The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-12-28
THOMAS CRANES OATa.

and / must CO." he said, which to Harry
Fenton meant that his friend cwould
stand up and talk for an hour in exactly
the same way in which he had talked for
six hours sitting, that he would talk for
. half hour longer in the hall, finish
with fifteen minutes before the door, and
that at fifteen minutes before two clock
in the morning-with chance of not
more than five minutes error either way
it would be possible to go to bed.
Thomas Crane had the reputation of
being sure; he was certainly slow.
One could, scarcely blame Thomas
Crane for his slowness at this time. The
room in which be and Fenton had spent
the long evening was the ideal of com
fort. Some rooms are furnished to
please those who may happen to see
them from time to time, and are elegant:
some are furnished because rooms are
necessary, and are commonplace; some
are furnished to please the one who
spends his time in them, are comfortable
and homelike. Harry Fenton's study
was of the latter kind. Every chair and
table, every paper and book seemed to
have something of Fenton's individuality
and to his friend could but be attractive.
The night outside was equally unattrac-
tive. The icy wind was piling the snow
into long hard drifts in the darkness.
The contrast was not pleasant one to
one who must soon face the storm.
On the table nearest the fireplace we're
ihe books the friends had been using
from time to time in their discussion;
curious works on the strangest fea-
lures in mental science; collections of
instances which have never bet n ex-
planned, and never will be; books on the
brain and nerves. These two old col
lege chums never failed to meet once q
week in the young lawyers study to
spend an evening in their favorite way.
Standing near the open fire, Thomas
Crane said:
81 must maintain that there is not
merely possible, but probable, con-
nection between any two persons you
may name. Trace back your life and
somewhere it crosses the life of the beg.
gar you pass in the street. But for me,
the man who makes my clothes and the
woman who cooks my food would have
different lives from what they do. You
grant it? Well, then, trace it on, and
what happens? But for them, what? 1
tell you, Fenton, your life or mine
sways that of human beings beyond the
seas"
What grew out of this took about the
hour winch Fenton had felt from ex-
perience would be spent standing in the
cheerful freight.
In the hall the conversation had
drifted to another phase of the fascinat-
ing subject, and as Crane took down his
overcoat he was saying:
"Of course, there is such a thing as
indirect, unintentional responsibility.
The man who does good deed may rob
some one behind him of deserved praise
when he allows the deed to be counted to
his own credit; and the man whose
life set in motion the train of events
which resulted in the good may never
even dream of it. And, on the other
hand, we meet men every day who are
really responsible for the crimes for
which other men endure punishment.
Not knowingly, not purposely, not with
malice, but, in truth, responsible for all
that" From this the discussion went on
for half hour or more, and then Crane
opened the door to go. The bitter cold
rushed in in fierce blast. rs he said N
answer to his friends last remark: San
oath should be sacred. I can conceive of
no circumstances which would warrant
Its being broken
swell, :" said Fenton, IT think we have
pretty completely covered the whole
ground tonight. You have brought up
the theories of a connection between all
human beings, and of far-fetcbed kind
Of responsibility in which don't be-
ieve, and will take pleasure in a con-
Aict with you on these points next week.
And now, DO you know it's COMPOUNDED
cold? / am half inclined to drive you
away, old friend; can You deduce any
thing mathematical or psychological
from that?'
Both" said Crane; ''two straight
lines intersect in only one point. Five
minutes might make Q man too late for
The inevitable. I certainly ought not to
be too early for my fate" And with
these laughing words on his lips he in
deed went straight to his fate.
Crossing the little park which seemed
doubly desolate from night and storm, as
though to balance its summer beauty,
there was . sudden cry little ahead. A
quarter minute two men seemed en-
gagged in terrible struggle, but before
- could reach them one had rushed
away among the trees and the other had
fallen to the earth. Cranes first impulse
vns to follow the runaway; his second,
md the one he acted upon, was TO assist
he other. Crane had studied medicine
before his father had prevailed upon him
10 be banker, 20 e. to perpetuate the
business in which the family had grown