THE NORTH PLATTE 9EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
IMiTJS
Sty ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
Author op "the leavenworth case
THE FILIGREE BAJjTtilEII0U5 OFTUEWHISPERINa PWES
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
CHARLES W. ROSSER
COPYRIGHT 1911 t).V
rnEET & .smith
dod, zheai a CO
IF A
8YN0PSIS
GaorKO Anderson
and wife boo ft ro-
rimrknhlc looking limn come oul or. tlio
Clermont hotel, look nrountl ruruveiy,
wash his hands In tlio nnow nncl pass on,
Commotion uttrnrts tlicm to tlm Clermont,
whoro It In found that tlio beautiful Miss
Kdlth Clmllonor has fallen dead Alger
non describes tlio mnii ho Haw wash Ills
hands In the snow The hotol manager
lectures him to 1)0 Orlando Itrothornnn.
I'hvslelans find that Miss Clmllonor was
ntnbbed and not shot. Oryco, an ajcpd de
tective, and Sweetwater, his assistant,
take up the enno, Mr Clmllonor tells of a
batch of letters found In his daughters
dsk. signed "O H " All arc love loiters
rcept one. whlcli shows that tho writer
wu displeased This letter was sinned
by Orlando Urothorson Anderson koos
with flweotwuter to Identify Urothorson,
who Is found In fi tenement under tlm
name of Dunn He Is an Inventor Hrolli
rrson tolls tho roronor Miss Challoner ro-
f wised him with scorn when ho offered her
ds lovo Sweetwater recalls tho mystery
if the murder of n washerwoman In whlcli
some dntalls worn similar to tho Clmllonor
nffolr Hwoetwalor (tots lodging In tho
eamo building with Urothorson lip bores
a hole In tho wall to spy on Drothcrson.
He visits him and assists tho Inventor In
his work A Rlrl sent by Sweetwater with
Kdlth Chullonor's letters Is ordnrod out by
Tlrothcrson Ho declares tho lottcrs wero
not written by him Sweetwater Is un
masked by Hrotherson, who declares ho
xceoBnlxod him at onr. Tho dlseovory Is
made that tho letters signed "O. B wero
written by two different mon. Swcotwator
oes to Derby In search of tho second "O.
JB.," whom ho expects to locate through
ino Doris Scott, mentioned In tho letters
1hi Is found acting as nurse for Oswald
Urothorson. who Is critically sick nnd calls
the nnmo of Kdlth In his delirium. Sweet
water comes across a peculiar hut In tho
voods Ho sees n load of boxes marked
"O Hrotherson," takon Into tho hut under
tho HHjKirvlston of Doris Scptt. Doris
tells Clmllonor of seeing In a dream tho
face of tho man who killed Kdlth. Tho
door belt rings and she recognizes In tho
visitor tho man of her dronni It Is Or
lando Urothorson, who requests nn Inter
view with his brother. It develops that
Orlando Is working on a flying machine.
Oswald Is told of Edith's death Orlnndo
tells his brother of his repulso by Miss
Challoner Orlando asks his brother to
msslst In tests of his air car. as ho can
trust no ono else. Oswald refuses owing
to his weakened condition Sweetwater
offers his services as nn assistant and
hows he. knows something of Urothor
on's Idea.
CHAPTER XXXVII. Continued
Groat OodI ho sees ltl They all
otso ltl Plainly against that portion of
the disk which still lifted itself above
tlw further wall, n curious moving
mass appours, lengthens, takes on
hape, then shoots suddenly ulott,
clearing tho encircling tops of tho
bending, twlBtlng nnd tormented trees,
straight Into tho heart of the gale,
whom for ono breathless moment It
whirl madly about llko a thing dls
trauglit, tbon In slow but triumphant
obodlcnco to tho raaBtor hand that
-guides It, Bteadlcs nnd mounts majes
tically upward till It Is lost to tholr
-vlow in tho depths of impenetrable
darkness.
Orlundo Urothorson has accom
plished his task. Ho hna Invented n
raochnnlsm which can send an air-car
straight up from its mooring place.
