Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15

with that strangely resonant tone which
l have already motel symptom of the
new poison. What If it should not act on
| with this alonef"
Go and lie dawn on the divan." said IIoi-
lister calmly You're all right, and so
| am L. And. by the way, old man. what do
you expect to see? These opium dreams, or
| something really genuine?''
Colwin's eyes shone with enthusiasm. His
| MIND had been suddenly turned upon the
| true interest of the adventure.
dead. he cried. IVY h" soul I' win rise s out of
II, and l hal-iook down and see myself.
Nobody ever did that before. 1t will be
worth taking chance for
HOLSTERS hands strayed over the keys
or the piano. Music with him was an in
teHectual pursuit. having nothing to Go
| with the emotions. The works had heard
| MN play were more like the formulate of
| the calculus than the expressions of a hui
| man soul; and 1T was the coolest harmony
mat ne brought from the strings this
occasion when an ordinary man might
nave drlfted into sentiment, If he had had
| the nerve to play at all.
turned to Colwin and only just in time.
| he was falling as / sprang toward him.
ana 1t was partly the impact of my body
| that carried his to the dtvan AS I laid
| him in an easy posture upon the dull red
| covering OF the couch there was no sign of
ire IN MIN, except the warmth that fingered
| IN the stagnant blood
| :, 1hfoW a couple of these cushions on
me moor behind me- said HOLSTER over his
shoulder I'll lie there comfortably enough
Whle the wing of the dark angel shadows
me. by the way, Ainsee, it occurs to me
| that you'll be in rather an embarrassing
position If neither Of us wakes up What
| will you do?"
| Tell the truth" said "Wbo o.n nm
| tradict me?'' -.
.. And what will the girl say?"
| mat she Is sorry two men should have
.nro s n. away their lives instead of doing
good with them.' said l. And sorry that
| l. SnOulQ not laya haan 70
| prevent it,
>, That is one way to look at It," said Hol-
| nster. Perhaps the volition idea of life
is the more agreeable but even as a child
| / could not accent it.
Doubtless the retrospective suggestion in
| MS last words Influenced him more strong
" than would have been possible in his nor
| maj condltlon, and with singular result
| onconsc1ously to himself l dare say, his
! hngers on the keys strayed into simple har-
| mony or a sweet old song that he must
nave learned in childhood. Certainly had
| not heard 1t in twenty years In the midst
| or 1t L saw the soul go out Of him. and I
| caught his body it sank backward. limp
ana nerveless. Immediately the spaniel that
| we mad shut into another room began to
| scratch upon the panel of the door and to
| howl pteously.
| 1t was necessary to quiet the animal, and
| SO l brought him out into the room and
| let him stand beside the body of his mas
| ter. His actions convinced me that the
| trance produced by this drug was deep
| tHouSH 10 deceive the instinct or dog,
| which Is supposed to be very acute. had
| the greatest difficulty In preventing his
disturbing the sleep of the tenants in adj
| joining suites.
Meanwhile had two men upon my hands
| whose sleep was beyond disturbing. 1 have
| no natural horror of the dead and had gain
| ed in my medical studies an additional i'm
| mun1ty, yet L found the situation increas
| ingy disquieting. After q short interval
| began to employ ordinary restorative meas
| ures upon Colwin whose appearance SEEM
| ed to me somewhat more alarming than
| HOLSTERS.
| 1t may be that the events of the night
| had unsteadied my nerves. Certainly be-
| gan to be conscious of a loss of self-con-
| troll. ] became tremulous to be al
| most incapable of performing the manual
| labor nee ssary, and perspration dripped
| from my forehead.
Time measured by the clock. seemed
| alternately to leap ahead and to stand still.
| | thought day must be far advanced, and
! the next moment l was startled by the
| light Of dawn at the edges of the heavy
| curtains that covered the windows.
| The dog imprisoned in a closet, did not
| cease to whine, but l had become accus
| toned to the sound. Yet when l heard the
| tremulous breath of a sigh 1 sprang clear
to the wall with panic terror, and faced
| about expecting to see l knew not what
| 1t was Hollister, who was stirring upon
the cushions. His eyes were open, and were
| staring straight. upward L could his
| chest rising and falling, and presently he
| moved his limbs as one who labOrs with
| dream.
Running to his side, lifted him up and
| addressed some words to him, which he
| seemed not to understand. I got him into
| an easy chair and offered him brandy. He
| struck the glass out of my hand, not angri-
| ly, but unfeelingly, as If the glass had
| come there by mechanical process, with
| out human agency.
| For several minutes he lay heavily in the
| big chair, while l stood before him. uttering
| words that made no more impression upon
| him than upon the wall behind him. His
| intelligence, however, was awake, as the
| expression Of his eyes showed plainly
| enough. He was suffering, but not as had
| seen any else suffer. There was neither
mental physical pain. He seemed to
| endure the weight of some strange burden,
mere heaviness without the spur Of pain.
| Presently his contenance began to show
cific in it's expression There was a light
! in his eyes that presaged action.
| open the window WIDE" he said; II want
| more air
| 1 dimly suspected that it was ruse, and
| so was not wholly unprepared for what oc-
| CURED. When | turned toward the win
| dow he suddenly sprang up and darted to-
| ward the cabinet wherein stood the flask
| that held the drug. l was too quick for
| him; Just as he laid his hand upon it I
| struck it violently, and the fragile glass
| was shattered against the floor.
| Without a moments hesitation he Crap
pied with me- trying with one hand to push
me away, that he might open the door Of
the cabinet with the other. His strength
| had not fully returned, and 1 was able to
| defeat his purpose by a great exertion I
| locked the heavy door of the cabinet and
put the Key into my pocket. Seeing himself
defeated he sank back into the chair
| With the idea of changing the current of
his thought, I begged him to assist me in
| restoring Colwin, saying that our friend