Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-08-22
Darnel looked at him with a puzzled

I
he. ''Phil, all that I've been writing
here for three years is stuff and I've
only just found it out. I can do some
thing different now.''
Atkinson stared. Darnel had rare
" talked about his work and then in
scarcely suppressed fever of excite
ment and anxiety. Many time had
Atkinson noticed his big hollow eyes
turn darker and his sallow face grow
ashy, even in reading over with a
shaking voice some Of that same
ststuff''
''I have learned the great secret, 7"
Darnel added, quietly.
'sYou have Aladdin's ring?" said At
kinson. Cor are you in love?'
"Both,'' replied Darnel. s'It is the
same thing"
Philander flung himself upon the
pillow with little laugh. "Go ahead,
D."
E'I have found her and myself. Let
me turn down the gas a little, I see it
hurts your eyes. I belong in the world
now; I am in the heart Of it said to
myself coming down the river this af
ternoon-in the heart of the world"
He fingered over the works. "Phil,"
he exclaimed, suddenly "all the time
I was trying to lift myself by the boot
straps. I was laboring to imagine
things and people, and to get them on
paper. 1t was all wrong. Do you re-
member that French poem you read
last winter, about the idol and the
eastern princess, how she lay on her
couch sleeping-the night was hot
with the bronze idol gazing at her with
it's porphyry eyes, while her brown
bosom rose and sank in her sleep, and
the porphyry eyes kept staring at
s-staring-but they never saw!
Well, believe my eyes have been like
that. In 'Laki,' now, you know I
wanted to describe the exact color of
the stone in the quarry, and asked
the Psychologist up at the museum to
tell me what it was. He laughed at
me. Very well. 1t was a dull-red
stone, with bright red streaks across
it; l saw the same thing in Troy this
when hod carrier fell
five stories and they picked him up
from pile of bricks.
''You are getting rather realistic"
Philander. Darnel was not
looking at him, and went on unheed
ingly.
~ have but to tell what [ see. |
have stopped imagining; my head has
you don't know how it
nas ached-trying to imagine things.
am past that now; if you only shut
your eyes and look, 1t is all easy.
Take that old Edda story that tried
10 work up, about the fellow who
fought all day long against his BRIDES
ather, and when night came the bride |
stole out and raised all the dead men |
IN both sides, by magic, SO that the |
lext day, and every day, the battle
tbout the magic she used, and tried to
invent a charm. Why, all she did was
10 pass over the battle field at night,
where the dead lay twisted in the
rost, and while the wolves snarled
around her and the spray from the
lord wet her cheek, she stopped to
ouch the dead mems wrists; and they
oosed their grip upon broken sword
md split linden shield, their breath
anne again soft and low like baby's,
bny C1
tsLook here" said Atkinson, sitting
p very straight, "you've been read
ng The Finest Story in the World
nd it has turned your head"
ooh, the London clerk who was con-
cious of pre- -existences, and forgot
hem all when he fell in love? I could
ave told Rudyard Kipling better than
hat MYSELF Darnel gave an impa
lent whirl to the revolving chair.
"You mean you think you can," re-
lied Atkinson sharply.
GAS you like" He spoke dreamily,
nd Atkinson dropped back on the
illow again, watching his friend as
arrowly as the dim light would al
NV. Hard work and unearthly hours
old on Darnel; he certainly seemed
ght headed.
"Sickening heat-black FROST he
ras murmuring; "Marching, stealing,
ghting, toiling-joy, pain-the life of
ne races a man to grow uncon-
,ious of these things in the moment
nat he really enters the life of the
ace, that he feels himself part of
!? What do you think, PHILIP"
s'I Think was the slow reply, "that
,hatever has happened to you in
ermont has shaken you pretty well,
Id fellow. They say that when some