The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-05


bent forward across the table until his
nose almost touched mine The pupils
OF his eyes expanded. the iris assuming
a beautiful changing golden green
tlnge, and his coat-tails switched viO-
lently. Then he began to NEW.
l strove TO rouse myself from my pa
ralysis-I tried to shrink back, for
felt the end of his cold nose touch mine.
could not move. The cry of terror
died in my straining throat, my hands
frightened convulsively; I was incapable
of speech or motion. At the same time
my brain became wonderfully clear. l
began TO remember everything that
had ever happened to me-everything
that I had ever done or said 1 even
remembered things that 1 had neither
done nor said, recalled distinctly much
that had never happened. How fresh
and strong was my memory, The past
was like a mirror, crystal clear. and
there in glorious tints and hues the
scenes of my childhood grew and glow
ed and faded, and gave place to newer
and more splendid scenes. For a mo-
nlent the episode of the cat at the Ho-
tel st. Antoine flashed across my mind.
When il vanished, a chilly stupor slow
ly clouded my brain; the scenes. the
memories, the brilliant colors, faded,
leaving me envelopsd in a grey vapor.
| through which the two great eyes of
the professor twinkled with a murl<y
| light. A peculiar longing stirred me
a strange yearning for something
knew not what-but, oh, how / longed
and yearned for it, Slowly this indefi-
mite, incomprehensible longing became
a living pain. All, how / suffered
and how the vapors seemed to crowd
around me. Then. as at a great dis
| lance, heard her voice, sweet, impera-
| tive:
New she said
For d moment l seemed to see the
interior of my own skull. lighted as by
a flash Of fire; the rolling eye-balls,
veined in scarlet, the glistening mus
Giles quivering along the jaw. the HUI
mid masses OF the convoluted brain
| then awful darkness darkness al
most tangible-an utter blackness.
| through which now seemed to creep
| a thin silver thread, Ike river crawl
/ ing across a world-like a thought
gliding to the brain-like a song, a
thin, sharp song which some distant
voice was singing-which / was sing
| ing.
And I knew that I was mewing'
l threw myself back in my chair and
mewed with all my heart. Oh, that
heavy load which was lifted from my
breast! How good, how satisfying it
was TO NEW. And how I did newt
gave myself up to it, heart and
soul: my whole being thrilled with the
passionate outpourings of spirit freed.
| My voice trembled in the upper bars of
a feline love song, Quavered, descended,
swelling again into an iQtimatiOn that
L brooked no rival and tended with a
magni1cent crescendo.
I finished, somewhat abashed, and
/ QCE af h. .,,1
his daughter, but the one sat nonchal-
antly disentangling his coat tails, and
the other was apparently absorbed in
the distant landscape. Evidently they
did not consider me ridiculous. Flush
ing painfully, | turned in my chair to
see how my gruesome solo had affected
the people on the terrace Nobody even
looked at me. This, however, gave me
little comfort, for, as began to realize
what I had done, my modification and
rage knew no bounds. l was ready TO
ole of shame. What on earth had in
duced me TO NEW? I looked wildly
about for escape-I would leap up
rush home 10 bury my burning face in
my. pillows, and later in the friendly
cabin of a homeward- bound steamer
1 would fiy-f1y at oncel Woe to the
man who blocked my way! l started
to my feet, but at that momeIN l
caught Miss Wyeth's eyes fixed on
mine.
Don't co." she said.
What in heavens name lay in those
blue eyes, 1 slowly sank back into
my chair
Then the professor spoke. elsie, ]
have just received a dispatch"
Where from, Papa"
From India. I'm going at once"
She nodded her head, without turn
ing her eyes from the sea. rs it i'm
rortant, papa?"
II should say so. The cashier of the
trust mas clipped with an astral body
and has taken all our funds including
a lot of first mortgages on Nirvana.
/ suppose he's been dabbling in futures,
and was short in his accounts. 1 shan't
be gone long"
Then goodnight, papa" she said,
kissing him, try TO be back by elev-
en-" l sat stupidity staring at them.
"Oh, it's anly to Bombay shan't go
to Thibet tonight goodnight, my
dear" said the professor.
Then a singular thing occurred. The
professor had at last succeeded in dis
entangling his coat tails, and now,
jamming his hat over his ears, and
waving his arms with bat-like mo-
ton, he climbed upon the seat of his
to"' Then I found my voice
Stop him. l cried i'm terror
+ Presto! Prestor' shouted the pro-
fessor, balancing himself on the edge
of his chair and waving his arms ma
jestically. as if preparing for a sud
den flight across the Scheldt; and
firmly convinced that he not only medi-
tated it but was perfectly capable of
attempting it, L covered my eyes with
my hands.
"Are you i'll, Mr.. Kensett?" said the
girl, quietly.
! l raised my head Indignantly. mot
at all, Miss Wyeth, only TH bid you
good-eventng, for this is the nineteenth
century, and I'm a Christian"
$50 am l." she said. so is my
father"
"The devil he is" I thought.
Her next words made me jump.
please DO not be profane, Mr. Ken
sett."
How did she know l was pro-
fame? / had not spoken a word,
Gould it be possible she was
able to read my thoughts? This was