The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-20
AN EFFORT AT EXPLANATION
WHY DID nA ArnSswoRrH COME ?
A Singular Experience for the Psy-
 chical Research Society.

chical Research Society.
 I did not notice him at first in
 deed, I thought the Artistic Pioneers
 smoking-room com ol9tely deser.ed wher
 ] entered for an after-dinnar cgar; tut
 as glanced around indrfferentlS
 through the blue clouds ot my Muria,
 realized l was not "lone, and, fuither-
 more, thas the attitude as well as the
 half-avertad face Of the other occupant
 was vaguely familiar; then I recogniz-
 ed him in a flash.
 'FIullo, Ravensworth:" I cried i'm
 pulsively; for at the mon mt . was glad
 to meet the man again, though my fer
 tunes had cha lgad conScdrrablN sihee
 the days when we dw'lt in the land o@
 Bohemia and collaborated novelets foi
 the perambulatior-p section of
 the reading public. Why, where have
 you hidden all these years-cut litera-
 ture and taken to quiet life, eh?'
 He looked up slowly, with an enig- matical smile which was characteristic, and nodded to answer to my srealing.
 "Well, yes, Pennyfeather," he replied, uTdWluS d lllllS, etS OI yVhCS iAe ' V
 had rather quiet time of it latterly. Been doing much yourself at the beiles
 1ettres-working the old claim? It fair ly sickened me, so I dropped it long ago."
 "Oh, the usual thing" I answered airily; "can't complain. Have a cigar? He shook his head, as if the subject were distasteful. q don't smeke, he said; and then, glancing at my gold mounted case, he added, Seems to pan out better than formerly?'
 l laughed I felt a shade awkward; such reminders are not pleasant.
 "Yes," I replied deprecatingly; tits about time, isn't it?"
 He lifted his eyebrows in silent as- sent, and then, apparently dismissing the subject, began quite desultory conversation. As he talked he put one knee over the other, and l saw that the toe cap of one of his rather shabby boots was perilously insecure. This led me to look more closely at his attire; the sort of costume one rarely meets further west than the British Museum-and wondered how he managed to evade the imposing functionary who upheld the dignity of the Artistic Pioneers in the vestibule below. Evidently he had gain ed nothing by his defection from litera- ture.
 Now, although I am not nalevolent man, { felt distinctly pleased at this latter circumstance for my mind was reverting to a play of mine then rum ming at the New Departure theater, and knew it would be difficult to explain 4,rfo o R % won sworfh heinz a1- ways slow of apprehension-h I had borrowed an idea of his which he had developed one evening as we were walk ing home together I had warmly ap- proved of it at the time it's capability for dramatic treatment striking me forcibly, and Ravensworth had on sub seuuent occasions returned to the sub feet, altering and simplifying, accord ing to his custom, intending to let it grow until this prized idea should be- come the neucleus of an epoch making l novel, which, I need hardly say, had | never been written.
 We had drifted apart long before l | thought of 1t again at a moment when I I sorely needed framework on which | to hang some brilliant dialogs> of my | own; and rehecting that Ravensworth | would in all probability never be the worse or the wiser, I had straightaway utilized the idea as the plot of my | drama, with the most gratifying results for the thing caught on immediately It was naemd "A Moral Dilemma" and critics told me- belonged to the Scandi- nayian school. I am indeed proud to say it's first representation created much interest in literary circles, Lar ripur of the Daily Tiger slating the unmercifully and sug- gesting that the play had all the ee- ments of a Chinese puzzle, except the recompense of a solution, while Cantwell, editor of the Sky Pilot, hailed it enthusiastically as the brand new gospel of some special form of re- igiOus mania then exercising thought 'ul minds throughout the length and breadth of the English-speaking world.
 My position therefore, was now critical one. I did not know how much 2avensWorth knew of all this, and I vas not so pronounced a success that
 could brazen the matter out, should le prove troublesome by declaring the dentity of my plays plot and his idea I o be yet another literary coincidence" , And this was the reason why I exper- need positive thrill of relief when I loted my companions shabby habili- , nents, feeling that Ravensworth pros ', ,erous and indignant would be less , to reason than Ravensworth I n his normal condition of indulgence. As we conversed, however, I rapidly z natured a plan which I hoped would |, xtricate me if judiciously worked, and : S preliminary I decided on treating I ny friend to some of the club vintage, nd then sounding him by dexterous = uestions as he approached the requis- . e stage of Nirvana. If he proved < could, probably smooth mat ars with solatium; but if not, ., night at least expect to elicit his in- - antions and take defensive measures. Accordingly, I proposed that we 7, hould have dinner, ignoring my own :, leal but, to my surprise he declined F ne invitation, refusing afterward even ) join me in the fresh brandy and soda
 happened to be ordering c Some other men coming in at this II 1ncture and talking rather bosterous- s 7, our conversation became disjointed, s' nd. as did not want any one to bring a " pay on the tapis until I had set t