Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-12
CARRISTON'S GIFT.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
PART I.
TOLD BY PHILIP BRAND, NJ. D.. LONDON.
CHAPTER DISCONTINUED.

hat II HOuStISt, Il ditl ilol ~ EtlliuS, "iiu
you must forgive me for my rudeness," said
Carrston, simply.
After walking some distance in silence he
spoke again. Il wish when you are with me
you would try and stop me from getting into
that state. Ii does me no good"
Seeing he was in earnest promised to do
my best, and was curious enough Ia ask him
whittier his thoughts wandered during those
distracted moments
IL can scarcely tell you, he said. Present
ly he asked, speaking with hesitation, Il sup
pose you never feel that under certain cir
cumstances- circumstances which you can
not cxplain--you might be able TO see things
which are invisible to others?"
40 see things. What things?"
Things, as said, which no one else can
see. You must know there are people who
possess this power"
Il know that certain people have asserted
they possess what they call second sight; but
the assertion is too absurd to waste time in
efutng."
Yet" said CarTiston dreamily, Il know
that If did not strive TO avoid it some such
power would come To me-"
You are too ridiculous, CaniSton," / said.
Some people see what others don't because
they have longer sight. You may, of course,
imagine anything But your eyes-hand-
some eyes they are, too-contain certain prop
critics, known as humors and lenses, there
fore in order To see"
Yes, yes" interrupted Carriston; ~ know
exactly all YOU are going 10 say. You, man
of science, ridicule everything which breaks
what YOU are pleased 10 call the law of Nat
ure. Yet take all the unaccountable tales
told. Nine hundred and ninety-nine you eX-
pose to scorn or throw grave doubt upon, yet
the thousandth rests on evidence which can
not be upset or disputed. The possibility of
that one proves the possibility OF all.
Not at all but enough for your argyll
ment," said, amused at the boys wild talk.
~ on doctors, he continued with that de-
licious air of superiority so often assumed by
laymen when they are in good health, put
too much 10 the credit of diseased imagina-
ton"
NO doubt; it's a convenient shelf on which
to put difficulty. But go on
The body is your province, yet you can't
explain why cataleptic patient should hear
a watch tick when ii is placed against his
foot"
Nor you; nor any one. But perhaps it
may aid you to get rid of your publishing
theories if tell you that catalepSy, as you
understand it, is q disease not known TO us;
in fact; il does not exist"
He seemed creStiallen at hearing this. But
what do you want 10 provey' L asked. What
have you yourself seen?'
Nothing, tell you. And pray l may
never see anything
After this he seemed inclined To Shirk the
subject, but pinned him to it. was really
anxious 10 get at the true state OF his nina.
In answer TO the leading questions with
which | piled him, Carriston revealed an
amount of superstition which seemed utterly
childish and out of place beside the intellect
ual faculties which he undoubtedly possessed
So much 50, that at last l felt more inclined
TO laugh at than 10 argue with him.
Yet | was not altogether amused by his
talk His wild arguments and wilder beliefs
made me fancy there must be weak spot
somewhere in his brain-even made me fear
lest his end might be madness. The thought
made me sad for. with the exception of the
eccentricities which L have mentioned,
reckoned Cairiston the pleasantest friend
had ever made. His amiable nature, his
good looks. and perfect breeding had endear-
ed the young man Ia me: so much so that |
resolved, during the remainder OF the time
We should spend together, to do all | could
toward talking the nonsense out of him.
Ny efforts were unavailing. kept sharp
lookout upon him, and let him fall into no
more mysterious reveries; but the curious
idea that he possessed, or could possess, some
gift above human nature, was too firmly root
ed to he displaced. On all other subjects he
argued fairly and was open to reason. On
this one point he was immovable. When l
could get him to notice my attacks at all, his
answer was
You doctors, clever as you are with the
body, know as little of psychology as you did
three thousand years ago"
When the time came for me to fold up my
easel and return to the drudgery of life,
parted from CarriSton with much regret. One
OF those solemn, but often broken. promises
to join together next year in another sketch
ing tour passed between us. Then | went
back 10 London, and during the subsequent
months, although / saw nothing OF him,
often thought OF my friend of the autumn.