The evening world., 1916-02-18

| Wuso hrVih uaWn 10 DUSK, noVerinE
IKE guardian angel over Howe.
After he began 70 mend and could at
UP and move about unhelped, she
didn't stay there no much. but she
cains for a while each day. liked
her, and admired her. Just as ono
would admire any dainty picture, but
IL could see whittier Howe was
drifting, and began 20 wonder np-
prohonsively II his madness was TO
leave black shame and misery In its
wake.
This day ia been out prowling
around among the lodges. curiously
observing life as these nomads lived
A. Buck was at the post. I camo
back TO our primitive domiolle and
stopped heedlessly by tho door, not
with any thought OF eavesdropplng. I
| simply hcsitated, one hand on the
flap. al n man In a flt of abstraction
| might stand n second at hla own
| threshold. But that bit OF absent
mlndedness was of short duration.
Ponokas voico drifted out TO mo "a
| distinctly as though abe were at my
elbow, and her speech. words, accent.
infection. everything. was the tongue
white man learns at his mothers
| kneol
For second I wss dumfounded.
Tho eternal "Why?" roso up ana
mocked me. Then I reflected that
even II Ponoka could speak English
and wns minded TO reserve the ac-
complishment for Howes benefit, II
was really mono of my concern. And
so. trying not to appear conscious, 1
opened tho Hap and stepped In. but
Howe's proternaturally acute earn had
noted my momentary halt at the door.
knew 10 the instant his eye caught
mine: there was hostility rampant IN
his glare. I'd barely seated myself
when Ponoka got up and went quietly
out, and the fringed hem of her buck
skin dress had barely cleared the
opening before Howe cut loose on me.
won't repeat the things he said or
the names no called me; decency for
bids. And after little. when my
patience threatened TO frazzle out.
| left him to himself and went up TO the
post to talk IL over with Dick. As
swung along atop OF tho rippled snow
drifts the harsh creak OF my steps
kept time to the question I could fnd
no answer for: How the devil arc
we going to get him homer And what
of his people--and Jean--wnen We
get thereT"
1 headed for the store frst, and
there found Dick and the doctor deep
l IL
was finished I interrupted the begin
ming of another. and blurted out what
waa in my mind. The Doctor turned
back In his chair. graveiy turning
over and over in his nngers q pawn
from the board.
'Tt's a peculiar oase-most pooui-
lar" no said thoughtfuiay. 'Tvs bean
in hopes that as hs gained In
strength and nervous energy his mind
e..t. AR IN - n
condition. But there seeans no pos
sibility of that now"
Then you don't think" I added,
"that it's caused by pressure on the
brain?"
Ho shook his head quickly. II don't
think so. I've examined the slcun
carefully. Only one place gives tnda =
cation OF fracture. and there Ia no de-
pression. Besides. pressure would
produce a different set OF symptoms.
If not severe enough 20 induce pro-
traoter coma, ne would be subject to
inooherent vagaTtes. and on tho con-
hallucinations. No, havo another
theory--you arc both, take II. life
time friends OF Mr.. Hover" he abb
ruptly queried.
"Of course" Dick answered, and I
nodded assent.
Were you aware that ne has. up 10
a comparatively recent date. boon ad-
dicted TO the use OF morphine--the hy-
podermic formY'
"What!" Dick raised in his seat,
blank increduulity writ large upon
his oountenance. To mo II wasn't so
much OF a shock. Not that I'd ever
suspected such thing. But my
newspaper experience had schooled
n nh ~ "a
hidden away from most people: IL
taught me that no class or breed Of
men has "A monopoly on vice, We're
all weak vessels and prone TO fall, and
the least n fellow can do u 10 show
n little charity to n weaker brother,
/ hadn't thought II of Howe: but
since | knew, Il accounted for some OF
his moods in the earlier period of our
journey to the North. l couldn't soc.
however. whero n had any bearing
on his present condition. Dick seemed
TO be honestly doubtful OF the doc
tors statement.
1T Ia fact. ! assure you," Morri-
son earnestly declared. you've only
10 look at the myriad needle marks
on each forearm TO convince yourself
II has occurred 10 me that the habit
had weakened his mental powers
not perceptbly, you understand; II
would not De noticeable. even TO him
self-and then in the Apes raid he
was clubbcd unconscious, and also
suddenly deprived OF the drug. Tho
shock, the lack OF nerve stimulus, and
tho Impression made upon him by the
lonely woods, accounts. In my opinion,
for his unbalanced mind--but this is
merely hazard on my part. It's a
puzzllng case - altogether beyond
me"
"If II was a combination OF mental
and physical breakdown caused by
wounds and exposure and lack Of a
drug no was a slave TO. how do you
account for his abnormal hardlhood,
his resourcefuf cunning. doctor?" |
argued. "RecOllect that no was alone
two days, without so much as a
match TO light fire; yet he travelled
as fast and az far as we did, and was
vastly better on. except for his bat
tered head, than We were whom we
overlook him. He's what you'd cali
"A tender foot; hos never been eX-
posed 10 hardship OF any kind. Yet
he was self reliant and physically
capable till his wounds and tho stress
OF the trail sapp"d his vitality. That
doesn't seem TO NJ in with your dag
nosis."
1T does not" the doctor frankly
owned. II can heal the physical Ills
that afflict mankind. but psyche
neurosls defies my skill can only
repeat that it's beyond me-"