The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-08
MORGAN ROBERTSON.

mOH0AN nO06n S0Ns
 O. What did they drug me for?. But the whisky was all right. It's all done with now unless get ashore, but will IT'
 The moon rose above the castellated structure to the left, flooding the icy beach with ashen gray light, sparkling in a thousand points from the cas- cades, streams and rippling pools, throwing into blackest shadow the gull lies and hoKows and bringing to his mind in spite of the weird beauty of the scene crushing sense of loneh ness-of littleness-as though the vast pile of inorganic desolation which held him was of far greater importance than himself and all the hopes, plans and fears of his lifetime. The child had cried itself to sleep again, and he paced up and down the ice.
 up thefe," he said moodily, looking into the sky, where few stars shone faintly in the flood from the moon ''up there - somewhere - they don't know just where-but somewhere up above, is the Christians heaven. Up there is their good God, who has placed Myra's child here-their good God and down below us, somewhere again, are their hell and their bad god, whom they invented themselves. And they give us our choice-heaven or hell. It is not so-not so. The great mystery is not solved. The human heart is not helped in this way. No good, merciful God created this world or it's condi- tions. Whatever may be the nature of the causes at work beyond our mental vision, one fact is indubitably proved that the qualities of mercy, goodness, justice, play no part in the government scheme. And yet they say the core of all religions on earth is the belief in this. Is it, or is it the cowardly, hu- nan fear of the unknown that impels the savage mother to throw her babe to crocodile. that impels the civilized man to endow churches, that has kept in existence from the beginning class of soothsayers, medicine men, priests and clergymen, all living on the hopes and fears excited by themselves?
 "And people pray-millions of them and claim they are answered. Are they? Was ever supplication sent into that sky by .troubled humanity an- swered or even heard? Who knowsf They pray for rain and sunshine, and both come in time. They pray for health and success, and both are but natural in the marching of events. This is not evidence. But they say that they know, by spiritual uplifting, that they are heard and comforted and an- swered at the moment. Is not this physiological experiment? Would they not feel equally tranquil if they re- peated the multiplication table or box cd the compass?
 Millions have believed this-that prayers are answered-and these mil lions have prayed to different goes. Were they all wrong or all right? to? Admitting that the Bibles and Korans and Vedas are misleading and unreliable. may there not be an un- seen, unknown being who knows my heart, who is watching me now? If so, this being gave me my reason, which doubts him, and on him is the responsibility. And would this being, if he exists, overlook 8 defect for which I am not to blame and listen to a prayer from me based on the mere chance that I might be mistaken? Can an unbeliever, in the full strength of his reasoning powers, come to such trouble that he can no longer stand alone, but must cry for help to an imagined power? Can such time come to sane man-to me?' He looked at the dark line of vacant horizon. It was seven miles away; New York was 900, the moon in the east over 100000 and the stars above any number of billions.
 He was alone with a sleeping child, a dead bear and the unknown. He
 walked softly to the boat and looked at the little one for a moment; then, raising his head, he whispered, "For l you, Myra.'
 1 Gro Be Continued.)
 Good gracious, Beasley, how dit you get So banged up?" 'Why, I saw two men fighting and stepped in be