,illustration3 ,they all stood round and laughed at him ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,modern ,,short ,,stories ,a ,,book ,,for ,,high ,,schools ,,edited ,,with ,,introduction ,,and ,,notes ,,by ,,frederick ,,houk ,,law1 ,ph4,d4 ,lecturer in ,english in ,new ,york ,university1 and ,head of the ,department of ,english in the ,stuyvesant ,high ,school1 ,new ,york ,city ,publisher's ,logo ,,new ,,york ,,the ,,century ,,co4 #aiba ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,copyright1 #aiah1 by ,,the ,,century ,,co4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,preface ,for many years high school teachers have wished for books of short stories edited for high school use4 ,they have known that most novels1 however interesting1 are too long to hold attention1 and that too few novels can be read to give proper appreciation of form in narration4 ,the essay1 as seen in ,the ,sir ,roger de ,coverley ,papers1 and in ,irving's ,sketch ,book1 has been a poor substitute for the short story4 ,high school students have longed for action1 for quickness1 for life1 for climax1 for something new and modern4 ,instead1 they have had hundreds of pages1 long expositions1 descriptions1 leisurely treatment1 and material drawn from the past4 ,they have read such material because they must1 and have turned1 for relief1 to short stories in the cheaper magazines4 ,the short story is to-day our most common literary product4 ,it is read by everyone4 ,not every boy or girl will read novels after leaving school1 but every boy or girl is certain to read short stories4 ,it is important in the high school to guide taste and appreciation in short story reading1 so that the reading of days when school life is over will be healthful and upbuilding4 ,this important duty has been recognized in all the most recent suggestions for high school reading4 ,the short story is just beginning to take its important place in the high school course4 ,to make use of a book of short stories in high school work is to fall in line with the most modern developments in the teaching of literature in the high school4 ,most collections of short stories that have been prepared1 for school use1 up to the present1 are more or less alike in drawing much of their material from the past4 ,authors and content alike are dead4 ,here is a collection that is entirely modern4 ,the authors represented are among the leading authors of the day1 the stories are principally stories of present-day life1 the themes are themes of present-day thought4 ,the students who read this book will be more awake to the present1 and will be better citizens of to-day4 ,the great number of stories presented has given opportunity to illustrate different types of short story writing4 ,what could not be done by the class study of many novels may be accomplished by the study of the different stories in this book4 ,the student will gain a knowledge of types1 of ways of construction1 of style1 that he could not gain otherwise except by long-continued study4 ,class study of the short story leads inevitably to keen appreciation of artistic effects in fiction4 ,the introductory material1 biographies1 explanations1 and notes1 have been made purely for high school students1 in order to help those who may have read comparatively little1 so that1--instead of being turned aside forever by a dry-as-dust treatment1--they may wish to proceed further in their study4 ,it is always pure delight to teach the short story to high school classes1 but it is even more delightful when the material is especially fitted for high school work4 ,this book1 we hope1 will aid both teachers and pupils to come upon many happy hours in the class room4 ,the editor acknowledges1 with thanks1 the kindly permissions to use copyright material that have been granted by the various authors and publishers4 ,complete acknowledgments appear in the table of contents4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,contents ,,page ,,preface iii ,,introduction ,i ,our ,national ,reading vii ,,ii ,the ,definition vii ,,iii ,the ,family ,tree of the ,short ,story ix ,,iv ,a ,good ,story xi ,v ,what ,shall ,i ,do with ,this ,book8 xiii ,,vi ,where to ,find ,some ,good ,short xv ,stories ,,vii ,some ,interesting ,short ,stories xvi ,,viii ,what to ,read about the ,short ,story xix ,,the ,,adventures ,,of ,,simon ,,and ,,susanna -- #c ,joel ,chandler ,harris ,from 8,daddy ,jake and the ,runaways40 ,,the ,,crow-,,child -- ,mary ,mapes ,dodge #i ,from 8,the ,land of ,pluck40 ,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,bell -- ,lafcadio #ag ,hearn ,from 8,some ,chinese ,ghosts40 ,,the ,,ten ,,trails -- ,ernest ,thompson ,seton #bb ,from 8,woodmyth and ,fable40 ,,where ,,love ,,is1 ,,there ,,god ,,is ,,also -- #bc ,count ,leo ,tolstoi ,from 8,tales and ,parables40 ,,wood-,,ladies -- ,perceval ,gibbon ,from #ch 8,scribner's ,magazine40 ,,on ,,the ,,fever ,,ship -- ,richard ,harding #ec ,davis ,from 8,the ,lion and the ,unicorn40 ,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation -- ,stacy #fi ,aumonier ,from 8,the ,century ,magazine40 ,,moti ,,guj--,,mutineer -- ,rudyard ,kipling #hd ,from 8,plain ,tales from the ,hills40 ,,gulliver ,,the ,,great -- ,walter ,a4 ,dyer #ib ,from 8,gulliver the ,great and ,other ,stories40 ,,sonny',s ,,schoolin' -- ,ruth ,mc,enery #aje ,stuart ,from 8,sonny1 a ,christmas ,guest40 ,,her ,,first ,,horse ,,show -- ,david ,gray ,from #aag 8,gallops #b40 ,,my ,,husband',s ,,book -- ,james ,matthew #ace ,barrie ,from 8,two of ,them40 ,,war -- ,jack ,london ,from 8,the #ada ,night-,born40 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,monsters -- ,morgan #adg ,robertson ,from 8,where ,angels ,fear to ,tread40 ,a ,,dilemma -- ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell ,from #afj 8,little ,stories40 ,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league -- ,a4 ,conan ,doyle #aff ,from 8,adventures of ,sherlock ,holmes40 ,,one ,,hundred ,,in ,,the ,,dark -- ,owen ,johnson #aib ,from 8,murder in ,any ,degree40 ,a ,,retrieved ,,reformation -- ,o4 ,henry #bab ,from 8,roads of ,destiny40 ,,brother ,,leo -- ,phyllis ,bottome ,from #bba 8,the ,derelict and ,other ,stories40 ,a ,,fight ,,with ,,death -- ,ian ,maclaren #bch ,from 8,beside the ,bonnie ,brier ,bush40 ,,the ,d,n-,,nan-,r,n -- ,fiona ,macleod ,from #bdh 8,the ,dominion of ,dreams1 ,under the ,dark ,star40 ,,notes ,,and ,,comments #bge ,,suggestive ,,questions ,,for ,,class ,,use #bif ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,introduction ,i ,,our ,,national ,,reading ,is there anyone who has not read a short story8 ,is there anyone who has not stopped at a news-stand to buy a short-story magazine8 ,is there anyone who has not drawn a volume of short stories from the library1 or bought one at the book-store8 ,short stories are everywhere4 ,there are bed-time stories and fairy stories for little children2 athletic stories1 adventure stories1 and cheerful good-time stories for boys and girls2 humorous stories for those who like to laugh1 and serious stories for those who like to think4 ,the ,world and his ,wife still say1 8,tell me a story10 just as they did a thousand years ago4 ,our printing presses have fairly roared an answer1 and1 at this moment1 are busy printing short stories4 ,even the newspapers1 hardly able to find room for news and for advertisements1 often give space to re-printing short stories4 ,our people are so fond of soda water that some one has laughingly called it our national drink4 ,our people of every class1 young and old1 are so fond of short stories that1 with an equal degree of truth1 we may call the short story our national reading4 ,,ii ,,the ,,definition ,the short story and the railroad are about equally old1--or1 rather1 equally new1 for both were perfected in distinctly recent times4 ,the railroad is the modern development of older ways of moving people and goods from one place to another1--of litters1 carts1 and wagons4 ,the short story is the modern development of older ways of telling what actually had happened1 or might happen1 or what might be imagined to happen1--of tales1 fables1 anecdotes1 and character studies4 ,a great number of men led the way to the locomotive1 but it remained for the nineteenth century1 in the person of ,george ,stephenson1 to perfect it4 ,in like manner1 many authors led the way to the short story of to-day1 but it remained for the nineteenth century1 and particularly for ,edgar ,allan ,poe1 to perfect it1 and give it definition4 ,before ,poe's time the short story had sometimes been written well1 and sometimes poorly4 ,it had often been of too great length1 wandering1 and without point4 ,poe wrote stories that are different from many earlier stories in that they are all comparatively short4 ,another difference is that ,poe's stories do not wander1 producing now one effect1 and now another4 ,like a ,roman road1 every one goes straight to the point that the maker had in mind at the beginning1 and produces one single effect4 ,in the older stories the writers often turned from the principal subject to introduce other matter4 ,poe excluded everything1--no matter how interesting1--that did not lead directly to the effect he wished to produce4 ,the earlier stories often ended inconclusively4 ,the reader felt that more might be said1 or that some other ending might be possible4 ,poe tried to write so that the story should be absolutely complete1 and its ending the one necessary ending1 with no other ending even to be thought of4 ,with it all1 he tried to write so that1--no matter how improbable the story really might be1--it should1 at least1 seem entirely probable1--as real as though it had actually happened4 ,in general1 ,poe's definition of the short story still holds true4 ,there are many kinds of stories to-day1--just as there are many kinds of engines1--but the great fundamental principles hold true in both4 ,we may still define the modern short story as3 #a4 ,a narrative that is short enough to be read easily at a single sitting2 #b4 ,that is written to produce a single impression on the mind of the reader2 #c4 ,that excludes everything that does not lead to that single impression2 #d4 ,that is complete and final in itself2 #e4 ,that has every indication of reality4 ,,iii ,,the ,,family ,,tree ,,of ,,the ,,short ,,story ,everyone knows his father and mother4 ,very few1 except those of noble descent1 know even the names of their great-great grandparents4 ,as if of the noblest1 even of royal descent1 the short story knows its family tree4 ,its ancestry1 like that of the ,american people1 goes back to ,europe2 draws strength from many races1 and finally loses itself somewhere in the prehistoric ,east1--in ancient ,greece1 ,india1 or ,egypt4 ,in the royal galleries kings look at pictures of their great ancestors1 and somewhat realize remote the past4 ,many of the ancestors of the short story still live4 ,they drank of the fountain of youth1 and are as strong and full of life as ever4 ,such immortal ancestors of the short story of to-day are ,the ,story of ,polyphemus 7ninth century1 ,b4,c471 ,the ,story of ,pandora and her ,box 7ninth century1 ,b4,c471 ,the ,book of ,esther 7second century1 ,b4,c471 ,the ,city ,mouse and the ,country ,mouse 7first century1 ,b4,c471 and ,the ,fables of sop 7third century1 ,a4 ,d474 ,there are still existing many ,egyptian short stories1 some of which are of the most remote antiquity1 the ,tales of the ,magicians going back to #djjj ,b4,c4 ,all the stories just named1--and many others equally familiar1 drawn from every ancient land1--affected the short story in ,english4 ,in the earliest days in ,england1 in the fifth and in a few succeeding centuries1 the priests made collections of short stories from which they could select illustrative material for the instruction of their hearers4 ,they drew many such stories from ,latin1 which1 in turn1 had drawn them from still more ancient sources4 ,then1 or a little later1 came folk stories1 romantic stories of adventure1 and other stories for mere amusement4 ,in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the ,italians became very skilful in telling short stories1 or 8novelle40 ,their 8new0 tales had a lasting effect on short story telling in ,english4 ,chaucer's ,canterbury ,tales1 in the fourteenth century1 although in verse1 told in a most delightfully realistic way all kinds of stories from all kinds of sources1 particularly from the literatures of ,italy and of ,france4 ,chaucer told his stories so remarkably well1 with such humor and reality1 that he is one of the great forces in the history of the short story in ,english4 ,in the sixteenth century stories from ,france1 ,spain1 and other lands1 also gave new incentives to the development of the short story in ,english4 ,in the eighteenth century ,addison's ,spectator published very short realistic narratives that often presented closely drawn character studies4 ,these are hardly to be called short stories1 but they influenced the short story form4 ,about the beginning of the nineteenth century1 partly because of ,german influence1 it became the fashion to write stories of mystery and horror1 such as many of those by ,irving1 ,hawthorne1 and ,poe4 ,irving softened such stories by the touch of realistic humor2 ,hawthorne gave them artistic form and nobility2 ,poe developed the full value of the short story as a literary type1 and pointed out the five principles named above4 ,the genius of these men led the way to the modern short story4 ,since their time the short story has moved on in its development1 including every kind of subject1 tending to speak more and more realistically of persons and places1 but not losing its romantic nature4 ,popular short stories of to-day are closely localized1 and are frequently quick1 incisive1 and emphatic4 to-day there are all kinds of short stories1--folk-lore tales1 local color stories1 animal stories1 humorous stories1 stories of society1 of satire1 of science1 of character1 of atmosphere1 and scores of other types1 all virile1 interesting1 and profitable4 ,however well-dressed the modern short story may be in form and style1 it is worth little1 unless1 like its immortal ancestors1 it has the soul of goodness1 truth1 and beauty1 and does something to reveal nobility in the life of man4 ,,iv ,a ,,good ,,story ,with houses and stories it is much the same4 ,as any one may build a hut1 so any one may compose a short story4 ,in both cases the materials may be common and cheap1 and the construction careless4 ,the one may give shelter from the storm1 and the other may hold attention for a moment4 ,neither may be worth much4 ,somewhat better are the ordinary house1 and the ordinary story4 ,both are good1 and fairly well constructed1 but the material is frequently commonplace1 and the general characteristics ordinary4 ,to lift either a house or a story out of the ordinary there must be fine material1 artistic workmanship1 close and tender association with life1--something beautiful1 or good1 or true4 ,for the highest beauty there is need of something other than obedience to rule in construction4 ,any architect can tell how to build a beautiful house1 but there is a fine beauty no mere architect can give1 a beauty that comes with years1 or the close touch of human joys and sorrows4 ,it is the same with stories4 ,we can not analyze the finer quality1 but we can1 at least1 tell some of the characteristics that make short stories good4 ,as ,poe said1 the best short story is short enough to be read at a sitting1 so that it produces a single effect4 ,it includes nothing that does not lead to that effect1 and it produces the effect as inevitably as an arrow flies to its mark4 ,the ending is necessary1 the one solution to which everything has moved from the beginning4 ,in some way the story is close to life1 and is so realistically told that the reader is drawn into its magic1 and half believes it real4 ,it has a combination of plot and characters1--the nature of the characters making the action1 and the action affecting the persons involved4 ,without action of some sort there would1 of course1 be no story1 but the action1--usually built up of two opposing forces1--must be woven into plot1 that is1 into a combination of events that lead to a definite result1 perhaps not known at first by the reader1 but known from the beginning by the author4 ,the plot is somewhat simple1 for the story is too short to allow of much complexity4 ,the action and the characters are based on some experience1 imaginary or otherwise1 and are honestly presented4 ,in the best short story there is no pronounced artificiality or posing4 ,there is always a certain harmony of content1 so that plot and characters work together naturally1 every detail strictly in keeping with the nature of the story4 ,the best story has an underlying idea1--not necessarily a moral1--a thought or theme1 very often concerned with ideals of conduct1 that can be expressed in a sentence4 ,closely associated with everything is an indefinable something1 that rises from the story somewhat as the odor of sandalwood rises from an oriental box1 a sort of fragrance1 or charm1 a deeply appealing characteristic that we call 8atmosphere40 ,some stories may emphasize one point1 and others another1--the plot1 the characters1 the setting1 the theme1 or the atmosphere4 ,as they vary thus they reveal new lights1 colors1 and effects4 ,still more do they vary in the charm that comes from apt choice of words1 and originality or beauty of phrasing4 ,altogether1 the best short story is truly an artistic product4 ,the old violins made in ,cremona by ,antonius ,stradivarius have such perfect harmony of material and form1 and were made with such loving skill1 that they are vibrant with tenderly beautiful over-tones4 ,so the best short story is perfectly harmonious in every part1 is made from chosen material1 is put together with sympathetic care1 and is rich with the over-tones of love1 and laughter1 and sorrow4 ,v ,,what ,,shall ,i ,,do ,,with ,,this ,,book8 ,here is a book of more than twenty excellent short stories1 not one of which was written with the slightest thought that any one would ever wish to study it as part of school work4 ,every story was written 7#a7 because its author had a story to tell1 7#b7 because he had a definite aim in telling the story1 7#c7 because he felt that by certain methods of form and style he could interest and delight his readers4 ,the magician opens his box1 and holds the ring of spectators enthralled4 ,here is no place for study4 ,one must simply stand in the circle1 and look1 and wonder1 enjoy to his utmost1 and applaud the entertainer when he makes his final bow4 ,but the spectator is always privileged to look1 not only idly but also as sharply as he pleases4 ,so the reader is entitled to notice in every case the three reasons for writing the story4 ,the best way1 then1 to study this book is not to 8study0 it4 ,it is not a geography1 nor a book of rules1 nor any kind of book to be memorized4 ,it is a book to be read with an appreciative mind and a sympathetic heart4 ,read the stories one by one in the order in which they are printed4 ,read with the expectation of having a good time1--that is what every author intended you to have4 ,but keep your eyes open4 ,make sure you really know the story the author is telling4 ,one way of testing your understanding is to tell the story in a very few words1 either orally or in writing1 so that some friend1 who has not read it1 may know the bare story1 and know it clearly4 ,if you find yourself confused1 or if you lose yourself in details and can not tell the story briefly1 you have not found the story the author has to tell4 ,a second test is to tell in one sentence1 or in one very short paragraph1 exactly what purpose the writer had in telling the story4 ,this will be more difficult but it will need little thought if you really have understood and appreciated the story4 ,do not make the mistake of thinking that a purpose must be a moral4 ,a man who makes a chair1 a clown in a circus1 an artist1 a violinist1 a boy playing a game1--all have purposes in what they do1 but the purpose is not primarily moral4 ,if you are puzzled in finding the purpose of the story you should look the story over until its purpose flashes upon you4 ,thirdly1 you should see if you can put into four or five unconnected sentences1 either oral or written1 the methods of form and style by which the author has interested you1 and pleased you4 ,these methods will include means of awakening interest1 means of presenting the action1 preparation for the climax1 way of telling the climax1 and way of ending the story4 ,they will also include choice of words1 use of language effects1 and the means of producing atmosphere in the story4 ,if it happens that there are words that are not familiar1 look them up in the dictionary4 ,you can not hope to understand a story until you understand its language4 ,a good way to test your appreciation of story telling as an art1--and to help you to appreciate even more keenly1--is to write short stories of your own4 ,try1 in every case1 to imitate some method employed in a particular story by a