Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-02-24


he name Of the Company Next day, to
be sure. talking 1t over with Lavnia, she
found out that you had put two and two
together" Paul withdrew his band and
suddenly betrayed every sign of confusion
ITO he sure" this foolish old man went
on, when you'd been told that | was in
the service of a shipping company former
ly the property of one man aud then of his
two nsand then turned into company,
1t was easy TO guess
Yes" said Paul. You think SO, I
daresay Good morning, Mr.. Berry"
And again nobody looked NJ Paul, when
Mr.. berry had gone, and MIR. BruIenel in
his chair raped his knuckIes with his
eyegla~sea-oue who is mentally wrestling
with the giant Doubt. And nobody look
ed at Paul.
CHAPTER VII-TnE FOURTH BLOW
do not quite know how Paul got of
the stage after that stu alton. He did not
know himself He only remembered that
he looked NJ and met Sibyl's eyes, and
they were full Of pity, and that the others
were not looking TT him. Then he muir
INJURED something and went out of the
room with Mr.. James Berry, whom he left
at the door.
1t is not enough for man to say that
the past is gone, done, finished, over. Ev-
cry mans DaSt-his bOyhood his manhood,
his old thoughts, his old needs, his words
live in mis- memory and cling to him like
the fabied shirt which could not be torn
off Sometimes that shirt burns and tor
lures and eats into the quivering flesh
but it caunut be taken Off. Sometimes it
is soft, warm and comfortable cloak
| with which to encounter cold December
blasts and itcannot be blown off or taken
away When the man dies, what becomes
of the living tostY
Everywhere ne saw detection, exposure,
and contempt, and always from some I'M
seen and unsupported hand. 1t was known
that he had been connected with New
| York Spiritualst-a Mediums Cad-oh
We gods to have been called Il Mediums
Cad 1t was known that he had learned
before the sale of the sh ares the shaky
condition of the Company, and all along
he had posed as the most ignorant man in
the world concerning companies The
very servants looked at him With eyes of
contempt; from every quarter he felt the
cold nipping wind of contempt.
Men have proved themselves capable of
bearing any kind of misfortune except one.
They cannot bear contempt at any age.
Contempt mad1ens To escape contempt,
Spartacus and MS friends braved the
might of the Roman Republic To escape
contempt men will march to the Cannon's
mouth But when contempt il served out
as ration or a helping OF Fate, man bows
hi, head ard dies, or ne sinks into a cor
uer aud hides.
And no one, certainly, is an object of
greater or more universal contempt than
the pretended trailicker in things super
natural when he Is found cur. NJ my
| things may he forgiven The author of n
play that is damned is presently ALLOW ed
10 walk with head erect. A man may steal
IA pig and yet redeem the respect of his
fellow creatures. A statesman may eat all
his words and yet contrive to find II faith
full following. But n man who has been
found out in spirituallstic trick-ry remains
an object of contempt. And Paul saw in
himself au object of this contempt. Once
outside the pretences with which he had
clothed himself, as a starving player struts
the stage and believes himself to be king,
&c Paul had believed in those preIeuceS
he was rs Quick rs any others to see the
mast in all its true uGlineSs. The cont EN- pit
did not exist in two hearts at least As
one preteuce after another was laii bare,
one woman's heart was filled with pity
and another's with love, but there was nc
contempt.
since he felc that way it was natural for
him TO turn his steps in the direction OF
Beaumont street That tie shOuld be bro.
ken at once aud forever
"Yes." he coneluled 81 will not hear d
7iu-je word. have left the horrible, de