The Dolores star., 1910-01-21
SYNoPSIA

CHAPTER I.-Richard Derring. return
Ing from winter in the woods to his
mothers farm home is overtaken by his
uncle. accompanied by his eccentric wife.
coming to pay visit at the farm.
CHAPTER H.-Aunt Jerushas ques-
tons about Emily Hutton. supposed to be
lRichard's sweetheart, bring out the fact
that she is to marry a merchant. Ed
wards.
CHAPTER III-Derring's disappoint-
lment stimulates his ambition and un-
der the advice of Seth Kinney. a hermit
'of the woods. he resolves to fit himself
for college. Kinney promises to teach
him Greek.
er his resolve, and in his grandfather's
old laboratory begins the study of Greek.
| CHAPTER V.-Seth Kinney hears Rich
ards Greek recitation in the woods while
he and Tom Bishop ply the cross-cut
saw.
CHAPTER vI-Derring learns that he
can look indifferently upon the loss of
Emily. He visits Aunt Jerusha, who vol
unteers to help him through college. max
ing him a gift Of 500
) CHAPTER VII.-The Greek learned in
the woods carries Richard triumphantly
through entrance examinations. wins ap-
proval from the professor and insures his
popularity among his fellows.
CHAPTER VI1I.-Four years in college
obltterates the memory of Emily. Der
ring begins his journalistic work in Chi
cago.
CHAPTER Ix.-Derring meets =.
Gordon in her studio. where he goes to
fill an assignment.
CHAPTER x.-Derring's promotion to
art critic on his paper makes him more
secure financially. He makes rapid prog
ress in comradeship with Helen. The dis
covery of an old love episode In her life
reveals to him that he loves her.
CHAPTER XI.-Helen refuses to marry
Richard and hamper his career and her
own. They enter into a compact which
permits only companionship with mo
promises on either side.
CHAPTER xII.-Both fnd happiness IN
the underlined relation. Helen finds Rich
ards suggestions very helpful in her
wort
sixth sense which warns him of any dan
ger or discomfort to Helen. He is called
home by the illness Of Seth Kinney and
determines to test the strength of this
peculiar power of communication.
CHAPTER xV.-Seth Kinney is dying.
and Richard resolves to remain to the
end. Seth hears the story Of Richards
western experience and reveals the story
of his own wasted life.
CHAPTER XVI.-Dying In the spring,
Beth leaves Derring a sman fortune.
which enables him to place his mother In
comfortable circumstances. He returns
to Chicago. Helen starts on a visit to
her home in the east and is killed in a
railway accident. She leaves a message
for Richard. saying: II shall come back
to you If I can. But II not"
Gladly would he have died. In hope.
less, desperate fashion he prayed for
death. But something-intangib
still held him from taking his own
life. He did not perceive that there
were depths of misery lower than any
IN vyhfCh hn hoH foil
foreseen the trackless country over
which he was to wander, he would
have laid down his life in despair at
the outset. But the sight was merci-
fully withheld from him, and he
pressed steadily on, unloved and un-
loving. but hugging close to his heart
one delusive belief-love was still in
the world. Not for him, but for
others, life was still worth the living.
How or when this belief escaped
him he never knew. He awoke one
day to the awful conviction that even
this had been taken from him-that
nothing remained between him and
absolute despair. He had been a fool
How could any love-even as pure as
theirs-how could even this make life
worth living? 1t was at best a frail,
uncertain thing. liable to snap at any
moment and leave life empty, DESC
late-like his own. No, life was a
mistake. Derring could fancy it the
gift Of some arch-fiend who lay back,
laughing in his sleeve, as from afar he
watched men rushing here and there,
pushing and scrambling. cheating,
swearing, dying-for. what? For a
will-o'-the-wisp, a mirage, a child's
fable.
Thus despair took hold on him. But
the effect was not what one would
have foreseen. 1t drove him towards
his fellow-men. In his first grief he
had been moody and reserved, speak
ing seldom and then only of the most
matter-offact details of work. Now
he sought companionship. He courted
conversation. But his conversation
was sharp and cynical in tone. No
subject was too sacred or too tender
for his wit 1t was as II the fiend
had taken him far above and had
showed him that all is vanity and
vexation of spirit-transient. fleeting,
beginning nowhere and ending in
nothing-too triiing to mourn over
and surely not worth enthusiasm.
Every one in the ONCE felt the
change. Many young fellow who
came under the lash of his tongue
wondered vaguely what had come
ever Derring. But no one guessed the