The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-12-18
CHAPTER XIV

AAAAa n AAA AAN
 MIGHT rns E;ni heavy ln the tky. ~ Tlse chcmist's room uAs lncis- iinci and nurky. hy the light of ihe expiring lamp. a ehosily silence had sncoeeded 10 the knocking and the voice ouiGide; nothing was aadibie but. nov and then. a low sound among the whitened ashes of the fire. as of Is yielding up ats last breath. Before ii on the ground the boy lay fast asleep. In his cha!f. the Chemist sal. as he had sat there since the calling at his door had ceasec-llke a man turned to stone.
 Bfyen1 the boy. 70 that his sleep Ing figure lay at his feel. the Rhan- ten steod immovable and silent.
 Was the form that stood beside lt indeed Milly'sp The quiet head was bent a little, as her manner vas. and her eyes were looking down, as fl in pity. on the sleeping child.
 sscPEcTERl" said the Chemist.
 O newly troubled as he looked. Oh, do not bring her here. Spare me thati"
 This Is but a shadow" said the Phantom; when the morning shines seek out the reality whose image present before you"
 'Is 1t my memorable doom to do so7" cried the Chemist.
 Tt is." replied the Phantom.
 ITO destroy her peace, her good ness: to make her what am myself. and what have made of othersl"
 I have said seek her out" re- turned the Phantom. T have said no more"
 "Oh, tell me-" exclaimed Red- law, catching at the hope which he fancied might lie hidden in the words. Can I undo what I have done?"
 "No," returned the Phantom.
 T do not ask for restoration to myself" said Redlaw. What I abandoned, I abandoned of my own free will, and have justly lost. But for those to whom have transfer red the fatal gift; who never sought it; who unlmowingly received curse of which they had no warning, and which they had no power to shun; can do nothing?"
 Nothing" said the Phantom.
 "Ahl Can she?" cried Redlaw, still looking upon the shade.
 The Phantom released the hand it had retained till now, and softly raised its own with gesture of dismissal. Upon that, her shadow, still preserving the same attitude, began to move or melt away
 Stay" cried Redlaw with an earneStness to which he could not give enough expression. For moment! As an act of mercyp
 The Phantom answered.: Seek her out" And her shadow slowly vanished.
 THEY were face to face again, and looking on each other, as intently and awfully as at the time of the bestowal of the gift, across the boy who still lay on the ground between them, at the Phantom's feet.
 Terrible instructor" said the Chemist, why has this child alone been proof against my influence, and why, why, have I detected in it's thoughts 8 terrible compan- ionship with miner"
 This" said the Phantom, point ing to the boy, lis the last, com pletest illustration of human crea- ture, utterly bereft of such remem- brances as you have yielded up. No softening memory of sorrow, wrong, or trouble enters here, because this wretched mortal from his birth has been abandoned to worse condi- ton than the beasts, and has, with in his knowledge, no one contrast, no humanising touch, to make a grain of such memory spring up in his hardened breast. All within this desolate creature is barren wilder ness. All within the man bereft of what you have resigned, Is the same barren wilderness. Woe to such a manw
 The Chemist clasped his hands, and looked, with trembling fear and pity, from the sleeping boy to the Phantom, standing above him with Its finger pointing down.
 Behold, say" pursued the Specter, "the perfect type of what 1t was your choice to be. Your in- huence is powerless here, because from this child's bosom you can banish nothing. His thoughts have been in terrible companionship' with yours, because you have gone down to his unnatural level. He is the growth of mans indifference; you are the growth of mans pre- sumption. The beneficent design of Heaven Is, in each case, overthrown, and from the two poles of the im- material world you come together"
 The Chemist stopped upon the ground beside the boy, and, with the same kind of compassion for him that he now felt for himself. covered him as he slept, and no longer shrank from him with ab- horrence or indifference.