As tho threo watchers ronllzo this, Os
wald uttern u cry ot triumph, and Dor
Is throws hcrsolf Into Mr. Chnllonor's
nrmB. Tliim thoy all stand transfixed
ngaln, waiting for a descent which
may never como.
But hark; a new sound, mingling Its
clatter with all tho others. It Is tho
rain. Quick, mnddenlng, dronchlng,
St coincs; enveloping them In wot In a
moment Can they hold tholr faces
up against It?
And tho wind I Surely It miiBt toss
that aerial mossongor before It nnd
fling It back to earth, a broken and
despised toy.
"Orlnndo?" went up In a shriek. "Or
lando?"
Oh, for a ray of light In thosu far
off heavens! For u lull In tho tro
inendoua Hounds shlvorlng tho heavens
And nlmklng the earth I Dut tho torn
tpest ragen on, and they can only wait,
flvn minutes, ten minutes, looking,
hoping, rearing, without thought ot
self and almost without thought of
each other, till auddonly as it had
como, thu rain ceases and tho wind,
with ono final wall of rngo and defeat,
rushes away Into tho wost, leaving be
hind It a suddon silence which, to
tholr torrllled hearts, Booms almost
rooro droadful to boar than tho accu
mulated nolsoH ot tho momont just
Bono.
Orlando wns In that shout of natural
forooH, but ho Is not In this stillness.
Thoy odk aloft, but tho henvena nro
void. Emptlnoss Is whore life was.
Orwnlil begins to sway, and DorlB, re
membering him now and him only,
hnn thrown her strong young urm
about Mm, when what Is this sound
thoy hoar high up, high up, In tho rap
idly oloarlng vault of tho heavens! A
throb a ntondy pant drawing near
and yot nearer entorlng the circlet ot
jrxeat branches over tholr heads do
ncondlng, slowly descending till thoy
catch another glimpse of those huzy
outlines which hud no soonor takon
fihapo than tho car dlsappoarod from
their Hlght within thu elliptical wall
open to rocolvo li
lt hnd Btirvlved tho gnlol It has ro
ntnrnd Its liiivon. nnd thnt. too. with
out colliding with aught around or any I
shock to those within, just ns Orlando
hnd promised; and tho world was
"henceforth hist Hall to Orlando Broth
ojrsonl Oswald could hardly restrain his
sjrmd Joy hihI enthusiasm. Uoundlng to
tho door separating htm from this
conqueror of almost Invlnclblo forces,
ho pounded It with impatlont fist.
"Let mo Inl" Uo crlod. "You've
lono tho trlcik. Orlando, you've dono
tho trick."
"Yoh, I havo satisfied myself." carao
back in studied bolt-control from tho
other Bldo of thu door; und with n
quick turning of tho lock, Orlnndo
stood boforo thorn.
Tliey nevor forgot lilin us ho looked
ut that moment. Ho was drenchad,
battored, palpitating with oxcltoment;
but tlio majesty of buccohb was In his
eyo nnd in tho bearing of his Incom
parable figure. '
As Oswald boundod towards him. ho
reached out his hand, but his glanco
wns for Doris.
"Yes," ho wwit on, In tones of sup
pressed elation, "there's no flaw in
my triumph. I havo done all that I
sot out to do. Now "
Why did ho stop and look hurriedly
back Into tho hangar? Ho had rcmom
berod Sweetwater, Sweetwater, who
at that moment wnB stepping careful
ly from his seat In some romoto por
tion of tho car. Tho triumph was not
complete. Ho hud meaut
Dut there his thought stopped. Noth
ing of evil, nothing evoq of regret
should mar his great hour. Ho was a
conqueror, and It wns for him now to
reap tho Joy of conquest.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Night.
Threo days had passed, and Orlando
Urothorson sat In his room at tho ho
tel before a table ladon with tele
grams, letters nnd marked newspa
pers. The news of his achievement
had gone abroad, nnd Derby was, for
tho momont, tho center of Interest for
two continents.
His success was an established tact.
Tho second trlul which he had mado
with his car, this time with tho whole
town gnthored together In tho streets
as wltnooses, had proved not only the
reliability of Its mechanism, but tho
great advantages which It possossod
for a direct flight to any given point.
Already ho saw fortune beckoning to
him In tho shape ot an unconditional
offor of money from a first-class
sourco; and bottor still for ho was a
man of untiring energy and bound
less resource that opportunity for
now nnd onkirgod effort which comes
with the recognition of one's excep
tional powers.
All this was his and mora. A sweet
er hope, a moro enduring Joy had fol
lowed hard upon gratified ambition.
Doris had smiled on him Doris! Shu
had caught tho contagion ot tho uni
versal enthusiasm and had glvon him
her first ungrudging token of approval.
It hnd altered his wholo outlook on
life in un Instant, for thoro wnB an
cagomess In this demonstration which
proclaimed tho relieved heart. She no
longer trusted either appearances or
nor dream. Ho hnd succoedod In con
quering her doubts by tho very force
of his personality, and tho shndow
which had hitherto darkened their In-
torcourso had molted qu'to away. Sho
was ready to tako his word now and
Oswnld's, after which tho rest must
follow. Lovo does not lag far behind
nn ardent admiration.
Fnmot Fortune! Lovo! What
moro could n man doslro? What
moro could this man, with his strenu
ous past und an unlimited capacity for
nn enlarged futuro, usk from fnto than
this. Yot, as ho bonds over his letters,
flngorlng somo, but reading nono be
yond a lino or two, ho botrayB but a
passing elation, nnd hardly lifts his
head when u burst ot loud acclaim
comes ringing up to his window from
somo ardent passor-by "Hurrah for
Hrotherson I He has put our town on
tho map!"
Why this despondency? Havo those
two detnonB seized him again? It
would seem so nnd with now and over
mastering fury. After tho hour of
triumph comos tho hour of reckoning.
Orlando Brotherson In his hour of
proud attainment stands nnkod beforo
hlo own soul's tribunal and tho plead-
I or 1b dumb and the Judge lnoxornble
Thoro Is but one witness to such
struggles; but ono eyo to note tho
waste and desolation ot tho devas
tated soul, whon tho storm 1b ovor
past. Orlando Urothorson haB succumbed;
tho attaok waB too keon, his forces too
shaken. Dut nB tho hoavy mlnutos
pass, ho slowly regathors his strongth
and rlBOB, In tho end, a conqueror.
Nevorthloss, hu knows, oven In that
moment of regained command, that
tho peaco ho had thuB bought with
strain and Btress 1b but momentary;
that tho battlo Is on for life; that tho
days which to other eyes would carry
a sonso of brilliancy dnys teeming
with work and outward satisfaction
would hold within tholr hidden dopths
a brooding uncertainty which would
rob applause of Its muslo and oven
ovorshndow tho angel face of Lovo
Ho qunllod at tho proBpoct, material
ist though ho wiib. Tho days tho In
terminable days! In his unbroken
strongth nnd tho glare of tho noonday
sun, ho forgot to tako nccqunt of tho
ulghtu looming in black and endless
procession beforo him. It was from
tho day phantom ho shrank, nnd not
from thu ghoul which workB In tho
darkness and malted a gravo of tho
heart while happier mortals sleep.
And tho former terror soomed for
mldablu enough to him in this his
hour of startling realization, even If
ho had freed himself for tho nonce
from Its controlling power. To escape
nil further contemplation ot it he
would work. Thcso lottors deserved
attention. Ho would carry thorn to
Oswald, and In their consideration And
distraction for the rest of tho day, at
leaBt. Ouwnld waB a good follow. If
pleasure wero to bo gotten from these
tokens of good-will, ho should have
his share of It. A gleam of Oswald's
old spirit In Oswnld's onco bright oyo,
would go far towards throttling one of
thoso demons whose talons ho had
Just released roni Ills throat; and
If Doris responded too, ho would de
sorvo his fate, If he did not succeed
in gaining that mastery of himself
which would make suclf hours as
theso episodes In a Ufa big with inter
est and potont with great emotions.
Rising with a reBoluto air, ho mado
a bundlo of his papers and, with them
In hand, passed out ot his room and
down tho hotel stairs.
A man stood directly In his way.
as ho mado for tho front door. It was
Mr. Challonor.