well-known author4 ,do not imitate too much4 ,be original4 ,be yourself4 ,if some of our best short story writers had done nothing but imitate they would never have succeeded4 ,make your short stories different from those by anyone else in your class4 ,write your story in such a way that no one will draw pictures1 or look out of the window1 or whisper to his neighbor1 when it comes your turn to read4 ,there are three ways to bring that about3 #a4 ,write about something that you1 and your class1 know about1 and like to hear about4 #b4 ,think of a good1 emphatic1 or surprising climax1 and then make a plot that will lead to the climax with absolute certainty4 #c4 ,tell your story in a way that will be different from the way employed by any of your classmates4 ,in general1 the stories in this book are to be read and enjoyed1 worked over1 and talked about1 in a simple manner1 as one might discuss stories at a reading club4 ,to treat the stories in any other way would be to make displeasing work out of what should be pure pleasure4 ,in the back of the book is a small amount of biographical and explanatory material1 such as a friendly teacher might tell to his class4 ,there are also a few questions that will help you to appreciate and enjoy the best effects in every story4 ,the notes have been given merely for reference1 as if they were contained in a sort of handy encyclopedia4 ,they are not for hard1 systematic study4 ,a class studying this book should forget that it is a class in school1 and resolve itself into a reading club1 whose object1--written in its constitution1 in capital letters1--is pure enjoyment of all that is best in short stories1 and in short story telling4 ,,vi ,,where ,,to ,,find ,,some ,,good ,,short ,,stories ,baldwin1 ,charles ,american ,short ,sears ,stories ,cody1 ,sherwin ,the ,world's ,best ,short ,stories ,dawson1 ,w4 ,j4 and ,c4 ,great ,english ,short ,w4 ,story ,writers ,esenwein1 ,joseph ,short ,story ,berg ,masterpieces ,firkins1 ,i4 ,t4 ,e4 ,index to ,short ,stories ,hawthorne1 ,julian ,library of the ,world's ,best ,mystery and ,detective ,stories ,jessup1 ,alexander ,little ,french ,masterpieces ,jessup1 ,a4 and ,the ,book of the ,canby1 ,h4 ,s4 ,short ,story ,matthews1 ,brander ,the ,short ,story ,patten1 ,william ,great ,short ,stories ,patten1 ,william ,short ,story ,classics ,charles ,scribner's ,stories by ,american ,sons ,authors ,charles ,scribner's ,stories by ,english ,sons ,authors ,charles ,scribner's ,stories by ,foreign ,sons ,authors ,,vii ,,some ,,interesting ,,short ,,stories ,r4 ,h4 ,davis3 ,the ,bar ,sinister2 ,washington ,irving3 ,the ,rose of the ,alhambra2 ,the ,legend of ,sleepy ,hollow2 ,rip ,van ,winkle2 ,the ,three ,beautiful ,princesses2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,garm1 ,a ,hostage2 ,the ,arabian ,nights3 ,aladdin2 ,ali ,baba2 ,annie ,trumbull ,slosson3 ,butterneggs2 ,ruth ,mc,enery ,stuart3 ,sonny's ,diploma2 ,frederick ,remington3 ,how ,order ,no4 #f ,went ,through2 ,mark ,twain3 ,the ,jumping ,frog2 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,the ,first ,christmas ,tree4 ,h4 ,c4 ,andersen3 ,the ,ugly ,duckling2 ,grimm ,brothers3 ,little ,briar ,rose2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,mowgli's ,brothers2 ,toomai of the ,elephants2 ,her ,majesty's ,servants2 sop3 ,the ,country ,mouse and the ,city ,mouse2 ,joel ,chandler ,harris3 ,the ,wonderful ,tar ,baby ,story2 ,how ,black ,snake ,caught the ,wolf2 ,brother ,mud ,turtle's ,trickery2 ,a ,french ,tar ,baby2 ,george ,ade3 ,the ,preacher ,who ,flew ,his ,kite4 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,the ,other ,wise ,man2 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne3 ,rapaccini's ,daughter2 ,david ,swan2 ,the ,snow ,image2 ,the ,great ,stone ,face2 ,lady ,eleanor's ,mantle2 ,the ,minister's ,black ,veil2 ,the ,birth ,mark2 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,william ,wilson2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,the ,ship that ,found ,herself2 ,henry ,james3 ,the ,madonna of the ,future2 ,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson3 ,will o' the ,mill2 ,joseph ,addison3 ,the ,vision of ,mirza4 ,howard ,pyle3 ,the ,ruby of ,kishmore2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,the ,man ,who ,would ,be ,king2 ,drums of the ,fore and ,aft2 ,tiger1 ,tiger2 ,kaa's ,hunting2 ,r4 ,h4 ,davis3 ,gallegher2 ,van ,bibber's ,burglar2 ,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson3 ,the ,sire de ,maletroit's ,door2 ,joseph ,conrad3 ,youth2 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,the ,pit and the ,pendulum2 ,f4 ,r4 ,stockton3 ,my ,terminal ,moraine2 ,jesse ,lynch ,williams3 ,the ,stolen ,story4 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,messengers at the ,window2 ,m4 ,r4 ,s4 ,andrews3 ,a ,messenger2 ,bulwer ,lytton3 ,the ,haunted and the ,haunters2 ,fitz,james ,o',brien3 ,the ,diamond ,lens2 ,what ,was ,it82 ,m4 ,e4 ,wilkins ,freeman3 ,shadows on the ,wall2 ,r4 ,w4 ,chambers3 ,the ,tree of ,heaven2 ,marion ,crawford3 ,the ,upper ,berth2 ,h4 ,w4 ,jacobs3 ,the ,monkey's ,paw2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,at the ,end of the ,passage2 ,the ,brushwood ,boy2 ,they2 ,prosper ,merimee3 ,the ,venus of ,ille4 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,the ,gold ,bug2 ,the ,purloined ,letter2 ,conan ,doyle3 ,the ,dancing ,men2 the ,speckled ,band2 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,the ,night ,call2 ,fitz,james ,o',brien3 ,the ,golden ,ingot2 ,anton ,chekhoff3 ,the ,safety ,match2 ,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson3 ,the ,pavillion on the ,links2 ,egerton ,castle3 ,the ,baron's ,quarry2 ,wilkie ,collins3 ,the ,dream ,woman2 ,rudyard ,kipling3 ,the ,sending of ,dana ,da4 ,g4 ,b4 ,mc,cutcheon3 ,the ,day of the ,dog2 ,h4 ,c4 ,bunner3 ,the ,love ,letters of ,smith2 ,a ,sisterly ,scheme2 ,o4 ,henry3 ,the ,ransom of ,red ,chief2 ,while the ,auto ,waits2 ,samuel ,minturn ,peck3 ,the ,trouble at ,st4 ,james2 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich3 ,goliath2 ,r4 ,m4 ,s4 ,andrews3 ,a ,good ,samaritan2 ,the ,grandfathers of ,bob2 ,e4 ,p4 ,butler3 ,pigs is ,pigs2 ,josephine ,dodge ,daskam3 ,edgar1 the ,choir ,boy ,uncelestial2 ,t4 ,a4 ,janvier3 ,the ,passing of ,thomas2 ,myra ,kelly3 ,a ,christmas ,present for a ,lady2 ,ruth ,mc,enery ,stuart3 ,the ,woman's ,exchange of ,simpkinsville4 ,f4 ,hopkinson ,smith3 ,the ,veiled ,lady of ,stamboul2 ,stuart ,edward ,white3 ,the ,life of the ,winds of ,heaven2 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich3 ,pre ,antoine's ,date ,palm2 ,booth ,tarkington3 ,monsieur ,beaucaire2 ,r4 ,h4 ,davis3 ,the ,princess ,aline2 ,alice ,brown3 ,a ,map of the ,country2 ,m4 ,r4 ,s4 ,andrews3 ,the ,bishop's ,silence2 ,honor de ,balzac3 ,a ,passion in the ,desert2 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne3 ,the ,white ,old ,maid4 ,irvin ,cobb3 ,up ,clay ,street2 ,m4 ,e4 ,wilkins ,freeman3 ,the ,revolt of ,mother2 ,a ,humble ,romance2 ,prosper ,merimee3 ,mateo ,falcone2 ,alphonse ,daudet3 ,the ,last ,class2 ,g4 ,w4 ,cable3 ,belles ,demoiselles ,plantation2 ,bret ,harte3 ,the ,luck of ,roaring ,camp2 ,ruth ,mc,enery ,stuart3 ,the ,widder ,johnsing2 ,owen ,wister3 ,specimen ,jones2 ,t4 ,a4 ,janvier3 ,the ,sage ,brush ,hen4 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich3 ,marjory ,daw2 ,mademoiselle ,olimpe ,zabriskie2 ,miss ,mehetabel's ,son2 ,o4 ,henry3 ,the ,gift of the ,magi2 ,the ,cop and the ,anthem2 ,the ,whirligig of ,life2 ,guy de ,maupassant3 ,the ,diamond ,necklace2 ,f4 ,r4 ,stockton3 ,the ,lady or the ,tiger2 ,john ,fox1 ,jr43 ,the ,purple ,rhododendron2 ,r4 ,w4 ,chambers3 ,a ,young ,man in a ,hurry2 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,three ,sundays in a ,week2 ,ambrose ,bierce3 ,the ,man and the ,snake2 ,fitz,james ,o',brien3 ,the ,bohemian2 ,frank ,norris3 ,a ,deal in ,wheat4 ,mark ,twain3 ,a ,dog's ,tale2 ,w4 ,d4 ,howells3 ,editha2 ,e4 ,t4 ,seton3 ,the ,biography of a ,grizzly2 ,brander ,matthews3 ,the ,story of a ,story2 ,bjrnstjerne ,bjrnson3 ,the ,father2 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne3 ,the ,ambitious ,guest2 ,jacob ,a4 ,riis3 ,the ,burgomaster's ,christmas2 ,charles ,dickens3 ,a ,christmas ,carol2 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,the ,mansion2 ,e4 ,e4 ,hale3 ,the ,man ,without a ,country4 ,m4 ,r4 ,s4 ,andrews3 ,the ,perfect ,tribute2 ,franois ,coppee3 ,the ,substitute2 ,j4 ,b4 ,connolly3 ,sonny ,boy's ,people2 ,s4 ,o4 ,jewett3 ,the ,queen's ,twin2 ,james ,lane ,allen3 ,king ,solomon of ,kentucky2 ,bret ,harte3 ,tennessee's ,partner2 ,jack ,london3 ,the ,god of ,his ,fathers2 ,john ,galsworthy3 ,quality4 ,thomas ,nelson ,page3 ,marse ,chan2 ,meh ,lady2 ,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson3 ,the ,merry ,men2 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,the ,masque of the ,red ,death2 ,the ,fall of the ,house of ,usher2 ,irvin ,cobb3 ,white and ,black2 ,f4 ,j4 ,stimson3 ,mrs4 ,knollys2 ,john ,fox1 ,jr43 ,christmas ,eve on ,lonesome2 ,h4 ,g4 ,dwight3 ,in the ,pasha's ,garden2 ,honor de ,balzac3 ,an ,episode ,under the ,terror2 ,jack ,london3 ,thanksgiving on ,slav ,creek2 ,charles ,lamb3 ,dream ,children2 ,h4 ,c4 ,brunner3 ,our ,aromatic ,uncle4 ,bret ,harte3 ,the ,outcasts of ,poker ,flat2 ,r4 ,l4 ,stevenson3 ,markheim2 ,guy de ,maupassant3 ,a ,piece of ,string2 ,a ,coward2 ,e4 ,a4 ,poe3 ,the ,cask of ,amontillado2 ,edith ,wharton3 ,the ,bolted ,door2 ,a ,journey2 ,henry ,van ,dyke3 ,a ,lover of ,music2 ,s4 ,r4 ,crockett3 ,elsie's ,dance for ,her ,life2 ,jack ,london3 ,the ,white ,silence4 ,,viii ,,what ,,to ,,read ,,about ,,the ,,short ,,story ,albright1 ,evelyn ,may ,the ,short ,story1 its ,principles and ,structure ,barrett1 ,charles ,r4 ,short ,story ,writing ,buck1 ,gertrude1 and ,a ,course in ,narrative ,morris1 ,elizabeth ,writing ,woodbridge ,canby1 ,henry ,seidel ,the ,short ,story in ,english ,cody1 ,sherwin ,story ,writing and ,journalism ,dye1 ,charity ,the ,story ,teller's ,art ,esenwein1 ,joseph ,berg ,writing the ,short ,story ,hamilton1 ,clayton ,materials and ,methods of ,fiction ,matthews1 ,brander ,the ,philosophy of the ,short ,story ,perry1 ,bliss ,a ,study of ,prose ,fiction ,pitkin1 ,walter ,b4 ,short ,story ,writing ,wells1 ,carolyn ,the ,technique of the ,mystery ,story ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,modern ,,short ,,stories ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,modern ,,short ,,story ,,the ,,adventures ,,of ,,simon ,,and ,,susanna#a ,by ,,joel ,,chandler ,,harris ,footnote #a3 ,it may be of interest to those who approach ,folk-,lore stories from the scientific side1 to know that this story was told to one of my little boys three years ago by a negro named ,john ,holder4 ,i have since found a variant 7or perhaps the original7 in ,theal's 8,kaffir ,folk-,lore40 ,joel ,chandler ,harris1 #ahhi4 8,i got one tale on my min'10 said ,uncle ,remus to the little boy one night4 8,i got one tale on my min' dat ,i ain't ne'er tell you2 ,i dunner how come2 ,i speck it des kaze ,i git mixt up in my idees4 ,deze is busy times1 mon1 en de mo' you does de mo' you hatter do1 en w'en dat de case1 it ain't ter be 'spected dat one ole broke-down nigger kin 'member 'bout eve'ything40 8,what is the story1 ,uncle ,remus80 the little boy asked4 8,well1 honey10 said the old man1 wiping his spectacles1 8hit sorter run dis away3 ,one time dey wuz a man w'at had a mighty likely daughter40 8,was he a white man or a black man80 the little boy asked4 8,i 'clar' ter gracious1 honey60 exclaimed the old man1 8you er pushin' me mos' too close4 ,fer all ,i kin tell you1 de man mout er bin ez w'ite ez de driven snow1 er he mout er bin de blackes' ,affi'kin er de whole kit en bilin'4 ,i'm des tellin' you de tale1 en you kin take en take de man en whitewash 'im1 or you kin black 'im up des ez you please4 ,dat's de way ,i looks at it4 8,well1 one time dey wuz a man1 en dish yer man he had a mighty likely daughter4 ,she wuz so purty dat she had mo' beaus dan w'at you got fingers en toes4 ,but de gal daddy1 he got his spishuns 'bout all un um1 en he won't let um come 'roun' de house4 ,but dey kep' on pesterin' 'im so1 dat bimeby he give word out dat de man w'at kin clear up six acres er lan' en roll up de logs1 en pile up de bresh in one day1 dat man kin marry his daughter4 8,in co'se1 dis look like it unpossible1 en all de beaus drap off 'ceppin' one1 en he wuz a great big strappin' chap w'at look like he kin knock a steer down4 ,dis chap he wuz name ,simon1 en de gal1 she wuz name ,susanna4 ,simon1 he love ,susanna1 en ,susanna1 she love ,simon1 en dar it went4 8,well1 sir1 ,simon1 he went ter de gal daddy1 he did1 en he say dat ef anybody kin clear up dat lan'1 he de one kin do it1 least'ways he say he gwine try mighty hard4 ,de ole man1 he grin en rub his han's terge'er1 he did1 en tole ,simon ter start in in de mornin'4 ,susanna1 she makes out she wuz fixin' sumpin in de cubberd1 but she tuck 'n kiss 'er han' at ,simon1 en nod 'er head4 ,dis all ,simon want1 en he went out er dar des ez happy ez a jay-bird atter he done robbed a sparrer-nes'4 8,now1 den10 ,uncle ,remus continued1 settling himself more comfortably in his chair1 8dish yer man wuz a witch40 8,why1 ,i thought a witch was a woman10 said the little boy4 ,the old man frowned and looked into the fire4 8,well1 sir10 he remarked with some emphasis1 8ef you er gwine ter tu'n de man into a 'oman1 den dey won't be no tale1 kaze dey's bleege ter be a man right dar whar ,i put dis un4 ,hit's des like ,i tole you 'bout de color er de man4 ,black 'im er whitewash 'im des ez you please1 en ef you want ter put a frock on 'im ter boot1 hit ain't none er my business2 but ,i'm gwine ter 'low he wuz a man ef it's de las' ac'40 ,the little boy remained silent1 and ,uncle ,remus went on3 8,now1 den1 dish yer man was a witch4 ,he could cunjer folks1 mo' 'speshually dem folks w'at ain't got no rabbit foot4 ,he bin at his cunjerments so long1 dat ,susanna done learn mos' all his tricks4 ,so de nex' mornin' w'en ,simon come by de house fer ter borry de ax1 ,susanna she run en got it fer 'im4 ,she got it1 she did1 en den she sprinkles some black san' on it1 en say1 #8,ax1 cut2 cut1 ax4' ,den she rub 'er ha'r 'cross it1 en give it ter ,simon4 ,he tuck de ax1 he did1 en den ,susanna say3 8#8,go down by de branch1 git sev'n w'ite pebbles1 put um in dis little cloth bag1 en whenever you want the ax ter cut1 shake um up4' 8,simon1 he went off in de woods1 en started in ter clearin' up de six acres4 ,well1 sir1 dem pebbles en dat ax1 dey done de work--dey did dat4 ,simon could 'a' bin done by de time de dinner-horn blowed1 but he hung back kaze he ain't want de man fer ter know dat he doin' it by cunjerments4 8,w'en he shuck de pebbles de ax 'ud cut1 en de trees 'ud fall1 en de lim's 'ud drap off1 en de logs 'ud roll up terge'er1 en de bresh 'ud pile itself up4 ,hit went on dis away twel by de time it wuz two hours b' sun1 de whole six acres wuz done cleaned up4 8',bout dat time de man come 'roun'1 he did1 fer ter see how de work gittin' on1 en1 mon6 he wuz 'stonish'4 ,he ain't know w'at ter do er say4 ,he ain't want ter give up his daughter1 en yit he ain't know how ter git out 'n it4 ,he walk 'roun' en 'roun'1 en study1 en study1 en study how he gwine rue de bargain4 ,at las' he walk up ter ,simon1 he did1 en he say3 8#8,look like you sort er forehanded wid your work4' 8,simon1 he 'low3 #8,yasser1 w'en ,i starts in on a job ,i'm mighty restless twel ,i gits it done4 ,some er dis timber is rough en tough1 but ,i bin had wuss jobs dan dis in my time4' 8,de man say ter hisse'f3 #8,w'at kind er folks is dis chap8' ,den he say out loud3 #8,well1 sence you er so spry1 dey's two mo' acres 'cross de branch dar4 ,ef you'll clear dem up 'fo' supper you kin come up ter de house en git de gal4' 8,simon sorter scratch his head1 kaze he dunner whedder de pebbles gwine ter hol' out1 yit he put on a bol' front en he tell de man dat he'll go 'cross dar en clean up de two acres soon ez he res' a little4 8,de man he went off home1 en soon's he git out er sight1 ,simon went 'cross de branch en shook de pebbles at de two acres er woods1 en 't want no time skacely 'fo' de trees wuz all cut down en pile up4 8,de man1 he went home1 he did1 en call up ,susanna1 en say3 8#8,daughter1 dat man look like he gwine git you1 sho'4' 8,susanna1 she hang 'er head1 en look like she fretted1 en den she say she don't keer nuthin' fer ,simon1 nohow40 8,why1 ,i thought she wanted to marry him10 said the little boy4 8,well1 honey1 w'en you git growed up1 en git whiskers on yo' chin1 en den atter de whiskers git gray like mine1 you'll fin' out sump'n 'n'er 'bout de wimmin folks4 ,dey ain't ne'er say 'zackly w'at dey mean1 none er um1 mo' 'speshually w'en dey er gwine on 'bout gittin' married4 8,now1 dar wuz dat gal ,susanna what ,i'm a-tellin' you 'bout4 ,she mighty nigh 'stracted 'bout ,simon1 en yit she make 'er daddy b'lieve dat she 'spize 'im4 ,i ain't blamin' ,susanna10 ,uncle ,remus went on with a judicial air1 8kase she know dat 'er daddy wuz a witch en a mighty mean one in de bargain4 8,well1 atter ,susanna done make 'er daddy b'lieve dat she ain't keerin' nothin' 't all 'bout ,simon1 he 'gun ter set his traps en fix his tricks4 ,he up 'n tell ,susanna dat atter 'er en ,simon git married dey mus' go upsta'rs in de front room1 en den he tell 'er dat she mus' make ,simon go ter bed fus'4 ,den de man went upsta'rs en tuck 'n tuck all de slats out'n de bedstid ceppin one at de head en one at de foot4 ,atter dat he tuck 'n put some foot-valances 'roun' de bottom er de bed--des like dem w'at you bin see on yo' gran'ma bed4 ,den he tuck 'n sawed out de floor und' de bed1 en dar wuz de trap all ready4 8,well1 sir1 ,simon come up ter de house1 en de man make like he mighty glad fer ter see 'im1 but ,susanna1 she look like she mighty shy4 ,no matter 'bout dat2 atter supper ,simon en ,susanna got married4 ,hit ain't in de tale wedder dey sont fer a preacher er wedder dey wuz a squire browsin' 'roun' in de neighborhoods1 but dey had cake wid reezins in it1 en some er dish yer silly-bug w'at got mo' foam in it dan dey is dram1 en dey had a mighty happy time4 ,illustration3 ,simon shakes the pebbles 8,w'en bedtime come1 ,simon en ,susanna went upsta'rs1 en w'en dey got in de room1 ,susanna kotch 'im by de han'1 en helt up her finger4 ,den she whisper en tell 'im dat ef dey don't run away fum dar dey bofe gwine ter be kilt4 ,simon ax 'er how come1 en she say dat 'er daddy want ter kill 'im kase he sech a nice man4 ,dis make ,simon grin2 yit he wuz sorter restless 'bout gittin' 'way fum dar4 ,but ,susanna1 she say wait4 ,she say3 8#8,pick up yo' hat en button up yo' coat4 ,now1 den1 take dat stick er wood dar en hol' it 'bove yo' head4' 8,w'iles he stan'in' dar1 ,susanna got a hen egg out'n a basket1 den she got a meal-bag1 en a skillet4 ,she 'low3 8#8,now1 den1 drap de wood on de bed4' 8,simon done des like she say1 en time de wood struck de bed de tick en de mattruss went a-tumblin' thoo de floor4 ,den ,susanna tuck ,simon by de han' en dey run out de back way ez hard ez dey kin go4 8,de man1 he wuz down dar waitin' fer de bed ter drap4 ,he had a big long knife in he han'1 en time de bed drapped1 he lit on it1 he did1 en stobbed it scan'lous4 ,he des natchully ripped de tick up1 en w'en he look1 bless gracious1 dey ain't no ,simon dar4 ,i lay dat man wuz mad den4 ,he snorted 'roun' dar twel blue smoke come out'n his nose1 en his eye look red like varmint eye in de dark4 ,den he run upsta'rs en dey ain't no ,simon dar1 en nudder wuz dey any ,susanna4 8,gentermens6 den he git madder4 ,he rush out1 he did1 en look 'roun'1 en 'way off yander he see ,simon en ,susanna des a-runnin'1 en a-holdin' one nudder's han'40 8,why1 ,uncle ,remus10 said the little boy1 8,i thought you said it was night80 8,dat w'at ,i said1 honey1 en ,i'll stan' by it4 ,yit1 how many times dis blessed night is ,i got ter tell you dat de man wuz a witch8 ,en bein' a witch1 co'se he kin see in de dark4 8,well1 dish yer witch-man1 he look off en he see ,simon en ,susanna runnin' ez hard ez dey kin4 ,he put out atter um1 he did1 wid his knife in his han'1 an' he kep' on a gainin' on um4 ,bimeby1 he got so close dat ,susanna say ter ,simon3 8#8,fling down yo' coat4' 8,time de coat tech de groun'1 a big thick woods sprung up whar it fell4 ,but de man1 he cut his way thoo it wid de knife1 en kep' on a-pursuin' atter um4 8,bimeby1 he got so close dat ,susanna drap de egg on de groun'1 en time it fell a big fog riz up fum de groun'1 en a little mo' en de man would a got los'4 ,but atter so long a time fog got blowed away by de win'1 en de man kep' on a-pursuin' atter um4 8,bimeby1 he got so close dat ,susanna drap de meal-sack1 en a great big pon' er water kivered de groun' whar it fell4 ,de man wuz in sech a big hurry dat he tried ter drink it dry1 but he ain't kin do dis1 so he sot on de bank en blow'd on de water wid he hot breff1 en atter so long a time de water made hits disappearance1 en den he kep' on atter um4 8,simon en ,susanna wuz des a-runnin'1 but run ez dey would1 de man kep' a-gainin' on um1 en he got so close dat ,susanna drapped de skillet4 ,den a