Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29

could manage It, but the engine had to
strive and strain, and grip the rails. Some
times 1t seemed as II the weight behino was
Unreasonable, sometimes 1t seemed as IL
the force that drove him was so vast that
he must be broken with 1t. But he knew,
that little atom of agonized yet rapturous
consciousness, which was all that he couio
refer to as himself. knew that II, and Its
freight, were in control of the one thing
that cannot possibly make a mistake. For
that one thing is Love, in whose hands
a:one the whole world is safe and saved.
The fire had gone out when he get up
from his chair some hours later. and the
bitter frost had frozen the glass of water ne
had poured out. But he broke the crust or
ice on 1t and drank. And in two minutes
he was undressed and asleep, having
plunged into bed with a smile that had
broadened into the sheer laughter of JOY.
Thurso awoke next morning feeling, so he
told himself, the stimulus and eXhllaratlon
of new climate, and the bracing effect Of
dry, sunny. frosty morning. After the
! narrow berth OF his cabin, 1t had been a
luxury to sleep in a proper bed again, and
1t was luxury also to lie at ease In 1t now
How we'll he had slept too! He had slept
from about eleven the night before till half
past eight; slept dreamlessly, without those
incessant wakings from agoniZed dreams or
desire which had so possessed him during
this last week. No doubt this change from
the sedentary life of the ship to the wider
activities of the land accounted for that,
and anyhow, he felt the place and the air
suited him. Yesterday had passed pleas
| ant!y, too; he, Maud and Cochran had been
for long sleigh-drive in the afternoon,
| and-there was no use in denying it-Coch-
ran was q very attractive fellow He had
| the tact the experience. the manner OF
man, and yet all these were somehow steep
ed in the exquisite effervescence and glow
| of youth. Never had ThurSo seen the two
| so Wonderfully combined-'youth's enchant-
ment" was his still, the eager vitahty OF a
| boy.
When they returned he had had an hour 8
talk with him alone, and, at Cochrans re-
| his slavery And, somehow, that recital had
been In no way difficult. He felt as II ne
! was telling it all to one VINO understood
| him better than he understood hlmseLI one
| who did not in the least condone or seek TO
| find excuses for the miserable tale, put one
to whom these hideous happenings appeared
| only in the light of a nightmare, as II
Thurso had had a horrible dream ana was
lust telling him a dream only.
And at the end Cochran had still been
genial. ,.,
well. now, that is good start" he said.
"for I guess you haven't kept anything
back Sometimes people have sort OF
false shame and won't tell one what per-
haps is the very worst Of all. Weli' now
can one take 1t to Infinite Love 10 destroy
and abolish If one doesn't know what II is
Thurso was possessed Of great courtesy OF
manner. =.
"Ouite so, that IS only reasonable" ne
said. But to himself he thought how ODD II
was that so straightforward and simple
fellow should have such a crank. Not that
he was not perfectly willing to let the crank
do what he could for him-he would nave
worn any amulet or charm II anyone Sc
riously thought it could help him.
well, now before go back to town LOT
the night" continued Cochran, Il want 10
start right away with you on this; Remem-
her. first of all, that all that you have peen
suffering from is unreal. 1t has no true ex-
istence. Try to get that into your mindIthe
more YOU can make yourself think tnat.
the quicker your cure will be. patent
nan help his human doctor by determining
!" Get Well can't he? Well, you can help
mo NV irving to realize that you never have
been really III. There isn't such thing as
real Illness" .,e o.
,ects Of the drug unreal but the cravings
for il are unreal? One can only judge by
ones feelings; ones feelings are the ul-
Innate appeal, and I assure you l know
Of nothing nearly so real as that. III n
wasn't real I shouldn't have come 10
America"
"Ah, that's where you make mistake
said Cochran. "Suppos.ng we all entered
into conspiracy to play a practical Joke
on you-got you committed for murder and
got you condemned to death. so that you
really believed 1t. You would be terrified.
and your terror would be the realest thing