Courtesy demanded somo show of
recognition botweon them, and Broth
orson was passing with his usual cold
bow, when n sudden lmpulso led him
to pnuso und moot tbo othor'B eye,
with tho sarcastic remark:
"You havo expressed, or so I have
been told, some surprise at my choice
of mechanician. A man of varied ac
complishments, Mr. Chnllonor, but one
(or whom I havo no further use. If,
therefore, you wish to call oft your
watch-dog, you are at liberty to do so.
I hardly think ho can bo serviceable
to either of ub much longer."
The oldor gentleman hesitated, seek
ing possibly for composure, nnd when
ho answered it was not only without
Irony but with a certain forced ro-Bpect:
Mr. Swcotwator has juBt loft Ioin
New York, Mr. Brotherson. Ho will
carry fwlth him, no doubt, tho full
particulars of your great success."
Orlundo bowed, this tlmo with dis
tinguished grace. Not a flicker ot re
lief had disturbed tho calm serenity
of his aspect, yot when a moment
later, he stepped among his shouting
admirors In tho street, his nir and
glance betrayed a bounding Joy for
which another sourco must be found
than that ot gratified pride. A chain
had slipped from his spirit, and
though the peoplo shrank a llttlo oven
whllp thoy cheered, it was rather from
awo of his bearing and tho recogni
tion of tho sonso of apartness which
underlay hlB smile than from any per
ception of the man's real naturo or of
tho awosomo purpose which at that
momont exalted It. But had they
known could thoy havo scon into this
tumultuous honrt what a silence
would havo settled upon thoso noisy
streets; and in what terror and soul
confusion would each man have slunk
away from his fellows Into the quiet
and solltudo of his own homo.
Urothorson himsolf was not without
a sonso of tho incongruity underlying
thlB ovutlon; for, as ho slowly worked
himself along, tho brightness ot his
look became dimmed with u tingo of
sarcasm which In its turn gavo way
to an oxpresslon of oxtromo melan
choly both quite unboflttlng tho hero
of tho hour in tho first flush of his
now-born glory. Hnd he seen DorlB'
youthful Jigure emerge for a momont
from tho vino-hung porch ho wns ap
proaching, bringing with It somo doubt
of tho reception awaiting him? Pos
sibly, for he mado u stand boforo ho
reached tho house, and sent his fol
lowers back; after which ho advanced
with an unhurrylng stop, bo that sev
eral minutes elapsed beforo ho Anally
drew up boforo Mr. Scott's door anil
ontored through tho now empty porch
Into his brother's sitting-room.
Ho had meant to boo Doris Arst, but
his mind had changed. If all nassed
oft well between himself and Oswald,
it he found his brother responsive
and wldo-awako to tho Interests and
necessities of tho hour, ho might fore
go his lntcrvlow with hor till ho felt
bettor proparod to meet It. For call It
cowardice or simply a reasonable pre
caution, any delay seemed preferable
to him In his present mood ot dis
couragement, to that Anal casting of
the dlo upon which hung bo many and
such tremendous Issues. It was tho
Arst moment ot renl halt in his wholo
tumultuous llfo! Novor, as daring ex
porlmentnllBt or agitator, had ho
Bhrunk from danger Boon or unseen or
from throat uttered or unuttored, nB
ho shrank from this young girl's uo;
and something ot tho drend he had
felt lust ho should encountur her un
aware In tho hall and so be led on to
speak whon his own Judgment bade
him bo silent, dnrkoned his features
ns ho entered his brothor's presence
Hut Oswald was sunk In a bitter
rovory of his own, and took no heed of
thoso Blgns of depression. In thu re
action following these days of great
excltnmont, tho past had re-assorted It
self, and all was gloom In his onco
generous soul. This, Orlando had tlmo
to perceive, quick as tho change
enmo when his brother really realized
who his visitor was Tho glad "Or
lando!" and tho foivjd smllo did not
deceive him, and his voice quavorod a
trifle ar ho held out his pnekot with
tho words:
"I havo como to show you what tho
world says of my invention. Wo will
soon bo great men," ho emphasized, as
Oswald opened tho letters. "Monoy
has boon offered mo nnd rend!
read!" he urged, with an unconscious
dlctatorlalness as Oswald paused in
his tnsk. "Seo what tho fates havo
prepared for us; for you shall Bharo
all my honors, as you will from this
day share my work and enter Into all
my experiments. Cannot you euthuso
a llttlo bit ovor It? Doesn't tho pros
pect contain any allurement for you?