big bank er darkness fell down1 en de man ain't know which away ter go4 ,but atter so long a time de darkness lif' up1 en de man kep' on a-pursuin' atter um4 ,mon1 he made up fer los' time1 en he got so close dat ,susanna say ter ,simon3 8#8,drap a pebble4' 8,time ,simon do dis a high hill riz up1 but de man clum it en kep' on atter um4 ,den ,susanna say ter ,simon3 8#8,drap nudder pebble4' 8,time ,simon drap de pebble1 a high mountain growed up1 but de man crawled up it en kep' on atter um4 ,den ,susanna say3 8#8,drap de bigges' pebble4' 8,no sooner is he drap it dan a big rock wall riz up1 en hit wuz so high dat de witch-man can't git over4 ,he run up en down1 but he can't find no end1 en den1 atter so long a time1 he turn 'roun' en go home4 8,on de yuther side er dis high wall1 ,susanna tuck ,simon by de han'1 en say3 8#8,now we kin res'4' 8,en ,i reckon10 said the old man slyly1 8dat we all better res'40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,crow-,,child ,by ,,mary ,,mapes ,,dodge ,,midway between a certain blue lake and a deep forest there once stood a cottage1 called by its owner 8,the ,rookery40 ,the forest shut out the sunlight and scowled upon the ground1 breaking with shadows every ray that fell1 until only a few little pieces lay scattered about4 ,but the broad lake invited all the rays to come and rest upon her1 so that sometimes she shone from shore to shore1 and the sun winked and blinked above her1 as though dazzled by his own reflection4 ,the cottage1 which was very small1 had sunny windows and dark windows4 ,only from the roof could you see the mountains beyond1 where the light crept up in the morning and down in the evening1 turning all the brooks into living silver as it passed4 ,but something brighter than sunshine used often to look from the cottage into the forest1 and something even more gloomy than shadows often glowered from its windows upon the sunny lake4 ,one was the face of little ,ruky ,lynn2 and the other was his sister's when she felt angry or ill-tempered4 ,they were orphans1 ,cora and ,ruky1 living alone in the cottage with an old uncle4 ,cora--or 8,cor10 as ,ruky called her--was nearly sixteen years old1 but her brother had seen the forest turn yellow only four times4 ,she was1 therefore1 almost mother and sister in one4 ,the little fellow was her companion night and day4 ,together they ate and slept1 and--when ,cora was not at work in the cottage--together they rambled in the wood1 or floated in their little skiff upon the lake4 ,ruky had bright1 dark eyes1 and the glossy blackness of his hair made his cheeks look even rosier than they were4 ,he had funny ways for a boy1 ,cora thought4 ,the quick1 bird-like jerks of his raven-black head1 his stately baby gait1 and his habit of pecking at his food1 as she called it1 often made his sister laugh4 ,young as he was1 the little fellow had learned to mount to the top of a low-branching tree near the cottage1 though he could not always get down alone4 ,sometimes when1 perched in the thick foliage1 he would scream1 8,cor6 ,cor6 ,come1 help me down60 his sister would answer1 as she ran out laughing1 8,yes1 little ,crow6 ,i'm coming40 ,perhaps it was because he reminded her of a crow that ,cora called him her little bird4 ,this was when she was good-natured and willing to let him see how much she loved him4 ,but in her cloudy moments1 as the uncle called them1 ,cora was another girl4 ,everything seemed ugly to her1 or out of tune4 ,even ,ruky was a trial2 and1 instead of giving him a kind word1 she would scold and grumble until he would steal from the cottage door1 and1 jumping lightly from the door-step1 seek the shelter of his tree4 ,once safely perched among its branches he knew she would finish her work1 forget her ill-humor1 and be quite ready1 when he cried 8,cor6 ,cor60 to come from the cottage with a cheery1 8,yes1 little ,crow6 ,i'm coming6 ,i'm coming60 ,no one could help loving ,ruky1 with his quick1 affectionate ways2 and it seemed that ,ruky1 in turn1 could not help loving every person and thing around him4 ,he loved his silent old uncle1 the bright lake1 the cool forest1 and even his little china cup with red berries painted upon it4 ,but more than all1 ,ruky loved his golden-haired sister1 and the great dog1 who would plunge into the lake at the mere pointing of his chubby little finger4 ,in fact1 that finger and the commanding baby voice were 8law0 to ,nep at any time4 ,nep and ,ruky often talked together1 and though one used barks and the other words1 there was a perfect understanding between them4 ,woe to the straggler that dared to rouse ,nep's wrath1 and woe to the bird or rabbit that ventured too near6--those great teeth snapped at their prey without even the warning of a growl4 ,but ,ruky could safely pull ,nep's ears or his tail1 or climb his great shaggy back1 or even snatch away the untasted bone4 ,still1 as ,i said before1 every one loved the child2 so1 of course1 ,nep was no exception4 ,one day ,ruky's 8,cor6 ,cor60 had sounded oftener than usual4 ,his rosy face had bent saucily to kiss ,cora's upturned forehead1 as she raised her arms to lift him from the tree2 but the sparkle in his dark eyes had seemed to kindle so much mischief in him that his sister's patience became fairly exhausted4 8,has ,cor nothing to do but to wait upon you80 she cried1 8and nothing to listen to but your noise and your racket8 ,you shall go to bed early to-day1 and then ,i shall have some peace40 8,no1 no1 ,cor4 ,please let ,ruky wait till the stars come4 ,ruky wants to see the stars40 8,hush6 ,ruky is bad4 ,he shall have a whipping when ,uncle comes back from town40 ,nep growled4 8,ha6 ha60 laughed ,ruky1 jerking his head saucily from side to side2 8,nep says #8,no6'0 ,nep was shut out of the cottage for his pains1 and poor ,ruky was undressed1 with many a hasty jerk and pull4 8,you hurt1 ,cor60 he said1 plaintively4 8,i'm going to take off my shoes my own self40 8,no1 you're not10 cried ,cora1 almost shaking him2 and when he cried she called him naughty1 and said if he did not stop he should have no supper4 ,this made him cry all the more1 and ,cora1 feeling in her angry mood that he deserved severe punishment1 threw away his supper and put him to bed4 ,then all that could be heard were ,ruky's low sobs and the snappish clicks of ,cora's needles1 as she sat knitting1 with her back to him4 ,he could not sleep1 for his eyelids were scalded with tears1 and his plaintive 8,cor6 ,cor60 had reached his sister's ears in vain4 ,she never once looked up from those gleaming knitting-needles1 nor even gave him his good-night kiss4 ,it grew late4 ,the uncle did not return4 ,at last ,cora1 sulky and weary1 locked the cottage door1 blew out her candle1 and lay down beside her brother4 ,the poor little fellow tried to win a forgiving word1 but she was too ill-natured to grant it4 ,in vain he whispered1 8,cor1 ,cor60 ,he even touched her hand over and over again with his lips1 hoping she would turn toward him1 and1 with a loving kiss1 murmur1 as usual1 8,good night1 little bird40 ,instead of this1 she jerked her arm angrily away1 saying3 8,oh1 stop your pecking and go to sleep6 ,i wish you were a crow in earnest1 and then ,i'd have some peace40 ,after this1 ,ruky was silent4 ,his heart drooped within him as he wondered what this 8peace0 was that his sister wished for so often1 and why he must go away before it could come to her4 ,soon1 ,cora1 who had rejoiced in the sudden calm1 heard a strange fluttering4 ,in an instant she saw by the starlight a dark object circle once or twice in the air above her1 then dart suddenly through the open window4 ,astonished that ,ruky had not shouted with delight at the strange visitor1 or else clung to her neck in fear1 she turned to see if he had fallen asleep4 ,no wonder that she started up1 horror-stricken1--,ruky was not there6 ,his empty place was still warm2 perhaps he had slid softly from the bed4 ,with trembling haste she lighted the candle1 and peered into every corner4 ,the boy was not to be found6 ,then those fearful words rang in her ears3 8,i wish you were a crow in earnest60 ,cora rushed to the door1 and1 with straining gaze1 looked out into the still night4 8,ruky6 ,ruky60 she screamed4 ,there was a slight stir in the low-growing tree4 8,ruky1 darling1 come back60 8,caw1 caw60 answered a harsh voice from the tree4 ,something black seemed to spin out of it1 and then1 in great sweeping circles1 sailed upward1 until finally it settled upon one of the loftiest trees in the forest4 8,caw1 caw60 it screamed1 fiercely4 ,the girl shuddered1 but1 with outstretched arms1 cried out3 8,oh1 ,ruky1 if it is you1 come back to poor ,cor60 8,caw1 caw60 mocked hundreds of voices1 as a shadow like a thunder-cloud rose in the air4 ,it was an immense flock of crows4 ,she could distinguish them plainly in the starlight1 circling higher and higher1 then lower and lower1 until1 with their harsh 8,caw1 caw60 they sailed far off into the night4 8,oh1 ,ruky1 answer me60 she cried4 ,nep growled1 the forest trees whispered softly together1 and the lake1 twinkling with stars1 sang a lullaby as it lifted its weary little waves upon the shore3 there was no other sound4 ,it seemed that daylight never would come2 but at last the trees turned slowly from black to green1 and the lake put out its stars1 one by one1 and waited for the new day4 ,cora1 who had been wandering restlessly in every direction1 now went weeping into the cottage4 8,poor boy60 she sobbed2 8he had no supper40 ,then she scattered breadcrumbs near the doorway1 hoping that ,ruky would come for them2 but only a few timid little songsters hovered about1 and1 while ,cora wept1 picked up the food daintily1 as though it burned their bills4 ,when she reached forth her hand1 though there were no crows among them1 and called 8,ruky6 ,ruky60 they scattered and flew away in an instant4 ,next she went to the steep-roofed barn1 and1 bringing out an apronful of grain1 scattered it all around his favorite tree4 ,before long1 to her great joy1 a flock of crows came by4 ,they spied the grain1 and soon were busily picking it up with their short1 feathered bills4 ,one even came near the mound where she sat4 ,unable to restrain herself longer1 she fell upon her knees with an imploring cry3 8,oh1 ,ruky6 is this you80 ,instantly the entire flock set up an angry 8caw10 and1 surrounding the crow1 who was hopping closer and closer to ,cora1 hurried him off1 until they all looked like mere specks against the summer sky4 ,every day1 rain or shine1 she scattered the grain1 trembling with dread lest ,nep should leap among the hungry crows1 and perhaps kill her 8little bird0 first4 ,but ,nep knew better2 he never stirred when the noisy crowd settled around the cottage1 excepting once1 when one of them pounced upon his back4 ,then he started up1 wagging his tail1 and barking with uproarious delight4 ,the crow flew off in a flutter1 and did not venture near him again4 ,poor ,cora felt sure that this could be no other than ,ruky4 ,oh1 if she only could have caught him then6 ,perhaps with kisses and prayers she might have won him back to ,ruky's shape2 but now the chance was lost4 ,there was no one to help her2 for the nearest neighbor dwelt miles away1 and her uncle had not yet returned4 ,after a-while she remembered the little cup1 and1 filling it with grain1 stood it upon a grassy mound4 ,when the crows came1 they fought and struggled for its contents with many an angry cry4 ,one of them made no effort to seize the grain4 ,he was content to peck at the berries painted upon its sides1 as he hopped joyfully around it again and again4 ,nep lay very quiet4 ,only the tip of his tail twitched with an eager1 wistful motion4 ,but ,cora sprang joyfully toward the bird4 8,it is ,ruky60 she cried1 striving to catch it4 ,alas6 the cup lay shattered beneath her hand1 as1 with a taunting 8caw1 caw10 the crow joined its fellows and flew away4 ,next1 gunners came4 ,they were looking for other birds2 but they hated the crows1 ,cora knew1 and she trembled for ,ruky4 ,she heard the sharp crack of fowling-pieces in the forest1 and shuddered whenever ,nep1 pricking up his ears1 darted with an angry howl in the direction of the sound4 ,she knew1 too1 that her uncle had set traps for the crows1 and it seemed to her that the whole world was against the poor birds1 plotting their destruction4 ,time flew by4 ,the leaves seemed to flash into bright colors and fall off almost in a day4 ,frost and snow came4 ,still the uncle had not returned1 or1 if he had1 she did not know it4 ,her brain was bewildered4 ,she knew not whether she ate or slept4 ,only the terrible firing reached her ears1 or that living black cloud came and went with its ceaseless 8caw40 ,at last1 during a terrible night of wind and storm1 ,cora felt that she must go forth and seek her poor bird4 8,perhaps he is freezing--dying60 she cried1 springing frantically from the bed1 and casting her long cloak over her night-dress4 ,in a moment1 she was trudging barefooted through the snow4 ,it was so deep she could hardly walk1 and the sleet was driving into her face2 still she kept on1 though her numbed feet seemed hardly to belong to her4 ,all the way she was praying in her heart2 promising never1 never to be passionate again1 if she only could find her bird--not ,ruky the boy1 but whatever he might be4 ,she was willing to accept her punishment4 ,soon a faint cry reached her ear4 ,with eager haste1 she peered into every fold of the drifted snow4 ,a black object caught her eye4 ,it was a poor storm-beaten crow1 lying there benumbed and stiff4 ,for ,ruky's sake she folded it closely to her bosom1 and plodded back to the cottage4 ,the fire cast a rosy light on its glossy wing as she entered1 but the poor thing did not stir4 ,softly stroking and warming it1 she wrapped the frozen bird in soft flannel and blew into its open mouth4 ,soon1 to her great relief1 it revived1 and even swallowed a few grains of wheat4 ,cold and weary1 she cast herself upon the bed1 still folding the bird to her heart4 8,it may be ,ruky6 ,it is all ,i ask10 she sobbed4 8,i dare not ask for more40 ,suddenly she felt a peculiar stirring4 ,the crow seemed to grow larger4 ,then1 in the dim light1 she felt its feathers pressing lightly against her cheek4 ,next1 something soft and warm wound itself tenderly about her neck1 and she heard a sweet voice saying3 8,don't cry1 ,cor1--,i'll be good40 ,she started up4 ,it was1 indeed1 her own darling6 ,the starlight shone into the room4 ,lighting her candle1 she looked at the clock4 ,it was just two hours since she had uttered those cruel words6 ,sobbing1 she asked3 8,have ,i been asleep1 ,ruky1 dear80 8,i don't know1 ,cor4 ,do people cry when they're asleep80 8,sometimes1 ,ruky10 clasping him very close4 8,then you have been asleep4 ,but ,cor1 please don't let ,uncle whip ,ruky40 8,no1 no1 my little bird--,i mean1 my brother4 ,good night1 darling60 8,good night40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,bell#b ,by ,,lafcadio ,,hearn ,she hath spoken1 and her words still resound in his ears4 ,hao-,khieou-,tchouan3 c4 ix4 ,footnote #b3 ,from ,some ,chinese ,ghosts4 ,copyright1 #ahhg1 by ,little1 ,brown ,company4 ,,the water-clock marks the hour in the ,ta-chung sz'1--in the ,tower of the ,great ,bell3 now the mallet is lifted to smite the lips of the metal monster1--the vast lips inscribed with ,buddhist texts from the sacred ,fa-hwa-,king1 from the chapters of the holy ,ling-yen-,king6 ,hear the great bell responding6--how mighty her voice1 though tongueless6--,,ko-,,ngai6 ,all the little dragons on the high-tilted eaves of the green roofs shiver to the tips of their gilded tails under that deep wave of sound2 all the porcelain gargoyles tremble on their carven perches2 all the hundred little bells of the pagodas quiver with desire to speak4 ,,ko-,,ngai6--all the green-and-gold tiles of the temple are vibrating2 the wooden goldfish above them are writhing against the sky2 the uplifted finger of ,fo shakes high over the heads of the worshippers through the blue fog of incense6 ,,ko-,,ngai6--,what a thunder tone was that6 ,all the lacquered goblins on the palace cornices wriggle their fire-colored tongues6 ,and after each huge shock1 how wondrous the multiple echo and the great golden moan and1 at last1 the sudden sibilant sobbing in the ears when the immense tone faints away in broken whispers of silver1--as though a woman should whisper1 8,hiai60 ,even so the great bell hath sounded every day for well-nigh five hundred years1--,ko-,ngai3 first with stupendous clang1 then with immeasurable moan of gold1 then with silver murmuring of 8,hiai60 ,and there is not a child in all the many-colored ways of the old ,chinese city who does not know the story of the great bell1--who cannot tell you why the great bell says ,ko-,ngai and ,hiai6 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 this is the story of the great bell in the ,ta-chung sz'1 as the same is related in the ,pe-,hiao-,tou-,choue1 written by the learned ,yu-,pao-,tchen1 of the ,city of ,kwang-tchau-fu4 ,nearly five hundred years ago the ,celestially ,august1 the ,son of ,heaven1 ,yong-,lo1 of the 8,illustrious10 or ,ming dynasty1 commanded the worthy official1 ,kouan-,yu1 that he should have a bell made of such size that the sound thereof might be heard for one hundred li4 ,and he further ordained that the voice of the bell should be strengthened with brass1 and deepened with gold1 and sweetened with silver2 and that the face and the great lips of it should be graven with blessed sayings from the sacred books1 and that it should be suspended in the centre of the imperial capital1 to sound through all the many-colored ways of the ,city of ,pe-king4 ,therefore the worthy mandarin1 ,kouan-,yu1 assembled the master-moulders and the renowned bellsmiths of the empire1 and all men of great repute and cunning in foundry work2 and they measured the materials for the alloy1 and treated them skilfully1 and prepared the moulds1 the fires1 the instruments1 and the monstrous melting-pot for fusing the metal4 ,and they labored exceedingly1 like giants1--neglecting only rest and sleep and the comforts of life2 toiling both night and day in obedience to ,kouan-,yu1 and striving in all things to do the behest of the ,son of ,heaven4 ,but when the metal had been cast1 and the earthen mould separated from the glowing casting1 it was discovered that1 despite their great labor and ceaseless care1 the result was void of worth2 for the metals had rebelled one against the other1--the gold had scorned alliance with the brass1 the silver would not mingle with the molten iron4 ,therefore the moulds had to be once more prepared1 and the fires rekindled1 and the metal remelted1 and all the work tediously and toilsomely repeated4 ,the ,son of ,heaven heard1 and was angry1 but spake nothing4 ,a second time the bell was cast1 and the result was even worse4 ,still the metals obstinately refused to blend one with the other2 and there was no uniformity in the bell1 and the sides of it were cracked and fissured1 and the lips of it were slagged and split asunder2 so that all the labor had to be repeated even a third time1 to the great dismay of ,kouan-,yu4 ,and when the ,son of ,heaven heard these things1 he was angrier than before2 and sent his messenger to ,kouan-,yu with a letter1 written upon lemon-colored silk1 and sealed with the seal of the ,dragon1 containing these words3-- 444 8,from the ,mighty ,yong-,lo1 the ,sublime ,tait-,sung1 the ,celestial and ,august1--whose reign is called #8,ming1'--to ,kouan-,yu the ,fuh-yin3 ,twice thou hast betrayed the trust we have deigned graciously to place in thee2 if thou fail a third time in fulfilling our command1 thy head shall be severed from thy neck4 ,tremble1 and obey60 ,now1 ,kouan-,yu had a daughter of dazzling loveliness1 whose name--,ko-,ngai--was ever in the mouths of poets1 and whose heart was even more beautiful than her face4 ,ko-,ngai loved her father with such love that she had refused a hundred worthy suitors rather than make his home desolate by her absence2 and when she had seen the awful yellow missive1 sealed with the ,dragon-,seal1 she fainted away with fear for her father's sake4 ,and when her senses and her strength returned to her1 she could not rest or sleep for thinking of her parent's danger1 until she had secretly sold some of her jewels1 and with the money so obtained had hastened to an astrologer1 and paid him a great price to advise her by what means her father might be saved from the peril impending over him4 ,so the astrologer made observations of the heavens1 and marked the aspect of the ,silver ,stream 7which we call the ,milky ,way71 and examined the signs of the ,zodiac1--the ,hwang-tao1 or ,yellow ,road1--and consulted the table of the ,five ,hin1 or ,principles of the ,universe1 and the mystical books of the alchemists4 ,and after a long silence1 he made answer to her1 saying3 8,gold and brass will never meet in wedlock1 silver and iron never will embrace1 until the flesh of a maiden be melted in the crucible2 until the blood of a virgin be mixed with the metals in their fusion40 ,so ,ko-,ngai returned home sorrowful at heart2 but she