The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

the reverse Of the Occidental concep-
ton, suicide is a quick and glorious
route to heaven.
The current OF the stream carried
kathlyn along at fair pace; all she
had to do was to pole away from the
numerous sand bars and such boulders
as lifted their rugged heads above the
water.
Round a bend the river widened and
grew correspondence sluggish. She
sounded with her pole. Something hid
cuus beyond words arose--a fat. aged.
crafty crocodile. His corrugated snout
was thrust quickly over the edge Of the
raft. She struck at him wildly with
the pole. and in a fury he rushed the
raft. upsctting kathryn.
The crocodile sank and for n moment
lost sight of kathryn. who waded fran
tically to the bank, up which she scram-
BLEED. She turned in time to see the
crocodile's fearful eyes staring up at
her from the waters edge. He pres
entity slid back into his Shiny bed; a
few yellow bubbles, and he was gone.
Kathlyn's heart became suddenly and
unaCcountably swollen with rage: she
became primordial, she wanted to hurt,
main. kill. Childishly she stopped and
picked up heavy stones which she
hurled into the water. The instinct
to live famed so strongly in her that
the crust Of civilization fell away like
the mist before the sun. and for a long
time the pure savage which lies dor
mant in us all ruled her. She would
live. live, live; she would live to for
get this Oriental inferno through which
she was passing.
She ran toward the jungle, all UNI
conscious Of the stone she still held In
her hand. She lost all sense of time
and compass. and SO ran in half
circle, coming out at the river again.
The Indian twilight was rising in the
| east when she found herself again look
ing out upon the water, the stone still
clutched tightly. She gazed at the
river then at the stone, and again at
| the river. The stone dropped with a
| thud at her feet. The savage in her
| had not abated in the least: only her
body was terribly worn and weared
and the robe. muddied and torn. envel-
oped her like IA veil Of ice. Shove her
the lonely yellow sky; below her the
sickly river; all about her silence which
| held thousand menaces. Which way
should she go? Where could she pos
sibly find shelter for the night?
| The chill reused her finally and she
swung her arms to renew the circula-
| ton. Near by she saw a tree. in the
crotch Of which reposed platform, and
| upon this platform sat a shrine. 4 few
withered flowers hung about the gross
neck Of the idol, and withcred flowers
lay scattered at the base of the tree.
There was also bundle Of dry PUSHES
| which some devotee had forgotten. At
least yonder platform would afford
safety through the night. So, with the
last bit OF strength at her command she
gathered up the PUSHES and climbed to
the platform, arranging her bed behind
he idol. She covered her shoulders with
the PUSHES and drew her knees up to her
chin. She had forgotten her father
Bruce, the happy days in "A far country;
4 she had but a single thought, to sleep
What the want Of sleep could not per.
form exhaustion could; and presently
she lay still.
Thus she neither saw nor heard thu
pous pilgrims who were on their way t.
Alfalfa to pray in that temple known t.
offer protection against wild beasts. For
tunatey they did not observe her.
The pilgrim IL always a pilgrim In In
; dia 1t becomes. one might say, fas
cinating kind Of sport To most Of then
short pilgrimages are as tame as rabbit