Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-30
By
Gardner
Hunting.
THE VICARI0N
(Copvrtoht 1923 bv Public Ledccr)


possessed the sole clue by which he
might hope to find the one thing he
wanted TO find And he wanted 1t
enough-enough to put him in their
power! He could only hope that, SO
long as they did not know just what
it was they were Withholding from him,
they would not guess the full extent
of their power!
But was their power SO great? Had
the thing such a hold upon him.
after all? No mere desire could SO
rule man if he chose to deny it
indulgence. If he had been caught by
fear, perhaps!-for fear could not be
denied. But he could deny desire!
He must have been made to suppose
he could not. Whence was this panic
ha had been fighting so desperately?
Why, he could look at that beautiful
Dawn Vision or not as he chose: he
could sip Of the cup and set it down,
forever If need be! What was there
in it so resistleSS? What made it nee
essary to him? He could contemplate
it now quite calmly. He was contem-
plating it calmly--now. Now! Why
not test himself ain and see what
its fascination was? He had himself
now well in hand-why not taste again
and prove to himself that he was no
weakling to fall victim to a mere crav-
ing, like the contemplate slave of a
vice?
He had been standing in front of his
tray closet thinking of refreshment for
weary brain and body. Forgetfulness!
Such as no liquor could give him!
Here In these two remaining bombs
without labels! Mortimer and Ballard
and their problem and his drifted out
Of his mind. His arteries began to
yah H.
could be opened upon forbidden sweets
Forbidden. because h. l-new in his soul
that the draft of liquid life that lay
there ready to his hand was flaming
thing. Already the thirst it has created
was well nigh unquenchable! All, that
sweet thirst! What added power would
these added drafts give it?
The fire of desire was rising in him.
He began to consider deliberately that
a man is fool to temporize with an
appetite that grows III rapacity with
every indulgence; that was wisdom as
old as time. He took up the bomb A
man was fool to drink liquor that
takes over the reins of his being even
for an hour. He fondled the little steel
sphere. A man was fool to fasten
his eyes upon a prize he might not
reach. The steel seemed velvet smooth
W IIlS lOuCI! OIilg d 1OUl NUttIu SCI
foot again in path where he had just
been waylaiG. Only fool would eat
OF a food he knew an enemy had pro-
vided. 1t was more than folly to
play with manacles with which he
might be bound. It was madness to
expose his breast where his enemy had
already fired shaft All, wonderful
little metal shell with its lovely secret
hidden away within! What sort of
worlds ruler was he who could not rule
himself? Ha! He would think about
that later Later! 1t was not weakness
he was yielding to! He was taking de-
liberately the thing he could take or
let alone! Deliberate choices Besides,
these sayings of so-called wisdom were
only born of the hours of dead desires
They were dead thingS-the ashes of
spent passions-or products of anchor
ties cells, where passions themselves
were buried! What did man gain by
denying himself a thing he wanted and
might have? Some fancied strength?
Strength for what? That he might
deny himself again!
1t was not an argument pro and con
with which he dallied; he dWelt no
more on arguments justifying indul-
gence than reasons for bitter restraint
He was not now balancing between wis
dom and folly, between right and wrong
He steed with the little steel sphere
nursed in his palms even against his
breast, waiting, waiting! Like the cpl
cure who turns his glass and diScourSes
upon the evils of drunkenness while he
waits for thirst to rise to the poignant