The San Francisco call., 1905-03-26

Is that Christianity7 Dallas never
treasured an enmity In his life. YET
both of them believe the same doc
trtne, worship the same God, read the
same Bible. Does man make his be-
liefs? Or do his beliefs make him?
II his beliefs make man. why
are Dallas and Cassidy SO differ
ent? If man makes his beliefs, why
should 7 not make my own? ! viii
be an Anythingarian. and leave dreams
to Emanuel Swedenborg!"
His gaze, that had followed the cler-
ical figure till 1t passed out Of sight.
returned meditatively to the slaty
white buildings opposite.
Some people call me an atheist
never could understand why, though I
prefer Confucius to the ten command
ments and Socrates to ST. ~Paul-the
two latter happen to agree In their
opinion of marriage-and / don't think
eating bread or drinking wine from the
hand OF an earthly vicar will make
me an inheritor OF heaven Dallas
would tell me not to reason, but to
believe. You might as we'll tell man
not to wake, but to sleep. Neither
Cicero nor the Messiah could ever have
altered the vote of a single lord OF the
bed chamberI And then to bully with
torments and all thatl The menace Of
hell makes as many devils as the penal
code makes villains. All cant-Meth-
odisticaI cant-yet Dallas believes 1t.
And both he and Cassidy belong to
the same one OF the seventy-two sects
that are tearing each other to pieces
for the love OF the Lord and hatred
OF each other-the sects that call men
atheists because the eternal why will
creep into what they write. II 1t pleases
the church, except Dallas-to damn
ms for asking questions. I shall be
only one with some millions Of scoun-
drels who, after all, seem as likely to
Z be damned as ever. AS for immortal
ity If people are to live. why die7 And
our carcases, are they worth raising?
i hope IL mine Is shall have q better
pair Of legs than I have moved on
these three-and-twenty years, or ! shall
be sadly behind In the squeeze into
paradise!"
There was a knock at the door. He
rose and opened II. 1t was Hobhouse.
Gordon caught up his hat and they left
the hotel together.
As they crossed Park place woman.
draggled and gin-besotted, strayed
from some Thames-side stews. sat on
the worn stone base Of the fountain,
leaning uncertainty against It's bronze
rim. Her swollen lids hid her eyes
and one hand, palm I'D, was thrown
out across her lap. Gordon drew a
shilling from his pocket. and passing
his arm in Hobhouse's. laid 1t In the
outstretched hand. At the touch Of the
coin the drab started I'D. looked at him
stupidity an instant. then with rfbald
yell OF laughter she flung the shilling
into the water and shambled across
the square. mimicking. in a hideous
sort Of buffoonery, the lameness OF his
gait.
Gordon's face turned ashen- He
walked on without a word. but his
companion could feel his hand trembls
against his sleeve. When he spoke 1t
was In voice half-smothered, forbid
ding.
'The old jeer!" he said. THE very
riffraff OF the street hing It at mel
Yet I don't know why they should
spare that taunt; even my mother, did
not. Lame brat!' she called me once
when / was a child He laughed, jar
ringly. harshly. Why, only few
one Of her fits OF passion she flung 1t
at me. May you be as Informed IN
mind as you are in bodyi' Could they
wish me worse than she?"
"Gordon!" expostulated the other.
DON'T"
He had no time to finish. A grizzled
man in the dress Of an upper serv-
ant was approaching them. his
rubicund face bearing an unmistakable
look of haste and concern.
s'weI1, FIetcher?" inquired Gordon.
ST thought your lordship had gone
out earlier. have been inqufring for
YOU at the clubs This message has
Just come from Newstead."
His master took the letter and read
it. A strange. slow. remorseful look
overspread the passion on his face
mo Ill news. / hope" ventured Hob
house.
Gordon made no reply He crushed
4-+- III ,tr4 41.r4
abruptly and strode up 81. James
street.
His lordship's mother died yester-
day. Mr. Hobhouse." said the valet In
low voice
Good Godi" exclaimed the other.
what a contretemps."
A knot OF loungers were seated under
the chandeliers in the bow-window OF
Whites Club as Gordon passed on his
way to the coach. Beau Brummell.
elegant. spendthrift, In white great
coat and blue satin cravat exhaling
an odor Of eau de jasnin. lifted a Ian
guild glass to his eye.
iii go something handsomel" cried
he; II thought he was In Greecei"
Hes the young whelp Of a peer who
made such a dust with that Satire he
wrote" Lord Petersham informed his
neighbor. Hero Of the sack story I
told you. Took the title from his great
uncle, the madman who killed old
Chaworth in that tavern duel. House
of Lords tried him for murder. you
know. Used to train crickets and club
them over the head with strawss all
of them left the house In q. body the
day he died Devilish queer story.
Who's the aged party with the port
manteaus? Valet?"
Yes" asserted some one. THE old
man was here while ago trying to
find Gordon-with bad news. His
lordships mother Is dead.
saw her once at Newstead ABBY"
yawned Brummell. wearily. dusting his
cuffs. "Corpulent termagant and gave
George no end OF a row. He used to
call her his maternal war-whoOp-' My
own parents-poor good people!-died
long ago. he added refectivelys cut
their throats eating peas with q knife"
CHAPTER VI.