The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-06-03
CHAPTER Xxx.

GhhFIEh Ak.
It takes a youth so long to discover
that vice never fulflls its promises. Aft
er more than a year Vandraken was still
throwing the dice with shame, hoping
and believing that the next feverish
throw would make the game seem worth
playing Not that he ever admitted 10
Lord Ancestor. or even 10 himself, that
the life he was leading was not all his
fancy had painted It. The only proof that
he was being cheated lay In the fact
that he demanded more and more, so
that even the ingenuity OF his pander and
mistress. the Cobra. could not always
keep pace with his demand for new
phases OF saturnalla,
The history Of Greece and Rome had
been ransacked for. descriptions OF the
orgies which had marked the end OF their
greatness. The mysteries OF an ancient
religion Of demonology had contributed
their quota, and yet in the back Of his
brain Vandraken knew that he was not
getting his 500. 100000 worth.
Lord Ancestor had made vain attempts
to persuade him to abandon his life and
his companions. The results Of his idle
suggestion filed him more and more with
horror. He realized what II means for a
man TO be without a conscience or any
moral sense. how meaningless ethics be-
come 10 him. Vandraken's fresh unsul-
lied face nauseated him more than the
coarseued, dissipated faces OF the men
who focked around him. He had even
had TO restrain an impulse 10 Kill him.
and so stop the endless chain OF evil
! consequences. the sacrifices OF young
lives.
IF you don't give up all this. Van
draken,' he told him, one day. II win
| find a way 10 make you What do YOU
suppose the life OF that other poor devil
must be-"
That's the only mistake I made"
! laughed Vandraken. II ought 10 have
kept track Of that young man. Il would
! have been so funny 10 have a look al him
! occasionally. He must be a sight by
now! But how do you propose TO reform
me, old chap? Give you full leave, II you
can"
/ Make Won Tarsenheim get you back
your conscience. He hypnotized you-so
he can unhypnotize you"
I'D Ike to see you tackle old Abdul
/ You won't get much change out OF hin"
replied Vandraken. with conviction I'll
give you his address. though. il you like
/ heard from him the other day. He has
nearly perfected his invention FOR guar
anteeing the human race against immor-
/ tally. Wants TO know how much I'll
pay to avoid the consequences OF this
/ life by lodging the next: bat as I don't
/ believe in any next, I'm not investing
Now you believe in souls, and all that
sore Of thing. Ancestor, ana as you seem
| worried about yours I'll stand you the
| dentists bill II you'd like II extracted. ."
I don't believe Won Tarsenheim will
! ever be allowed to use that invention
! We microbes down here are not worth
bOthering with very much as long as we
remain microbes. but when we get TO in
| terfering too much with the plans OF the
gods they take the trouble to smash US.
as we smash a fly that won't stop buzz
zing. What's the brute's address,"
He has bought an old castle in Ireland
| He says his machine Is more sensitive
to vibrations there than in any other at
mosphere. Baliyshannon, near Clon-
boyne. It's a ruin, but he has patched
II up. Just the place to pOw-wow with
| the devil, 1 expect. he has Angiicised
his name now-calls himself A Tesen-
ham"
I know the place. It's miles up a glen
I have often shot woodcock there-about
six miles from Donoyle Castle"
why. that's where Lady Kitty lives!"
said Vandraken- she hasn't married yet
told you she would wait for me"
| 'She has probably forgotten your exist
ence, but viii find that out when I go
| to call on A Tesenham. esq"
| Won Tarsenheim had more than one
object in view when he bought the ruined
castle OF Ballyshannon. Besides the re-
moteness Of the spot. and the sympathetic
atmosphere, the inventor wanted to trace
in Fabian Dare the result OF the hyp-
notic operation. and gloat over the sue
| cess Of the invention. He had never al
lowed himself to lose trace OF his young
| victim, and several times. unknown to
! Fabian. he had watched his face for the
| development of the inevitable record To
this chemist OF souls, the young man was
no more than is a microbe under the
microscope. n guinea pig under the sur
| geon's knife or the blending OF some new
combination OF chemicals 70 the ordinary
scientific explorer So when Fabian
preached in the big church at Clonboyne.
| as he sometimes did. to the great ioy OF
the cultured OF the congregation. and the
horror OF the orthodox. he had one very
attentive listener, a somber figure who
sat in the shadow under the gallery. bv
| the door. and, rubbing his long hands
allowed his superior hooking smile TO
be tinged with satisfaction as he heard
the words Of noble aspiration and poetic
conception pour forth from lips which
were beginning to leer, and noted the fire
Of divine inspiration lighting for express
sion on face which was beginning 10
take on the materialism OF a satyr.
He had also another reason for wishing
to live, for while, remote from the
haunts Of men. He had noted in his horo-
scope that at this period Of his life dan
ger threatened him through his own fam
lily. Ever since he had stolen the cabal-
istic books from his mothers tribe he
had been haunted at times by an indie
! snrlha hla farrnr. fan. IL. ~ - .--.--.