Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-05-22
/ TheCurSe|
! of QuetZal|
! BY ]. u. CiESY & J. 3. SMITH
Z Authors o. Semi-Dual Stories
B Copyright,
Z The Frank A. Munsey Co. 4

The stars silent monitors OF the
satth.' His voice was low, soft
br0odinR as the darkness beyond us.
How mach they have seen in all the
ages they have looked out Of the void
al man iiarbingers OF destiny. the
Stars, Through all ages mankind has
looked up and questioned, and in each
age few have learned 10 read an
answer from the fiery numerals Het
. down on the Masters blackboard"
| sensed rather than heard Laredo
catch his breath. Dayton turned his
head slowly ard regarded Dual as
though half comprehending waited,
knowing full well that he would go
on.
Those Old people, the Aztecs. read
them they believed in their voices,
gave heed Ia their predictions. So
well they knew them that when Cor.
ts2 came they showed him calendar
more nearly perfect in its fine calcu.
lalion than the one he used. In a
natural crisis Of affairs, their priests
not only inspected the augufy OF
The sacrifices, but they stood on
top the temple and Questioned the
stars
And il the priest were sincere IN
his question, desiring the truth and
only the truth, lion HE stars answer
truth I,r IT,, trcth's sakr shall ever
find il. though he AIN Of = stone IN lh"
fields. or of little child. or of star
In the sky,
"Mr Dayton" Semi Dual Went on,
IAN hour ago, perhaps, You asked me
how was able TO make a certain
statement; where I had gained my
knowledge What would YOU say
should tell you !, too questioned the
stars and hut voiced their answer 10
You"
Day'on's head came up with jerk,
II say he began and paused. You
wouldn't joke now. would you? You
mean you believe in"
"Astrology, Mr.. Dayton? Yes"
"Wingarde spoke TO me about it on
one or two occasions" said Dayton.
"He mentioned thai all the old races
believed in the thing. Rut thought
il had been given over by every one
except fortune.tellers and that sort Of
chaps never thought there was
anything in it. II seems a bit foolish,
YOU kno~. to imagine the stars
can have anything TO do with our
lives
How" came voice from the lips
in The shadow.
why why - how could they?'
Dayton failed TO marshal an argument
to his need
why could they not?" said Dual.
"For ages mankind believed it -.
through ages Of enlightened ciyiliza.
ton. before the dark ages put out the
light of achievement They worked
out a wonderful system OF calculation
by which to read their answers in the
stars.
and as the truth never dies. Mr.
Dayton, so what truth was theirs has
come down through the years to man
kind and those who wish may use IT,
as did tonight. by taking the rame
Of the man who was missing and qnes.
lOning as to his fate"
DaytOn's eyes We're wide and star.
ing in the light from the lobby. q
EFF you'll pardon me. just what are
your" he stammered.
"A student of life, said Dual.
sand yon really believe IN this
thing"
why noty We send an invisible
ray across a thousand miles of ether
and believe the thing which II says to
rhe man who sits there, the detector
al his ears. Why not believe the in.
Visible message the Omnipotsnt sends
from star?
why deny their magnetic influence
on life on this planetP Why accept
the wireless and deny telepathy, Mr.
Dayton? A thought is thing gener.
ated by the cell action of brain. 1t
is no less real than a Hert2ian wave
Once set into motion, ut lives until It
comes into contact with another brain
sufficiently sensitive to translate it.
Does not that suggest another
means to you of my learning PROBES.
sor Wingarde's fate? Can you not see
that when learned from my astro.
logical calculation that his probable
fate was death, !. who have studied
lie, forces, would seek for the wave