The Washington herald., 1915-01-31

nat would make 1t all clear and
bright again. We should see into
everything, through everything,
into the deepest meaning of every
thing"
| why don't you eat it, them
said Mr.. Hinchcliff, with an in
spiration.
Il took it intending to eat it, "
said the stranger. Man has fallen.
Merely to eat again gould scarce
ly-"
knowledge is power" said Mr..
Hinchcliff.
"But is it happiness? l am older
than you-Inore than twice as old.
Time after time I have held this in
my hand, and my heart has failed
me at the thou ght of all that one
might know, that terrible lucidity
suppose suddenly all the world
became pitilessly clear"
"That, I think, would be a great
advantage" said Mr.. Hinchcliff,
"on the whole"
Suppose you saw into the hearts
and minds of every one about you,
into their most secret recesses-
people you loved, whose love you
valued"
You'd soon find out the hum
bugs said Mr.. Hinchcliff, greatly
struck by the idea.
"And worse-to know youself,
bare of your most intimate illu-
sions. To see yourself in your
place All that your lusts and
weaknesses prevented your doing.
No merciful perspective.
"That might be an excellent
thing, too. Know thyself,' you
know"
you are young" said the stran-
ger.
"If you don't care to eat it, and
it bothers you, why don't you
throw it away?'
There again, perhaps, you will
not understand me. To me, how
could one throw away thing like
that, glowing, wonderful? Once
one has it, one is bound. But, on
the other hand, to give it away! To
give it away to some one who
thirsted after knowledge, who found
no terror in the thought OF, that
clear perception"
"Of course" said Mr.. Hinch-
cliff, thoughtfully, "it might be
some sort of poisonous fruit"
And then his eye caught some
thing motionless, the end of a white
board black lettered outside the
carriage window. "-MWOOD,"I
he saw.
He started convulsively. "Gra-
ciousp said Mr.. Hinchcliff. Holm
wood and the practical present
blotted out the mystic realizations
that had been stealing upon him.
In another moment he was open
ing the carriage door, portmanteau
in hand. The guard was already
fiuttering his green flag. Mr..
Hinchcliff jumped out.
"Here!" said a voice behind him, |
and he saw the dark eyes of the
stranger shining and the golden
fruit, bright and bare, held out of
the open carriage door.
He took it instinctively. The
train was already moving.
MOI shouted the stranger, and
made snatch at it as if to take it |
back.
Stand away" cried a country
porter, thrusting forward to close
the door.
The stranger shouted something
Mr.. Hinchcliff did not catch, head |
and arm thrust excitedly out of the
window, and then the shadow of
the bridge fell on him, and in
trice he was hidden.
Mr.. Hinchcliff stood astonished,
staring at the end of the last car
receding round the bend, and with
the wonderful fruit in his hand.
For the fraction of a minute his
mind was confused, and then he
became aware that two or three
people on the platform were re-
garding him with interest. Was he
not the new grammar school mas
ter making his debut?
1t occurred to him that, so far
as they could tell, the fruit might
very we'll be the naive refreshment
of an orange. He flushed at the
thought, and thrust the fruit into
his side pocket, where it bulged I'M
desirably.
But there was no help for it, so
he went toward them, awkwardly |,