Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-12-03
"Drowsl

Her lips framed but did not utter
the word mo" she was not in the
least sleepy, but deliciously at ease
The weight of his hand on her fore
head was like an imponderable force
of obliterating influence Conscious
ness was slowly retreatlng into Il
boundless space of inertia. She had
no desire TO restrain II
She did not know that her eyes had
moment in idle speculation concern
ing the singular disappearance Of
Philips face.
He had not moved. she knew; his
hand stlll rested on her forehead. But
his voice sounded far away:
"Sleep
She wondered that he should bid
| her sleep or wish her to. Perhaps II
was because he thought II would bet
ter prepare her for the ordeal Of the
hypnotic trance--iflt were any ordeal.
"Sleep
Iteration Of that monosyllable cx-
cited no more interest. She had be-
| come completely cngrossed with the
phenomenon of respiration, her own
breathing, its tempered, constant ebb
and flow, upon which her being
swung like leaf in tideway
"Sleep
She had no desire TO sleep, felt no
need of II. Never had she known
such absolute command of all her fac
ulties. The sensation of being acute
~ alive was extraordinary. without
precedent. Divorced from that com.
plexlty of cares and interests of daily
life which ordinarily distracted and
| diverted the full stream of Its powers
into an hundred channels. the ego
turned back to the ego and In that in
version achieved an isolation with a
self-completeneSs and containment
and independence passing anything
known In waking life.
In this Nlrvana, an unawed initiate
of the arcana of existence, the soul
dwelt in exalted abstraction. In n
phase of sublime selr-sufiiclency, free
dom and peace But not for
long; how long. there could be no
computing: consciousness of meas
ured time had been abolished by con-
tact with eternal veritles. Neverthe-
less the period OF that detachment
was not unlimited, II had an end, there
was at length necessity imposed
upon the soul. a summons, a calling TO
II from out the vast which II could
by no means ignore.
The call was from Leonora II was
the soul of Leonora. voiceless and In
articulate. calling to Its own. calling
without rest through the void from q
far and unknown bourne.
And the spirit to which its sound
less call was tuned answered and
Jared forth, seeking, forever seek
Time beyond reckoning was con-
sumed. yet the search had no end, the
soul adventured fruitlessly, its yearn'
ing was denied.
At last II returned. weary and frus-
trate and spent 1t came back to Its
own place, to the tenement OF Its ref
uge, and there rested upon and with
in itself. demanding the consolation
of it's integrity yet knowing no com
fort of II when found, tormented by
knowledge of its failure, haunted by
the call
Then that which II had sought and
found not sought II In turn, and II
was found the that was Leonora was
Joined to the that was Priscilla, and
the twain were as one and there was
solace I'm this apprehension OF one
ness.
But there was likewise sorrow and
dread that had neither of them any
form, so that there was not any sort
of rest. But as II the very face OF
their reunion forbade them rest, the
one that was two stirred and rose vi
again and once more committed Itself
to the toll and fatigue of search
whipped on and on by the lash of q
necessity that had no name but was
none the less memorable and pitt
less
But this time the search found an
end
There was in q forest a pool, q
dark. still pool In forest dark and
stIll. Huge boughs of ancient trees
weighed down with their burden OF
interviewer foliage, overhung the wa
ter darkening its face to blackness, q
half-light OF limpid green.
The air Of this place was sluggish
dank and warm and without move
ment, 1t was heavy with the cloylnl
sweet breath of mold Neither wal
there any movement In the pool
though its still black plaque wal
broken by white, cold. wet face up