kept secret all that she had heard1 and told no one what she had done4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at last came the awful day when the third and last effort to cast the great bell was to be made2 and ,ko-,ngai1 together with her waiting-woman1 accompanied her father to the foundry1 and they took their places upon a platform over-looking the toiling of the moulders and the lava of liquefied metal4 ,all the workmen wrought their tasks in silence2 there was no sound heard but the muttering of the fires4 ,and the muttering deepened into a roar like the roar of typhoons approaching1 and the blood-red lake of metal slowly brightened like the vermilion of a sunrise1 and the vermilion was transmuted into a radiant glow of gold1 and the gold whitened blindingly1 like the silver face of a full moon4 ,then the workers ceased to feed the raving flame1 and all fixed their eyes upon the eyes of ,kouan-,yu2 and ,kouan-,yu prepared to give the signal to cast4 ,but ere ever he lifted his finger1 a cry caused him to turn his head2 and all heard the voice of ,ko-,ngai sounding sharply sweet as a bird's song above the great thunder of the fires1--8,for thy sake1 ,o my ,father60 ,and even as she cried1 she leaped into the white flood of metal2 and the lava of the furnace roared to receive her1 and spattered monstrous flakes of flame to the roof1 and burst over the verge of the earthen crater1 and cast up a whirling fountain of many-colored fires1 and subsided quakingly1 with lightnings and with thunders and with mutterings4 ,then the father of ,ko-,ngai1 wild with his grief1 would have leaped in after her1 but that strong men held him back and kept firm grasp upon him until he had fainted away and they could bear him like one dead to his home4 ,and the serving-woman of ,ko-,ngai1 dizzy and speechless for pain1 stood before the furnace1 still holding in her hands a shoe1 a tiny1 dainty shoe1 with embroidery of pearls and flowers1--the shoe of her beautiful mistress that was4 ,for she had sought to grasp ,ko-,ngai by the foot as she leaped1 but had only been able to clutch the shoe1 and the pretty shoe came off in her hand2 and she continued to stare at it like one gone mad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,but in spite of all these things1 the command of the ,celestial and ,august had to be obeyed1 and the work of the moulders to be finished1 hopeless as the result might be4 ,yet the glow of the metal seemed purer and whiter than before2 and there was no sign of the beautiful body that had been entombed therein4 ,so the ponderous casting was made2 and lo6 when the metal had become cool1 it was found that the bell was beautiful to look upon1 and perfect in form1 and wonderful in color above all other bells4 ,nor was there any trace found of the body of ,ko-,ngai2 for it had been totally absorbed by the precious alloy1 and blended with the well-blended brass and gold1 with the intermingling of the silver and iron4 ,and when they sounded the bell1 its tones were found to be deeper and mellower and mightier than the tones of any other bell1--reaching even beyond the distance of one hundred li1 like a pealing of summer thunder2 and yet also like some vast voice uttering a name1 a woman's name1--the name of ,ko-,ngai6 99 99 99 99 99 ,and still1 between each mighty stroke there is a long low moaning heard2 and ever the moaning ends with a sound of sobbing and complaining1 as though a weeping woman should murmur1 8,hiai60 ,and still1 when the people hear that great golden moan they keep silence2 but when the sharp1 sweet shuddering comes in the air1 and the sobbing of 8,hiai60 then1 indeed1 do all the ,chinese mothers in all the many-colored ways of ,pe-king whisper to their little ones3 8,listen6 that is ,ko-,ngai crying for her shoe6 ,that is ,ko-,ngai calling for her shoe60 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,ten ,,trails ,by ,,ernest ,,thompson ,,seton ,,once there were two ,indians who went out together to hunt4 ,hapeda was very strong and swift and a wonderful bowman4 ,chatun was much weaker and carried a weaker bow2 but he was very patient4 ,as they went through the hills they came on the fresh track of a small ,deer4 ,chatun said3 8,my brother1 ,i shall follow that40 ,but ,hapeda said3 8,you may if you like1 but a mighty hunter like me wants bigger game40 ,so they parted4 ,hapeda went on for an hour or more and found the track of ten large ,elk going different ways4 ,he took the trail of the largest and followed for a long way1 but not coming up with it1 he said3 8,that one is evidently traveling4 ,i should have taken one of the others40 ,so he went back to the place where he first found it1 and took up the trail of another4 ,after a hunt of over an hour in which he failed to get a shot1 he said3 8,i have followed another traveler4 ,i'll go back and take up the trail of one that is feeding40 ,but again1 after a short pursuit1 he gave up that one to go back and try another that seemed more promising4 ,thus he spent a whole day trying each of the trails for a short time1 and at night came back to camp with nothing1 to find that ,chatun1 though his inferior in all other ways1 had proved wiser4 ,he had stuck doggedly to the trail of the one little ,deer1 and now had its carcass safely in camp4 ,,moral3 ,the ,prize is always at the end of the trail4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,where ,,love ,,is1 ,,there ,,god ,,is ,,also#c ,by ,,count ,,leo ,,tolstoi ,footnote #c3 ,reprinted from the ,everyman ,edition of ,tolstoi's ,tales and ,parables1 by special permission of the publishers4 ,copyright by ,e4 ,p4 ,dutton ,company4 ,,in a certain town there lived a shoemaker named ,martin ,avdeitch4 ,he lived in a basement room which possessed but one window4 ,this window looked onto the street1 and through it a glimpse could be caught of the passers-by4 ,it is true that only their legs could be seen1 but that did not matter1 as ,martin could recognize people by their boots alone4 ,he had lived here for a long time1 and so had many acquaintances4 ,there were very few pairs of boots in the neighbourhood which had not passed through his hands at least once1 if not twice4 ,some he had resoled1 others he had fitted with side-pieces1 others1 again1 he had resewn where they were split1 or provided with new toe-caps4 ,yes1 he often saw his handiwork through that window4 ,he was given plenty of custom1 for his work lasted well1 his materials were good1 his prices moderate1 and his word to be depended on4 ,if he could do a job by a given time it should be done2 but if not1 he would warn you beforehand rather than disappoint you4 ,everyone knew ,avdeitch1 and no one ever transferred his custom from him4 ,he had always been an upright man1 but with the approach of old age he had begun more than ever to think of his soul1 and to draw nearer to ,god4 ,his wife had died while he was still an apprentice1 leaving behind her a little boy of three4 ,this was their only child1 indeed1 for the two elder ones had died previously4 ,at first ,martin thought of placing the little fellow with a sister of his in the country1 but changed his mind1 thinking3 8,my ,kapitoshka would not like to grow up in a strange family1 so ,i will keep him by me40 ,then ,avdeitch finished his apprenticeship1 and went to live in lodgings with his little boy4 ,but ,god had not seen fit to give ,avdeitch happiness in his children4 ,the little boy was just growing up and beginning to help his father and to be a pleasure to him1 when he fell ill1 was put to bed1 and died after a week's fever4 ,martin buried the little fellow and was inconsolable4 ,indeed1 he was so inconsolable that he began to murmur against ,god4 ,his life seemed so empty that more than once he prayed for death and reproached the ,almighty for taking away his only beloved son instead of himself1 the old man4 ,at last he ceased altogether to go to church4 ,then one day there came to see him an ancient peasant-pilgrim--one who was now in the eighth year of his pilgrimage4 ,to him ,avdeitch talked1 and then went on to complain of his great sorrow4 8,i no longer wish to be a ,god-fearing man10 he said4 8,i only wish to die4 ,that is all ,i ask of ,god4 ,i am a lonely1 hopeless man40 8,you should not speak like that1 ,martin10 replied the old pilgrim4 8,it is not for us to judge the acts of ,god4 ,we must rely1 not upon our own understanding1 but upon the ,divine wisdom4 ,god saw fit that your son should die and that you should live4 ,therefore it must be better so4 ,if you despair1 it is because you have wished to live too much for your own pleasure40 8,for what1 then1 should ,i live80 asked ,martin4 8,for ,god alone10 replied the old man4 8,it is ,he who gave you life1 and therefore it is ,he for whom you should live4 ,when you come to live for ,him you will cease to grieve1 and your trials will become easy to bear40 ,martin was silent4 ,then he spoke again4 8,but how am ,i to live for ,god80 he asked4 8,christ has shown us the way10 answered the old man4 8,can you read8 ,if so1 buy a ,testament and study it4 ,you will learn there how to live for ,god4 ,yes1 it is all shown you there40 ,these words sank into ,avdeitch's soul4 ,he went out the same day1 bought a large-print copy of the ,new ,testament1 and set himself to read it4 ,at the beginning ,avdeitch had meant only to read on festival days1 but when he once began his reading he found it so comforting to the soul that he came never to let a day pass without doing so4 ,on the second occasion he became so engrossed that all the kerosene was burnt away in the lamp before he could tear himself away from the book4 ,thus he came to read it every evening1 and1 the more he read1 the more clearly did he understand what ,god required of him1 and in what way he could live for ,god2 so that his heart grew ever lighter and lighter4 ,once upon a time1 whenever he had lain down to sleep1 he had been used to moan and sigh as he thought of his little ,kapitoshka2 but now he only said--8,glory to ,thee1 ,o ,lord6 ,glory to ,thee6 ,thy will be done60 ,from that time onwards ,avdeitch's life became completely changed4 ,once he had been used to go out on festival days and drink tea in a tavern1 and had not denied himself even an occasional glass of vodka4 ,this he had done in the company of a boon companion1 and1 although no drunkard1 would frequently leave the tavern in an excited state and talk much nonsense as he shouted and disputed with this friend of his4 ,but now he had turned his back on all this1 and his life had become quiet and joyous4 ,early in the morning he would sit down to his work1 and labor through his appointed hours4 ,then he would take the lamp down from a shelf1 light it1 and sit down to read4 ,and the more he read1 the more he understood1 and the clearer and happier he grew at heart4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it happened once that ,martin had been reading late4 ,he had been reading those verses in the sixth chapter of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke which run3 8,and unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other2 and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also4 ,give to every man that asketh of thee2 and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again4 ,and as ye would that men should do to you1 do ye also to them likewise40 ,then1 further on1 he had read those verses where the ,lord says3 8,and why call ye ,me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 and do not the things which ,i say8 ,whosoever cometh to ,me and heareth my sayings1 and doeth them1 ,i will show you to whom he is like3 ,he is like a man which built an house1 and digged deep1 and laid the foundation on a rock3 and when the flood arose1 the storm beat vehemently upon that house1 and could not shake it3 for it was founded upon a rock4 ,but he that heareth and doeth not1 is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth2 against which the stream did beat vehemently1 and immediately it fell2 and the ruin of that house was great40 ,avdeitch read these words1 and felt greatly cheered in soul4 ,he took off his spectacles1 laid them on the book1 leaned his elbows upon the table1 and gave himself up to meditation4 ,he set himself to measure his own life by those words1 and thought to himself3 8,is my house founded upon a rock or upon sand8 ,it is well if it be upon a rock4 ,yet it seems so easy to me as ,i sit here alone4 ,i may so easily come to think that ,i have done all that the ,lord has commanded me1 and grow careless and--sin again4 ,yet ,i will keep on striving1 for it is goodly so to do4 ,help ,thou me1 ,o ,lord40 ,thus he kept on meditating1 though conscious that it was time for bed2 yet he was loathe to tear himself away from the book4 ,he began to read the seventh chapter of ,st4 ,luke1 and read on about the centurion1 the widow's son1 and the answer given to ,john's disciples2 until in time he came to the passage where the rich ,pharisee invited ,jesus to his house1 and the woman washed the ,lord's feet with her tears and ,he justified her4 ,so he came to the forty-fourth verse and read3 8,and ,he turned to the woman1 and said unto ,simon1 ,seest thou this woman8 ,i entered into thine house1 and thou gavest ,me no water for ,my feet3 but she hath washed ,my feet with tears1 and wiped them with the hairs of her head4 ,thou gavest ,me no kiss3 but this woman since the time ,i came in hath not ceased to kiss ,my feet4 ,my head with oil thou didst not anoint3 but this woman hath anointed ,my feet with ointment40 ,he read these verses and thought3 8#8,thou gavest ,me no water for ,my feet' 444 #8,thou gavest ,me no kiss' 444 #8,my head with oil thou didst not anoint' 4440--and once again he took off his spectacles1 laid them on the book1 and became lost in meditation4 8,i am even as that ,pharisee10 he thought to himself4 8,i drink tea and think only of my own needs4 ,yes1 ,i think only of having plenty to eat and drink1 of being warm and clean--but never of entertaining a guest4 ,and ,simon too was mindful only of himself1 although the guest who had come to visit him was--who8 ,why1 even the ,lord ,himself6 ,if1 then1 ,he should come to visit me1 should ,i receive ,him any better80--and1 leaning forward upon his elbows1 he was asleep almost before he was aware of it4 8,martin60 someone seemed to breathe in his ear4 ,he started from his sleep4 8,who is there80 he said4 ,he turned and looked towards the door1 but could see no one4 ,again he bent forward over the table4 ,then suddenly he heard the words3 8,martin1 ,martin6 ,look thou into the street to-morrow1 for ,i am coming to visit thee40 ,martin roused himself1 got up from the chair1 and rubbed his eyes4 ,he did not know whether it was dreaming or awake that he had heard these words1 but he turned out the lamp and went to bed4 ,the next morning ,avdeitch rose before daylight and said his prayers4 ,then he made up the stove1 got ready some cabbage soup and porridge1 lighted the samovar1 slung his leather apron about him1 and sat down to his work in the window4 ,he sat and worked hard1 yet all the time his thoughts were centred upon last night4 ,he was in two ideas about the vision4 ,at one moment he would think that it must have been his fancy1 while the next moment he would find himself convinced that he had really heard the voice4 8,yes1 it must have been so10 he concluded4 ,as ,martin sat thus by the window he kept looking out of it as much as working4 ,whenever a pair of boots passed with which he was acquainted he would bend down to glance upwards through the window and see their owner's face as well4 ,the doorkeeper passed in new felt boots1 and then a water-carrier4 ,next1 an old soldier1 a veteran of ,nicholas' army1 in old1 patched boots1 and carrying a shovel in his hands1 halted close by the window4 ,avdeitch knew him by his boots4 ,his name was ,stepanitch1 and he was kept by a neighboring tradesman out of charity1 his duties being to help the doorkeeper4 ,he began to clear away the snow from in front of ,avdeitch's window1 while the shoemaker looked at him and then resumed his work4 8,i think ,i must be getting into my dotage10 thought ,avdeitch with a smile4 8,just because ,stepanitch begins clearing away the snow ,i at once jump to the conclusion that ,christ is about to visit me4 ,yes1 ,i am growing foolish now1 old greybeard that ,i am40 ,yet he had hardly made a dozen stitches before he was craning his neck again to look out of the window4 ,he could see that ,stepanitch had placed his shovel against the wall1 and was resting and trying to warm himself a little4 8,he is evidently an old man now and broken10 thought ,avdeitch to himself4 8,he is not strong enough to clear away snow4 ,would he like some tea1 ,i wonder8 ,that reminds me that the samovar must be ready now40 ,he made fast his awl in his work and got up4 ,placing the samovar on the table1 he brewed the tea1 and then tapped with his finger on the window-pane4 ,stepanitch turned round and approached4 ,avdeitch beckoned to him1 and then went to open the door4 8,come in and warm yourself10 he said4 8,you must be frozen40 8,christ requite you60 answered ,stepanitch4 8,yes1 my bones are almost cracking40 ,he came in1 shook the snow off himself1 and1 though tottering on his feet1 took pains to wipe them carefully1 that he might not dirty the floor4 8,nay1 do not trouble about that10 said ,avdeitch4 8,i will wipe your boots myself4 ,it is part of my business in this trade4 ,come you here and sit down1 and we will empty this tea-pot together40 ,he poured out two tumblerfuls1 and offered one to his guest2 after which he emptied his own into the saucer1 and blew upon it to cool it4 ,stepanitch drank his tumblerful1 turned the glass upside down1 placed his crust upon it1 and thanked his host kindly4 ,but it was plain that he wanted another one4 8,you must drink some more10 said ,avdeitch1 and refilled his guest's tumbler and his own4 ,yet1 in spite of himself1 he had no sooner drunk his tea than he found himself looking out into the street again4 8,are you expecting anyone80 asked his guest4 8,am--am ,i expecting anyone8 ,well1 to tell the truth1 yes4 ,that is to say1 ,i am1 and ,i am not4 ,the fact is that some words have got fixed in my memory4 ,whether it was a vision or not ,i cannot tell1 but at all events1 my old friend1 ,i was reading in the ,gospels last night about ,our ,little ,father ,christ1 and how ,he walked this earth and suffered4 ,you have heard of ,him1 have you not80 8,yes1 yes1 ,i have heard of ,him10 answered ,stepanitch2 8but we are ignorant folk and do not know our letters40 8,well1 ,i was reading of how ,he walked this earth1 and how ,he went to visit a ,pharisee1 and yet received no welcome from him at the door4 ,all this ,i read last night1 my friend1 and then fell to thinking about it--to thinking how some day ,i too might fail to pay ,our ,little ,father ,christ due honor4 #8,suppose1' ,i thought to myself1 #8,he came to me or to anyone like me8 ,should we1 like the great lord ,simon1 not know how to receive ,him and not go out to meet ,him8' ,thus ,i thought1 and fell asleep where ,i sat4 ,then as ,i sat sleeping there ,i heard someone call my name2 and as ,i raised myself the voice went on 7as though it were the voice of someone whispering in my ear73 #8,watch thou for me to-morrow1 for ,i am coming to visit thee4' ,it said that twice4 ,and so those words have got into my head1 and1 foolish though ,i know it to be1 ,i keep expecting ,him--the ,little ,father--every moment40 ,stepanitch nodded and said nothing1 but emptied his glass and laid it aside4 ,nevertheless ,avdeitch took and refilled it4 8,drink it up2 it will do you good10 he said4 8,do you know10 he went on1 8,i often call to mind how when ,our ,little ,father walked this earth1 there was never a man1 however humble1 whom ,he despised1 and how it was chiefly among the common people that ,he dwelt4 ,it was always with them that ,he walked2 it was from among them--from among such men as you and ,i--from among sinners and working folk--that ,he chose ,his disciples4 #8,whosoever1' ,he said1 #8shall exalt himself1 the same shall be abased2 and whosoever shall abase himself1 the same shall be exalted4' #8,you1' ,he said again1 #8call me ,lord2 yet will ,i wash your feet4' #8,whosoever1' ,he said1 #8would be chief among you1 let him be the servant of all4 ,because1' ,he said1 #8blessed are the lowly1 the peacemakers1 the merciful1 and the charitable4'0 ,stepanitch had forgotten all about his tea4 ,he was an old man1 and his tears came easily4 ,he sat and listened1 with the tears rolling down his cheeks4 8,oh1 but you must drink your tea10 said ,avdeitch2 yet ,stepanitch only crossed himself and said the thanksgiving1 after which he pushed his glass away and rose4 8,i thank you1 ,martin ,avdeitch10 he said4 8,you have taken me in1 and fed both soul and body40 8,nay1 but ,i beg of you to come again10 replied ,avdeitch4 8,i am only too glad of a guest40 ,so ,stepanitch departed1 while ,martin poured out the last of the tea and drank it4 ,then he cleaned the crockery1 and sat down again to his work by the window--to the stitching of a back-piece4 ,he stitched away1 yet kept on looking through the window--looking for ,christ1 as it were--and ever thinking of ,christ and ,his works4 ,indeed1 ,christ's many sayings were never absent from ,avdeitch's mind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,two soldiers passed the window1 the one in military boots1 and the other in civilian4 ,next1 there came a neighboring householder1 in polished goloshes2 then a baker with a basket4 ,all of them passed on4 ,presently a woman in woollen stockings and rough country shoes approached the window1 and halted near the buttress outside it4 ,avdeitch peered up at her from under the lintel of his window1 and could see that she was a plain-looking1 poorly-dressed woman and had a child in her arms4 ,it was in order to muffle the child up more closely--little though she had to do it with6--that she had stopped near the buttress and was now standing there with her back to the wind4 ,her clothing was ragged and fit only for summer1 and even from behind his window-panes ,avdeitch could hear the child crying miserably and its mother vainly trying to soothe it4 ,avdeitch rose1 went to the door1 climbed the steps1 and cried out3 8,my good woman1 my good woman60 ,she heard him and turned round4 8,why need you stand there in the cold with your baby80 he went on4 8,come into my room1 where it is warm1 and where you will be able to wrap the baby up more comfortably than you can do here4 ,yes1 come in with you40 ,the woman was surprised to see an old man in a leather apron and with spectacles upon his nose calling out to her1 yet she followed him down the steps1 and they entered his room4 ,the old man led her to the bedstead4 8,sit you down here1 my good woman10 he said4 8,you will be near the stove1 and can warm yourself and feed your baby40 8,ah10 she replied4 8,i have had nothing to eat this morning40 ,nevertheless she put the child to her breast4 ,avdeitch nodded his head approvingly1 went to the table for some bread and a basin1 and opened the stove door4 ,from the stove he took and poured some soup into the basin1 and drew out also a bowl of porridge4 ,the latter1 however1 was not yet boiling1 so he set out only the soup1 after first laying the table with a cloth4 8,sit down and eat1 my good woman10 he said1 8while ,i hold your baby4 ,i have had little ones of my own1 and know how to nurse them40 ,the woman crossed herself and sat down1 while ,avdeitch seated himself upon the bedstead with the baby4 ,he smacked his lips at it once or twice1 but made a poor show of it1 for he had no teeth left4 ,consequently the baby went on crying4 ,then he bethought him of his finger1 which he wriggled to and fro towards the baby's mouth and back again--without1 however1 actually touching the little one's lips1 since the finger was blackened with work and sticky with shoemaker's wax4 ,the baby contemplated the finger and grew quiet--then actually smiled4 ,avdeitch was delighted4 ,meanwhile the woman had been eating her meal1 and now she told him1 unasked1 who she was and whither she was going4 8,i am a soldier's wife10 she said1 8but my husband was sent to a distant station eight months ago1 and ,i have heard nothing of him since4 ,at first ,i got a place as cook1 but when the baby came they said they could not do with it and dismissed me4 ,that was three months ago1 and ,i have got nothing since1 and have spent all my savings4 ,i tried to get taken as a nurse1 but no one would have me1 for they said ,i was too thin4 ,i have just been to see a tradesman's wife where our grandmother is in service4 ,she had promised to take me on1 and ,i quite thought that she would1 but when ,i arrived to-day she told me to come again next week4 ,she lives a long way from here1 and ,i am quite worn out and have tired my baby for nothing4 ,thank ,heaven1 however1 my landlady is good to me1 and gives me shelter for ,christ's sake4 ,otherwise ,i should not have known how to bear it all40 ,avdeitch sighed and said3 8,but have you nothing warm to wear80 8,ah1 sir10 replied the woman1 8although it is the time for warm clothes ,i had to pawn my last shawl yesterday for two grivenki40#d ,footnote #d3 ,the grivenka #aj copecks about five cents4 ,then the woman returned to the bedstead to take her baby1 while ,avdeitch rose and went to a cupboard4 ,there he rummaged about1 and presently returned with an old jacket4 8,here10 he said4 8,it is a poor old thing1 but it will serve to cover you40 ,the woman looked at the jacket1 and then at the old man4 ,then she took the jacket and burst into tears4 ,avdeitch turned away1 and went creeping under the bedstead1 whence he extracted a box and pretended to rummage about in it for a few moments2 after which he sat down again before the woman4 ,then the woman said to him3 8,i thank you in ,christ's name1 good grandfather4 ,surely it was ,he ,himself who sent me to your window4 ,otherwise ,i should have seen my baby perish with the cold4 ,when ,i first came out the day was warm1 but now it has begun to freeze4 ,but ,he1 ,our ,little ,father1 had placed you in your window1 that you might see me in my bitter plight and have compassion upon me40 ,avdeitch smiled and said3 8,he did indeed place me there3 yet1 my poor woman1 it was for a special purpose that ,i was looking out40 ,then he told his guest1 the soldier's wife1 of his vision1 and how he had heard a voice foretelling that to-day the ,lord ,himself would come to visit him4 8,that may very well be10 said the woman as she rose1 took the jacket1 and wrapped her baby in it4 ,then she saluted him once more and thanked him4 8,also1 take this in ,christ's name10 said ,avdeitch1 and gave her a two-grivenka piece with which to buy herself a shawl4 ,the woman crossed herself1 and he likewise4 ,then he led her to the door and dismissed her4 ,when she had gone ,avdeitch ate a little soup1 washed up the crockery again1 and resumed his work4 ,all the time1 though1 he kept his eye upon the window1 and as soon as ever a shadow fell across it he would look up to see who was passing4 ,acquaintances of his came past1 and people whom he did not know1 yet never anyone very particular4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then suddenly he saw something4 ,opposite his window there had stopped an old pedlar-woman1 with a basket of apples4 ,only a few of the apples1 however1 remained1 so that it was clear that she was almost sold out4 ,over her shoulder was slung a sack of shavings1 which she must have gathered near some new building as she was going home4 ,apparently1 her shoulder had begun to ache under their weight1 and she therefore wished to shift them to the other one4 ,to do this1 she balanced her basket of apples on the top of a post1 lowered the sack to the pavement1 and began shaking up its contents4 ,as she was doing this1 a boy in a ragged cap appeared from somewhere1 seized an apple from the basket1 and tried to make off4 ,but the old woman1 who had been on her guard1 managed to turn and seize the boy by the sleeve1 and although he struggled and tried to break away1 she clung to him with both hands1 snatched his cap off1 and finally grasped him by the hair4 ,thereupon the youngster began to shout and abuse his captor4 ,avdeitch did not stop to make fast his awl1 but threw his work down upon the floor1 ran to the door1 and went stumbling up the steps--losing his spectacles as he did so4 ,out into the street he ran1 where the old woman was still clutching the boy by the hair and threatening to take him to the police1 while the boy1 for his part1 was struggling in the endeavor to free himself4 8,i never took it10 he was saying4 8,what are you beating me for8 ,let me go40 ,avdeitch tried to part them as he took the boy by the hand and said3 8,let him go1 my good woman4 ,pardon him for ,christ's sake40 8,yes1 ,i will pardon him10 she retorted1 8but not until he has tasted a new birch-rod4 ,i mean to take the young rascal to the police40 ,but ,avdeitch still interceded for him4 8,let him go1 my good woman10 he said4 8,he will never do it again4 ,let him go for ,christ's sake40 ,the old woman released the boy1 who was for making off at once had not ,avdeitch stopped him4 8,you must beg the old woman's pardon10 he said1 8and never do such a thing again4 ,i saw you take the apple40 ,the boy burst out crying1 and begged the old woman's pardon as ,avdeitch commanded4 8,there1 there10 said ,avdeitch4 8,now ,i will give you one4 ,here you are10--and he took an apple from the basket and handed it to the boy4 8,i will pay you for it1 my good woman10 he added4 8,yes1 but you spoil the young rascal by doing that10 she objected4 8,he ought to have received a reward that would have made him glad to stand for a week40 8,ah1 my good dame1 my good dame10 exclaimed ,avdeitch4 8,that may be our way of rewarding1 but it is not ,god's4 ,if this boy ought to have been whipped for taking the apple1 ought not we also to receive something for our sins80 ,the old woman was silent4 ,then ,avdeitch related to her the parable of the master who absolved his servant from the great debt which he owed him1 whereupon the servant departed and took his own debtor by the throat4 ,the old woman listened1 and also the boy4 8,god has commanded us to pardon one another10 went on ,avdeitch1 8or ,he will not pardon us4 ,we ought to pardon all men1 and especially the thoughtless40 ,the old woman shook her head and sighed4 8,yes1 that may be so10 she said1 8but these young rascals are so spoilt already60 8,then it is for us1 their elders1 to teach them better10 he replied4 8,that is what ,i say myself at times10 rejoined the old woman4 8,i had seven of them once at home1 but have only one daughter now40 ,and she went on to tell ,avdeitch where she and her daughter lived1 and how they lived1 and how many grandchildren she had4 8,i have only such strength as you see10 she said1 8yet ,i work hard1 for my heart goes out to my grandchildren--the bonny little things that they are6 ,no children could run to meet me as they do4 ,aksintka1 for instance1 will go to no one else4 #8,grandmother1' she cries1 #8dear grandmother1 you are tired'0--and the old woman became thoroughly softened4 8,everyone knows what boys are10 she added presently1 referring to the culprit4 8,may ,god go with him60 ,she was raising the sack to her shoulders again when the boy darted forward and said3 8,nay1 let me carry it1 grandmother4 ,it will be all on my way home40 ,the old woman nodded assent1 gave up the sack to the boy1 and went away with him down the street4 ,she had quite forgotten to ask ,avdeitch for the money for the apple4 ,he stood looking after them1 and observing how they were talking together as they went4 ,having seen them go1 he returned to his room1 finding his spectacles--unbroken--on the steps as he descended them4 ,once more he took up his awl and fell to work1 but had done little before he found it difficult to distinguish the stitches1 and the lamplighter had passed on his rounds4 8,i too must light up10 he thought to himself4 ,so he trimmed the lamp1 hung it up1 and resumed his work4 ,he finished one boot completely1 and then turned it over to look at it4 ,it was all good work4 ,then he laid aside his tools1 swept up the cuttings1 rounded off the stitches and loose ends1 and cleaned his awl4 ,next he lifted the lamp down1 placed it on the table1 and took his ,testament from the shelf4 ,he had intended opening the book at the place which he had marked last night with a strip of leather1 but it opened itself at another instead4 ,the instant it did so1 his vision of last night came back to his memory1 and1 as instantly1 he thought he heard a movement behind him as of someone moving towards him4 ,he looked round and saw in the shadow of a dark corner what appeared to be figures--figures of persons standing there1 yet could not distinguish them clearly4 ,then the voice whispered in his ear3 8,martin1 ,martin1 dost thou not know me80 8,who art ,thou80 said ,avdeitch4 8,even ,i60 whispered the voice again4 8,lo1 it is ,i60--and there stepped from the dark corner ,stepanitch4 ,he smiled1 and then1 like the fading of a little cloud1 was gone4 8,it is ,i60 whispered the voice again--and there stepped from the same corner the woman with her baby4 ,she smiled1 and the baby smiled1 and they were gone4 8,and it is ,i60 whispered the voice again--and there stepped forth the old woman and the boy with the apple4 ,they smiled1 and were gone4 ,joy filled the soul of ,martin ,avdeitch as he crossed himself1 put on his spectacles1 and set himself to read the ,testament at the place where it had opened4 ,at the top of the page he read3 8,for ,i was an hungred1 and ye gave ,me meat3 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave ,me drink3 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took ,me in40 ,and further down the page he read3 8,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto ,me40 ,then ,avdeitch understood that the vision had come true1 and that his ,saviour had in very truth visited him that day1 and that he had received ,him4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,wood-,,ladies#e ,by ,,perceval ,,gibbon ,footnote #e3 ,by permission of the author4 ,copyright by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons4 ,,the pine-trees of the wood joined their branches into a dome of intricate groinings over the floor of ferns where the children sat1 sunk to the neck in a foam of tender green4 ,the sunbeams that slanted in made shivering patches of gold about them4 ,joyce1 the elder of the pair1 was trying to explain why she had wished to come here from the glooms of the lesser wood beyond4 8,i wasn't 'zactly frightened10 she said4 8,i knew there wasn't any lions or robbers1 or anything like that4 ,but----0 8,tramps80 suggested ,joan4 8,no6 ,you know ,i don't mind tramps1 ,joan4 ,but as we was going along under all those dark bushes where it was so quiet1 ,i kept feeling as if there was--something--behind me4 ,i looked round and there wasn't anything1 but--well1 it felt as if there was40 ,joyce's small face was knit and intent with the efforts to convey her meaning4 ,she was a slim erect child1 as near seven years of age as makes no matter1 with eyes that were going to be gray1 but had not yet ceased to be blue4 ,joan1 who was a bare five1 a mere huge baby1 was trying to root up a fern that grew between her feet4 8,i know10 she said1 tugging mightily4 ,the fern gave suddenly1 and ,joan fell over on her back1 with her stout legs sticking up stiffly4 ,in this posture she continued the conversation undisturbed4 8,i know1 ,joy4 ,it was wood-ladies60 8,wood-ladies60 ,joyce frowned in faint perplexity as ,joan rolled right side up again4 ,wood-ladies were dim inhabitants of the woods1 being of the order of fairies and angels and even vaguer1 for there was nothing about them in the story-books4 ,joyce1 who felt that she was getting on in years1 was willing to be sceptical about them1 but could not always manage it4 ,in the nursery1 with the hard clean linoleum underfoot and the barred window looking out on the lawn and the road1 it was easy2 she occasionally shocked ,joan1 and sometimes herself1 by the license of her speech on such matters2 but it was a different affair when one came to the gate at the end of the garden1 and passed as through a dream portal from the sunshine and frank sky to the cathedral shadows and great whispering aisles of the wood4 ,there the dimness was like the shadow of a presence2 as babies they had been aware of it1 and answered their own questions by inventing wood-ladies to float among the trunks and people the still green chambers4 ,now1 neither of them could remember how they had first learned of wood-ladies4 8,wood-ladies10 repeated ,joyce1 and turned with a little shiver to look across the ferns to where the pines ended and the lesser wood1 dense with undergrowth1 broke at their edge like a wave on a steep beach4 ,it was there1 in a tunnel of a path that writhed beneath overarching bushes1 that she had been troubled with the sense of unseen companions4 ,joan1 her fat hands struggling with another fern1 followed her glance4 8,that's where they are10 she said casually4 8,they like being in the dark40 8,joan60 ,joyce spoke earnestly4 8,say truly--truly1 mind6--do you think there is wood-ladies at all80 8',course there is10 replied ,joan cheerfully4 8,fairies in fields and angels in heaven and dragons in caves and wood-ladies in woods40 8,but10 objected ,joyce1 8nobody ever sees them40 ,joan lifted her round baby face1 plump1 serene1 bright with innocence1 and gazed across at the tangled trees beyond the ferns4 ,she wore the countenance with which she was wont to win games1 and ,joyce thrilled nervously at her certainty4 ,her eyes1 which were brown1 seemed to seek expertly2 then she nodded4 8,there's one now10 she said1 and fell to work with her fern again4 ,joyce1 crouching among the broad green leaves1 looked tensely1 dread and curiosity--the child's avid curiosity for the supernatural--alight in her face4 ,in the wood a breath of wind stirred the leaves2 the shadows and the fretted lights shifted and swung2 all was vague movement and change4 ,was it a bough that bent and sprang back or a flicker of draperies1 dim and green1 shrouding a tenuous form that passed like a smoke-wreath8 ,she stared with wide eyes1 and it seemed to her that for an instant she saw the figure turn and the pallor of a face1 with a mist of hair about it1 sway toward her4 ,there was an impression of eyes1 large and tender1 of an infinite grace and fragility1 of a coloring that merged into the greens and browns of the wood2 and as she drew her breath it was all no more4 ,the trees1 the lights and shades1 the stir of branches were as before1 but something was gone from them4 8,joan10 she cried1 hesitating4 8,yes10 said ,joan1 without looking up4 8,what80 ,the sound of words had broken a spell4 ,joyce was no longer sure that she had seen anything4 8,i thought1 just now1 ,i could see something10 she said4 8,but ,i s'pose ,i didn't40 8,i did10 remarked ,joan4 ,joyce crawled through the crisp ferns till she was close to ,joan1 sitting solid and untroubled and busy upon the ground1 with broken stems and leaves all round her4 8,joan10 she begged4 8,be nice4 ,you're trying to frighten me1 aren't you80 8,i'm not10 protested ,joan4 8,i did see a wood-lady4 ,wood-ladies doesn't hurt you2 wood-ladies are nice4 ,you're a coward1 ,joyce40 8,i can't help it10 said ,joyce1 sighing4 8,but ,i won't go into the dark parts of the wood any more40 8,coward10 repeated ,joan absently1 but with a certain relish4 8,you wouldn't like to go there by yourself10 cried ,joyce4 8,if ,i wasn't with you1 you'd be a coward too4 ,you know you would40 ,she stopped1 for ,joan had swept her lap free of dbris and was rising to her feet4 ,joan1 for all her plumpness and infantile softness1 had a certain deliberate dignity when she was put upon her mettle4 ,she eyed her sister with a calm and very galling superiority4 8,i'm going there now10 she answered2 8all by mineself40 8,go1 then10 retorted ,joyce angrily4 ,without a further word1 ,joan turned her back and began to plough her way across the ferns toward the dark wood4 ,joyce1 watching her1 saw her go1 at first with wrath1 for she had been stung1 and then with compunction4 ,the plump baby was so small in the brooding solemnity of the pines1 thrusting indefatigably along1 buried to the waist in ferns4 ,her sleek brown head had a devoted look2 the whole of her seemed to go with so sturdy an innocence toward those peopled and uncanny glooms4 ,joyce rose to her knees to call her back4 8,joan60 she cried4 ,the baby turned4 8,joan6 ,come back2 come back an' be friends60 ,joan1 maintaining her offing1 replied only with a gesture4 ,it was a gesture they had learned from the boot-and-knife boy1 and they had once been spanked for practising it on the piano-tuner4 ,the boot-and-knife boy called it 8cocking a snook10 and it consisted in raising a thumb to one's nose and spreading the fingers out4 ,it was defiance and insult in tabloid form4 ,then she turned and plodded on4 ,the opaque wall of the wood was before her and over her1 but she knew its breach4 ,she ducked her head under a droop of branches1 squirmed through1 was visible still for some seconds as a gleam of blue frock1 and then the ghostly shadows received her and she was gone4 ,the wood closed behind her like a lid4 ,joyce1 squatting in her place1 blinked a little breathlessly to shift from her senses an oppression of alarm1 and settled down to wait for her4 ,at least it was true that nothing ever happened to ,joan2 even when she fell into a water-butt she suffered no damage2 and the wood was a place to which they came every day4 8,besides10 she considered1 enumerating her resources of comfort2 8besides1 there can't be such things as wood-ladies really40 ,but ,joan was a long time gone4 ,the dome of pines took on an uncanny stillness2 the moving patches of sun seemed furtive and unnatural2 the ferns swayed without noise4 ,in the midst of it1 patient and nervous1 sat ,joyce1 watching always that spot in the bushes where a blue overall and a brown head had disappeared4 ,the undernote of alarm which stirred her