The Washington herald., 1912-07-28
BY JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
Author of THE DANGER TRAIL"
THE HONOR OF THE BIG SHOWS" &C.

post WHICH i have fcdsOH IOI nOt u1lu>
ing And the third couple went to fe-
verish district down in Central Amer
lea"
He rose from his chair again, and
Philip was silent while the doctor went
to his great-coat and from somewhere
within its depths brought out fresh
cigarettes His hand trembled slightly
as he lighted one and the fare of the
match. playing for an instant on his
face. emphasized the nervous tension
which he was under.
Il suppose you think it all very.
strange-and idiotic," ne said, after
few moments. But We frequently do
strange things, and apparently senseless
ones, in scientific work. Madnlen have
made the worlds greatness. Our most
wonderful inventors, our greatest men
OF all ages, have in a way been insane
for they have been abnormal, and what
is that but a certain form of insanity"
He looked at Philip through his Gig
arctic smoke as if expecting reply, but
Philip only wet his lips, and remained
silent.
Il got six months leave of absence"
he resumed, "and set out to see the re-
suits of my experiments. First / went
to Rio. and from there to the place
where the first couple had gone As
consequence, five weeks passed between
the date of the last letters of my ex-
perimenters and the day / joined them.
Heavens, man! When l made it known
that | wanted them. where do you think
they took me?" He dropped his half
burned cigarette and his voice was
husky as he turned on Philip. Where
y 81 IL
he demanded.
TREMENDOUSLY. "Where?"
outside the village" groaned the doc
tie. The girl, finding herself useless
there, had begun to teach the little
quickly over this" His voice broke to
whisper "She was an angel. The
poor half-naked women told me that
through my interpreter The children
c.led for her when she died The man
had brought Towering trees from miles
away to shade her grave-and the other
They had met, as | had planned-thc
man and the girl, but it didn't turn out
my way. 1t was a beautiful love,
! believe, as pure and sweet as any in
the whole world. They say that they
made the whole village happy, and that
each Sunday the girl and the man
would sing 10 them beautiful songs
which they could not understand, but
which made even the sick smile with
happiness. 1t was 4 low, villainous
place Tor village. half encircled by
/ swampy river, and the terrible heat of
! the summer sun brought with it a
strange sickness. 1t was a deadly, fatal
sickness. and many died. and always
! there were the man and the girl. work
ing and singing and striving to do good
| through all the hours OF day and night.
What need is there o. SAYING more"
| the doctor cried, his voice choking him.
/ What need to say more-eXcept that
the man went first, and that the girl
died a week later, and that they were
buried side by side under the nlangum
trees. What need-unless it is to say
| that / am their murderer"
There have been many mistakes
made in the name Of science" said
Philip. clearing his throat. This was
| one. Your theory was wrong
Yes, it was wrong" said the doctor,
more gently. u saved myself by kill
ing them. My theory died with them,
and as fast as I could travel | hurried
to that other place in Central Amer
lea"
A soft glow entered into his eyes
now, and he came around the stove and
took one OF Philips hands between his
own, and looked steadily down into his
face. while there came curious twitch-
ing about the muscles Of his throat
Nothing had happened" he said,
barely above a whisper Il found her.
and | thank God for that I loved
her, and my theary was doubly shat
;eGad, thousand times cursed She
is my wife, and | am the happiset OF
men-except for these haunting men,
ories. Before married her l told her
all. and together We have tried to make
restitution for my crime, for ! shall al
ways deem it such. l found that the
man who died was supporting mother.
and that the girls parents lived on
little mortgaged farm in Michigan. We
sent the mother $4,000, and the par
ents the same We have built a little
church in the village where they died
the third couple" finished the doctor.
dropping Philips hand, came up here
When | got back from the South l
found that several OF my checks had
DCCIl "IOLc dIlCI
ter, but could find no trace of these last
of my eNperimenters. | sent an agent
into the North and ne returned without
news of them. They had never ap-
peared at Fort Smith. And now-I
have come up to hunt for them myself.
Perhaps, in your future wanderings,
YOU may be of some assistance to me.
That is why | have told you this-with
the hope that you will help me, if you
can"
With a fash Of his old, quick cool
ness the doctor turned to one of Pierre
Thoreau's hunks.
Now" he said, with strained
laugh, I'll follow your suggestion and
60 to bed Goodnight"
10 BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAY