The Washington herald., 1908-05-14
CHAPTER III-COntinued.

'If ever I become convinced that 1 have
the article you mention. I'll come to you,
all right. Won Tarsenheim. While live
I want 10 live. and when I die l want to
die; and as a healthy-minded agnostie
and a close student of Darwin. I'm not
worrying about the future. Just fix me
up so that I can enjoy the present and
I'll pay you we'll. But how about the
other man. the man who has to stand for
it all? Have you got him on the string?"
''No, have not got him, but that is
easy-oh, very easy. For ten thousand
pounds you can get many men. A NICE
strong young man-that Is what we want
but so desperate from poverty that he
viii not ask many questions. But he
must be of your star, so I do not find
him in q minute. but I find him"
''Of course. I'd want him TO know what
he was up against, said Vandraken. II
wouldn't care TO get him under false pre-
lenses. I hope you understand that?"
"Oh, but perfectly. I will look for a
desperate man who wants 10 earn ten
thousand pounds very quick When
find the right man, I tell him how he
have TO earn that money; he viii not be-
lieve 1t, he VIII laugh, and think US mad; /;
but the money will be good money. and
he will take il"
80 you don't think he viii believe Il?
Why not? II I can
Because he Will not wish to believe II,
but you do wish to believe it-that is why
Some things we are born TO believe, some
things we are made TO believe, but most
things-because We wish 70 believe"
Wei. we can't do more than tell him.
But suppose he gets tired of having these
secondhand sprees? Is there any way
out Of it for him.
'Yes." answered Won Tarsenheim, re-
fecuvely. He could kill you; then he
would have rest from you. But OTmuz
wrote it down that TO kill another man is
an unwise thing to do, for the soul Of
the slayer must then bear. responsibility
for all the slain has done. Thus. should
the seapegoat slay you, he would have
rest from you for the future, but the past
would remain marked on his face for
ever For myself. / do not believe It;
can see no reason for II. Even the wise
Ormuz was not free from superstition"
Suppose I killed the scapegoat?" asked
Fandraken. How did the superstitious
Ormuz figure that -,t?"
"OTmuZ wrote il down that on the face
OF his acts. as though the scapegoat had
never been. But believe it not. Only this
l believe: that when you die the scape-
goat will be released for the future and
the past In death your face will have
written on IL the record you escaped in
life, and the shadow win lift from the
face Of your SCapegOat. For in death
your souls will become disentangled and
as your soul is marked so will your face
be marked"
But look here" said Vandraken, who
had been rejecting, L don't care about
how I look when I'm dead, but I don't
want 10 be dead. First thing you know,
this chap VIII get tired of his bargain
and want to kill me. He won't know
about Ormuz' s superstition, and probably
wouldn't believe il If he did. 1t isn't good
enough. He would be a sort Of bogy
man to the end Of my days. The hun
dred thousand I don't mind. but this is 0
different matter" He rose. You have
had your thousand. and I have had a
most interesting conversation. we'll worth
the money. GOod-morning He had MS
hand on the door knob
For the first time during the interview
von Tarsenheim exhibited eagerness. He
drew the curtain about the glass cup
beard and came over 70 the young man
putting his hand on HIS arm "Slt down
again. my friend. I will put your fears
at rest.
Vandraken did not sit down, but he
turned away from the door well. e
ahead. I'm open TO conviction"
You have not reflected-this other mar
need never see your face or know youl
name. You can be masked-he will never
know, never. Come. You will buy the
inventIon-you will have your years OF
JOY. your journey 10 Venusberg, the ioy.
Gus carouse, the arms and lips Of hourls
and nothing TO pay on this earth but one
hundred thousand pounds; and beyond
this earth you do not believe. Come!
like yOu-you are mateTialist 10 the back
bone. 1t IS not only money with me-
wish 10 see the result Of my invention
You viii be fine subject. Sit down. Lee
me explain how it is all quite safe, the
operation, both to you and to the Other
man."
VandTaken returned TO his chair. "As
said, I'm open to conviction. I hadn't
thought about a mask
Half an hour later Vandraken left St
Martins street convinced that, whether
the operation succeeded or not, there was
at any rate. no risk. He believed thai
there were greater possibilities in hyp
notism than had ever been. so far, de.
veloped And while the ideas which vor
Tarsenheim had tried to explain 10 hin
about the soul had III no way shaken hil
materialistic creed. he saw no objection
to the theory that the invisible connec
tons which existed between man ant
man had something to do with planetary
vibrations. But. as far as he was con
Cerned, he would have been every bit n
we'll satisfied had Won Tarsenheim simply
told him that he was going to operate bl
hypnotic suggestion, brought 10 a hither
TO undTeamed-of point