The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-11-04
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J THE BLUE SHADOW (
BY MARY WHITNEY.
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been on my chicken farm and | shall
never leave 1t. The thought of sclenlf-
ic research Ills me with the same
horror that felt when | saw Marie
lying dead In the garden, faint blue
shadow on her forehead.
was just out of college when I
went to work for DIR. Gaspard From
the first he impressed me uncannily,
as a person Of too strong imagination.
Then, too, thought that he was not
over careful In the handling Of ex-
plOsives. But no one dared remon-
strate except Marie, and she was too
light.hearted aud happy.
At least she was happy until Lord
1iackett threw her over for rich Sam
Oroutt's widow. shall never forget
that morning. saw her run down
the hill. his letter In her hand. and
illng open the door Of the laboratory
without knocking, an act that was
strictly forbidden to us both. In
second j heard spit, then a roar and
could see the flash Of purple flame.
The doctor was scarcely hurt at all,
but Marie was burned and the poison
-ous fumes had quenched forever the
fight In her eyes.
II seemed as II every part Of feeling
in the doctor turned TO something grim
and terrible. The next morning he
called me to the library and asked me
what | knew about the pineal gland.
He pointed TO the open dictionary and
bade me read aloud. In q voice that
trembled little I obeyed: "In man n
small. conical. reddish gray body at
tached to the third ventrlcle OF the
brain. 1t has the structure of an eye
with a more or less distinct retlna or
lens. u Is evidently remnant Of an
important sense organ. Its present
function Is unknown"
Bear this in mind" said The doctor
when had finished. "there Is no death,
only change. Countless factors have
atrophied that gland. Now | shall
play upon IL by every stimulus TO
awaken H."
ITO what end?" I asked weakly.
ITO give her an eye TO her and all
the world"
."But there is no place, no socket"
zone will form. can only mark the
ends. not the processes of nature. All
I ask Of you. Miss Robinson. Is TO at
tend TO my supplies, file my notes and
to keep your mouth shut. know that
you are capable Of all three"
In about two months the process be-
gan. Every morning | led Marie to
the laboratory, the doctor locked the
door and walked outside. Sometimes
I could hear strange gurglings and
tmoans. but Marie declared that she did
:, not suffer much. After the treatment
she would sleep. And she would al
ways dream. At first It was of tall
trees and lush gYasses then the thick
cts would be peopled with great mon
sters and flying reptiles. She would
awaken hungry and ask for chops, al
ways complaining that they were
overdone.
watched these changes with dis
may, but the doctor frowned grimly.
"Ifs awakening" he said. "and with
its stirring Il brings 10 her subcon-
scious mind the evolution Of the race
One day Marie did not sleep as
usual. She kept murmuring thickly
about the wind In the tree tops The
doctor called 10 me to help moment
with some apparatus, and when re-
turned she had disappeared. l called
TO the doctor and we ran out into the
garden. She had climbed 10 the lower
limb OF an old pear-tree and sat with
face uplifted as If drinking In the
beauty OF the leaves against the sky.
When Marie heard our steps she
grasped the trunk with both hands and
began to climb. II was a Louis Bond
tree, very straight and tall.
"Come down, dearie," cried the doe
tor, "come down TO your daddy here" "
Marie leaned toward us. The
branches had unloosened her long hair
and II was swaying gently.
Father" she said, 81 wonder II
see the treesf Ii almost seems as II
/ do"
perhaps so, dearest. Come down
and tell me about IL. You're not afraid
OF your old daddy. are your"
I'm not afraid of anything but
snakes
Just then the first breath Of the eve
ming breeze rustled the leaves OF the
pear trees. II caught lock of Marie's
hair and whipped it across her face
ooh !" she screamed, "a snake; felt
himr She brushed frantically at her
face, lost her hold and fell at our
feet.
Tenderly we carried her into the H.
brary and laid her on the couch.
pushed back her hair and, for the first
time, we saw faint, blue, oval shadow
on her forehead.
And that is all the story Of Marie
Gaspard. The doctor went to France
and In few months bought my
chicken farm. Sometimes, ON moon
light nights, I>see my rear trees
rustling in the breeze. Sometimes a
white misty figure bends toward me
nd Il fnh A