Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-30

q EreckItOCs skate mentally any lOH- j
dreaded meeting him, but was neverthe-
less on hand at the station on the arrival
Of his train-and what shock II was 10
me when l caught sight or Marsderl!
Ills face was white ~ sheet; his shoul-
cers were bent as with some load by far
too great for them 70 bear, and his hands
trembled A. though they were paisied.
When hs saw me ne threw his arms
about nv neck. and burying his pallid
face ON my shoulder cried like a child.
Don't take on so, Tom, said. giving
him an affectionate tap on the arm and
drawing away. 1T may not be 50 bad
as We think"
Not If be lives" he replied. shaking his
head sadly and looking neryously about
him. But fear Jack is ON the verge
Of dissolution. feel so faint now that
l belieye-I believe IL Is nearly all over.
He staggered slightly as he spoke and
would have fallen il / had not caught
him by the arm
Brace up. my dear boy" ! cried.
"Don't make q scene here. Come. Get
into this cab and Wen ride down To my
rooms"
He was so limp by this time that /
bundled him almost head over heels into
a convenient hackney. and giving the
driver directions a. TO where To go fol-
lowed and sat down beside him. He lay
back against the cushions, his eyes
closed. his lips quivering like q child's
under punishment. To an ordinary OBJ
server il would have seemed as if Mars
den had taken too much strong drink
10 me, who knew that he did not drink.
his condition was unaccountable. Moved
we both were by the imminent death Of
q dear friend. bet the emotion of Mars
den was out of all proportion to the stu
alton.
Suddenly he grasped me by the arm
and sat up stiffiy and groaned-
AIR he sighed in a moment. al
thought it Was all over then. By heavens,
Hartlyg' he shouted as he Turned his
eyes TO me-eyes big. bullying and SEEM
ingly fun of some terrible dread. "How
can YOU sit there so unmoveds How can
you-how can you-how can your
His tone by this time had risen TO a
shrek, and l became convinced that
Marsden and could not so on TO Balti-
more that night unless / was willing 10
constitute myself the guardian Of ma
MAC.
IL arm quite as upset, Tom," / re-
Piled. Quite as deeply grieved over
the possibility of Jacks death"
Don't speak Of it-don't speak Of it,
he shuddeged, covering back into the
corner of the cab and hiding his face
with hts hands.
"Hartly, / don't believe you 1pder-
stand" he added, gravely, after minute
or two of silence. do you understand
that it means Oblivion? Do you com
prehend that ii means absolute annihila-
ton. destruction, blotting out forever;
Do you--do you realize that"
He fairly shook me with his grip on
my arm as he gasped this out.
No, l do not" answered shortly. Il
believe, as you used to believe. in a God
in heaven, and / have not changed. and
/ know that Masterson has no reason to
fear death His soul is the purest"-
Il am not thinking of Masterson," he
cYied, and then his voice sinking into a
whisper. he muttered II refer to our
selves. We shall vanish; we shall be
blotted out Masterson's soul is all
right, but ours-we have no souls. With
his death we arc plunged into formless-
ness-we become zeros -
My dear Marsden," / said, trying
hard to conceal my perturbation. for
was now convinced that he was mad,
{ my dear Tom. don't talk that way.
Keep quiet. All viii go we'll All
1T cannotr' he retorted, ''if Jack Mas
terson dies. If Jack Masterson dies We
Hartly. do you realize what you are
what | am? |, with all my hopes, all my
ambitions, my loves, my hates. every
thing, am but fgment in the brain OF
Jack Masterson. You are the same,
know. | have studded have seen.
When that mind ceases TO work and
that imagination to fancy, you and /,
John Hsrtly. cease to be-
AZ Marsden spoke the cab stopped al
my door and we entered the house.
was simply appalled, at the horror oil
Marsden's hallucination and at the new
responsibility for his welfare that had
temporarily devolved upon me. He was
mad: but how mad? Was it durable OF
nots feared. felt that but one thing
was needed to upset his mind altogether
and that was Mastersons death. No:
had any hope that that was a blow &C
be aveTted. What TO do was the ques
ton. and my own feelings were that un.
less that question were speedily solved
| should myself stand in mental peril
We went to my apartments. and
showed under the door found a tele
gram awaiting me. To open it was the
work IF a moment, and then Marsden
feeling that it must be from Baltimore
snatched it from me and tried TO read il
bat fortunately he could not. his eye.
were so filed with the tears of fear.
Read itT' he cried. trembling will
excitement. Read IT,
took it. and casting my eyes over the
limo saw the announcement Of the fata
termination Of Jacks illness "Jacl
died al 5 o'clock this afternoon it said
but did not dare read it aloud.
What ines It say gssped Msrsien
The danger is over. and there is NJ
need Of our going to Baltimore"
Thank GodF cried Marsden. falling
on has knees and then with groaa sink
ing IN faint 20 the foor.
Msrssiea Is still connected with 81,
asylum In Massachusetts,. he thinks "a
consulting physician. bot ss the vorli
knows. A. Pstiert. and II bear th'
burden # my deceit in that horrihi.
right by conducting she correspondent.
CT t'To oUrnsrs ef cur triangle OF love