The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-01-27
CHAPTER v.

self In that merclfui Oblivion bad drlv-
en- him back 10 his library where
feeble freight alone broke the dark
ness. He had drawn up his chair ana
against the sullen red background
memory marshalel the gray pageant
M his life. Distinct yet linked togeth-
er by an invisible chain OF cause ana
effect, the pictures represented 20 him
a tragedy-not OF circumstances, Out
OF characer He saw himself as a
child now lying on the long grasses
weaving his dreams into the dying In
dian sunset, now Erasping 10 visible
success with weak desperate hands
1 He saw himself as a boy, now beating
) his tortured brains against the pro
/ fession which tradition had ordained
nov hungering after the world Of I'M
agination which he had lost He saw
/ himself as man, his challenge Ut
| tered, stepping out on the lonely pain
| OF his own will Whittier had II leu
him? He had lived according TO his
own character and the disaster that
( followed was as Inevitable as ii was
| complete. The inevitableness crushed
phim "A house divided against Itself"
The words REQUIRED TO him with a
painful persistence and he knew that
( they described him and prophesied the
! end.
His challenge. TO the world had been
useless. for his greater enemy lay be-
hind the locked door Of his own soul,
where two forces opposed each .other
In silent conflict. To his distraught
fancy two figures represented them
the vague shadow OF the father he had
|, never known, but whose confession
was engraved on his memory, and on
the other side his mother, clear deiin-
tie personihcation of a boundless am
bition and inexhaustible energy And
OF these two he was the outcome. the
iaheritor. Strength coupled with
weakness, the dreamer with the man
OF action-what wonder that such a
union had failed For David Hurst
looked failure in the face He had
lost the one womaa who might have
bridged the cleft in his own nature
and with her the place for which he
had striven doeeedly, tenaciOusly. fhe
dreams romained-faded unreal flow
ers OF fancy whose fragrance had been
destroyed in tie heat OF battle He
leaned forward with his face buried in
his hands striving 10 animate them
with something Of their first beautiful
life, but a pale ghost. clasping the
body OF dead child in its feeble arms,
arose before his mental vision as
though in piteous mockerv
Outside the rain beat with hard
fingers against the window-panes. a
lump of coal crashed down into the
CRATE, startling him from his painful
intros pecton. He looked up and saw
that he was no longer alone. Half
lost AGAINST tie background OF shad-
ows, Sara svati stood and watched him.
She was fully dressed. her black hair
lay smooth On the small shapely head
which was thrown back slightly so
that her heavily.lasked eyes seemed
closed, and her hands lay crossed on
her breast So nolseless had been her
entrance. sc strange. almost sinister
was her attitude that for "A moment
Hurst sat motioulesS watching her
with the petrifed fascination of man
who sees his dreams take shape be-
fore him. And In that brief space or
time he recalled her az he had first
seen her-asleep amidst her lotus flow
ers with the golden figure OF the god
, towering above her in hideous mai
estv and as she came toward him,
gliding with scarce perceptible steps.
he saw her again in that wondrous
moment OF awakening when she had
come to him with the one complete
surrender OF herself
"Sarasvati--!" he exclaimed under
his breath. Swept back on the tide
{. of memory, he realized the ruin that
1 had been wrought. He sprang 10 his
! feet. his arms outstretched in an I'M
! pulsive passionate pity. but something
in her wan face checked him. "Sa-
4 rasvati-?' he repeated with note
! of Interrogation
She laid her hands on his shoulders
and for moment they looked each
: other steadily In the eyes The golden
[: sunshine which had once III up the
pure glory OF her beauty was changed
Ito the dull reflection OF the flrelight,
4 the beauty had gone and the earth
Forgetting love become a tragic tear
less recognition OF mutual sorrow.
MY Lord and God" she said sol
! EMMY.
He knew then that she too. had re-
\ membered. He held her to him, In
4 stinctively seeking to shield her from
some invisible danger, but she releas-
| ed herself with quiet decision
IT have come TO say goodnight 10
4 you and TO my aon." she said
Now" he questioned, painfully
moved
81 can not sleep until | have said
!. good night" she answered tOnelessly
without protest he nted a candle
and led the way out OF the room AMI
across the corridor.
At the closed door that shut in
their dead child he turned as though
T: TO support her but she drew back
4 with slight restraining gesture
II will go alone She took the
Z candle from his hand. and he opened
the door for her TO pass through.
BY the dim pickering light he saw
& the cradle amidst the walls OF white
Z heavy smelling flowers: he saw Sar
: asvatl take her stand at the foot and
4 gaze down on the pitiftIl thing that
a had been her child. Then, moved by
sudden sense OF his own unfitness
he closed the door and stood alone IN
the profound darkness OF the passage
Five minutes passed. The door opened
again and she passed out lie saw
no change I'm her quiet face, save thai
it's expression OF solemn purpose
3 seemed TO have deepened and IN 81
y 1ence he accompanied her To the foo
= OF the stairs. There she turned and
4 once more her thin hands rested Oh
/ his shoulder.
Good night" she said softly and