Would you rathor stay locked up in
this petty town "
"Yes; or die. Don't look llko that,
Orlando. It wns a cowardly spoech
and I ask your pardon. I'm hardly At
to talk today. Edith"
Orlando frowned.
"Not that namo!" ho harshly Inter
rupted. "You must not hamper your
llfo with useless memories. That
dream of yourB may bo sacred, but it
belongs to tho past, and a great reality
confronts you. When you have fully
recovered your hoalth, your own man
hood will rebel at a weakness unwor
thy ono of our namo. Rouse yourself,
Oswald. Take account of our pros
pects. Glvo me your hand and say:
'Llfo holds something for mo yet. I
have a brother who needs me If I do
not need him. Together, wo can prove
oursolvea Invincible and wrench fame
and fortune from the world.'"
But tho hand ho reached for did not
rise at hlB command, though Oswald
started erect and faced him with man
ly earnestness.
"I should havo to think long and
deeply," he said, "boforo I took upon
myself responsibilities like those. 1
am broken In mind and heart, Or
lando, and must remain so till God
mercifully delivers mo. I should be a
poor nsslstant to you a drag, rather
than a help. Deeply as I deploro it,
hard as it may be for one of your
temperament to understand so com
plete an ovorthrow, I yet must ac
knowledge my condition and pray you
not to count upon mo in any plans you
may form. I know how this looks I
know that as your brothor and truest
Love Edith Challoner
Much an That?"
admirer, I should respond, and re
spond strongly, to such overtures as
these, but tho motivo for achievement
Is gone. Sho was my all; and while I
might work, It would be mechanically.
Tho lift, tho elevating thought 1b
gono."
Orlando stood a moment studying
his brothor's fnco; then ho turned
shortly about nnd walked the length
ot tho room. When ho camo back, ho
took up Mb stand again directly be
foro Oswald, and asked, with a now
note In his volco:
"Did you lovo Edith Challonor so
much nt that?"
A glanco from Oswald's eye, sadder
than any tear.
"So that you cannot bo reconciled?"
A gesture. Oswald's words wero al
ways fow.
Orlando's frown dooponed.
"Such grlof I partly understand,"
said ho, "Hut tlmo will euro It. Some
day another lovely facts "
"We'll not talk of that, Orlando."
"No, we'll not talk of that," acqui
esced tho Invontor, walking away
again, this tlmo to tho window. "For
you there's but ono woman and she's
a memory."
"Killed!" broke from his brothor's
UpB. "Slain by her own hnnd under nn
lmpulso of wlldnoss nnd terror! Can I
ovor forget that? Do not oxpoct It,
Orlando "
"Then you do blame me?" Orlnndo
turned and was looking fullnt Oswald.
"I blaino your unreasonableness and
your ovorweenlng prldo." ,
Orlando stood n moment, thon
moved towardB tho door. Tho heavi
UTO iff
m rnimmwm 4HwlHfi
as
ness of his stop smote upon Oswald's
ear and caused him to exclaim:
"Forglvo me, Orlando." But tho oth
or cut him short with an Imperative:
"Thanks for your candorl If hor
spirit 1b destined to stand llko an Im
movable shadow between youand mo,
you do right to warn mo. But this in
terview must ond all allusion to tho
subject. I will seek and And another
man to share my fortunes! (as he said
this ho approached suddenly, and took
his papers from tho other's hand) or
" Hero ho hastily rotraced his stops
to tho door which he softly oponod.
"Or,M ho ropeated but though Oswald
listened for tho rest, it did not come.
While he waited, the other had given
him ono deeply concentrated look and
passed out.
No heartfelt understanding was pos
sible between theso two men.
