Evening star., 1925-06-14
Continued from Yesterdays Star)

Not exactly soul, but spiritual
power, or perhaps only an influence;
at any rate, something that was there,
that could work. could hurt. per
queer, I know, but 1 felt that
way. Think the old Jews felt like
it when they forbade making pictures
and statues. They knew something
of occult things, got the knowledge
from ancient Egypt, and they were
afraid-afraid of the spiritual equiva-
lent of the material form. Knew II
was dangerous to meddle with such
things. And everywhere through the
whole history of mankind you will
find hints that point in this direction.
Interrelation between matter and splr-
1t. One, in fact, expresses the other.
If matter becomes articulate 1t Is splr-
it: if spirit becomes visible II is form.
Create then a form and you create
power. Well, in a way, that's just
what did with Loutre."
He tossed his cigarette away, lit a
new one and wandered through the
room.
'In the end" he said, "the thing
resolves itself to this: Who is the
creature and who the creator? Did
make Loutre or did Loutre make me!
| guess, more or less, he made me,
is making me constantly. Changing
me. l am not l. any iilcie IA lAiS
author of 'Loutre. I have to lead
life that's pleasing TO Loutre; I write
for the greater fame of Loutre, and
now I'll have to renounce Paris, and
ioy, and the carefree pleasures or
youth, just to go to Nancy and edit
a magazine for the greater glory OF
Loutre.'
He paused again, stood at the Win
dow and looked out. Then turning
around, he said:
Listen, Charley, something | think
that primitive man played once with
the idea of an Invisible Being, OF
God, just as 1 played with the idea
of Loutre And then this spiritual
power thus created grew and grew
and became stronger and stronger
and made man, who Is but little
more than an ape, do strange, un-
heard-of. unpredictable things; things
glorious, heroic and ridiculous; things
which are really not in the nature nor
in the power of man to do and when
he yet accomplishes for the greater
glory of god he created.
Again a deep silence fell Aristide
had regained his chair: he leaned
back and looked long and dreamliy
at the ceiling. IF l had only written
down Loutre, be began again.
nothing would have happened Things
put down into words are harmless,
innocuous. The original idea, the In
spiration, is full of passion, fire, urge,
power But when you put II INTO
words. write il down on paper, IL
gets chilled, weakened, emasculated.
Loutre put into the confines or
story, into the prison of printed
mage. couldn't have done anything.
But I was too lazy. Had all the money
to spend. So I let it go. And ne
was there. with the original push
and urge undiminished in him start
ing out on his own hook. Ana 60
ing on, and on, and on.
Charles jumped up.
"Why, that's insane. Aristlde, ms
cried: what can he do? He does not
live"
Aristide showed his impatience.
"Don't be an ass, Charles. He lives
as we'll as you do. Perhaps in a oil
ferent way, but quite as alive. Ana
he does exactly what you DO. IL you
want some one to lend you money, or
to bring you this or that, or 90 you
a favor-you don't use physical force,
do you? You impress the nina OF
this person-you make him belleVe IN
YOU. Well, that's just what Loutre
does. Impresses the mind. People
believe in him, do things for him and
on account of him. Everything In
which one believes is alive. Dead gods
are gods in which no one peheVes
any more" ,a
"People believe in the devil said
Charles quite irrelevantly.
"yyeII nerhaps Loutre is a devil"
agreed Aristide mot Lucifer in per
son. but one of the minor devils, with
a. terrible lust for power and great
appetite for all good things In me
comfort, riches, society, positlo1l.
And because he likes them, I've eot
to get them. Yes, that explains
Ioutre very we'll. A minor devil.
'Malignant?" asked ,ct Charies'
..Malignant? No. Not exactly. Not
n he is not thwarted in his purposes.
But when something stands IN ms
Vay. then, I think-Tuthless. Yes,
ruthless, that's the word Does not
care what he does. Did for poor
kersac."
Charles almost screamed his denial
"Insane," he shouted, insane. her-
sac died Of pneumonia: ne hau IA IA
fuenza. then a complication set IN an9 no
he had no strength left to throw OH
the virus. Perfectly natural
"Yes," said Aristide, but why
should he have no strength left? why
should complications set in? Otner Peo-
ple get we'll I tell you Loutre dld IL.
Monder wanted to talk to kersac about
L
hut 7 was tired. And Mondell is such
a mule. You have to argue, and argue,
and argue before he gives in. so L
Thought: Let Loutre take care of him
self. Well, he did-in his way. Could
not afford, of course. to have 1t known
that he is only the fiction of hctlon-
aver LET F. F. return from Japan"
Charles sad was whirllng. Ali the
5rinLs an ton Of it these revela-
tions, it W. GU much.
"Aristide,~ ne begged, tell me tnat
vol, were just fooling me; that you
made simply a rotten joke. A joke
almost believed in. But If you did not
Jest, if it's true, If you're really IN the
power of that thing. that Loutre' why
don't you cast him on, denounce hliil'
deny him and get free?"
Aristide shook his head.
'.Too late" he said. "If had spoken
at once. then it could have been
hoax. but now-now It's too much OF
a mess. Then consider. Charley, all L
have, all ] possess is really Loutre's
Denouncing him means to give 1t all
up That's not easy. The feshpots OF
Egypt. YOU know. I'm enslaved
"Of course, have still some spiritual
reservations left. I have never really
confessed to-I would almost say pro
fessed-Loutre. just let him have his
way. Never said directly anything that
would strengthen his position. But l
know myself that it's only a subter-
fuge Matter of time. Sooner or later
he'll drive me more and more into
corner-then the last shred OF the old
Aristide will be gone"
Charles Morissey almost cried with
vexation.
You make me sick, Aristide," he
protested, Saying such awful things.
Impious, utterly impious But,