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

said before he left. He wanted Thurso to
| make an effort himself, and believed that
| at present he could hardly do SO. unless ne
| was bribed to. He had suggested this plan
! in fact.
But IL he wants it at 1872" she had
| asked.
"oh. but he won't" he had answered
| HE can't"
All this Thurso had thought over as he lay
| in bed next morning, watching ms
valet put out his things. He had gone "
| bed. as he promised, at half-past ~ lug lug
night was coming closer every minute Aio
| then-he had simply fallen asleep, and When
| he woke the pale winter sunshine was nooo-
| ing the room. .,,.
cold. bracing air, the memory of the pleas
ant day yesterday, the sense Of recupera-
| ton after his excellent night. there came
the feeling as he got up and dressed, turh-
| ing 1t all over in his mind. that he had been
tricked He had no idea how the trick was
| dome or how 1t was that he could nave
gone to sleep when. If he mad put KEEP
awake so short time, he would have en-
loved and that with no sense of conceal
ment or surreptitious dealing, the one SEN
sation that turned life into paradise. Ger
| tainly 1t had been extremely neatly done'
| Cochran was a finished conjurer, for, as he
had said, Thurso had had no sense OF his
presence Of his influence. But the sense
| Of having been tricked somehow piqued
him.
While he was dressing he heard already
| the sound of sleigh-bells, and guessed tnal
Cochran had come. and when he got down
stairs he found him and Maud at BREAKFAST.
Cochran nodded at him.
Good morning Lord Thurso." he said.
Now, Lady Maud here will tell you that
neither she nor I have spoken word about
Won this morning. l know nothing OF what
happened here since left last night. told
her Just before left to fetch your drink for
you II you wanted it, at - O'Clock Now
you've come down. I should like to hear
from YOU both what has happened.
II went to Thursos room at -" she said.
land knocked. There was no answer. so l
went In. He was fast asleep. I tried 10
rouse him, as you told me to- called MIN
and touched him. But he didn't awake
and you, Lord Thurso?" asked Cochran.
"Oh, this is childish he said. Maud, 90
you swear that that Is true?"
Certainly
''WeII, you or Mr.. Cochran must have
hypnotized me or drugged me- he said. ,
az know less about hypnotism." remarked
Cochran. than do Of the inhabitants OF
Mars What do you think we drugged you
| WITH"
'Well, how did you do 1t, them" he asked.
II didn't do it. had no idea whether you
| were asleep or awake at midnight. only
knew that Divine Love was looking after
you"
| Something rather like a sneer came into
| Thurso's voice.
And how did you know that?" he asked
| How could 1t have been otherwise? He
| has promised to do anything for us which
| we ask in faith. You've never seen such a
beautiful morning as 1t is. Cold. though"
| Thurso was undeniably In very bad
| humor by this time. He felt sure there had
| been some suggestive or hypnotic force used
| on him last night, but when man denies
| It, and simply attributes all that has hap
| pened to the working of Divine Love. you
| cannot contradict him. Maud. however. had
| read to him last night out Of some Christian
Science book. and he had fiattered himself
he had found a hundred Inconsistencies In
It, Cochran's last words. too, were utterly
inconsistent, simply as they sounded
How can you say 1t Is cold" he asked
when your whole gospel is rooted on the
| unreality of such things. cold and heat and
pain and SO ONT Or did I misunderstand
| what we read last night? certainly gath.
cred that neither cold nor heat had any rea
existence"
J. mo more It has," said Cochran.
l Then Is 1t not-what was the phrase
'yoleins error, to aliude to the temperature
Cochran laughed, a great big laugh Of en-.
joyment.
Eyes. but where's the harm of voicine
| error as long as the error doesn't do any
harm? Surprising the cold made me fee
should deny it's reality. But it's a waste OF
| time isn't It, to spend the whole day In de-
nying the existence of chairs and tables and
heat and cold when they don't hurt youi
| My time Is taken up with denying things
| that do hurt"
Though nothing hurtsT'
False belief does, and its consequences
hurt"
II was merely inquiring." said Thurso
rather ac,dly. His mind still dwe!t on the
trick, for so he called it, that had made him
go to sleep last night.
me instruction for half an hour. Thurso "
J Maud said, land after that vote We 1c