Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-03-01
CHAPTER TX.

but acted In tho capacity % general
utility man." which gave him Just thu
experience that he most needed. lie
worked In the city department. edited
telegraph "copy." and wrote occasional
editorials. - that his nights were pretty
well occupied. and hc could no, have 70.
ncwcd his evenings at Ilelen's had bs
been ~ inclined. lie was trying to drive
her out of his mind; but he found that
simply impossible.
To refrain from calling ai her houss
was much easier; yet hc did not accom-.
plish even that sacrifice very success
fully. When be lcft the Office of Tho
Dawn ai half Jast or O'Clock In the
morning. be walked up 10 Twentieth
street and passed with lingering foot.
STEPS under her window. but he had no,
called upon her aimee the night his pride
hal lscn - wounded by what he took "a
b. her desire 90 rii herself ~ his com.
pany. Ilc had called at tho Arcbcrs
however. I, came naturally In his way
to do ~ Sometimes hs dropT.j In ii
an afternoon with Archie. and some
times by sI--ciai invitation of I--sic. wh1
likci 90 talk over with him tho things
shc was just then inter tel In Budd.
hism was at this time attracting her at.
teniion. and. as Rush vas much more
liberal minded than Archie. shc -njoyed
discussing this Oriental religion with
him.
Rush really cared little more for u
than did Archie. Tut it was something
to divert hi. mind Had bc dr-smt for
q moment what a hold IL was getting
upon Bessie. he would have POLITELY but
firmly declined 90 discuss the subject
lie supposed that she took u Up as he
did, "a an intellectual amusement; Tut
with her 10 was q moro serious matter.
To tho intense disgust ~ Archie she ~
ncwcd her Acquaintance with Nine
PaIapof. and continued % attend O. her
-ranccs. She did no, ask Archie o. nc
company her any more. Tor she knew
that hc would try To argue her out % go
ing. and as shc had made up her mind
To 10 the argument could only have
ended unplcasantly. She got hold of q
young mafri.,l woman with taste for
the unnatural. and the two visited the
very remo,. and dingy aparinenisof the
High Priesie~s Of Buddha and listened
10 her twadilc with crrlulous ears.
As Archi. was really In love with lscs-
sic. I should explain that sho was no, his
cousin nor any bloci relation To him.
had .he lecn should have taken no In.
i.r,st In his sentiment for her. She was
MrS Archer. daughter. bu, shs had
brcn adopted. when she was ) years old.
by Sir. Archer. when be married her
widowed mother. Archie had bcen
brought up to regard her As his own
cousin. bat his feeling towards her had
t-en of warmer than cousinly nature
6r n gu,d many years She liked him
alore In tile oousinly way. and always
urnei the conversation with q skillful
ltroke when she thought b. was going
y, express other than the sentiments of
, cousin towards her. Since her deyo-
ION to IIuddha there hal bccn n little cool.
no. tstwccn them lie could no, toler'
ate any such nonsense, and the thought
4 the class 81 Icople 10 whom il-si,
sas turning for .--Jtsric Information al
most maddened him. Buddhism was
,ily another name for .pirituaiism, he
,rguci. The latter ~as a burned out
,olcano from which its deyOtecs were
irving To throw out imitation lava % de-
rive the crciulouS That Ii~sic Archer
should b. ono of the deceived be consid'
rrcd degrading thing. "iet the vicious
and the vulgar run after such absurdi'
tles, u they will. but heaven forbid thai
a refined young lady should find any at
fractions In this t'meoleryi" was his re-
ticction.
"My dear ncssic. be said 10 her. III
this PaapoH was what you say. she
would L. sitting In golden temple, deal.
ing out her word. ~ wisdom at thou.
sand dollars n word. There Is nothing
that men would b-tter like 10 know than
what the future has In store for them. II
they believed that they could be inform.
ed with truth, they would pay any
amount Of money; for u would save
them countless sums People are crcda.
lous enough. In all conscience, and II
they had the slightest encouragement TO
believe In these soo,hsayers they would
patronize them To an extent that would
make theirs the most profitable profes-
sion In the world rather than the most
III paid They would b.living In palaces
instead Of In dirty rooms on back streets,
and their patrons would bc the rich and
great rather than poor deluded servant
girls"
"Dut they are not all poor deluded
servant girls who consult Nine. Para
Iod. some very intelligent men and
women visit her rooms, among them
your cousin Bessie Archer. who dos not
put herself In the class YOU mention"
"with the deludeJ, dear child. but
not with the servant girlS You cant
show me an intelligent man or woman
who seriously consults Nine. ParaPod.
The very fact that one consults her dis
proves his intelligence"
"You are ~ prcjudicei. Archie Till
inghast, that u Nine. Parapon predicted
something 10 you and u came true, you
would say IL was all chance. exclaimed
Bessie. Indignantly.
II am quito suro ! should. Bessie. and
am equally sure that 1t would be-" 70
piled Archie.
"You are q very unsympathetic and
narrow minded young man," said Bessie,
rising to leave the rom. and ! shall
never again speak 90 you ON this subject
I find Mr.. Hurlstonc much more liberal
II am sorry Ia hear that: ] had thought
better of llurlstone. And Archie opened
tho door for his cousin 10 pass out OF the
room. IIe was genuinely DISTRESSED: and
well he might be-for when n crotchet
of this SORT takes possession of an Idle
persons brain IL Is hard TO uprcot t. lie
ielt sure that Bessie would become thor.
oughly disgusted In time. but whcni lie
wondered u Il could 10 possible that
Rush was encouraging her In this non-
sense. No. he could not believe that;
but Il began to dawn upon his mind that
Rush might have taken his advice about
tho prima donna The hadn't seen him
with her Of late) and been devoting him
elf 10 Bessie. lie turned pale at the
Thought. for Il was plain that I'essie liked
him. Why hadn't he let his friend 60 On
dancing attendance upon the singerf
Why should he have interferedl Il was
juss like him-always standing In hb
own light
Ths drawing room door opened. and