The Portland daily press., 1894-04-13
THE FINAL THIRD.

fully together ana tOokou over tnenH dt
the other man.
'sThen your belief, if gather what you
mean, is that man has three tries, as 1t
were, at this world of sin and sorrow
that his life is divided into three parts,
and that he spends his allotted time on
earth in three different bodiesr"
'sExactly, replied the other, "and these
divisions of existence are known as thirds
the first, intermediate and final. In the
first, he is of the lowest order of human
beings-such as savages and the lowest
castles of Russia and China; in the second,
or intermediate, he is the common laborer
of the world; the third, or final, is the
man of intelligence and higher civilization.
Once ia awhile there rises from the inter-
mediate third man whom you speak of
as genius, because you have not looked
for him in that stratum OF society; to us
he is but putting off the transition from
the intermediate to the final by remaining
in the second third habitation-body-
longer than usual"
81 see, and when one OF your final
thirds condeseends to breath this last,
what happens?" asked Moore.
"He passes into the spiritual world and
takes his allotted place. | am neither
director In the chureh-yes, we have them
nor lecturer, to explain to such intel
lects as YOURS the intricacies of this rell-
eiou. and doubt if it would be worth any
ones while to do so. Those who desire to
see iupcrfections can do so in every belief
the world ever knew. l have never tried
to prove to any one the slightest assertion
that we thiraists make, yet tonight L have
strong desire to do so-yes, even after
saving I did not think it worth While to
prove anything to you. 1t might be worth
while, after all, for every mind we bring
to look fairly and squarely into our belief
helps so much, and we are sometimes ia
NAUTICAL Ia this respect"
ssWeIl," remarked Moore, 81 cannot
promise you absolute conversion, but / as
sure you 1 will listen to you or accept any
proof that you may have as fairly as
CAM
ssThat is all ask"
"Then, before you begin, tell me, when
YOU have been through the cleansing fires
of these three existences on earth, ism It
your spirit, or soul, or what you choose to
call it, rather refined? Doesn't it find it
self annoyed by having to drag around
common bodys"
"You are probably speaking lightly, as
you usually do" replied Venzeni; but,
strange to say, you are right, and that IS
exactly what intend to prove to you.
am myself in the final third-as every man
of intelligence is-and tonight, with the
aid of human instrument, / hope to eject
nv soul from its bodily confines and enter
the spiritual world. During that time that
body will be under the complete control OF
this instrument, while my soul will con-
meet itself with his, and the two will enter
his body"
As he spoke, Venzeni was crossing the
room, and he now had his hand upon the
knob Of small door his guest had not OBJ
served before. With quick motion he
threw it open, and the next instant
strange figure glided into the room. The
light from the soft lamp shone full upon
him. SO Moore knew ne saw what he saw
and was not dreaming, but had it not he
would surely have imagined himself sud
denly transported to central Africa, for
the man before him was wild enough in
appearance and dress to warrant such an
opinion. His skin was dark brown, and
his sole article of clothing a breechcloth
of some black material. His hair was
dark and coarse and fell over his small,
keen eyes like skye terriers, while an
| klets and bracelets of some dull metal
added to his unGivilizsd appearance.
"This man." said Venzeni, ''gave me
proof of his strange power one day last
year while was knocking about Africa,
| and as had done him the slight service
of saving his precious neck from an en-
| ragged elephant some time before he insist
| ed on accompanying me home, despite my
| determination not to have him. That he
accomplished his purpose his presence
| here shows, and though he sometimes
| causes a connection on the streets by his
| pecuIiar dress, which he refuses to dispense
| with, find him really useful about the
| house. and he is fast becoming dopesti-
| Gated. At first he worried nae not a little,
| for he insisted on following me to business
AN embarrassing proceeding for me-but
| he does better now, and the people about
| here are becoming used to him.
eyes, he is to do what l said, for,
though he is only first, he is genius IN
| his peculiar way and has power that
even I do not possess" Then, turning to
the savage, Venzeni spoke to him in a
tongue unknown to Moore, and the Arr
can made deep obeisance to his master,
while the latter laid himself quickly down
upon rug before the small fire that was
| burning in the CRATE.
| !'We are ready now," said he calmly,
hand the time has come to prove, if l can,
how entirely the soul can leave the body
when that soul is in the final third. |
want you to apply all the tests for death
to my body when the savage is through
with it, Moore, and convince yourself that
am really dead; then shall come back
and take it up again and renew the life
YOU know me in. Till then, goodby," and
the strange man folded his arms across his
breast and closed his eyes.
The savage glided noiselessly forward
| and bent over his master for a moment,
and then, with his long, black hands,
| waving slowly over the PROSTATE man, he
| began to Groom some strange song in wild,
weird key--a song that almost made
Moore's eyes close themselves, so dreary-
like and dream inspiring was it. A mo-
| ,,,o,,+ ,,oesad and then suddenly the say