The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-15
THE
SKYLINE
SPRUCE
BY GdiSon MQEMdK
Ston- Luh psvsn Z oHparV

the governor. was breathiess with
Interest In his chair; Forest had the
rapt look OF scientist In some en-.
crossing experiment. lie opened tho
box. taking therefrom a roll Of
white cotton. This he slowly un.
rolled. revealing two small. ribboned
ornaments OF gold or bronze
nen's starting eyes fastened on
them. No doubt he recognized them.
A look OF veritahle anguishd swept
his brown face. and all at once small
drops OF moisture appeared on his
brow and thru the short hairs nc
hts temples. The dark scar at his
temple was suddenly brightly red
from tho pounding blood beneath
The Victoria Cross. OF course"
he said slowly. hrokeniy. II won a.
didn't Tho day'-that day at Yprcs
tho day my men were trapped
---=-"
Ills words faitcred then The
wheels OF his memory. starting into
motion. were stiilod once more.
Again tho great darkness dropped
over him. there were only tho medals
left In their roll OF cotton. and tho
broken fragments OF a story-of
some wild, stirring event OF the war
Just gonc--rcmaining In his mind.
Yet TO Forest tho experiment was
an unqualified success.
There's no doubt OF itF' he cx.
claimed. He turned to Mcnamara.
tho governor. Ills brain Il Just
as sound az yours or mine. With
tho right environment tho right
treatment. he'd be on tho straight
road 10 recovery. In a general why
Of speaking he has recovered now.
largely. from the purely temporary
trouble that no had before
MeSamara focused an latent eaEe
first on Hen. then on tho aiicnist.
1T Il. then--as you guessed
Absolutely. The night Of his ar.
rest marked the end Of hls trouble.
you might say that his brain simply
snapped back into health and began
TO function normally again. after a
period OF temporary mania from
ahell.shock. II Is true that his mem
DRY was left blank. but there doesn't
seem 20 b any organic reason for 10
20 be hlank--other than lack Of H..
centlve 20 remember. Catch me up.
II you don't follow me. In other
words. he has been slowly convaicnc.
ing since that night; under the
proper stimuli have no doubt that
everything would como back TO
him"
And cur friend her~--MsiviIie--
offers 10 supply those stimuli"
Exactly. And it's up TO you 10
say whether he gets a chance"
Thouwhtfuliy tho sxuc I've
drummed his desk with his pencil
Presently smile. markedly boytsh
and pleasant. broke over his faec.
More than once. In the tine Of duty
imposed by his hsSh office. he had
been Obliged 10 make decisions con
trary 20 every dictate % mercy. lie
was all the more pleased at this op-
portunity TO do. with clear con.
science. the thing that III. Kindness
prompted iie turned slowly In his
chair
Darby. ! suppose you followed
what tho doctor said7- ho asked
easily.
Fairly well. think"
I'm review II. n may. ~ seeus.
Ben. that you have boen tho victim
az a strange set OF unfortunate cir
curnstances. Due 20 tho efforts OF
an old family fricnd--a most de-
voted and earnest friend II ! may
say so---wo'vs looked up your record.
and now we know more about you
than you know about yourself. You
served In France with Canadian
troops and there. you win be- proud
70 know. you won among other hon
ors. the highest honor that the
government 81 England can award
a hero. There you were shell.
shocked. In the last months OF tho
war.
You ala not return 10 your home.
sheli.shock. Forest tells me. IL a
curious thing. resulting In many
forms OF mania. Yours led you into
crime. For some months you lived
az a desperate criminal In Seattle.
You came 20 yourself In the act OF
breaking into a bank. only to find
that your memory OF not only your
days Of crime but all that had gone
before was left blank That night.
a. you know. marked your arrest.
Forest has Just explained that
you are orRnnicaity sound--that tho
recovery of your memory In Just
matter OF time and the proper
stimuli Now. Ben. Il isn't tho pur-
pose OF this state 70 punish men
whom they are not responsible for