Evening star., 1909-04-24

~ " sssns ,sy,ns tns attitudes nss's, IN
a very obvious case of nervous coiiapse
on the contrary, the Boston neuro4osis'
had specifically recommended the piie
woods of Maine, or the quletest hsii'he
hamlet on the East Shore. But II was
one of Vandenberg's failings to go ABOUT
seeking advice. and when it was had anu
paid for to disregard it IS painstaklhsis
as possible.
So, when the physician had advised rest
and relaxation in some rural OF Pisea-
torial sanitarium in the lower al'l'uues'
Nandenberg straightway booked MS pas
sage for the Colorado sky land; ana once
on the ground mounted by successive
steps to Idaho Springs. to Georgetown
and tina,y to little summer camp hotei
in Middle Park, pausing here because
this chanced to be the altitndlnous apex
of all the mountain hostelries known 20
him.
AS for the nervous collapse, 1T was real
enough Six months previous to the west
ward fight Vandenberg had launched MS
third ship-of- -the-l.ne on the uncertain sea
of literature a novel into which he had
rut whatever reserves of faithfulness ana
courage a rather long apprenticeship 10
the craft had left him. Eight weeks OF
crucial suspense had followed, and at the
end of these, being fully persuaded that
the ship-of -the-line was hopelessly stuck
on the launching ways. he had flung him-
self into fresh effort. toiling as they
tot. who recklessly overdraW nature dc
count to the farthest limit.
At first Vandenberg was vastly 1ncredu-
Ions: would believe nothing of it, i'll fact,
iii, the royalty checks began to come III.
Then he went smash, as an overWorked
drudge of the ink-pot will. After winch
there was nothing for it but rest or mad
ness: or rest and madness, as ne came
afterward to phrase ii.
As for the idleness prescribed, he made
sr-e of that by leaving the manuscript
of his next book locked up in his desk.
But the madness was not to be so eashy
parried and 1T thrust him suddenly one
morning when he had strayed a little
,arther than usual from the summer ho-
eel in the park.
II was such a morning as only the sky
recching attitudes can breed; with an at
rnosnbere summer warm and genial, and
so crystal clear that the great gray peaks
Of the westward range seemed to lessen
their distance from its twenty miles OF
reality to an hours saunter OF eye-meas-
uring Such days bring healing on thelr
wings; and as Vandenberg heightened MS
morning walk, letting the grandeur sat
urate him afresh at each fresh viewpoint,
he forgot that no longer ago than yester-
day he had found the writing OF a mere
friendly letter a sheer impossibility-for-
got it and hoped that he was getting the
better of the nervous unstringing
This comforting hope was uppermost
when a turn in the trail brought him TO
a foot-log crossing the snoW-fed little
river which comes down from Argentine
pass. But at the foot-log the hope van
ished, and he was moved to swear
little He was a Kings College man, ana
IN his callow days he had earned mid
term vacation for doing turn a Ia
Blondin on the sharp ridge-pole or the
chanel roof in tights and trunks. But
now this bit of quick water spanned by
log daunted him.
y x
IT was when the ordeal was fairly over
passed and he was reaching tremendously
for some hand-grip on the far side that
the madness began. A clear, ringing
laugh greeted his cautious arrival, and
yandenberg swore softly and drew hip-
sell up with what dignity there was n
him. The witness to his ignominious
compromise with the vertigo was young
woman, and though il was scarcely q
moment for literary prefgurings, he
thought she might pose as the goddess Of
mirth She had reined up her horse in
the fringe of aspens and was laughing so
heartily that she seemed in imminent dan
ger of losing her seat in the mans saddle.
..Oh, 1 beg you will forgive me-. she
gasped, when breath was to be had. But
If you could only know how-how-'
How perfectly ridiculous it was"
he acquiesced. helping her out. Yes,
suppose 1t was-to you. But it was any
thing but that to me. assure you; it was
simply maddening l." He had a sud-
den return of the vertigo and had to stop
to sit down and hold his head in his
hands.
Wien his sight returned she was laugh
ing again, and 1t made him hotly angry
angry that she should think i. was the
memory of the passage perilous that over
came him.
~ n are most sympathetic young per-
SON." he growled Have you ever known
what il is to be ill?
You don't look ill., she retorted. imi-
tating his frankness-
But l am,'' he insisted morosely. L
am a wreck miserable, inconsequent.
idiotic wreck
She slipped quickly from her horse and
cam. to him with the bride rein looped
on her arm, her mood changing in the
turning of a leaf from mockery to instant
contrition.
.oh, I'm awfuly sorry-sorry that