The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-08-04

Have you the head so hard?" said
the Chela. "The test was yours"
II tell you this is serious; for
Heavens sake don't drag that foolish
idol into it. Can't you let me for
get!" And Campion, anxious to re-
move all traces of an act which, in
this last affection, seemed so frivol-
GUS and puerile, caught up piece of
old Venetian embroidery, which hap
pened to come first to hand, and
hastily wiped the idols downcast
eyes. "Now, that's done WITH" he
said. IF could clear my own eyes
as easily-but, oh, If l could have
thought all that" He had come
back to the Christabel again.
Green! / must be hopeless case.
No one can cure me. BY Jove,
though, tiff / see it as it really is
now, / must be cured ! But why
how?"
And he sat down, trembling vio-
lently. Good God! Nebelsen,e he
said, hoarsely, you were right, after
all-it's too horrible"
|
couragingly, NOW that the spell is
reversed. Besides, bring you goot
tiding. hat communication from
my revered Mahatma received. The
brother through whom it came found
it this morning brecipitated in blue
bencil upon this blotting-bad, and
sent it on at once to me. 1t points
out the only way for you to remove
out of all your troubles, but the way
is luckily quite simple. tolt you
my Mahatma was a clever man"
Campion gave little groan; but
after swallowing the idol, he could
hardly strain at Mahatma. "Well,
what does he say?" he asked.
II am going to read. I must tell
you at beginning, his English is very
tommy. Listen!
Quite true he begins, the idol
is the mechanism of most of your
friends sea of troubles, though your
theory to account for it is the feeblest
fiddle-faddle and stuff of a fat-witted
beetle-head.' (There is noding stiff
at all about my dear old Mahatma)
Only one who was ninnyhammer
and goose-cap would suppose that
an image could possibly be charged
with electromagnetic. AS you have
chosen to worry me about it, / tell
you plainly that the only way out of
the Gordian knot with which your
friend is stuck in the mud'-G can
not think where he gets all his words
and phrases-nor can the brother
who sets them DOWN lis at once to
return the idol to the hand from
which 1t came. AS for your idiotic
- (and then he writes some more
in friently way.)
"You see, 1t is simple and quite
easy" he concluded; "only return the
idol to the place you bought it at
you can do that perfectly we'll"
1T happens to be a present." said
Campion.
ITO the giver, then that is bedder
still"
Its impossible, tell you, Nebel-
sen. II that's the best suggestion
your Mahatma can make, he might as
well have left it alone"
But why? Tell me why?"
"Isn't 1t obvious? How can I, if /
believe-and, heaven help me, I do
believes-this cursed thing is able
to injure those who cross its path, in
some unacountable way-how can /
send it back to some one who thought
sh-he was doing me kindness in Civ
ing it?"
But If the Mahatma says it is the
only way" put in the Chela.
"If it was the only way to save my
soul, hope l shouldn't do it. Just
ask yourself, Nebelsen. How can 1
tell what Internal trick it may play
il do send it back? couldn't be
such scoundrel to send it without
a word of warning, and if I warn,
would any one in his senses take 1t
in at all? No, your Mahatma may be
a very learned person--but he doesn't
seem to understand European no
tions."
When Nebelsen had gone, Campion
sat and stared at that uncanny idol
of his with growing dismay; he did
not know what to think about it. He
was ashamed of believing that it
could harm him, and yet his expert
ments had given him a sharp lesson.
1t was an ugly thought, but he
could not rid of it; he was afraid at
last to be alone in the studio with the
idol, and went out for a restless
stroll.
On his way back he passed flor
lists, where he bought the most ex-
pensive flowers he could see in the
window, and arranged them after his
return in his rarest piece of pottery.
He called Bales, and told him to
take them into the painting-room.
Anywhere in Particular" Bales
asked
"No," said Campion. with affected
carelessness, "it's of no Consequence,
it doesn't matter-at least" (and he
showed a slight confusion here) +.
now I come to think OF it, you may
put 1t on the carved cabinet, just in
front of that Indian idol. Yes. put
it there, Bales-nowhere else. And
shall dine out this evening"
He came home late. Not even to
himself would he acknowledge that
he had determined to soigner his idol
If it was possible to do so and pre-
serve any self-respect at all. II may
try my hand at painting those How
ers tomorrow, he had told himself,
though he was not haliovad Wand IN