Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-24

back upon him now a slip on the edge
! of one of these iron crags and he would
| crash into Oblivion. and that would be
/ the end of his troubles If Paddock had
lodged him here with the idea that he
might be won to belief i'm religion he
: had made stupid blunder. The religion
of emotion might in certain circumstances
( have appealed tn Wayne Craiehiil. but
J the religion of service as practiced by
/ Stoddard and Paddock struck him as vain
and futile.
The :oad followed sharp defilC and the
sheer depths below invited him. 1t would
he quite decent of him to free the world
of his wretched self that had given him
n" JOY and that had become a byword
ard kissing wherever his name
known He wondered why he had de-
layed so long. Life was a prison house
and the labor was hard: below. there in
the snowy ravine lay peace He stopped
abruptly by clump of cedars. clutched
them and bent over to scan the depths.
He could see no bottom. and the place
Was So lone that they might not find him
when il was over. He felt that he had
never before been SO wholly master of
| himself. and the thought steadied him;
If he had ever been sane il was now,
when he was about to take French leave
of dreary and Improbable world. The
moon looked down upon him coldly: the
snow-Clad hills were Indifferent: the wind
lay still. waiting for this life to- slip away
like pebble into the gorge. The place
ready for the leap.
Steps sounded behind him as of some
one walking. but whoever came moved
deliberately along the shoulder of the hill
toward tho top. There was reason for
delaying: ample time remained in which
tn step into the gorge and he done with
it, Wayne chung stubbornly to the slip
perry edge but the moments passed. The
tall figure of Stoddard the priest. drew
nearer. his head bowed and his arms
folded under A long cloak His shovel
hat gave bizarre note to his costume.
He gained the crown of the ridge and
lifted his head
'Ah. You came out to watch the moon
to bed. That, Mr. CraiGhili, is my own
privilege
Wayne stood doggedly by the ravine
edge 1t was on his lips to berate the
priest for appearing at this crucial mo-
ment and Stoddard's calm manner an
Scred him.
This is the best view possible anywhere
about here" the priest continued. You
have an eye for landscape. but the wind
is rising: let us walk on into the wood
and get away from it
Father Stoddard you have done me an
injury. If l had not heard your step
when | did I should be lying at the bot
tom of the gap.
The reaction had been sudden and he
was all unstrung. His voice was strange
in his own ears.
oh, You had intended doing that?
really can't believe it
You might as we'll believe it; il is
quite true persisted Wayne. irritably-
Those things do occur to all Of us
sometimes replied the priest. calmly.
But in your own case il is quite I'M
possible. l advise YOU TO dismiss the
matter from your mind"
II tell you l was going to do it: sec
ond more and i should have been dead
man..
The priest readjusted his cloak. throw
ing an end over his shoulder.
Well. why don't You go ahead? he
remarked. carelessly- Il give YOU my
word | shall never mention it, But see
you haven't the will to do it. You yield
ed yourself for moment to the absurd
hallucination that your life was COM
plete and finished thing. but 1t is not:
take il upon myself, my dear Crafghill. !
to say that il is not. There are many |
rough edges: the design is incomplete. |
You will have 10 wait a little, my friend. !
The will of God has not had its divine
way with YOU yet.
The will of God" cried Wayne. hardly
knowing in his anger that he was follow
ing the priest away from the precipice;
do you think / believe any of that rot?
Then. the tall priest replied speaking
brusquely. wa his way. we will say
the way of the devil. If that pleases your
humor better. The devil, then. hasn
made very good job of you yet. He has
his sense of artistic completeness. and he
can hardly look upon YOU as one of his
chefs 'ouVre. Even the devil requires
time 1t doesn't strike me Off-hand. from
my observation of his patterns, that he's
made much Roadway with YOU. He would
undoubtedly accomplish more in time; but
YOU are not ready for his collection Yet.
Let's continue our walk. We must have
good many ideas in common. In your
day at ST. Johns did they affiict YOU with
roast veal every Thursday? They did in
nv time and il was always trial to me.
/ remember
a light way indeed. to treat the heroic
impulse of a man ready. moment be-
fore to plunge into the dark: but Paul
Stoddard was not without mis- wisdom.
He wrote note to Paddock that night
in which he said: -'Craighill is a good
fellow and there is hope for him. He Is
a man in search of his own soul and he
will find il in time. Pray for him "
ITO be continued tomorrow