The Washington herald., 1909-07-11
The Nations Pawn

norman ne said, II know you too
well To eVade or TO mince matters,
Furthermore, am certain that, with
your wonderful knowledge OF nearly
everything and every profession under
the sun, could not fool you if l wanted
to. You diagnosed your case as we'll as
/ could when you said that the sands
were running low They are. lie
stopped, as II seeking some way TO pail
ate further sorrowful Information,
But the recluse, still calm, placid and
unperturbed, brought the Issue to tho
point with single question.
"Iow long?"
The answer was equally terse.
Between six months and a year-prob-
ably closer TO the sixth than to the
twelfth month"
$50 short2
Eyes, so short"
There was a silence OF nearly min.
ute, I'm which the recluse resumed his
Inspection of the bust.
"DO YOU know, william" he said, ~
believe ! shall give that TO you, because
there are 50 few others who would ap-
McGuerney looked at his friend In
omazcment Then, slowly following the
direction OF the other eyes, he found his
own resting on the antique bust.
~ believe IL would have been trlhe
better according 20 all conclusions |
have been able TO arrive at II the nose
had been a little thinner. / can't quite
haGmOnize thick nose with PlatO's
character" the sick man continued.
For heavens sake" the doctor ex-
claimed, wheeling around toward Moore
again. ARE you talking about your col
lection when I've just told you that you
are a dying manY"
why. certainly. why shouldn't IT'
The philosopher leaned forward, and
The bequest OF my Plato Is OF greater
Importance to me than the span OF my
days. one is temporary thing the
other perpetuity, for art i'm marble out
lasts us all; spreads It's record through
the minds of us, through those who fol
low us-the multltudinOus generations 90
blind, scrutinizing eyes on you, your chill
dren and other mems children, after the
very names Of Moore and McGuerney
have vanished from the tablets OF mem
ory, and crumbled away from our ex'
posed tOmbs.'
The specialist sat down, hopeiessly.
Mark me-" the philosopher said, arls.
ing TO his feet, ''yOur prognOsticatlon OF
death the mortal end of Norman. has
no terrors for the mind OF the man him.
self. which Is superior, | trust. 20 either
fear or change or the necessity OF re-
linquishment Not that the reinquish.
ment is made without some pangs, be-
cause the mind OF Norman Moore has
possessed and lived and used as an agent
the assimilation, for the brain II carried
and still carries. But l should be untrue
TO my convictions and my reason when
you, DIR. william McGuerney a machin"
ist Of flesh, say 20 me, This implement
you have used Is worn out and can no
longer be utilized II / did not at once
halt with joy the excuse for securing,
He shrugged his shoulders with some
thing suggesting the suavity OF a pol
occupying and utilizing new and bet.
ter one"
ished Frenchman, holding his hands
palms upward In pose Of grace
Unfortunately" he continued brains
are not able to secure new bodies TO
support them I'm this present existence,
and OF the conditions which surround
another life we are not quite positive.
nor quite certain that II Will not require
time for us TO become accustomed u
them. This, l find from my reasoning,