The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-21


Indians. My grandfather went
through the mutiny under Nicholson.
We were always in the army; and
my future was planned accordingly.
1 grew up hard and sound and nor
NAL 1 entered the army and went
out to India.
1.-THE girl had grown into lovely
woman; and we loved as sometimes
men and women love in poets
imagination. I have no photograph
of her. Only rarely can I conjure up
the face in full.
Sometimes it will be her hair,
burning under English sunshine,
glowing under the moonshine; some
times it will be her eyes, her lips
as she smiled; but I cannot hear her
voice. How I loved herl Great God.
how I still love herr"
He leaned against the mantel, his
head on his arm. l was the family
doctor: he was barring his soul to me,
blindly hoping that. wise man that
I was, / might have remedy tucked
away in the folds of my brain
For nearly twenty years, then. 1
lived the life of a normal English
man. I was tremendously alive and
happy, had everything in the world
to make me happy. The thing had
passed out of my life. 1 was a free
man. Indeed, 1 had almost forgotten
all about it,
In 1910 1 came home on a holiday
leave. My mother and my sweet
heart met me at the station. We got
into the cart. l was boyishly kiss
ing them, now one, now the other,
when I saw the veil on my mothers
face"
Cod to keep UP my smiles ana
chatter until We reaeheda the house!
But | did it.
Immediately after the funeral
did the only cowardly thing l have
ever done. 1 stole away. 1 took the
first ship out. / did not even write
to explain. I simply vanished out
of the girls life. Marry her, live
with her and watch her face from day
to day in endless. damnable terror?
L could not. I'd have gone mad and
made away with myself
And so 1 set forth each day. as
honorably as | may, to seek the hand
of Death. And Death mocks me and
pins medals for valor on my breastr'
Il have told you my story because
they tell me you are great surgeon,
that with trepanning you can take
out the criminal instinct from a hui
man brain"
/ caught the drift.
That" I had to answer, lis be-
cause criminal instinct is a human
instinct. and this thing of yours is
super natural What can I say to you?
Nothing. For I have given my years
to facts and the evolution of facts;
and the story to me is beyond the
pale Of facts. l am principally an
anatomist. biologist
You don't believe it?"
II want to believe it."
IF that young Frenchman dies to-
morrow"
Then I'll have to believe it. Car
michael, I'd do anything in the world
to help you, but I'm helpless in the
face of this"
"A dog. homeless. mongrel dog
So be it. One thing more, my friend.
Here are two keys. One opens the
door and the other opens the desk
yonder. 1 have duplicates. In that
desk is letter. 1t contains my
story. The envelope is addressed. l
want her to know only after I'm
dead. When the day comes that they
pick me up badly smashed. dying or
dead. you will be notified: and you
will come here and get this envelope
and take it to her."
Il promise that"
And if I'm only smashed. with
your hospital?'
II Pre- mise that, too"
Ten days ago he and his Belgian
were caught in a trap. Three FOX
kers pursued and caught them. They
made the Germans pay dearly.
They fell fully thousand feet.
The Belgian was already dead, rid
died. He had found his way out. But
such was CarmichaePs skill as a pilot
that he managed to land without
being killed.
Not a bullet had touched him, but
he was smashe1--both legs broken,
ribs bent in. shoulder dislocated and
collarbone cracked. He was sent to
my hospital. He confessed to me
that the veil had appeared on the
face of his Belgian friend that morn
ing. and he took it for granted that
he was to die also.
But he lived, though he will hobble
through the rest of his days on a
cane.
"A Gray Veil, Can you imagine it?
Can any normal minded human being
imagine it? When that young French
man of the restaurant scene was re-
ported dead, I knew. But knew what?
Nothing. I shall never know any
thing about it.
So call it the white corner of his
soul, because / can't think of any
thing else to call it.
As I finished my tale, l laid down
the spoon and reached for my goblet
of water. slyly eying my friends