Crossing tho hall, Orlando knocked
at tho door of Doris' llttlo sitting
room. No anBwor, yet she was thoro. He
know it In every throbbing Abor of his
body. She was there and quite aware
of his presence; of this he felt sure;
yet she did not bid him enter. Should
he knock again? Never! but he would
not quit the threshold, not if she kept
him waiting there for hours. Perhaps
she realized this. Porhaps she had
meant to open the door to hlin from
tho very Arst, who can tell? What
avails 1b that she did ultimately open
it, and he, meeting her soft eye.
wished from his very heart that his
impulse had led him another way,
even If that way.had been to tho edge
of tho precipice nnd ovor.
For the faco ho looked upon was se
rene, and there was no serenity in
hhlm; rather a confusion of unloosed
passions tearful of barrier and yearn
ing tumultously for freedom. But,
whatever his rovolt, the secret revolt
wblob mnkfis no show In look or
movement, ho kopt his ground and
forced a smile of greeting. It her race
was quiet, it waB also lovely too love
ly, he felt, for a man to leavo It, what
ever might come of his lingering.
Nothing In all his llfo had over af
fected him like It. For him thero was
no other woman in the past, the pres
ent or tho future, and, realizing this
taking in to the full what her affection
and her trust might be to him In
thoso fearsome days to come, he so
dreaded a rebuff he, who had been
tho courted of women and the admired
of mon ever since he could remember
that ho failed to respond to her wel
come and the simple congratulations
sho folt forced to repeat. He could
neither speak tho commonplace, nor
listen to it. This was his crucial
hour. Ho must And support here, or
yield hopelessly to tho maelstrom in
whose whirl ho was caught.
She saw his excitement and faltered
back a step a movo which sho regret
ted tho next minute, for he took ad
vantage of it to enter and close "behind
him tho door which she would riever
havo shut of her own accord. Then
ho spoke, abruptly, passionately, but
in those golden tones which no omo
tlon could render other than alluring:
"I am an unhappy man, Miss Scott.
I see that my presence hero Is not
welcome, yot am sure that it would bo
bo If it wero not for a prejudlco
which your generous naturo should
be the Arst to cast aside, In faco of tho
outsnoken conAdenco of my brother
Oswald. Doris, llttlo Doris, I lovo you.
I havo lovod you from tho moment ot
our Arst meeting. Not to many men
is It given to And his heart so late,
and when he does, It Is for his whole
llfo; no second paBslon can follow it.
I know that I am premature In saying
this; that you are not prepared to
hoar such words from me nnd that It
might bo wiser for me to withhold
them, but I must leave Derby Boon,
and I ennnot go until I know whether
there Is the least hope that you will
yot lend a light to my career or
whothor that caroer must burn Itself
to ashes at your foot Oswald nay,
hear .mo out Oswald lives in his
memories; but I must havo nn active
hope a tanglblo expectation If I am
to be tho man I was meant to be. Will
you, then, coldly dismiss me, or will
you let my wholo future llfo prove to
you tho innocence of my past? I will
not hasten anything; all I ask is soma
indulgence. Time will do tho rest."
"Impossible," she murmured.
Dut that was a word for which ho J
hud no oar. Ho Baw that she was
moved, unexpectedly so; that while
her oyes wandered restlessly nt tlmos
towards tho door, thoy ovor came back
In girlish wonder, if not fascination, to
his face, emboldening him so that ho
ventured nt last, to add:
"Doris, little Doris, I will teach you
a maryollous lesson, If you will only
turn your dainty ear my way. Lovo
such as mlno carries InAnlto treasuro
with It. Will you havo that treasure
heaped, plied beforo your feet? Your
lips say n, but your oyes tho truest
oyes I ovor saw whisper a dlfforent
language. The day will como when
you will And your Joy In tho bronst of
him you nro now afraid to trust." And
not waiting for disclaimer or oven n
glanco of repronch from tho eyes he
had so wilfully misread, ho wlthdvow
with a movement ub abrupt as that
with which ho had entered.
