Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-23

within hearing, listened moment ana
went back. working on him." he
whispered TO the third officer. Then
he pushed the button which called the
captain. blew short blast OF the
steam whistle as call to the boat
swain and resumed bis watch on The
drugged lookout, while the third OIL
Ger conned the ship.
The steam call TO the boatswain Is so
common n sound on steamship as 10
generally pass unnot!ced. This call az
fectcd another besides the boatswnln.
A little rigbtgowred figure arose from
an underherth In Il snloon stateroom
and. with wide open. staring eyes,
proped its way to the deck unobserved
by tho Waterman The white. bare
little feet felt no cold rs they battered
the blanks Of the deserted promenade
and the little figure had reached the
steeroCe entrance by the tine the cap-
tnin md hoatswaip had reached the
bridge.
"And they talk" went on Rowland
as the three watched and listened, "Of
the wonderful love and care of II mer-
cifu, God. who controls all things, who
hos- Given me my defects and my ca
pacfy for loving and then placed
Myra Gaunt In my way. Is there
mercy to me In this? AS part or a
great evolutionary principle, which
develops the race life at the expense
of the individual It might be consistent
with the idea of a Coda first cause
But does the individual who perishes.
because unified to survive, owe any
love or gratitude to this GodP He
does not! On the supposition that he
exists, deny 1t. And on the com
plete lack of evidence that he does
exist, l affirm to myself the integrity
of cause and effect which is enough
to explain the universe and me. a
merclful Coda kind, loving. just and
merciful Cod lie burst into n fit of
homogeneous laughter, which stopped
short as he clapped his hands to his
and then to his head. what
ais me-" he gasped. II feel as though
had swallowed hot coals-and my head
.-nnd my eyes--I can't see" The pain
left him in a moment, and the laughter
returned whats wrong with the
stnrboard anchor? It's moving. It's
changing. It's a--what? What on
earth Is it? On end-and the windlass
and the spare anchors--and the dav-
lts-all alive-all moving"
The sight he saw would have been
horrid to healthy mind but it only
moved this man to increased and uncon-
trollable merrinient. The two rails be-
low leading to the stem had arisen
before him in a shadowy triangle, and
within it were the deck fittings he had
The windlass had become
a thing of horror. black and forhidding.
The two end barrels We're the bulging.
tghtless eyes of n nondescript mon
ster, for which the cable chains had
themselves into innumerable
legs and tentacles. And this thing was
rawling around within the triangle.
The anchor davits We're many headed
serpents which danced on their tails,
and the anchors themselves writhed
and squirmed In the shape Of immense
hairy caterpillars. while faces appeared
on the two white lantern towers. grin
ming and leering at him. With his
hands on tie bridge rail and tears
down his face, he laughed
at the strange sight, but did not speak.
and the three. who had quietly ap-
preached, drew back to await, while
below on the promenade deck the little
white figure, as though attracted by his
laughter turned into the stairway lead
Ing to the upper deck.
The gor1a faded to a blank
wall of gray fog. and Rowland found
sanity to mutter. They've drugged
me-" but IN an instant he stood in the
darkness Of a garden, one that he had
known. In the distance were the
lights Of house, and close to him was
a young girl. who turned from him and
fed, even as he called to her.
BY supreme effort of viii he
brought himself back to the present, to
the bridge he stood upon and to his
duty. why must 1t haunt me through
me years, ue STOuucu, uIuuk tleIi. !
drunk since? She could have saved |
me, but she chose to damn me- He |
strove to pace up and down, hut stag
yered and chung to the rail- while the
.hree watchers approached again. and
he little white figure below climbed
he upper bridge steps.
1.-THE survival Of the fittest." he ram |
)led as ..e stared into the fog-"cnuse |
and effect 1t explains the universe
Ind me-" He lifted his hand ana spo{e |
oIdly, as though to some unseen f.
liiliar OF the deep. What will be the |
asst effect2 Where In the scheme OF |
Ultimate balance, under the law Of the .
Of energy, will my wasted !
wealth Of love he gathered and
weighed and credited? What Will bal
,nce il, and where will l be? Myla,
My,a," no called, do you know what
-.-lr17.Iy--T---1r-~yA