The Washington herald., 1908-06-09
CHAPTER XXvI.

nerveometer might be an interest
ing invention. An instrument which, 1T
tached TO the human body. would record
the units Of vibration OF happiness and
unhappiness that had passed over the
nerves in life time. It may be heresy.
but one can't help believing that there
would be very little difference in the
readings OF the instruments-that people
We have always believed 20 be favorites
OF fortune would record no more units
of happiness than their apparent III
starred brethren; whereas. people who
had been pointed out as pursued by bad
luck would register as many units Of
Joy per life as the imaginary darling OF
the gods.
Our own records are badly kept We
are more ready to charge than 10 credit:
blame Is cheaper currency that praise.
and we are more ready TO pay 81 out
Our accounts rarely balance. yet st IS
more the fault OF the bookkeeper than
The items. But somewhere out in the
universe the records are properly kept.
the balance fairly struck Ask any as
trologer how the law Of averages levels
up mems lives, how evenly the scales
are held. Watch such n little thing as
a daily game OF cards and note how the
luck passes round the table 20 each in
turn: but the players curse their losings
and squander their winnings just as
they DO in the game Of he.
During the voyage Of the Mascot a
nerYeometer. attached 10 Vandraken,
would have registered units OF Joy as
swiftly as ever the hand could swing
around the dial. Wonderful conscious
happiness--the knowledge that each mo-
ment Of each day would bs perfect that
there would be no swindling Of anticipa-
ti0n by Denurious realiZation-for love
keeps its promises to youth. II youth will
play fair. it does not cheat. Ike vice.
We know not what we are here for;
one guess Is as good as another. II the
truth be that we only exist 10 create
vibrations Of thought. which. turned into
real beings by the alchemy of the uni
verse. go forth 10 colonize the new
! fiedged stars, turning some into hells
and others into heavens-Yandraken and
Lady Kitty created perfect beings during
that wonderful voyage. And why should
Il not be true? We know that thoughts,
| launched az moments OF tremendous
emotions. under the stress OF murder,
suicide, or some evil crisis, linger round
the spot as apparitions, which can be
seen. by those IN tune with them, hund-
reds OF years after the ephemeral beings
who launched the thought have even ceased
their dusty dance as notes In the sun
beams. II these thoughts OF horror
have vitality. why not the perfect ema-
nations or beautiful young love? Why
should not its distilled essences and per-
feet fragrance the sweetness and beauty
I II
most superhuman beings, live on in some
fitting environment, leaving behind only
the evil earth-bound thoughts to haunt
the earth? We keep flowers to give OF
| fragrance. we leave the rank weed where
It grows; but the flowers do not know
why we keep them, or even that they
are flowers TO Us. Without knowing Il.
we, too, may be flowers. perhaps only
in the making; but. by constant Sc
lection. moving toward perfection
AS II In pursuance OF some such plan.
all the elements combined to make the
love voyage OF Vandraken and Lady
Kitty perfect The yacht heeling over
to a gentle breeze on the beam slid
! through the sparkling bli:o as though
flCwer-wreathed mermaids towed It with
laughter Or was Il only the shy laugh
ter OF Lady Kitty-the intangible sounds
Of Joy woman makes when she is yield
ing herself?
And yet-she could not Danish all
thoughts OF Fabian Dare. With amaze
ment, she found that her feeling about
him did not clash with her love for Van
draken; that. indeed. her love for Van
draken seemed to vitalize her feeling for
Fabian Dare, as though they were the
same person in different moods.
The rr11Th ha truth Of al fdno1T1o
| tion. Love had lifted the veil between
this earth and the star where lived their
souls. and allowed her tc see the origi-
nal design, the unmarried work of the
Great Sculptor, before it had been trailed
through the slime OF the world She had
taken the lump Of clay which was Van
draken. and out Of Il fashioned an image
after the original and perfect design
which was his soul. She had once done
the same with Fabian Dare, but the dam
aged clay would not hold it's shape
Vandraken was not free from amaze
ment, either The romantic imagery OF
his iove-maldng was a constant surprise
TO him. jewel found in the dust-bin OF
his materialism. He could not connect Il
with the hypnotic fusion of his person
ality with Fabian Dare. or know that he
was wooing the object Of his alteration
with another mans soul.
he felt almost omnipOtent. His money
had again triumphed in shutting the doors
on life OF which he had had enough.
| Sweeping up the fragments of a wine cup
drained TO the dregs, 1t had blown away
the clouds of consequence which he had
/ fancied he saw gathering. and purchased
him absolute happiness. He was not even
troubled by regrets for his life OF the last
/ two yearS-anQthcr man was feeling those
regrets. He himself. through the inven-
ton his money had procured for him, had
come through the flames as he once
Dragged to Lord Ancestor he would come
like sheet Of asbestos.
/ II was the last evening Of the wonder
l voyage. The yacht was gliding along thu