The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-03-02

IBO0tI oL AlA5 paw w 6NCAs tAkV
expected death of Masterson that made
me suspect that Marsdcn himself was in
o precarious state rentally anyhow. /
dreaded meeting him, but was neverthe-
less on hand at the station on the :-rival
of his train-and what shock it as to
me when Il caught sight of Marsden!
His face was white as sheet; his shoul-
ders were bent as with some load by far
too great for them to bear, and his hands
trembled as though they were palsied.
When he saw me he threw his arms
about my neck. and burying his pallid
face on my shoulder cried like child.
Don't take on SO, Tom" said, giving
him an affectionate tap on the arm and
drawing away. ''It may not be so bad
as we think"
Not if he livesr' he replied, shaking his
head sadly and looking nervously about
him. "But fear Jack is on the verge
of dissolution. feel so faint now that
believe--I believe it is nearly all over"
He staggered slightly as he spoke and
would have fallen if had not caught
him by the arm.
Brace up. my dear boyr" I cried.
Don't make 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 as to where to go fol-
lowed and sat down beside him. He lay
back against the cushions, his eyes
closed, his lips quivering like child's
under punishment. To an ordinary OBJ
server il would have seemed as il Mars.
den had taken too much strong drink
to me, who knew that he did not drink,
his condition was unaccountable. Moved
we both were by the imminent death of
dear friend, but the emotion of Mars
den was out of all proportion to the situ-
alton.
Suddenly he grasped me by the arm
and sat up stiffiy and groaned.
''Ahr' he sighed in moment. II
thought it was all over then. By heavens,
Hartly!" he shouted as he turned his
eyes to me-eyes big, bullying and SEEM
ingly full 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 / became convinced that
Marsden and could not go on to Balti-
/ more that night unless I was willing to
constitute myself the guardian Of a ma
MAC.
I'll arm quite as upset. Tom" | re-
piled. "Quite as deeply grieved over
the possibility of Jacks death" 49,, /
Don't speak OF it--don't speak Of itr'
he shuddered. covering back into the
corner of the cab and hiding his face
with his hands.
"Hartly, don't believe you rnder-
stand he added. gravely, after minute
or two of silence. ''Do you understand
that it means Oblivion? Do you COM
prehend that it means absolute annihila-
ton, destruction, a blotting out foreveri
Do you-do you realize that?'
He fairly shook me with his grip on
my arm as he gasped this out.
mo, do not" answered shortly. 81
believe, as you used to believe, in GOD
in heaven. and have not changed. and
/ know that Masterson has no reason To
4 kCdE uCdtu. Ills oOul lS LllC puIC5t
81 am not thinking of Masterson," he
cried. 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 are 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 will go well. All
"It cannotr' he retorted. "if Jack Mas.
terson dies. III Jack Masterson dies we
Hartly, do you realize what You are
what am? I, with all my hopes. all my
ambitions, my loves, my hates. every.
thing. am but a fgment in the brain oi
Jack Masterson. You are the same,
know. / have studded have seen.
When that mind ceases to work and
that imagination to fancy. you and L
John Hartly, cease to be!'
As Marsden spoke the cab stopped AT
my door and we entered the house.
was simply appalled, at the horror oi
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 on
not? feared. felt that but one thing
was needed to upset his mind altogether
and that was Masterson's death. No.
had any hope that that was blow tc
be averted. 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.
II We went to my apartments, and
showed under the door found tele-
gram awaiting me. To open it was the
work of a moment, and then Marsden
feeling that it must be from Baltimore
snatched it from me and tried to read it
but fortunately he could not, his eyes
were 80 filed with the tears Of fear.
J, Read itr' he cried, trembling with
; excitement. Read itr
j tookit, and casting my eyes over The
] line saw the announcement of the sata.
termination of Jacks illness. "Jaci