Evening star., 1921-04-17

He's tainted" she said. Let him
lie" Then. to Hecker. in a voice that
quivered: How dare YOU"
| I'll prove it to you" he answered.
Suppose we find the body where he
| said. viii you believe 1t them"
Never she said passionately.
He turned quite white. You'll have
to. I'm going to Hanging bridge In
the canoe TO search the hyacinth Tor
the body.
TN go with you." said German
Gardner.
Betterfield. all afiutter. until we have
consulted ouija? 1t was quite re-
markaole last night. 1t kept spelling
| out trouble"
1T may save you valuable time"
urged Betterfield. 1T might even in
oicate the exact spot"
Come along" said Hecker.
CHARLTON. revived. appeared to be
In hazy mental condition. He
was helped into the sitting room and
put on a lounge before the FIRE. II
ne remembered the extraordinary
events OF the breakfast table ne gave
no evidence of 1t, but seemed quite
content to doze and smile at Sylvia
Glenn. who was caring for him. be-
tween maps. At 10 o'clock he reused
himself. demanded a cup OF the
strongest available coffee, and, hav-
ing swallowed it. declared himself
nt' asked if he had been any trouble
to any one and apologized if he had.
Il had a rather bad night" he said.
ruefully. dreams" He. shuddered.
They left me muddled when l woke
| up. Have 1 made fool of MYSELF"
frof. Rainey shook his head. After
Hecker's departure he and ! held a
consultation which concluded with
ms going alone to the clump Of pal
mettoes near the spring. He return
ed. looking thoughtful. Tacitly. Syi-
| via Glenn and l left it to him to
| handle Charlton. Why? That would
| be difficult of explanation. The little
man seemed to have developed a
sudden unsuspected quality of COM
! potency which. without yet really
manifesting itself, made itself felt.
Did Delano get his turkey" asked
Charlton. DO I lose?"
NO." answered the professor. He
| got none. Mr.. Charlton. do you mind
| answering a few questionso"
Il suppose not. What's wrong? Has
something happened?"
Possibly something serious. You
did not sleep in your room last
night"
"No-at least. only part OF the
night"
Where did you go to Sleep"
"In a hammock which 1 have
strung in the open"
Were you-pardon me. but the sit
70 aaG In Ia
the influence of a drug?"
Charlton frowned. hesitating.
"Oh. answer him. pleaded Sylvia.
"Yes-lethargol-ad double dose"
"a powerful soporifc. and a treach-
erous one. Do you take it often?"
"Only when l can't endure the in
somnia any longer"
Does it leave you in the condi-
tion you were in this morning."
TT never has before. 1t was the
double dose. expect. My memories
of last night are like those of a man
in a trance. They're blurred: yet L
feel as if 1 were just on the verge
of recalling them. You know that
feeling?"
Very well. You smoked several
cigarettes in your hammock. didn't
you?"
"Yes." Charlton stared. How did
you know"
II found the ashes underneath. Then
you took the drug. What time was
that"
about half past H."
1T acts promptly on you?"
Not very"
But by / o'clock you would be
thoroughly under?"
NO. 1 wasn't. The headlight Of the
up-lake boat partly reused me. Both
boats flood the road with light when
they make the turn. When l did get
TO sleep later 1 suppose the uncon-
scious recollection got into my brain,
for remember dreaming Of sort Of
pressure of light on my eyes"
| THAT would be the down. bound
boat" murmured his interrogator.
1T fixes the time as 2 o'clock
II don't know what you mean.
Time of what?"
you didn't see anything"
! mo. Yet had a sense of something
horrible happening and my knowing
all about it. although l wasn't really
present. 1t held me paralyzed for
time. as dreams will. Then I tried to
get away. ! think / did get away"
From your hailmock?''
"From wherever I was. Yes, Of
course. from the hammock in the pal
mettoes."
Where did you go them"
Il can't remember"
Try" urged Prof Rainey.
"I must have wandered. Then I
dreamed Of somebody saying: Go to
sleep. It's all right. Go to sleep"
who was it?'
A thin flush mounted to Charlton's
sensitive face. He was silent. I
could hear Sylvia's deep. quick
A..,+h;,- ..Y don,t knov" he said
finally.
And you, woke up this morning in
your room?"
"Yes-if you can call it waking. In
stinct took me into the dining room.
But was still in the dream
couldn't get out OF it."
And you can recall nothing OF
what you did after you left the pal
mettoes?"
Nothing but that vague ugly
dream"
Prof Rainey looked at a large sIl-
yer watch. II wonder how long it
in the canoe:"
"Oh. 1 forgot to tell you" said
Sylvia. "They didn't go in the canoe.
1t was missing when they looked
"Ah!" said the little professor.
Missing was 1t? That explains
hum! Yes-yes" he muttered. Much
quicker that way with the south
wind. What did Mr.. Hecker do for a
boat?" he added, more briskly.
They were to borrow one at the
railroad bridge"
'In that case we may expect to
hear from them soon. Now. Mr..
Charlton. we phychiatrists. you know.
have our own queer way Of getting