns, and with a long shuddering breath - darkened - the lighted altar!

The ghost-like apparition turned Mammon to a statue.

The storm raged mercilessly - ! The rolling thunder drew nearer, - louder, and fiercer, it began to roar - ! A horrible peal crashed upon the earth, and shook the temple - ! Mammon's stony heart began to quake - !

"My gold - !" he muttered hoarsely, and sprang to hisfeet - ! He tried to walk, - but - his trembling limbs refused to support him, - he tottered - and fell - ! A deafening report, - like the explosion of a volcano shook the throne ferociously, and Mammon's crouching form was hurled viplently against the gilded altar.

He lay a bruised heap upon the marble floor. Blood began to flow in streams from his quivering body, staining the gold that fell upon him - then - down - down into an unknowable void.

As Mammon saw his gold vanish from sight, a fit of madness seized him - ! His eyes rolled wildly, and his chattering lips uttered one long agonized scream - ! "My gold - my precious gold! Is there no one here to save my gold?"

Moments - of foreboding stillness followed - . Then, there came a muffled tone - it penetrated the deadly silence, and reached Mammon's ear!

With a terrible struggle he raised his head,-----and listened - ! The echo of an ominous cry froze his blood with horror - !

Midst the rolling of thunder, the cry sounded like the subdued clamor of many voices shouting angrily - ! Increasing at intervals into one mighty volume of million men bursting out with tempest rage - !

"Down with Mammon - !" "Down with Mammon - !" ' 'Dethrone - ! this false - and cruel god - !" "Banish - ! from earth this cruel Monster and plunge him into his man-created hell!" "Down with him - down - down!"

Mammon clutched the foot of the altar with a grip of iron! In the frenzy of despair he dragged himself along the blood-stained floor - and tried to hide behind the altar! - But - a sudden clang of the - "Death-bell - !" made his body recoil with convulsive agony - !

A tumultuous roaring, like the cry of hungry beasts, rushed wildly upon his quivering form! - followed by - A crash of thunder - ! A bolt of lightning - ! A frenzied shriek - ! And Mammon's body lay still. His long fingers twisted into the tarnished altar like the - "claws of a dead bird."

Peal - upon peal of thunder roared through the temple! A vivid chain of lightning encircled Mammon's throne, - flashed madly upon the altar, and lighted the golden treasures with tongues of fire - ! A sizzling blaze sprang forth - ! wildly it leaped into crackling flames - they shot - "Triumphantly" - through the gold-domed temple!

The raging elements began to heave the ground like billows in a storm I The throne, and the granite pillars began to sway - ! The foundation began to crumble - and - sink! And, - -the massive walls fell with a - dull crash - ! Volumes of thick smoke rolled from the burning temple, and shrouded the - "World's Tragedy" with a mantle of black.

Bells began to toll - ! Dolefully they chanted - ! Mammon's - "death psalm!"

Through the debris of the ruins, one human being was groping his way. Heavy clouds, hung low and - still. A sudden breeze cleft them asunder - ! Slowly, they began to move along, - twisting and shaping themselves into witch-like forms. Chaotically they rolled and tumbled, - then suddenly - as if driven by fear - they fled from the land of darkness into,------light!

Presently - ! the wreckage in which Adoni Bourdalone had been standing, was wondrously changing in aspect - ! From the graves of human destruction - arose - ! "New Life - !"

Everywhere, beautiful trees sprang up with magic grace, swaying their flowering branches above the dead. Fern-like shrubs were thickly spreading their leaves over the mounds, where human bodies with their earthly treasures were entombed. Bright blossoms were peeping from among the grasses, swiftly unfolding and weaving themselves into an exquisitely patterned carpet covering the ashes of Mammon's temple under which multitudes of human lives were destroyed. Adoni Bourdalone was dazed with the marvelous transformation. In place of a miasmatic marsh were fields of golden, rippling grain. Where had stood gilded temples and stately mansions, were cozy, home-like cottages, built along the hillside. Underneath, a crystal river was flowing swiftly through flowering meadows, spanned gracefully by a white stone bridge that gleamed in the sunlight like polished marble. It connected an Ideal City, spreading itself on both sides of the rapidly flowing stream. The town was traversed by broad shaded streets, leading into numerous parks and playgrounds. No church spires pointed heavenward. Instead, from the water's edge, reflecting in its clear depths, stood magnificent stone structures of pure Grecian architecture. White-pillared buildings of Science, Ethics, Industry and Arts, were artistically grouped.