The Bozeman courier., 1927-07-08

self-control managed to walk quietly by
Gabrielli's side back to the hotel.
Prof. Blount and Madame Duplessus
had retired for the night, and Roderick
Blair stood leaning against pillar re-
filling his pipe. He listened while Ga
brielii chartered about the launch and
the boatmen, but he noticed that Ali
son was silent and that her face looked
white and pinched.
'I think you'd better go to bed, my
dear" he said, when he could get a
word in. I'VE make an early start to-
morrow"
Half past eight the fellow told me-"
Gabrielli informed him. 'He wanted it
to be seven, but 7 told him we'd never
get the professor on the move so early"
Alison said, Eyes, III go in presently.
There was something I wanted to ask
you, Uncle Roddy."
Her voice held a timorous, hesitating
note which Gahrielli was quick enough
to detect.
"Guess I'd better say good night, then.
You've no idea how standofhsh she's
been, Mr.. Blair. I can take a hint as
well as anybody"
Don't be cross" Alison said, gently.
Eyes, I do want to see Uncle Roddy alone
for few minutes, if you don't mind"
Gabrielh did mind, but he had sense
enough to realize that it was absurd to
pretend jealousy Of old Blair, even to
himself. Besides Alison had given him
no 10 D6 J6dlOuS.
She sat down on the steps, elbows on
her knees, propping her face in her
hands. Another long call from some for
est animal set her to shaking as with a
mortal chill.
What is it you wanted, my dear?'
Roderick Blair asked.
He seated himself beside her, and she
felt comforted by his nearness.
Uncle Roddy, when we die, do we al
ways know it at once? mean-well, you
remember what you write in Memory
and the Conscious Mind'?-that chapter
on dreams and the stimulation of the
senses through objects seen, touched o.
smelt in infancy, or-as you said-it
might be possible even in some othel
existence"
Blair nodded. 'I wrote a lot of non.
sense in that book" he said. What OF
earth do 1 or does any one else know
about death except the simple fact o.
it?" He looked at her anXiously. Don
think about such things, my child. IT.
bad enough that you have to type th
make the most of this trip. Tell m
what you think of Florida? To me, tn
beauty and the strangeness are bewil
dering. Somehow, had expected sor
you've never been here before. hav
you, Uncle Roddy?"
mo, but I shall come again"
1--WE been before" Alison said uncer
tainly. Don't laugh, Uncle Roddy-bU
have. That's why wondered if coul
have died, and you, too, because if yo
weren't dead and I was, we couldn't
sitting here talking together, would we
I'm a ghost, Uncle Roddy, and mus
have died long, long time ago, becaus
I've forgotten so much that I ought t
remember. One of the boatmen is a dec
mute. There was a man here in the
other life Of mine who talked by movin
his fingers. He made a doll for me OF
of a gourd. He painted face on it an
pinned a red handkerchief around il
neck"
Blair put another match to his piI
WI persisted in going out.
''l think you've been trying to grapp
wAt1 subjects which only hard heade
old fogies like Blount and me ought
be allowed to touch" he replied. "You'7
had dream some time in which tropic
scenery figured, and your conscious men
ory retains no impression of it. That
all. There's a little more accounting fl
dreams than for our various theories
life after death. Go to bed and take g
old mans advice-don't dream"
He spoke in half bantering way, ar
Alison was silenced. Why argue furthe
Even if this dream Of tropical scene
had occurred and she had seemingly 70