senses died down2 a child finds it hard to spin out a mood2 she simply sat1 half-dreaming in the peace of the morning1 half-watching the wood4 ,time slipped by her and presently there came mother1 smiling and seeking through the trees for her babies4 8,isn't there a clock inside you that tells you when it's lunch-time80 asked mother4 8,you're ever so late4 ,where's ,joan80 ,joyce rose among the ferns1 delicate and elfin1 with a shy perplexity on her face4 ,it was difficult to speak even to mother about wood-ladies without a pretence of scepticism4 8,i forgot about lunch10 she said1 taking the slim cool hand which mother held out to her4 8,joan's in there40 ,she nodded at the bushes4 8,is she80 said mother1 and called aloud in her singing-voice1 that was so clear to hear in the spaces of the wood4 8,joan6 ,joan60 ,a cheeky bird answered with a whistle and mother called again4 8,she said10 explained ,joyce--8she said she saw a wood-lady and then she went in there to show me she wasn't afraid40 8,what's a wood-lady1 chick80 asked mother4 8,the rascal60 she said1 smiling1 when ,joyce had explained as best she could4 8,we'll have to go and look for her40 ,they went hand in hand1 and mother showed herself clever in parting a path among the bushes4 ,she managed so that no bough sprang back to strike ,joyce and without tearing or soiling her own soft white dress2 one could guess that when she had been a little girl she1 too1 had had a wood to play in4 ,they cut down by the ,secret ,pond1 where the old rhododendrons were1 and out to the edge of the fields2 and when they paused mother would lift her head and call again1 and her voice rang in the wood like a bell4 ,by the pond1 which was a black water with steep banks1 she paused and showed a serious face2 but there were no marks of shoes on its clay slopes1 and she shook her head and went on4 ,but to all the calling there was no answer1 no distant cheery bellow to guide them to ,joan4 8,i wish she wouldn't play these tricks10 said mother4 8,i don't like them a bit40 8,i expect she's hiding10 said ,joyce4 8,there aren't wood-ladies really1 are there1 mother80 8,there's nothing worse in these woods than a rather naughty baby10 mother replied4 8,we'll go back by the path and call her again40 ,joyce knew that the hand which held hers tightened as they went and there was still no answer to mother's calling4 ,she could not have told what it was that made her suddenly breathless2 the wood about her turned desolate2 an oppression of distress and bewilderment burdened them both4 8,joan1 ,joan60 called mother in her strong beautiful contralto1 swelling the word forth in powerful music1 and when she ceased the silence was like a taunt4 ,it was not as if ,joan were there and failed to answer2 it was as if there were no longer any ,joan anywhere4 ,they came at last to the space of sparse trees which bordered their garden4 8,we mustn't be silly about this10 said mother1 speaking as much to herself as to ,joyce4 8,nothing can have happened to her4 ,and you must have lunch1 chick40 8,without waiting for ,joan80 asked ,joyce4 8,yes4 ,the gardener and the boot-boy must look for ,joan10 said mother1 opening the gate4 ,the dining-room looked very secure and home-like1 with its big window and its cheerful table spread for lunch4 ,joyce's place faced the window1 so that she could see the lawn and the hedge bounding the kitchen garden2 and when mother had served her with food1 she was left alone to eat it4 ,presently the gardener and the boot-boy passed the window1 each carrying a hedge-stake and looking warlike4 ,there reached her a murmur of voices2 the gardener was mumbling something about tramps4 8,oh1 ,i don't think so10 replied mother's voice4 ,mother came in presently and sat down1 but did not eat anything4 ,joyce asked her why4 8,oh1 ,i shall have some lunch when ,joan comes10 answered mother4 8,i sha'n't be hungry till then4 ,will you have some more1 my pet80 ,when ,joyce had finished1 they went out again to the wood to meet ,joan when she was brought back in custody4 ,mother walked quite slowly1 looking all the time as if she would like to run4 ,joyce held her hand and sometimes glanced up at her face1 so full of wonder and a sort of resentful doubt1 as though circumstances were playing an unmannerly trick on her4 ,at the gate they came across the boot-boy4 8,i bin all acrost that way10 said the boot-boy1 pointing with his stumpy black forefinger1 8and then acrost that way1 an' ,mister ,jenks0--,jenks was the gardener--8'e've gone about in rings1 'e 'ave4 ,and there ain't sign nor token1 mum--not a sign there ain't40 ,from beyond him sounded the voice of the gardener1 thrashing among the trees4 8,miss ,joan60 he roared4 8,hi6 ,miss ,jo-an6 ,you're a-frightin' your ma proper4 ,where are ye1 then80 8,she must be hiding10 said mother4 8,you must go on looking1 ,walter4 ,you must go on looking till you find her40 8,yes1 'm10 said ,walter4 8,if she's in there1 us'll find her1 soon or late40 ,he ran off1 and presently his voice was joined to ,jenks's1 calling ,joan--calling1 calling1 and getting no answer4 ,mother took ,joyce's hand again4 8,come10 she said4 8,we'll walk round by the path1 and you must tell me again how it all happened4 ,did you really see something when ,joan told you to look80 8,i expect ,i didn't10 replied ,joyce dolefully4 8,but ,joan's always saying there's a fairy or something in the shadows and ,i always think ,i see them for a moment40 8,it couldn't have been a live woman--or a man--that you saw80 8,oh1 no60 ,joyce was positive of that4 ,mother's hand tightened on hers understandingly and they went on in silence till they met ,jenks4 ,jenks was an oldish man with bushy gray whiskers1 who never wore a coat1 and now he was wet to the loins with mud and water4 8,that there ol' pond10 he explained4 8,i've been an' took a look at her4 ,tromped through her proper1 ,i did1 an' ,i'll go bail there ain't so much as a dead cat in all the mud of her4 ,thish yer's a mistry1 mum1 an' no mistake40 ,mother stared at him4 8,i can't bear this10 she said suddenly4 8,you must go on searching1 ,jenks1 and ,walter must go on his bicycle to the police-station at once4 ,call him1 please60 8,walter60 roared ,jenks obediently4 8,coming60 answered the boot-boy and burst forth from the bushes4 ,in swift1 clear words1 which no stupidity could mistake or forget1 mother gave him his orders1 spoken in a tone that meant urgency4 ,walter went flying to execute them4 8,oh1 mother1 where do you think ,joan can be80 begged ,joyce when ,jenks had gone off to resume his search4 8,i don't know10 said mother4 8,it's all so absurd40 8,if there was wood-ladies1 they wouldn't hurt a baby like ,joan10 suggested ,joyce4 8,oh1 who could hurt her60 cried mother1 and fell to calling again4 ,her voice1 of which each accent was music1 alternated with the harsh roars of ,jenks4 ,walter on his bicycle must have hurried1 in spite of his permanently punctured front tire1 for it was a very short time before bells rang in the steep lane from the road and ,superintendent ,farrow himself wheeled his machine in at the gate1 massive and self-possessed1 a blue-clad minister of comfort4 ,he heard mother's tale1 which embodied that of ,joyce1 with a half-smile lurking in his mustache and his big chin creased back against his collar4 ,then he nodded1 exactly as if he saw through the whole business and could find ,joan in a minute or two1 and propped his bicycle against the fence4 8,i understand then10 he said1 8that the little girl's been missing for rather more than an hour4 ,in that case1 she can't have got far4 ,i sent a couple o' constables round the roads be'ind the wood before ,i started1 an' now ,i'll just 'ave a look through the wood myself40 8,thank you10 said mother4 8,i don't know why ,i'm so nervous1 but----0 8,very natural1 ma'am10 said the big superintendent comfortingly1 and went with them to the wood4 ,it was rather thrilling to go with him and watch him4 ,joyce and mother had to show him the place from which ,joan had started and the spot at which she had disappeared4 ,he looked at them hard1 frowning a little and nodding to himself1 and went stalking mightily among the ferns4 8,it was 'ere she went80 he inquired1 as he reached the dark path1 and being assured that it was1 he thrust in and commenced his search4 ,the pond seemed to give him ideas1 which old ,jenks disposed of1 and he marched on till he came out to the edge of the fields1 where the hay was yet uncut4 ,joan could not have crossed them without leaving a track in the tall grass as clear as a cart-rut4 8,we 'ave to consider the possibilities of the matter10 said the superintendent4 8,assumin' that the wood 'as been thoroughly searched1 where did she get out of it80 8,searched60 growled old ,jenks4 8,there ain't a inch as ,i 'aven't searched an' seen--not a inch40 8,the kidnappin' the'ry10 went on the superintendent1 ignoring him and turning to mother1 8,i don't incline to4 ',owever1 we must go to work in order1 an' ,i'll 'ave my men up 'ere and make sure of the wood4 ,all gypsies an' tramps will be stopped and interrogated4 ,i don't think there's no cause for you to feel anxious1 ma'am4 ,i 'ope to 'ave some news for you in the course of the afternoon40 ,they watched him free-wheel down the lane and shoot round the corner4 8,oh1 dear10 said mother then2 8why doesn't the baby come8 ,i wish daddy weren't away40 ,now that the police had entered the affair1 ,joyce felt that there remained nothing to be done4 ,uniformed authority was in charge of events2 it could not fail to find ,joan4 ,she had a vision of the police at work1 stopping straggling families of tramps on distant by-roads1 looking into the contents of their dreadful bundles1 flashing the official bull's-eye lantern into the mysterious interior of gypsy caravans1 and making ragged men and slatternly women give an account of their wanderings4 ,no limits to which they would not go2 how could they fail8 ,she wished their success seemed as inevitable to her mother as it did to her4 8,they're sure to bring her back1 mother10 she repeated4 8,oh1 chick10 said mother1 8,i keep telling myself so4 ,but ,i wish--,i wish----0 8,what1 mother80 8,i wish10 said mother1 in a sudden burst of speech1 as if she were confessing something that troubled her--8,i wish you hadn't seen that wood-lady40 ,the tall young constables and the plump fatherly sergeant annoyed old ,jenks by searching the wood as though he had done nothing4 ,it was a real search this time4 ,each of them took a part of the ground and went over it as though he were looking for a needle which had been lost1 and no less than three of them trod every inch of the bottom of the ,secret ,pond4 ,they took shovels and opened up an old fox's earth2 and a sad-looking man in shabby plain clothes arrived and walked about smoking a pipe--a detective6 ,up from the village1 too1 came the big young curate and the squire's two sons1 civil and sympathetic and eager to be helpful2 they all thought it natural that mother should be anxious1 but refused to credit for an instant that anything could have happened to ,joan4 8,that baby60 urged the curate4 8,why1 my dear lady1 ,joan is better known hereabouts than ,king ,george himself4 ,no one could take her a mile without having to answer questions4 ,i don't know what's keeping her1 but you may be sure she's all right40 8',course she is10 chorused the others1 swinging their sticks light-heartedly4 8',course she's all right40 8,get her for me1 then10 said mother4 8,i don't want to be silly and you're awfully good4 ,but ,i must have her2 ,i must have her4 ,i--,i want her40 ,the squire's sons turned as if on an order and went toward the wood4 ,the curate lingered a moment4 ,he was a huge youth1 an athlete and a gentleman1 and his hard1 clean-shaven face could be kind and serious4 8,we're sure to get her10 he said1 in lower tones4 8,and you must help us with your faith and courage4 ,can you80 ,mother's hand tightened on that of ,joyce4 8,we are doing our best10 she said1 and smiled--she smiled6 ,the curate nodded and went his way to the wood4 ,a little later in the afternoon came ,colonel ,warden1 the lord and master of all the police in the county1 a gay1 trim soldier whom the children knew and liked4 ,with him1 in his big automobile1 were more policemen and a pair of queer liver-colored dogs1 all baggy skin and bleary eyes--blood-hounds6 ,joyce felt that this really must settle it4 ,actual living blood-hounds would be more than a match for ,joan4 ,colonel ,warden was sure of it too4 8,saves time10 he was telling mother1 in his high snappy voice4 8,shows us which way she's gone1 you know4 ,best hounds in the country1 these two2 never known 'em fail yet40 ,the dogs were limp and quiet as he led them through the wood1 strange ungainly mechanisms which a whiff of a scent could set in motion4 ,a pinafore which ,joan had worn at breakfast was served to them for an indication of the work they had to do2 they snuffed at it languidly for some seconds4 ,then the colonel unleashed them4 ,they smelled round and about like any other dogs for a while1 till one of them lifted his great head and uttered a long moaning cry4 ,then1 noses down1 the men running behind them1 they set off across the ferns4 ,mother1 still holding ,joyce's hand1 followed4 ,the hounds made a straight line for the wood at the point at which ,joan had entered it1 slid in like frogs into water1 while the men dodged and crashed after them4 ,joyce and mother came up with them at a place where the bushes stood back1 enclosing a little quiet space of turf that lay open to the sky4 ,the hounds were here1 one lying down and scratching himself1 the other nosing casually and clearly without interest about him4 8,dash it all10 the colonel was saying2 8she can't--she simply can't have been kidnapped in a balloon40 ,they tried the hounds again and again1 always with the same result4 ,they ran their line to the same spot unhesitatingly1 and then gave up as though the scent went no further4 ,nothing could induce them to hunt beyond it4 8,i can't understand this10 said ,colonel ,warden1 dragging at his mustache4 8,this is queer40 ,he stood glancing around him as though the shrubs and trees had suddenly become enemies4 ,the search was still going on when the time came for ,joyce to go to bed4 ,it had spread from the wood across the fields1 reinforced by scores of sturdy volunteers1 and automobiles had puffed away to thread the mesh of little lanes that covered the country-side4 ,joyce found it all terribly exciting4 ,fear for ,joan she felt not at all4 8,i know inside myself10 she told mother1 8right down deep in the middle of me1 that ,joan's all right40 8,bless you1 my chick10 said poor mother4 8,i wish ,i could feel like that4 ,go to bed now1 like a good girl40 ,there was discomfort in the sight of ,joan's railed cot standing empty in the night nursery1 but ,joyce was tired and had scarcely begun to be touched by it before she was asleep4 ,she had a notion that during the night mother came in more than once1 and she had a vague dream1 too1 all about ,joan and wood-ladies1 of which she could not remember much when she woke up4 ,joan was always dressed first in the morning1 being the younger of the pair1 but now there was no ,joan and nurse was very gentle with ,joyce and looked tired and as if she had been crying4 ,mother was not to be seen that morning2 she had been up all night1 8till she broke down1 poor thing10 said nurse1 and ,joyce was bidden to amuse herself quietly in the nursery4 ,but mother was about again at lunch-time when ,joyce went down to the dining-room4 ,she was very pale and her eyes looked black and deep1 and somehow she seemed suddenly smaller and younger1 more nearly ,joyce's age1 than ever before4 ,they kissed each other and the child would have tried to comfort4 8,no10 said mother1 shaking her head4 8,no1 dear4 ,don't let's be sorry for each other yet4 ,it would be like giving up hope4 ,and we haven't done that1 have we80 8,i haven't10 said ,joyce4 8,i know it's all right40 ,after lunch--again mother said she wouldn't be hungry till ,joan came home--they went out together4 ,there were no searches now in the wood and the garden was empty2 the police had left no inch unscanned and they were away1 combing the country-side and spreading terror among the tramps4 ,the sun was strong upon the lawn and the smell of the roses was heavy on the air2 across the hedge the land rolled away to clear perspectives of peace and beauty4 8,let's walk up and down10 suggested mother4 8,anything's better than sitting still4 ,and don't talk1 chick--not just now40 ,they paced the length of the lawn1 from the cedar to the gate which led to the wood1 perhaps a dozen times1 hand in hand and in silence4 ,it was while their backs were turned to the wood that they heard the gate click1 and faced about to see who was coming4 ,a blue-sleeved arm thrust the gate open and there advanced into the sunlight1 coming forth from the shadow as from a doorway--,joan6 ,her round baby face1 with the sleek brown hair over it1 the massive infantile body1 the sturdy bare legs1 confronted them serenely4 ,mother uttered a deep sigh--it sounded like that--and in a moment she was kneeling on the ground with her arms round the baby4 8,joan1 ,joan10 she said1 over and over again4 8,my little1 little baby60 ,joan struggled in her embrace till she got an arm free and then rubbed her eyes drowsily4 8,hallo60 she said4 8,but where have you been80 cried mother4 8,baby-girl1 where have you been all this time80 ,joan made a motion of her head and her free arm toward the wood1 the wood which had been searched a dozen times over like a pocket4 8,in there10 she answered carelessly4 8,wiv the wood-ladies4 ,i'm hungry60 8,my darling60 said mother1 and picked her up and carried her into the house4 ,in the dining-room1 with mother at her side and ,joyce opposite to her1 ,joan fell to her food in her customary workman-like fashion1 and between helpings answered questions in a fashion which only served to darken the mystery of her absence4 8,but there aren't any wood-ladies really1 darling10 remonstrated mother4 8,there is10 said ,joan4 8,there's lots4 ,they wanted to keep me but ,i wouldn't stay4 ,so ,i comed home1 'cause ,i was hungry40 8,but10 began mother1 8where did they take you to80 she asked4 8,i don't know10 said ,joan4 8,the one what ,i went to speak to gave me her hand and tooked me to where there was more of them4 ,it was a place in the wood wiv grass to sit on and bushes all round1 and they gave me dead flowers to play wiv4 ,howwid old dead flowers60 8,yes80 said mother4 8,what else80 8,there was anuvver little girl there10 went on ,joan4 8,not a wood-lady1 but a girl like me1 what they'd tooked from somewhere4 ,she was wearing a greeny sort of dress like they was1 and they wanted me to put one on too4 ,but ,i wouldn't40 8,why wouldn't you80 asked ,joyce4 8',cause ,i didn't want to be a wood-lady10 replied ,joan4 8,listen to me1 darling10 said mother4 8,didn't these people whom you call wood-ladies take you away out of the wood8 ,we searched the whole wood1 you know1 and you weren't there at all40 8,i was10 said ,joan4 8,i was there all the time an' ,i heard ,walter an' ,jenks calling4 ,i cocked a snook at them an' the wood-ladies laughed like leaves rustling40 8,but where did you sleep last night80 8,i didn't sleep10 said ,joan1 grasping her spoon anew4 8,i'se very sleepy now40 ,she was asleep as soon as they laid her in bed1 and mother and ,joyce looked at each other across her cot1 above her rosy and unconscious face4 8,god help us10 said mother1 in a whisper4 8,what is the truth of this80 ,there was never any answer1 any hint of a solution1 save ,joan's4 ,and she1 as soon as she discovered that her experiences amounted to an adventure1 began to embroider them1 and now she does not even know herself4 ,she has reached the age of seven1 and it is long since she has believed in anything so childish as wood-ladies4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,on ,,the ,,fever ,,ship#f ,by ,,richard ,,harding ,,davis ,footnote #f3 ,from ,the ,lion and the ,unicorn4 ,copyright1 #ahii1 by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons4 ,,there were four rails around the ship's sides1 the three lower ones of iron and the one on top of wood1 and as he looked between them from the canvas cot he recognized them as the prison-bars which held him in4 ,outside his prison lay a stretch of blinding blue water which ended in a line of breakers and a yellow coast with ragged palms4 ,beyond that again rose a range of mountain-peaks1 and1 stuck upon the loftiest peak of all1 a tiny block-house4 ,it rested on the brow of the mountain against the naked sky as impudently as a cracker-box set upon the dome of a great cathedral4 ,as the transport rode on her anchor-chains1 the iron bars around her sides rose and sank and divided the landscape with parallel lines4 ,from his cot the officer followed this phenomenon with severe1 painstaking interest4 ,sometimes the wooden rail swept up to the very block-house itself1 and for a second of time blotted it from sight4 ,and again it sank to the level of the line of breakers1 and wiped them