The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-12

the pxsof Of the trufli shereof Wkxi
3 Strange ching It wAS. that what
rzixft hare appeared 70 Be q mere
freak On my part, JEss no more 20
less than the desire 10 pass q night
with the old Abke. Hhould hzve been
the means 10 procure rne sais Apostle
he nlzsions Yes, canless | u4s BE-
ginning 70 experience q sense cs tys-
faendous esponsf1slstT- The seT1<el'
81 duly had grown IN me frokn Child
hoesi with my growth, 70 ! E2s not
appalled,; ret IL wo2iId be dizfacnls ~
explain half the strange, r1em emotions
which were creeping lra ~ every pore
and whseh. nevertheless. whilst caaul-
ing wfth great e&lm- pardon the aE,-
parent paradox tile same tfEne ex-
cited ne a. ! had never before bsen
excited ! wea not psrfzstted 20 regei
ioaz ia this gratifying Illusion. fer
s0xyn there came another OF those sud-
der awakerings Of memory ard, rEza !
away fsx all my castles In the AIR il .
traction of second. In re5ncarnafions
the reborn Tor Tckve he, as they are
called IN Thibef.) mnst grow In the
ordinary way. from infancy 10 child
hood from childhood 90 adolescence.
ard so on Sow, III --- had only been
dead few wears, yet his separation
was thai OF H az be would have
appeared TO-DAY. had be lived Tsgs
therefore n1anifextiy impossible that
what had seen could have been she
reinearnafion Of II The loss OF
nv apostolic mission, / am afraid.
hardly distressed ms 20 much ~ that
moment as the huuisiating thought
that could hare been 50 inbeciie a.
not 10 have seen through the reincar-
nation theory at the instant Of its pre-
senfing Itself 20 me. We none OF ms
like these htsIe coliapses Of self respect.
But the mystery was it'll mystery ;
the failure of one theory TO account
for ii had not solved ii. A. this man
must lie H himself. the old cues
tscn REQUIRED to ms as to why be
avoided me how CAME he IN this out
landish placer had be received a
'*calis'' was he hiding from offended
society," / saw that / must have
these answered BIZ hook or crook, rs
otherwise what would all his friends
think OF my story and OF my friend
ship. II 1 returned with no more
TO tell than that he whom
we had all incurred as dead.
/ had seen in q semi-Tibetan
village, brt shat, alas had no proof
OF my having seen him, not even q
message from him. no idea how to get
there, nor why he chose 10 remain
there. How could ! expect his friends
to believe such taie7 | dread lest to
mere idle curiosity on my part should
he attribute the ultimate catastrophe
which arose out OF my recognition OF
poor H.. Hence the above some
what lengthy explanation of my mo-
tiyes for extracting H's secret.
Vow that had H. himself 10 deal
with. and not his rcincarnation. de-
citied TO go for him ar sight. | had
not long 20 wait after coming 10 this
decision. The Able had gone 10 yes
pers. / was enjoying d cheroot alone
when H. passed the door of my
room. Jumping up from my cane
chair. boIted after him, and giving
him a hearty slap on the back, |
opened TIE ball with II say. H., old
chap. Tknow you, you see; what the
deuce are you doing all alive, and in
this out-of-fhe-way corner7"
He was at bay now; began TO feel
almost sorry had spoken, As saw a
kind OF pathetic appeal in his eyes.
followed by look of half shame, half
of sheepish shyness. He hesitated be-
for answering. and then, apparently
resigning himself TO fate, and without
word OF salutation By way OF intro
duction, said YEARLY: II viii tell you
all. Jack, a. the game II up at last, and
! cannot say that | arr really sorry
that the end has come"
Come in, sit down, and have a
cheroot. old fellow, and then we shall
he out OF the damp mist. which chiils
me after the beat OF the plains" Hav-
ing made ourselves at home, he began
his confession. II believe that have
been at times very nearly insane. Ec-
centric hardly implies some of the
phases OF my trouble. Two factors
tended, ] think TO bring about men,
tai twist.
First Of all. the wonderful and
amazingly rapid success Of my most
popular novel more or less unhinged
me. coming a. il did so suddenly after
years OF dismal failure and disappoint.
ment. Secondly. the writing OF that
weird story fille8 with strange fancies
and morbid ideas, and these, taking
advantage OF nay unhinged condition,
obtained full hold OF Inc. I. was un-
der these circumstances that the
notion seized Ine TO die in the fulness
of my tamel IL struck me that. to
watch the effect upon the world, and
TO enjoy the joke at the worlds ex-
pense of writing, mark you-as well
rs publishing posthumous works,
would be unique and highly divert.
ing experience
What Then these so-cailed post.
hamons Christmas stories of yours
have been written, after all, since your
reputed death 7''
Certainly they have; and for the
most part have been written here, and
have then been forwarded To particu.
lar friend in England for publication
] need hardly say that the good Abbs
knows nothing of all this. save that
am writing voluminous Diary fol-
my relatives In England. Good man
he has great faith i'm his future con
vert as he likes to consider me-
DO your publishers know OF al
this2"
mo. indeed! They ARE as innocent
as the great II. p.
AtaS tlVN 0R wa Att0uIAt ANl NGBi
selection OF this, OF all places in tn,
world 2H
Ny plans required a peaceful spot
and at the same time one not likely I,
be visited by Europeans. | heard O
this in casual conversation In Cal
cutta, where the Able Is well known
as also is his kindly disposition
What opportunities might not hav;
for opening mp untouched fields OF re
search. What scope, too. for inspira
ton must exist in Thibetan folklore
To an amateur of the weird like Tie
here was land of promise indeed
Suitice il, that was attracted by al
these inducements. and decided &
thrust myself upon the Able. TIL,
good Able and | soon came TO terms
| aud much | have learned from his fin,
lexample: enough certainly IN give m.
entirely new views ON iife-new yiewi
witch have Taaae rue at las
ioathe the role I have been PLAYING
Perhaps ii may be that. relieved from
! past associations. my mind has gradu
ally been returning to lis proper bal
aace under the peaceful influences o.
nav surroundings here, who knows
Re AL that rs it NAV. yoar advent
| and your recognition al me under thi.
dtSgtsise--aSSs8use.a tise better 10 farin
tate Intercourse with Thiletasss -havs
made q continuance Of ihe noe haseg
! ri ~ impossible. | sesTdse myself nnN
a. much as in nv lucid intervals
loathed the rose | was PLAYING, The
difficulty. however, Is how 10 psrt
frfsr4s thzs sfsaE ala ahtss, 18th. -.