Why, then, with tho memory of this
exultant hour to fend oft all shadows,
did tho midnight And him In his soli
tary hangar in the moonlit woods, a
doeply desponding Aguro again. Be
side him swung tho hugo machtno
which represented a life of power and
luxury; but he no longer saw it. It
called to him with mnny a creak and
quiet Bnnp Bounds to start his blood
and Are his oyo a Wool: nay, a day
ago. But ho was deaf to this music
now; tho call went unheeded; the fu
turo had no further meaning for htm,
nor did ho know or think whether ho
sat in light or in darkness; whether
the woods wero silent nbout him. or
panting with life nnd sound. His
demon had gripped him again and tho
Anal battle was on. Thoro would nev
er bo another. Mighty as ho folt him
self to bo, there wore limits even to
his capacity for endurance. Ho could
sustain no further conflict. How then
would It end? He nevor had a doubt
himself! Yet he sat thero.
Around him in the forest, the night
owls screeched nnd Innumerable small
things without u name, skurriod from
lair to lair.
Ho heard them not.
Above, tho moon rodo, Aeckjng tho
deepest shadows with the silver from
her half-turned urn, but nono of tho
soft and healing drops fell upon him.
Nnture was no longer a goddess, but
an avenger; light a rovealor, not a
solace. Darkness tho only boon.
Nor had tlmo a meaning. From
early ovo to early morn ho sat there
and knew not If It were ono hour or
twelve. Earth was his no longer. Ho
roused, when tho sun mado everything
light about him, but ho did not think
nbout It. Ho rose, but was not con
scious that ho rose. Ho unlocked the
door nnd stopped out Into tho forest;
but he could never romembor doing
this. He only knew lnter that ho had
been In tho woods and now was In uib
room at the hotel; all the rest was
phantasmagoria, agony nnd defeat
Ho had crossed tho Rubicon of this
world's hopes and fears, but he had
been unconscious of tho passage.
(TO BE'CONTINUKD.)
What Novel Readers Like.
That old question whether tho poor
prefer to read stories about them
selves rather than about the rich has
been revived in England and discuss
ed by serial writers. Somo bellove
that most readers, whether poor or
rich, prefer novels dealing with a
class different from their own, and
Borne maintain that tho majority ot
readers are moro interested In their
own class. Nobody knows. But some
thing undoubtedly depondB upon tho
novelist himself. DlckenB hail no dif
ficulty in Interesting everybody In
tho poor. Thackeray mado the well-to-do
and the rich Interesting. So does
MrB. Wharton. And Innumerable
others.
On tho other hand, Jack London,
Knuffman, James Opponhelm and pos
sibly two or threo others have sketch
ed wonderful pictures of lowly and
obscure lives. Tho "grent American
novel," which may havo boon written,
but is still awaiting publication, will
deal neither with tho rich nor- with
tho poor exclusively, nor with tho mid
dle class, but with all sorts and con
ditions of men. It will bo a novel of
democracy neither aristocratic nor
proletarian.
Canvassing and Suffrage.
If you Bhould' happen to mcot a
handsoraoly gowned woman carrying
what looks like a mop hnndlo In ono
hand and a lot of tinware in the other
do not imagine she Is moving. She 1b
merely working for the cause, accord
ing to tho Now York Times.
Ono of these workers who wns en
countered by nn acquaintance explain
ed the system. In order to got Inside
the homes sho wnB selling a vacuum
washer and while sho explained Its
saving qualities sho put In a word for
woman suffrage. In the Fifth avenuo
and West Side homes she talked to
laundresses, but on tho East Sldo sho
saw the women of tho house. All of
the profits made on the washer are
turned over to tho organization,
Thic particular worker, who lives in
the fashionablo part of tho city, said
sho had Avo lieutenants out working
other districts.
Life Under Pressure.
Tho bed of the Arctic seas Is very
line and plastic, while in the other
zones of tho Atlantic tho bed Is cov
ered with reddish mud and an accumu
lation of the remains of animals that
lived In tho surface waters, died, and
slowly sank. Tho pressuro of tho sea
Increases about ono atmosphere to ev
ery ton meters, so overy additional
hundred motors adds tho pressuro of
ton atmospheres. Whon doepsea Ashes
nro brought to tho surfaco they loso
their scales, tholr teguments beccmo
brittle, and they nro so inflated by In
ternal distension caused by tho 'es
soned pressuro that In many cases
thoy burst asunder. Hnrpor'B Weekly.
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