The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-28

| afford to wish for it; and my harshness
was not toward your query, but to-
ward my own stirring but as yet I'M
spoken thought. But 1 know, 1 feel
that have but to wish for that snow
drift to see it lying just there in the
moonlight before us.
''Jim"-there was no lack of passion
in his voice now: he had risen from
his hammock. and was standing be-
fore me, his face working in the agony
of a deadly earnestness-"Jim,I have
told you tonight what no one else
on earth knows. You don't believe
my story; how can you? You think
1 am crazy; perhaps 1 am. But as
God lives. / have told you the truth
as see it and know it. These things
are real to me. Are they real Jim?
Are they real? 1 want to find out; 1
must-I will prove this thing.
Il have been thinking it over since
the other night. Perhaps we We're
brought together for this very pur-
pose You are a physician, and have
given your life to the study of mental
and nervous diseases and disorders.
If this is simply a matter of nerve or
brain you ought to be able to detect
1t.
Jim, I'm going to wish for that
snowdrift There can be no deception.
can there? See how clear the sky IS.
in this region; those men yonder don't
know what snow is. Come, Jim, let's
put this to the proof for good and ALL
Lay your head there against my breast
and listen while I utter the wish, and
tell me whether you can hear anything
like what 1 have told you Of"
Now, hadn't believed a word of
this weird story, of course. 1t had
greatly perpexed me. Roberts had
r..
whole course throughout our journey
had proven him a man of poise, hold
ing himself well in hand, cool and de-
liberate in every emergency; the very
last man to suggest the need of the
attention or treatment of an alienist.
He evidently believed the story he
told: there was tone of conviction
that settled all doubt on that point.
A lie has a tone of it's own; so has
truth. But while believed that Rob-
erts believed this strange story, of
course I did not believe it for a mo-
ment. 1t was absurd, impossible, from
beginning to end. But, singularly
enough, when the opportunity was
thus given me to prove that it was all
an hallucination. and to deliver my
friend from the bondage of his fear,
] was loath to attempt it. 1 shrank
from the proposed test with a curious
professional interest in the case was
sufficient to overcome my instructive
horror at that uncanny experiment out
there on the Arabian desert.
To my suggestion of delay Roberts
answered impetuously:
mo, let's have it over now. The
moonlight is bright enough for our
purpose; the camp is more quiet than
it would be in daylight; the conditions
nn1rld mi he 70
Since l could not refuse without be-
traying my fear, and, therefore, a be-
lief in the possible existence of the
CONFER" I was obliged to consent,
although reluctantly.
Standing erect, Roberts said slowly
and distinctly:
Il wish that could see a snowdrift
over yonder beyond the horses"
AS he ceased, with my ear pressed
close against his barred bosom, I dis
tinctly heard somewhere inside of him
"whirr," as of clock running down,
and click" as though some kind of
a registering machine were at work.
But physician though 1 am, l could
not for the life of me have told in
what part of the body the sound was,
nor what could possibly have pro-
duced it. But 1 had no time to think
of that then, for, with a low moan
of agony, Roberts slipped away from
me and fell to the ground. apparently
lifeless. Only for a moment, how
ever. Recovering himself before 1
had time to apply restoratives, he sat
up and, looking toward the horses.
said, simply:
Look"
There on the moonlit sands cleaned
something long and white. Quickly
L walked over to it: thrust my hand
into it; sffted it through my fingers
it was snow. In that depressed valley
of the Arabian peninsula, where frost
is an unknown thing, lay a snowdrift
foot or more in depth, and dozen
feet in length!
well, Jim." said Roberts, as I re-
turned slowly to the tents, what was
it?"
Snow"
Then you believe"
"Oh, man, don't ask me what I be-
lieve now! Give me time to think!
My brain is in whirl. It's too hor-
rible-I mean-it's impossible-Fred,
l don't know what / mean. 1 must
sleep on this. Let us go to bed now,
and talk this thing over in the morn
ing"
Every well, old man." and there was
lingering, wistful cadence in his
voice that 1 shall always remember;
very well. Go to bed now; I've kept
| you up too long already. Thank you
| for your patience with my prosy
story, and thank you, too, for help
| ing me in my experiment tonight. l
| know now that it is no dream of mine;
| that it is real. Marin Lies confer
has got me, sure enough, for time and
for eternity. 1 am having my wish
now; for that 1 ought to be grateful
| to her, l suppose. But she will have
her wish when 1 die, and 1 know right
we'll that that wish will be to have me
| with her forever and ever. She and
are inseparably linked together. Part
! ed here by my impatience we are fell
| low travellers in the long road that
stretches on beyond the gates of death
Can't say that / relish the prospect
much" he continued with a pitiful
SMILE" but it's of no use to complain.
1t is written in the books of the gods,
and so it will be. Kismet! But go to
bed, Jim; go to bed. Goodnight, and
| God bless your
To bed, but not to sleep. Hour af-