out of the picture as though they were a line of chalk4 ,the soldier on the cot promised himself that the next swell of the sea would send the lowest rail climbing to the very top of the palm-trees or1 even higher1 to the base of the mountains2 and when it failed to reach even the palm-trees he felt a distinct sense of ill use1 of having been wronged by some one4 ,there was no other reason for submitting to this existence save these tricks upon the wearisome1 glaring landscape2 and now1 whoever it was who was working them did not seem to be making this effort to entertain him with any heartiness4 ,it was most cruel4 ,indeed1 he decided hotly1 it was not to be endured2 he would bear it no longer1 he would make his escape4 ,but he knew that this move1 which could be conceived in a moment's desperation1 could only be carried to success with great strategy1 secrecy1 and careful cunning4 ,so he fell back upon his pillow and closed his eyes1 as though he were asleep1 and then opening them again1 turned cautiously1 and spied upon his keeper4 ,as usual1 his keeper sat at the foot of the cot turning the pages of a huge paper filled with pictures of the war printed in daubs of tawdry colors4 ,his keeper was a hard-faced boy without human pity or consideration1 a very devil of obstinacy and fiendish cruelty4 ,to make it worse1 the fiend was a person without a collar1 in a suit of soiled khaki1 with a curious red cross bound by a safety-pin to his left arm4 ,he was intent upon the paper in his hands2 he was holding it between his eyes and his prisoner4 ,his vigilance had relaxed1 and the moment seemed propitious4 ,with a sudden plunge of arms and legs1 the prisoner swept the bed-sheet from him1 and sprang at the wooden rail and grasped the iron stanchion beside it4 ,he had his knee pressed against the top bar and his bare toes on the iron rail beneath it4 ,below him the blue water waited for him4 ,it was cool and dark and gentle and deep4 ,it would certainly put out the fire in his bones1 he thought2 it might even shut out the glare of the sun which scorched his eyeballs4 ,but as he balanced for the leap1 a swift weakness and nausea swept over him1 a weight seized upon his body and limbs4 ,he could not lift the lower foot from the iron rail1 and he swayed dizzily and trembled4 ,he trembled4 ,he who had raced his men and beaten them up the hot hill to the trenches of ,san ,juan4 ,but now he was a baby in the hands of a giant1 who caught him by the wrist and with an iron arm clasped him around his waist and pulled him down1 and shouted1 brutally1 8,help1 some of youse1 quick6 he's at it again4 ,i can't hold him40 ,more giants grasped him by the arms and by the legs4 ,one of them took the hand that clung to the stanchion in both of his1 and pulled back the fingers one by one1 saying1 8,easy now1 ,lieutenant--easy40 ,the ragged palms and the sea and block-house were swallowed up in a black fog1 and his body touched the canvas cot again with a sense of home-coming and relief and rest4 ,he wondered how he could have cared to escape from it4 ,he found it so good to be back again that for a long time he wept quite happily1 until the fiery pillow was moist and cool4 ,the world outside of the iron bars was like a scene in a theater set for some great event1 but the actors were never ready4 ,he remembered confusedly a play he had once witnessed before that same scene4 ,indeed1 he believed he had played some small part in it2 but he remembered it dimly1 and all trace of the men who had appeared with him in it was gone4 ,he had reasoned it out that they were up there behind the range of mountains1 because great heavy wagons and ambulances and cannon were emptied from the ships at the wharf above and were drawn away in long lines behind the ragged palms1 moving always toward the passes between the peaks4 ,at times he was disturbed by the thought that he should be up and after them1 that some tradition of duty made his presence with them imperative4 ,there was much to be done back of the mountains4 ,some event of momentous import was being carried forward there1 in which he held a part2 but the doubt soon passed from him1 and he was content to lie and watch the iron bars rising and falling between the block-house and the white surf4 ,if they had been only humanely kind1 his lot would have been bearable1 but they starved him and held him down when he wished to rise2 and they would not put out the fire in the pillow1 which they might easily have done by the simple expedient of throwing it over the ship's side into the sea4 ,he himself had done this twice1 but the keeper had immediately brought a fresh pillow already heated for the torture and forced it under his head4 ,his pleasures were very simple1 and so few he could not understand why they robbed him of them so jealously4 ,one was to watch a green cluster of bananas that hung above him from the awning1 twirling on a string4 ,he could count as many of them as five before the bunch turned and swung lazily back again1 when he could count as high as twelve2 sometimes when the ship rolled heavily he could count to twenty4 ,it was a most fascinating game1 and contented him for many hours4 ,but when they found this out they sent for the cook to come and cut them down1 and the cook carried them away to his galley4 ,then1 one day1 a man came out from the shore1 swimming through the blue water with great splashes4 ,he was a most charming man1 who spluttered and dove and twisted and lay on his back and kicked his legs in an excess of content and delight4 ,it was a real pleasure to watch him2 not for days had anything so amusing appeared on the other side of the prison-bars4 ,but as soon as the keeper saw that the man in the water was amusing his prisoner1 he leaned over the ship's side and shouted1 8,sa-ay1 you1 don't you know there's sharks in there80 ,and the swimming man raced back to the shore like a porpoise with great lashing of the water1 and ran up the beach half-way to the palms before he was satisfied to stop4 ,then the prisoner wept again4 ,it was so disappointing4 ,life was robbed of everything now4 ,he remembered that in a previous existence soldiers who cried were laughed at and mocked4 ,but that was so far away and it was such an absurd superstition that he had no patience with it4 ,for what could be more comforting to a man when he is treated cruelly than to cry4 ,it was so obvious an exercise1 and when one is so feeble that one cannot vault a four-railed barrier it is something to feel that at least one is strong enough to cry4 ,he escaped occasionally1 traversing space with marvellous rapidity and to great distances1 but never to any successful purpose2 and his flight inevitably ended in ignominious recapture and a sudden awakening in bed4 ,at these moments the familiar and hated palms1 the peaks1 and the block-house were more hideous in their reality than the most terrifying of his nightmares4 ,these excursions afield were always predatory2 he went forth always to seek food4 ,with all the beautiful world from which to elect and choose1 he sought out only those places where eating was studied and elevated to an art4 ,these visits were much more vivid in their detail than any he had ever before made to these same resorts4 ,they invariably began in a carriage1 which carried him swiftly over smooth asphalt4 ,one route brought him across a great and beautiful square1 radiating with rows and rows of flickering lights2 two fountains splashed in the center of the square1 and six women of stone guarded its approaches4 ,one of the women was hung with wreaths of mourning4 ,ahead of him the late twilight darkened behind a great arch1 which seemed to rise on the horizon of the world1 a great window into the heavens beyond4 ,at either side strings of white and colored globes hung among the trees1 and the sound of music came joyfully from theaters in the open air4 ,he knew the restaurant under the trees to which he was now hastening1 and the fountain beside it1 and the very sparrows balancing on the fountain's edge2 he knew every waiter at each of the tables1 he felt again the gravel crunching under his feet1 he saw the matre d'htel coming forward smiling to receive his command1 and the waiter in the green apron bowing at his elbow1 deferential and important1 presenting the list of wines4 ,but his adventure never passed that point1 for he was captured again and once more bound to his cot with a close burning sheet4 ,or else1 he drove more sedately through the ,london streets in the late evening twilight1 leaning expectantly across the doors of the hansom and pulling carefully at his white gloves4 ,other hansoms flashed past him1 the occupant of each with his mind fixed on one idea--dinner4 ,he was one of a million of people who were about to dine1 or who had dined1 or who were deep in dining4 ,he was so famished1 so weak for food of any quality1 that the galloping horse in the hansom seemed to crawl4 ,the lights of the ,embankment passed like the lamps of a railroad station as seen from the window of an express2 and while his mind was still torn between the choice of a thin or thick soup or an immediate attack upon cold beef1 he was at the door1 and the chasseur touched his cap1 and the little chasseur put the wicker guard over the hansom's wheel4 ,as he jumped out he said1 8,give him half-a-crown10 and the driver called after him1 8,thank you1 sir40 ,it was a beautiful world1 this world outside of the iron bars4 ,everyone in it contributed to his pleasure and to his comfort4 ,in this world he was not starved nor man-handled4 ,he thought of this joyfully as he leaped up the stairs1 where young men with grave faces and with their hands held negligently behind their backs bowed to him in polite surprise at his speed4 ,but they had not been starved on condensed milk4 ,he threw his coat and hat at one of them1 and came down the hall fearfully and quite weak with dread lest it should not be real4 ,his voice was shaking when he asked ,ellis if he had reserved a table4 ,the place was all so real1 it must be true this time4 ,the way ,ellis turned and ran his finger down the list showed it was real1 because ,ellis always did that1 even when he knew there would not be an empty table for an hour4 ,the room was crowded with beautiful women2 under the light of the red shades they looked kind and approachable1 and there was food on every table1 and iced drinks in silver buckets4 ,it was with the joy of great relief that he heard ,ellis say to his underling1 8,numro cinq1 sur la terrace1 un couvert40 ,it was real at last4 ,outside1 the ,thames lay a great gray shadow4 ,the lights of the ,embankment flashed and twinkled across it1 the tower of the ,house of ,commons rose against the sky1 and here1 inside1 the waiter was hurrying toward him carrying a smoking plate of rich soup with a pungent1 intoxicating odor4 ,and then the ragged palms1 the glaring sun1 the immovable peaks1 and the white surf stood again before him4 ,the iron rails swept up and sank again1 the fever sucked at his bones1 and the pillow scorched his cheek4 ,one morning for a brief moment he came back to real life again and lay quite still1 seeing everything about him with clear eyes and for the first time1 as though he had but just that instant been lifted over the ship's side4 ,his keeper1 glancing up1 found the prisoner's eyes considering him curiously1 and recognized the change4 ,the instinct of discipline brought him to his feet with his fingers at his sides4 8,is the ,lieutenant feeling better80 ,the ,lieutenant surveyed him gravely4 8,you are one of our hospital stewards40 8,yes1 ,lieutenant40 8,why aren't you with the regiment80 8,i was wounded1 too1 sir4 ,i got it same time you did1 ,lieutenant40 8,am ,i wounded8 ,of course1 ,i remember4 ,is this a hospital ship80 ,the steward shrugged his shoulders4 8,she's one of the transports4 ,they have turned her over to the fever cases40 ,the ,lieutenant opened his lips to ask another question2 but his own body answered that one1 and for a moment he lay silent4 8,do they know up ,north that ,i--that ,i'm all right80 8,oh1 yes1 the papers had it in--there were pictures of the ,lieutenant in some of them40 8,then ,i've been ill some time80 8,oh1 about eight days40 ,the soldier moved uneasily1 and the nurse in him became uppermost4 8,i guess the ,lieutenant hadn't better talk any more10 he said4 ,it was his voice now which held authority4 ,the ,lieutenant looked out at the palms and the silent gloomy mountains and the empty coastline1 where the same wave was rising and falling with weary persistence4 8,eight days10 he said4 ,his eyes shut quickly1 as though with a sudden touch of pain4 ,he turned his head and sought for the figure at the foot of the cot4 ,already the figure had grown faint and was receding and swaying4 8,has anyone written or cabled80 the ,lieutenant spoke1 hurriedly4 ,he was fearful lest the figure should disappear altogether before he could obtain his answer4 8,has anyone come80 8,why1 they couldn't get here1 ,lieutenant1 not yet40 ,the voice came very faintly4 8,you go to sleep now1 and ,i'll run and fetch some letters and telegrams4 ,when you wake up1 maybe ,i'll have a lot for you40 ,but the ,lieutenant caught the nurse by the wrist1 and crushed his hand in his own thin fingers4 ,they were hot1 and left the steward's skin wet with perspiration4 ,the ,lieutenant laughed gayly4 8,you see1 ,doctor10 he said1 briskly1 8that you can't kill me4 ,i can't die4 ,i've got to live1 you understand4 ,because1 sir1 she said she would come4 ,she said if ,i was wounded1 or if ,i was ill1 she would come to me4 ,she didn't care what people thought4 ,she would come anyway and nurse me--well1 she will come40 8,so1 ,doctor--old man--0 ,he plucked at the steward's sleeve1 and stroked his hand eagerly1 8old man--0 he began again1 beseechingly1 8you'll not let me die until she comes1 will you8 ,what8 ,no1 ,i know ,i won't die4 ,nothing made by man can kill me4 ,no1 not until she comes4 ,then1 after that--eight days1 she'll be here soon1 any moment8 ,what8 ,you think so1 too8 ,don't you8 ,surely1 yes1 any moment4 ,yes1 ,i'll go to sleep now1 and when you see her rowing out from shore you wake me4 ,you'll know her2 you can't make a mistake4 ,she is like--no1 there is no one like her--but you can't make a mistake40 ,that day strange figures began to mount the sides of the ship1 and to occupy its every turn and angle of space4 ,some of them fell on their knees and slapped the bare deck with their hands1 and laughed and cried out1 8,thank ,god1 ,i'll see ,god's country again60 ,some of them were regulars1 bound in bandages2 some were volunteers1 dirty and hollow-eyed1 with long beards on boys' faces4 ,some came on crutches2 others with their arms around the shoulders of their comrades1 staring ahead of them with a fixed smile1 their lips drawn back and their teeth protruding4 ,at every second step they stumbled1 and the face of each was swept by swift ripples of pain4 ,they lay on cots so close together that the nurses could not walk between them4 ,they lay on the wet decks1 in the scuppers and along the transoms and hatches4 ,they were like shipwrecked mariners clinging to a raft1 and they asked nothing more than that the ship's bow be turned toward home4 ,once satisfied as to that1 they relaxed into a state of self-pity and miserable oblivion to their environment1 from which hunger nor nausea nor aching bones could shake them4 ,the hospital steward touched the ,lieutenant lightly on the shoulder4 8,we are going ,north1 sir10 he said4 8,the transport's ordered ,north to ,new ,york1 with these volunteers and the sick and the wounded4 ,do you hear me1 sir80 ,the ,lieutenant opened his eyes4 8,has she come80 he asked4 8,gee60 exclaimed the hospital steward4 ,he glanced impatiently at the blue mountains and the yellow coast1 from which the transport was rapidly drawing away4 8,well1 ,i can't see her coming just now10 he said4 8,but she will10 he added4 8,you let me know at once when she comes40 8,why1 cert'nly1 of course10 said the steward4 ,three trained nurses came over the side just before the transport started ,north4 ,one was a large1 motherly looking woman1 with a ,german accent4 ,she had been a trained nurse1 first in ,berlin1 and later in the ,london ,hospital in ,whitechapel1 and at ,bellevue4 ,the nurse was dressed in white1 and wore a little silver medal at her throat2 and she was strong enough to lift a volunteer out of his cot and hold him easily in her arms1 while one of the convalescents pulled his cot out of the rain4 ,some of the men called her 8nurse02 others1 who wore scapulars around their necks1 called her 8,sister02 and the officers of the medical staff addressed her as ,miss ,bergen4 ,miss ,bergen halted beside the cot of the ,lieutenant and asked1 8,is this the fever case you spoke about1 ,doctor--the one you want moved to the officers' ward80 ,she slipped her hand up under his sleeve and felt his wrist4 8,his pulse is very high10 she said to the steward4 8,when did you take his temperature80 ,she drew a little morocco case from her pocket and from that took a clinical thermometer1 which she shook up and down1 eying the patient meanwhile with a calm1 impersonal scrutiny4 ,the ,lieutenant raised his head and stared up at the white figure beside his cot4 ,his eyes opened and then shut quickly1 with a startled look1 in which doubt struggled with wonderful happiness4 ,his hand stole out fearfully and warily until it touched her apron1 and then1 finding it was real1 he clutched it desperately1 and twisting his face and body toward her1 pulled her down1 clasping her hands in both of his1 and pressing them close to his face and eyes and lips4 ,he put them from him for an instant1 and looked at her through his tears4 8,sweetheart10 he whispered1 8sweetheart1 ,i knew you'd come40 ,as the nurse knelt on the deck beside him1 her thermometer slipped from her fingers and broke1 and she gave an exclamation of annoyance4 ,the young ,doctor picked up the pieces and tossed them overboard4 ,neither of them spoke1 but they smiled appreciatively4 ,the ,lieutenant was looking at the nurse with the wonder and hope and hunger of soul in his eyes with which a dying man looks at the cross the priest holds up before him4 ,what he saw where the ,german nurse was kneeling was a tall1 fair girl with great bands and masses of hair1 with a head rising like a lily from a firm1 white throat1 set on broad shoulders above a straight back and sloping breast--a tall1 beautiful creature1 half-girl1 half-woman1 who looked back at him shyly1 but steadily4 8,listen10 he said4 ,the voice of the sick man was so sure and so sane that the young ,doctor started1 and moved nearer to the head of the cot4 8,listen1 dearest10 the ,lieutenant whispered4 8,i wanted to tell you before ,i came ,south4 ,but ,i did not dare2 and then ,i was afraid something might happen to me1 and ,i could never tell you1 and you would never know4 ,so ,i wrote it to you in the will ,i made at ,baiquiri1 the night before the landing4 ,if you hadn't come now1 you would have learned it in that way4 ,you would have read there that there never was anyone but you2 the rest were all dream people1 foolish1 silly--mad4 ,there is no one else in the world but you2 you have been the only thing in life that has counted4 ,i thought ,i might do something down here that would make you care4 ,but ,i got shot going up a hill1 and after that ,i wasn't able to do anything4 ,it was very hot1 and the hills were on fire2 and they took me prisoner1 and kept me tied down here1 burning on these coals4 ,i can't live much longer1 but now that ,i've told you ,i can have peace4 ,they tried to kill me before you came2 but they didn't know ,i loved you1 they didn't know that men who love you can't die4 ,they tried to starve my love for you1 to burn it out of me2 they tried to reach it with their knives4 ,but my love for you is my soul1 and they can't kill a man's soul4 ,dear heart1 ,i have lived because you lived4 ,now that you know--now that you understand--what does it matter80 ,miss ,bergen shook her head with great vigor4 8,nonsense10 she said1 cheerfully4 8,you are not going to die4 ,as soon as we move you out of this rain1 and some food cook----0 8,good ,god60 cried the young ,doctor1 savagely4 8,do you want to kill him80 ,when she spoke1 the patient had thrown his arms heavily across his face1 and had fallen back1 lying rigid on the pillow4 ,the ,doctor led the way across the prostrate bodies1 apologizing as he went4 8,i am sorry ,i spoke so quickly10 he said1 8but he thought you were real4 ,i mean he thought you were some one he really knew----0 8,he was just delirious10 said the ,german nurse1 calmly4 ,the ,doctor mixed himself a ,scotch and soda and drank it with a single gesture4 8,ugh60 he said to the ward-room4 8,i feel as though ,i'd been opening another man's letters40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the transport drove through the empty seas with heavy1 clumsy upheavals1 rolling like a buoy4 ,having been originally intended for the freight-carrying trade1 she had no sympathy with hearts that beat for a sight of their native land1 or for lives that counted their