Evening star., 1909-06-20
Astro Gets His Answer at Last
BY ALAN BRAGHAMPTON
Drawing by George Brehm

1eska recognized the mood and waited for the ineva
BILE parable For to Astro the Seer, modern science
but allegory of the intellect and the emotions
Isn't it like absence? While friend is pres.
ent he is bathed in the matter of fact light of day
he is radiant, luminous. When he disappears for
time that impression of him lasts like the phosphor
escent glow Then, the light fades and we begin to
forget,-all those who truly love, who truly
know, whose soul can still perceive the mysterious
astral black light he radiaes through the dark His
influence persists, Transmitted from mental into
psychic energy. Selah.
He dropped his narghile and sat with folded hands
looking at her as if she miles away. His smile
the calm expression of bronze Buddha
But Valeska took the parable to herself eagerly
Yes, yes, it's true, and that's just what | need to
know before | give YOU the answer YOU want. |
don't know whether really love YOU or you re
too near me- too inter1nngled with my life and my
work. If could try that test of absence. if could
wait till your phosphorescence fades out then |
could tell if | was not affected by your black
light Id know then just what you were to me
alone in the dark,
Shall try it" he asked gently. Shall dis
appear for a week, saw,
All I'm afraid it would take at least month";
she said
He laughed, Well. as long as you like"
He bowed gravely Il shall disappear tomorrow
You may the studio you please; and when
you We found out,-whether not you be af
fected by my psychic black light. you will let me
know.
no care? Do / enough for him. Valeska
the studio. She had thought of it almost all night;
she had risen with the question on her lips She had
seen him every day for two years The thought that
to-day, and perhaps tor week month. she
would not see him. gave her strange feeling Was
it a relief a pain. AS yet. she could not decide
AS she entered the studio it seemed strange not to
find him there, at first. Then nsensibly she began
to find it hard to believe that he not there
Everything suggested his presence-the curiosties
he had collected, the weapons, the Egyptian scup-
lures tapestries. gems,-all evidences of his taste
and his researches She could not rid herself of the
feeling that at any moment he might come in. He
near her, somewhere, waiting and watching for
her
But this she said to herself was only the effect of
the familiar environment in which she had been used
to him But became at last too strong, too in
sistent Surely she could never decide till she sought
a atmosphere She was sorry that she had not
disappeared, instead of Astro. But at least she
could leave the studio and be alone for awhile, to
think it out. AS she opened the outer door. she
heard the soft ringing of the electric bell IN the studio
which warned them of visitors 1t still rang she
closed the door, and it gave her uncanny feeling
the spark of life in that dead empty place She
hurried away and walked swiftly toward the park.
no care?" Vaeska had little doubt of it when
- the next morning she walked to the studio. One
day had made her sure. She wanted to Astro
again than she wanted anything in the world!
The day had been empty and vapid. She had
scarcely reached the reservoir before she knew what
a fool she had been ever to doubt. The product of
mere propnquity or not, the feeling she had for him
was paramount over every other emotion. She
wanted him back, to see him, hear him, and-well,
he would find out what else!
Again the empty studio smote her with the strange
feeling that despite the fact that she did meet
him there he near her Now it allzng
thought. Why had she not arranged how to notify
him. She had been she would need
month that she had not asked where he going,
and she had means of letting him know 1t
absurd! Must she wait for him to write.
After all, had she really means of discovering
his whereabouts? She looked eagerly about the
studio. For two years she had been his assistant in
unraveling mysteries Why should she not now
profit by her apprenticeship But how?
1t came to her then that it in way by means
of black light that he had worked. Most people