Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
THE VICARI0N by Gardner Hunting I
0SS@ S~S SS~s ~0@ By IB
1V1gQyIyUIUW9WQESgygNUNV Observation-Disclosures
Copyright. 1928. By Public Ledger

skin-with broken nails and split lips
with its hairy chest or its fair bosom
bared-with Its nostrils quivering and
its knuckles white-from its cradle to
It's mummy case. striving. reaching, rag
ing, living. dying-hating. stabbing, ca
ressing, cheating, flattering, poisoning,
elf-sacriflcing, throat-cuttlngl Life,
the hummer. the martyr, the madcap,
the patriot, the assassin the sweetheart,
the despoiler, sublime or groveling, in
its glory or its shame!
Before him passed things so terrible
that one might think they could LAGER
ate the eyes or leave the mind mangled,
and things so beautiful as to burn bare
the soul. But the man listened and
watched-listened and watched-for
trickle Of falling water and eyes peering
from a screen of leaves!
In each little bomb, new hopel Never
could he know what the new little shell
might contain. Expectation. disappoint-
ment. momentary distraction, deSpond-
ent returnl Sometimes he slowly, care
fully. methodically combed period or
a place. to and fro, and back and forth,
spreading his multiple vibrations, as 1t
were, Notwithstanding deploying-in
organized search. Sometimes he swept
with single vibratory magnet, zigzag-
ging like a hound ranging for a lost
scent. Sometimes, desperate, he flung
all method and all sense aside and
snatched at random for what might be
caught-like an unreaSoning child who
claws wildly for some lost treasure in
mass of jumbled toys. Sometimes he
duplicated things he had seen before
furious at the loss of time, then fam
ing with hope that the god of chance
would yet toss the priceless replica his
way.
AS time went by he became calloused
to its passing. He forgot that life is
not merely fever and fray and fear
and hope; that it is eating and drink
ing and rest-and casual .cntact and
Sympathy--and music and .aughter-
and day and night! Strung to a pitch
far above any normal human note, ne
became like mere tuning-fork, attached
to his machine-like a stnslti2ed plate
his sagging knees gave way; |
sometimes his hands fell atremeling in !
an ague of helplessness. Then he
would drink, and drink, Ills decanter
emptied, he broke the neck from a bot
tie he would not pause 20 uncork. He !
ceased to want food. He felt no thirst |
his liquor would not quench-and
when his eyes sometimes doubled images !
before them he attributed 1t to the !
drink. He felt neither WEAKNESS nor |
pain, though he had his periods OF UNI |
which he thought might |
be sleep. If 1t occurred to him to
stop. he stopped long enough to see
Jerry Billiards. grinning face and to |
hear him say, I'll go PACK ana walt
till you come to mel"
And then suddenly ne found him
self waking from a sort Of Wlde-eyed |
sleep of the brain and hearing and
seeing the tr:ckle of water into crys-
tai pool and the love noe of a scarlet |
birdl lie saw his Darling of the Dawn |
peep from her lookout, spring out and |
down to her carpet of grass, thing |
Of morning skies and dew, with hair |
like spun shadows from the hollows
Of the sea, with eyes like memories OF
lost Heaven! She stretched out arms |
to him aglow with ripeu!ng sunlight, |
her young breast heaved with painting |
breaths, as she called--ard dropped
and sobbedl /
Crazed with JOY. he leaped and
lac tried to rush to her. He |
fell over his chair and crashed to The |
floor. His head struck-a fearful
blow. When he tried TO rise. the white |
room wllir.ed. Nausea Allied him and |
he fell hack as II thrust down by |
mighty, Sufte.ing. tanning. sudocating |
hands For time consciousness went
out again. L
When ne found the dim light and
Stiffness around him once more, he was |
lying with his face in wet spot OF his
own blood on the floor. His head was
against the foot of the condenser. But |
he did not care, His brain was clear.
He crawled to his feet. hope lifting his
body like SalvanizinS current. The
scene-the precious scene-was gone |
again; but he stood on his feet anc
found her! Sweet Spirit of All Ecstasy, |
he had found her! She was his! lie |
could not lose her again, There in his |
protector was the numbered bomb |
whose index was registered row. He |
could trace her. He could know her |
He could find herl If she lived. he |
would fetch Der to him frGm wherever !
she was, oppose who might! If not, |
he would 20 to her. He wanted no !
other earth, and no other Heavenl
He was forced to seize chair ard !
use it as n crutch 10 help. him across
the room But lac made his way to
his switchboard and the niche where |
he sheathed his oor1!'s. tIo flung open /
the ALtIS QOIE hllu FIusb ia us IliisI
There was no bomb u ere.
Impossible! He clawed at the tine |
opening like doc at a hole in sand. |
He struck at his switches and brought |
on his glare of lighi He wrenchcd at |
the door Of the niche till It came OFF in |
his hands. He stared. fumbled. moaned !
he searched the floor, the airl He |
clawed again at the empty niche, Their |
whirled and surveyed the white room
once more.
The long. glittering Condenser was
dumb. In 1t so freshly filled bombs |
awaited him. In his waiting tray were |
SO others, mostly spent. He started
vaguely toward them. but stopped short. |
He had taken no bornb from the niche
since that scene had come and gone. |
No bomb had been there! What he had ,
seen had not come to him through the
condenser. recaptured. found! A trick
of the mindi A drearn Vapor Of half
insanity, born of the foodless, sleepless.
drink -spurred brain ITSELF Born OF TN
known laws! Not the etheric record of
the thing he'd loved and lost; but only
the record that memory aad made and