The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-30

world might hold as much as the
largest, if you thought it all out hard
enough, and your experience might be
just as broad and deep in a small cor
ner of the earth as anywhere else.
But l don't know! l want to under
stand-I want to understand every
thing. l read books, and there are
people-but no one who tell me what
l want-I-"
stop" He lifted his hand. Il
won't act shall never play for you
again" He was breathless; the witch
ing silence was nothing to what stir
red him now. singular eXaltation
rose in him, together with the reckless
impulse to speak from the mood her
vehement confidence had inspired. He
gave way to it.
Il know, 1 know" he said, huskily.
Il understand all you mean, all you
feel, all you wish. 1t is all echoing
here, and here, and here" He touch
ed his breast, his eyes and his fore
head with the fingers of his long and
slender hand we sigh and strain
our eyes and stretch out our arms in
the dark, cropping always for the
strange blessing that is just beyond
our grasp, seeking for the precious
unknown that lies just over the hori-
zon! It's what they meant by the pot
of gold where the rainbow ends-only
it may be there, after all"
They stopped unconsciously, and re-
manned standing at the lower end of
the Carewe hedge. The western glow
had faded, and she was gazing at him
through the darkness leaning forward
never dreaming that her tight grasp
had broken the sticks of the little pink
fan.
Yes" she whispered, eagerly. you
are right; you understand"
He went on, the words coming faster
and faster: I'VE are haunted-you and
by the wish to know all things, and
by the question that lies under every
thought we have; the agonlzing
Whittier? Isn't it like that? 1t is
really death that makes us think. You
are a good Catholic; you go to mass;
but you wish to know. Does God
reign. or did it all happen? Some
times it seems so deadly probable that
the universe just was, no God to plan
it, nothing but things; that we die as
sparrows die and the brain is all the
soul we have, a thing that becomes
clogged and stops some day. And is
that ALP"
She shivered slightly, but her stead
fast eyes did not shift from him. He
threw back his head, and his face
uplifted to the jewelled sky of the
moonless night, was beatitic in it's
peacefulness, as he continued in an al
tered tone, gentle and low:
Il think all questions are answered
there. The stars tell it all. When
you look at them you know! They
have put them on our flag. There are
times when this seems but a poor ma
ton; boastful, corrupt, violent and
preparing. as it is now. to steal another
country by fraud and war; let the
stars of the flag always make me hap
py and confident. Do you see the con-
stellations swinging above us, such
unimaginable VastneSSes, not rowing or
era shing through the illimitabe at
haphazard, but moving in more excel
lent measure, and to finer rhythm,
than the most delicate clockwork man
ever made? The great ocean lines
mark our seas with their paths
through the water; the fine brains of
the earth are behind the ships that sail
from port to port, yet how awry the
system goes When does a ship come
to her harbor at an hour determined
when she sailed? What is a ship be-
side the smallest moon of the small
est world? But, there above US,
moons, worlds. suns, all the infinite
cluster of colossi, move into place to
the eXactness of a hair at the precise
instant. That instant has been plan
ned, you see; 1t is a part of system
and can system exist that no mind
made? Think of the Mind that made
this one! Do you believe so incon-
ceivably majestic an Intelligence as
that could be anything but good? All,
when you wonder, look above you,
look above you in the night, 1 say"
he cried, his hand appraised like his
TRANSPORTED face. Look above you.
and you will never fear that a SPAR
rows fall could be unmarked"
1t was not to the stars that she look
ed, but to the orator, as long as he
held that pose, which lasted until a
hard-ridden horse came galloping
down the street. AS it dashed by,
though the rider looked neither right
nor left, Miss Betty unconsciously
made a feverish clutch at her COM
panions sleeve, drawing him closer to
the hedge.
TT is my father" she said, hurriedly.
in a low voice. He must not see you.
You must never come here. Per-
haps-" She paused, then quickly
whispered: You have been very kind
to me. Goodnight"
He looked at her keenly, and
through the dimness saw that her face
was shining with excitement. He did
not speak again. but. taking step
backward, smiled family bent his
made slight gesture or his hand for
her to leave him. She set her eyes
upon his once more, then turned swift
ly and almost ran along the hedge to
the gate; but there she stopped and
looked back. He was standing where
she had left him, his face again uplift-
ed to the sky.
She waved him an uncertain fare
well, and ran into the garden, both
palms against her burning cheeks.
Night is the great necromancer and
strange are the fabrics he weaves; he
lays queer spells; breathes so eerie an
intoxication through the dusk: he can
cast such glamours about a voice! He
is the very king of fairyland.
Miss Betty began to walk rapidly up
and down the garden paths, her head
bent and her hands still pressed to her
cheeks; now and then an unconscious
exclamation burst from her, incoher-
emit more like a gasp than a word. A
long time she paced the vigil with her
stirring heart, her skirts sweeping the
dew from the leaning flowers. Her
lips moved often. but only the confus-
ion. vehement "Oh, OH" came from
them, until at last she paused in the
middle of the garden, away from the
trees. where all was open to the spark
ling armament, and extended her arms
over her head.
20, strange teacher" she said aloud.
Il take your beautiful stars! l shall
know how to learn from them!'
She gazed steadily upward. enrapt.
her eyes resplendant with their own
starlight.
oh, stars, stars, stars" she whis-
pered.
In the teeth of all wizardry. Nights
spells do pass at sunrise; marvellous
poems sink to doggerel, mighty dreams
to blown ashes and solids ragatn