The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-25

ot1ef world, my frlendi lie SAID. 'And
yet you doubt, You know what I am
you know that for me. at times, he
portals of the Unseen are set open.
Men call me artist. idealist, mailman,
Judging me thus because | know the
touch of higher things than are com
mon to ordinary eating, drinking,
breeding, parishing clay; but let them
call me what they will. at death my
faith will bridge the tomb, where their
materialism shrinks away in fear and
horror. That voice you heard-isten
and tell me-was 1t at all like this?'
He held up his land with a warning
gesture-and, through the silence, a
faint. delicious sound OF song came
floating distinctly-clear. yet far off, as
though It fell from the regions OF the
upper air.
MY God!' cried Denver, starting up
in his bed. at is the same-the very
same, Paul, Paul! What does it
mean"
TT means" answered Valltsky. stead
ily, that you are on the verge OF the
Eternal. my friend, and that I, a poor,
unworthy medium OF communication,
am hidden to assure you of the fact.
The heaven you dreamed of Is a real
heaven: the voice you hear is a real
~ fAiii ~ III NhV Sil6o
awaits your coming with all the
love you have missed in your
life till now Believe me or not as you
will. | speak the truth. Death. or what
mortals call death, will bestow Upon
you such joy as is incapable of human
comprehension or expression, but at the
same time it is but fair to you to say
that YOU can ave your c-hoice-know-
ing what / have told you. you yet have
the privilege given to you to decide
whether o will die or live on"
Denver stared amazedly. "You' talk
in riddles, Paul. Live on? I? My
doom is sealed; I know that we'll
enough. You can do nothing, spiritual
list and idealist though you are, to
hinder it,"
"If you choose to live, you shall
llve.' said Valitsky. firmly. II will
guarantee it. for so I have been COM
manded. Cancer shall not kill, nor any
other evil cut the thread of your exist
ence. But, were + you, I would die
rather than live"
Denver had grown very pale.
"You-you will guarantee my life if
| hoose to live?" he asked in low,
Y tremulous tones. Can you guarantee
4 ito"
vi II 4 oN&a = u Will
$ here today on purpose to tell you so.
$ But think well before d~eciding-the
barriers OF the unseen world are lifted
I now, ready for your admission. If by
o your W choice they close again, the
r voice you heard will sing to you no
more"
, With a wild, searching glance Den
Yer scrutinized his strange friends
pale countenance. II was passionate
? and earnest--only the eyes sparkled
with an intense, fiery CLEAN. Uncer-
9 tain what TO believe, and yet strongly
? impressed by Valitsky's steadfast man
{ ner-knowing him, too, for a man who
} was credited, rightly or wrongly, with
similar occult powers. he suddenly
| made up his mind, and spoke out i'm
petuously.
81 will live!" he said. 1.-THE next
:, world may be a dream; the sweet voice
: that stole away my heart may be a de-
: fusion, but this world is real-a tan
e gible fact. a place in which to move
5 and breathe and think in. I will stay
$ in it while | can! If you indeed have
the force you seem to possess, why.
| use it upon me and give me life-this
life. ] choose. not heaven, but earth;
$ | will live on
~ t'AAt'NN ~ 80
bedside, and standing a few PAGES
@ away, surveyed Denver with an intense
I expression of mingled scorn and com
q passion.
BE il So he said. Live, And try
= 10 find joy, peace or love in what life
brings you. You have chosen badly, my
| poor friend. You have rejected a
glorious reality for a miserable delu-
e sion. When you are tired of your
] choice let me know. For the present,
farewell"
The door opened and closed slowly
he was gone. For hours Joh Denver
: lay still with wide-open eyes, going
[ over and over every detail of the
strange conversation he had had with
: this strange man, and wondering
E whether it was true that he was grant
ed a new lease Of life, or whether it
was mere fantastic Boosting on Valit-
sky's part. Finally he slept a sound
and dreamless sleep.
The next day, on aWaking he was
free from pain, and during the ensu-
D ing week he was so far recovered as to
} be able to leave his bed and resume his
y ordinary occupations. The great physi-
; elan VINO attended him was completely
taken aback; the supposed cancerous
ailment appeared after all to have no
existence, and for the thousandth time
an apparently infallible doctor was
= proved wrong, John Denver lived-as
! Valitsky had sworn he should do. He
lived to see his son in the criminals
; dock for forging a friends name;
! he lived to see his daughter
married to n vicious ''nobleman,"
whose days were passed in gam
. bling and nights in drinking: he lived
|. to know hat his wife had been faith
. less to HIM for years, and that she had
/, hoped for his death and was furiously
disappointed at his continuance of life;
, he lived to entertain flatterers who
!. fawned upon him for his wealth alone,
TO feed servants who robbed him at
every turn, to realize to the full the
cruelty, hypocrisy, meanness, and self
: ishness of his feilow-creatures-tnl, at
: last, after seven tedious summers
winters had passed away, a great
: w~earincss came over him and a long
! ing for rest. Conscious of the failure
and futility of his life, he sat all alone
/, one evening in his great library, look
: ing vaguely out on the misty moon