The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-06-11

bility Ia those words, 1T Is nearer" It hur-
ried along awakening streets, 1t was shouted
down the frost-stilled ways Of quiet villages,
men who had read these things from the throb-
bling tape stood in yelloW-lit doorWays shout
ing the news to the passers-by. TT is nearer"
Pretty women, flushed and glittering, heard
the news told jestingly between the dances and
feigned an intelligent interest they did not
feel Nearer! Indeed. How curious! How
clever people must be to find out things like
that"
Lonely tramps faring through the wintry
night murmured those words to comfort them
selyes-looking skyward. 1T has need to be
nearer, for the nights as cold as charity.
Don't seem much warmth from it if it is
nearer, all the same"
What is a new star to me?" cried the
weeping woman kneeling beside her dead.
The schoolboy, rising early for his exami-
nation work, puzzled it out for himself-with
the great white star shining broad and bright
through the frost-fowers of his window. Cen
trifugal, centripetal," he said, with his chin on
his fist stop planet in its fight, rob it of
its centrifugal force. what then? Centripetal
has it, and down it falls into the sun! And
this"
do we come in the way, wonder"
The light of that day went the way of its
brethren and with the later watches Of the
frosty darkness rose the strange star again
And it was now SO bright that the waxing
moon seemed but pale yellow ghost of itself.
hanging huge in the sunset. In a South Afrf-
can city great man had married and the
streets were alight to welcome his return with
his bride. even the skies have Illuminated
said the fatterer. Under Capricorn, two negro
lovers, daring the wild beasts and evil spirits,
for love of one another, crouched together in
VIII he hat
is our STAR" they whispered, and felt strangely
comforted by the sweet brilliancy of its light.
The master mathematician sat in his pri-
vate room and pushed the papers from him.
His calculations were already finished. In a
small white phial there still remained little
Of the drug that had kept him awake and
active for four long nights. Each day. serene
explicit and patient as ever, he had given his
lecture to his students and then had come
back at once to his momentous calculation.
His face was grave, a little drawn, and hectic
from his drugged activity. For some time he
seemed lost in thought. Then he went to the
window and the blind went up with a click.
Half way up the sky, over the clustering roofs,
2himneys and steepies Of the city, hung the
star
He looked at it as one might look into the
Eye of brave enemy "You may kill me- he
laid after silence; "but can hold you-and
Ill the universe for that matter-in the grip
# this little brain. | would not change Even
low"
He looked at the little phial There will
e no need of sleep again.. he said. The next
lay at noon. punctual 10 the minute, he en-
cred his lecture theater, put his hat on the
nd of the table as his habit was, and carefully
elected large piece of chalk It was Joke
mong his students that he could not lecture
of RI IN
myers, and once he had been stricken to i'm
otence by their hiding his supply. He came
nd looked under his gray eyebrows at the
sing tiers of young, fresh faces, and spoke
18th his accustomed studied commences of
hrasing. circumstances have arisen-car-
beyond my CONTROL he said, and
aused, which will debar me from completing
le course l had designed. It would SEEM
If may put the thing clearly and
riefy, that-man has lived in Vain'
The students glanced at one another Had
ley heard Alright? Mad? Raised eyebrows
Id grinning lips there were, but one or two
ces remained intent upon his calm, gray
inged face. 1T will be interesting" he was
ying, ito devote this morning to an exposi-
IN, so far as l can make it clear to you, of
e calculations that have led me to this con-
usion. Let US assume"
He turned toward the blackboard, medita-
lg diagram in the way that was usual to
NJ What was that about lived in vain'?"
1ispered one student to another Listen"
id the other, nodding toward the lecturer.
And presently they began to understand
That night the star rose later, for its proper
stward motion had carried 1t some way
ross Leo toward Virgo and its brightness
is SO great that the sky became a luminous
lie as it rose and every star was hidden in
turn, save only Jupiter near the zenith,
pella, Aldebaran, Sirius and the pointers
the Bear. It was white and beautiful. In
my parts of the world that night a pallid
10 encircled it about. 1t was perceptfbly
ger; in the clear retroactive sky of the trop-
it seemed as If it were nearly a quarter
} size of the moon. The frost was still on
} ground in England, but the world was as
ghtly lit as if it were midsummer moonlight
e could see to read quite ordinary print by
It cold, clear light. and in the cities the !
lps burnt yellow and wan.
And everywhere the world was awake that !
hit, and throughout Christendom somber
rmur hung in the keen air over the country !
e like the belling of bees in the heather. :
this muTmurous tumult grew to a claneor :
the cities. It was the tolling of the bells
a million belfry towers and steeples. sum-
ming the people to sleep no more to sin no !
re, but to gather in their churches and pray.
overhead, growing larger and brighter, as .
nth f0I