remaining minutes by the throbbing of her engines4 ,occasionally1 without apparent reason1 she was thrown violently from her course2 but it was invariably the case that when her stern went to starboard1 something splashed in the water on her port side and drifted past her1 until1 when it had cleared the blades of her propeller1 a voice cried out1 and she was swung back on her home-bound track again4 ,the ,lieutenant missed the familiar palms and the tiny block-house2 and seeing nothing beyond the iron rails but great wastes of gray water1 he decided he was on board a prison-ship1 or that he had been strapped to a raft and cast adrift4 ,people came for hours at a time and stood at the foot of his cot1 and talked with him and he to them--people he had loved and people he had long forgotten1 some of whom he had thought were dead4 ,one of them he could have sworn he had seen buried in a deep trench1 and covered with branches of palmetto4 ,he had heard the bugler1 with tears choking him1 sound 8taps02 and with his own hand he had placed the dead man's campaign hat on the mound of fresh earth above the grave4 ,yet here he was still alive1 and he came with other men of his troop to speak to him2 but when he reached out to them they were gone--the real and the unreal1 the dead and the living--and even ,she disappeared whenever he tried to take her hand1 and sometimes the hospital steward drove her away4 8,did that young lady say when she was coming back again80 he asked the steward4 8,the young lady6 ,what young lady80 asked the steward1 wearily4 8,the one who has been sitting there10 he answered4 ,he pointed with his gaunt hand at the man in the next cot4 8,oh1 that young lady4 ,yes1 she's coming back4 ,she's just gone below to fetch you some hard-tack40 ,the young volunteer in the next cot whined grievously4 8,that crazy man gives me the creeps10 he groaned4 8,he's always waking me up1 and looking at me as though he was going to eat me40 8,shut your head10 said the steward4 8,he's a better man crazy than you'll ever be with the little sense you've got4 ,and he has two ,mauser holes in him4 ,crazy1 eh8 ,it's a good thing for you that there was about four thousand of us regulars just as crazy as him1 or you'd never seen the top of the hill40 ,one morning there was a great commotion on deck1 and all the convalescents balanced themselves on the rail1 shivering in their pajamas1 and pointed one way4 ,the transport was moving swiftly and smoothly through water as flat as a lake1 and making a great noise with her steam-whistle4 ,the noise was echoed by many more steam-whistles2 and the ghosts of out-bound ships and tugs and excursion steamers ran past her out of the mist and disappeared1 saluting joyously4 ,all of the excursion steamers had a heavy list to the side nearest the transport1 and the ghosts on them crowded to that rail and waved handkerchiefs and cheered4 ,the fog lifted suddenly1 and between the iron rails the ,lieutenant saw high green hills on either side of a great harbor4 ,houses and trees and thousands of masts swept past like a panorama2 and beyond was a mirage of three cities1 with curling smoke-wreaths1 and sky-reaching buildings1 and a great swinging bridge1 and a giant statue of woman waving a welcome home4 ,the ,lieutenant surveyed the spectacle with cynical disbelief4 ,he was far too wise and far too cunning to be bewitched by it4 ,in his heart he pitied the men about him1 who laughed wildly1 and shouted1 and climbed recklessly to the rails and ratlines4 ,he had been deceived too often not to know that it was not real4 ,he knew from cruel experience that in a few moments the tall buildings would crumble away1 the thousands of columns of white smoke that flashed like snow in the sun1 the busy1 shrieking tug-boats1 and the great statue would vanish into the sea1 leaving it gray and bare4 ,he closed his eyes and shut the vision out4 ,it was so beautiful that it tempted him3 but he would not be mocked1 and he buried his face in his hands4 ,they were carrying the farce too far1 he thought4 ,it was really too absurd2 for now they were at a wharf which was so real that1 had he not known by previous suffering1 he would have been utterly deceived by it4 ,and there were great crowds of smiling1 cheering people1 and a waiting guard of honor in fresh uniforms1 and rows of police pushing the people this way and that2 and these men about him were taking it all quite seriously and making ready to disembark1 carrying their blanket-rolls and rifles with them4 ,a band was playing joyously1 and the man in the next cot1 who was being lifted to a stretcher1 said1 8,there's the ,governor and his staff2 that's him in the high hat40 ,it was really very well done4 ,the ,custom-house and the ,elevated ,railroad and ,castle ,garden were as like to life as a photograph1 and the crowd was as well handled as a mob in a play4 ,his heart ached for it so that he could not bear the pain1 and he turned his back on it4 ,it was cruel to keep it up so long4 ,his keeper lifted him in his arms1 and pulled him into a dirty uniform which had belonged1 apparently1 to a much larger man--a man who had been killed probably1 for there were dark-brown marks of blood on the tunic and breeches4 ,when he tried to stand on his feet1 ,castle ,garden and the ,battery disappeared in a black cloud of night1 just as he knew they would2 but when he opened his eyes from the stretcher1 they had returned again4 ,it was a most remarkably vivid vision4 ,they kept it up so well4 ,now the young ,doctor and the hospital steward were pretending to carry him down a gangplank and into an open space2 and he saw quite close to him a long line of policemen1 and behind them thousands of faces1 some of them women's faces--women who pointed at him and then shook their heads and cried1 and pressed their hands to their cheeks1 still looking at him4 ,he wondered why they cried4 ,he did not know them1 nor did they know him4 ,no one knew him2 these people were only ghosts4 ,there was a quick parting in the crowd4 ,a man he had once known shoved two of the policemen to one side1 and he heard a girl's voice speaking his name1 like a sob2 and ,she came running out across the open space and fell on her knees beside the stretcher1 and bent down over him1 and he was clasped in two young1 firm arms4 8,of course it is not real1 of course it is not ,she10 he assured himself4 8,because ,she would not do such a thing4 ,before all these people ,she would not do it40 ,but he trembled and his heart throbbed so cruelly that he could not bear the pain4 ,she was pretending to cry4 8,they wired us you had started for ,tampa on the hospital ship10 ,she was saying1 8and ,aunt and ,i went all the way there before we heard you had been sent ,north4 ,we have been on the cars a week4 ,that is why ,i missed you4 ,do you understand8 ,it was not my fault4 ,i tried to come4 ,indeed1 ,i tried to come40 ,she turned her head and looked up fearfully at the young ,doctor4 8,tell me1 why does he look at me like that80 she asked4 8,he doesn't know me4 ,is he very ill8 ,tell me the truth40 ,she drew in her breath quickly4 8,of course you will tell me the truth40 ,when she asked the question he felt her arms draw tight about his shoulders4 ,it was as though she was holding him to herself1 and from someone who had reached out for him4 ,in his trouble he turned to his old friend and keeper4 ,his voice was hoarse and very low4 8,is this the same young lady who was on the transport--the one you used to drive away80 ,in his embarrassment1 the hospital steward blushed under his tan1 and stammered4 8,of course it's the same young lady10 the ,doctor answered1 briskly4 8,and ,i won't let them drive her away40 ,he turned to her1 smiling gravely4 8,i think his condition has ceased to be dangerous1 ,madam10 he said4 ,people who1 in a former existence1 had been his friends1 and ,her brother1 gathered about his stretcher and bore him through the crowd and lifted him into a carriage filled with cushions1 among which he sank lower and lower4 ,then ,she sat beside him1 and he heard ,her brother say to the coachman1 8,home1 and drive slowly and keep on the asphalt40 ,the carriage moved forward1 and ,she put her arm about him1 and his head fell on her shoulder1 and neither of them spoke4 ,the vision had lasted so long now that he was torn with the joy that after all it might be real4 ,but he could not bear the awakening if it were not1 so he raised his head fearfully and looked up into the beautiful eyes above him4 ,his brows were knit1 and he struggled with a great doubt and an awful joy4 8,dearest10 he said1 8is it real80 8,is it real80 she repeated4 ,even as a dream1 it was so wonderfully beautiful that he was satisfied if it could only continue so1 if but for a little while4 8,do you think10 he begged again1 trembling1 8that it is going to last much longer80 ,she smiled1 and bending her head slowly1 kissed him4 8,it is going to last--always10 she said4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation ,by ,,stacy ,,aumonier ,,to look at old ,sam ,gates you would never suspect him of having nerves4 ,his sixty-nine years of close application to the needs of the soil had given him a certain earthy stolidity4 ,to observe him hoeing1 or thinning out a broad field of turnips1 hardly attracted one's attention1 he seemed so much part and parcel of the whole scheme4 ,he blended into the soil like a glorified swede4 ,nevertheless1 the half-dozen people who claimed his acquaintance knew him to be a man who suffered from little moods of irritability4 ,and on this glorious morning a little incident annoyed him unreasonably4 ,it concerned his niece1 ,aggie4 ,she was a plump girl with clear1 blue eyes1 and a face as round and inexpressive as the dumplings for which the county was famous4 ,she came slowly across the long sweep of the downland and1 putting down the bundle wrapped in a red handkerchief which contained his breakfast and dinner1 she said3 8,well1 ,uncle1 is there any noos80 ,now1 this may not appear to the casual reader to be a remark likely to cause irritation1 but it affected old ,sam ,gates as a very silly and unnecessary question4 ,it was1 moreover1 the constant repetition of it which was beginning to anger him4 ,he met his niece twice a day4 ,in the morning she brought his bundle of food at seven1 and when he passed his sister's cottage on the way home to tea at five she was invariably hanging about the gate1 and she always said in the same voice3 8,well1 ,uncle1 is there any noos80 ,noos6 ,what noos should there be8 ,for sixty-nine years he had never lived farther than five miles from ,halvesham4 ,for nearly sixty of those years he had bent his back above the soil4 ,there were1 indeed1 historic occasions4 ,once1 for instance1 when he had married ,annie ,hachet4 ,and there was the birth of his daughter4 ,there was also a famous occasion when he had visited ,london4 ,once he had been to a flower-show at ,market ,roughborough4 ,he either went or didn't go to church on ,sundays4 ,he had had many interesting chats with ,mr4 ,james at the ,cowman1 and three years ago had sold a pig to ,mrs4 ,way4 ,but he couldn't always have interesting noos of this sort up his sleeve4 ,didn't the silly zany know that for the last three weeks he had been hoeing and thinning out turnips for ,mr4 ,hodge on this very same field8 ,what noos could there be8 ,he blinked at his niece1 and didn't answer4 ,she undid the parcel and said3 8,mrs4 ,goping's fowl got out again last night40 8,ah10 he replied in a non-committal manner and began to munch his bread and bacon4 ,his niece picked up the handkerchief and1 humming to herself1 walked back across the field4 ,it was a glorious morning1 and a white sea mist added to the promise of a hot day4 ,he sat there munching1 thinking of nothing in particular1 but gradually subsiding into a mood of placid content4 ,he noticed the back of ,aggie disappear in the distance4 ,it was a mile to the cottage and a mile and a half to ,halvesham4 ,silly things1 girls4 ,they were all alike4 ,one had to make allowances4 ,he dismissed her from his thoughts1 and took a long swig of tea out of a bottle4 ,insects buzzed lazily4 ,he tapped his pocket to assure himself that his pouch of shag was there1 and then he continued munching4 ,when he had finished1 he lighted his pipe and stretched himself comfortably4 ,he looked along the line of turnips he had thinned and then across the adjoining field of swedes4 ,silver streaks appeared on the sea below the mist4 ,in some dim way he felt happy in his solitude amidst this sweeping immensity of earth and sea and sky4 ,and then something else came to irritate him3 it was one of 8these dratted airyplanes40 8,airyplanes0 were his pet aversion4 ,he could find nothing to be said in their favor4 ,nasty1 noisy1 disfiguring things that seared the heavens and made the earth dangerous4 ,and every day there seemed to be more and more of them4 ,of course 8this old war0 was responsible for a lot of them1 he knew4 ,the war was a 8plaguy noosance40 ,they were short-handed on the farm1 beer and tobacco were dear1 and ,mrs4 ,steven's nephew had been and got wounded in the foot4 ,he turned his attention once more to the turnips2 but an 8airyplane0 has an annoying genius for gripping one's attention4 ,when it appears on the scene1 however much we dislike it1 it has a way of taking the stage-center4 ,we cannot help constantly looking at it4 ,and so it was with old ,sam ,gates4 ,he spat on his hands and blinked up at the sky4 ,and suddenly the aroplane behaved in a very extraordinary manner4 ,it was well over the sea when it seemed to lurch drunkenly and skimmed the water4 ,then it shot up at a dangerous angle and zigzagged4 ,it started to go farther out1 and then turned and made for the land4 ,the engines were making a curious grating noise4 ,it rose once more1 and then suddenly dived downward1 and came plump down right in the middle of ,mr4 ,hodge's field of swedes4 ,and then1 as if not content with this desecration1 it ran along the ground1 ripping and tearing up twenty-five yards of good swedes1 and then came to a stop4 ,old ,sam ,gates was in a terrible state4 ,the aroplane was more than a hundred yards away1 but he waved his arms and called out3 8,hi1 you there1 you mustn't land in they swedes6 ,they're ,mister ,hodge's40 ,the instant the aroplane stopped1 a man leaped out and gazed quickly round4 ,he glanced at ,sam ,gates1 and seemed uncertain whether to address him or whether to concentrate his attention on the flying-machine4 ,the latter arrangement appeared to be his ultimate decision4 ,he dived under the engine and became frantically busy4 ,sam had never seen any one work with such furious energy2 but all the same it was not to be tolerated4 ,it was disgraceful4 ,sam started out across the field1 almost hurrying in his indignation4 ,when he appeared within earshot of the aviator he cried out again3 8,hi6 you mustn't rest your old airyplane here6 ,you've kicked up all ,mr4 ,hodge's swedes4 ,a noice thing you've done60 ,he was within five yards when suddenly the aviator turned and covered him with a revolver6 ,and speaking in a sharp1 staccato voice1 he said3 8,old ,grandfather1 you must sit down4 ,i am very much occupied4 ,if you interfere or attempt to go away1 ,i shoot you4 ,so60 ,sam gazed at the horrid1 glittering little barrel and gasped4 ,well1 he never6 ,to be threatened with murder when you're doing your duty in your employer's private property6 ,but1 still1 perhaps the man was mad4 ,a man must be more or less mad to go up in one of those crazy things4 ,and life was very sweet on that summer morning despite sixty-nine years4 ,he sat down among the swedes4 ,the aviator was so busy with his cranks and machinery that he hardly deigned to pay him any attention except to keep the revolver handy4 ,he worked feverishly1 and ,sam sat watching him4 ,at the end of ten minutes he appeared to have solved his troubles with the machine1 but he still seemed very scared4 ,he kept on glancing round and out to sea4 ,when his repairs were complete he straightened his back and wiped the perspiration from his brow4 ,he was apparently on the point of springing back into the machine and going off when a sudden mood of facetiousness1 caused by relief from the strain he had endured1 came to him4 ,he turned to old ,sam and smiled1 at the same time remarking3 8,well1 old ,grandfather1 and now we shall be all right1 isn't it80 ,he came close up to ,sam1 and then suddenly started back4 8,gott60 he cried1 8,paul ,jouperts60 ,bewildered1 ,sam gazed at him1 and the madman started talking to him in some foreign tongue4 ,sam shook his head4 8,you no roight10 he remarked1 8to come bargin' through they swedes of ,mr4 ,hodge's40 ,and then the aviator behaved in a most peculiar manner4 ,he came up and examined ,sam's face very closely1 and gave a sudden tug at his beard and hair1 as if to see whether they were real or false4 8,what is your name1 old man80 he said4 8,sam ,gates40 ,the aviator muttered some words that sounded something like 8mare vudish10 and then turned to his machine4 ,he appeared to be dazed and in a great state of doubt4 ,he fumbled with some cranks1 but kept glancing at old ,sam4 ,at last he got into the car and strapped himself in4 ,then he stopped1 and sat there deep in thought4 ,at last he suddenly unstrapped himself and sprang out again and1 approaching ,sam1 said very deliberately3 8,old ,grandfather1 ,i shall require you to accompany me40 ,sam gasped4 8,eh80 he said4 8,what be talkin' about8 ',company8 ,i got these 'ere loines o' turnips--,i be already behoind--0 ,the disgusting little revolver once more flashed before his eyes4 8,there must be no discussion10 came the voice4 8,it is necessary that you mount the seat of the car without delay4 ,otherwise ,i shoot you like the dog you are4 ,so60 ,old ,sam was hale and hearty4 ,he had no desire to die so ignominiously4 ,the pleasant smell of the ,norfolk downland was in his nostrils2 his foot was on his native heath4 ,he mounted the seat of the car1 contenting himself with a mutter3 8,well1 that be a noice thing1 ,i must say6 ,flyin' about the country with all they turnips on'y half thinned60 ,he found himself strapped in4 ,the aviator was in a fever of anxiety to get away4 ,the engines made a ghastly splutter and noise4 ,the thing started running along the ground4 ,suddenly it shot upward1 giving the swedes a last contemptuous kick4 ,at twenty minutes to eight that morning old ,sam found himself being borne right up above his fields and out to sea6 ,his breath came quickly4 ,he was a little frightened4 8,god forgive me60 he murmured4 ,the thing was so fantastic and sudden that his mind could not grasp it4 ,he only felt in some vague way that he was going to die1 and he struggled to attune his mind to the change4 ,he offered up a mild prayer to ,god1 ,who1 he felt1 must be very near1 somewhere up in these clouds4 ,automatically he thought of the vicar at ,halvesham1 and a certain sense of comfort came to him at the reflection that on the previous day he had taken a 8cooking of runner beans0 to ,god's representative in that village4 ,he felt calmer after that1 but the horrid machine seemed to go higher and higher4 ,he could not turn in his seat and he could see nothing but sea and sky4 ,of course the man was mad1 mad as a ,march hare4 ,of what earthly use could he be to any one8 ,besides1 he had talked pure gibberish1 and called him ,paul something1 when he had already told him that his name was ,sam4 ,the thing would fall down into the sea soon1 and they would both be drowned4 ,well1 well1 he had almost reached three-score years and ten4 ,he was protected by a screen1 but it seemed very cold4 ,what on earth would ,mr4 ,hodge say8 ,there was no one left to work the land but a fool of a boy named ,billy ,whitehead at ,dene's ,cross4 ,on1 on1 on they went at a furious pace4 ,his thoughts danced disconnectedly from incidents of his youth1 conversations with the vicar1 hearty meals in the open1 a frock his sister wore on the day of the postman's wedding1 the drone of a psalm1 the illness of some ewes belonging to ,mr4 ,hodge4 ,everything seemed to be moving very rapidly1 upsetting his sense of time4 ,he felt outraged1 and yet at moments there was something entrancing in the wild experience4 ,he seemed to be living at an incredible pace4 ,perhaps he was really dead and on his way to the kingdom of ,god4 ,perhaps this was the way they took people4 ,after some indefinite period he suddenly caught sight of a long strip of land4 ,was this a foreign country1 or were they returning8 ,he had by this time lost all feeling of fear4 ,he became interested and almost disappointed4 ,the 8airyplane0 was not such a fool as it looked4 ,it was very wonderful to be right up in the sky like this4 ,his dreams were suddenly disturbed by a fearful noise4 ,he thought the machine was blown to pieces4 ,it dived and ducked through the air1 and things were bursting all round it and making an awful din1 and then it went up higher and higher4 ,after a while these noises ceased1 and he felt the machine gliding downward4 ,they were really right above solid land--trees1 fields1 streams1 and white villages4 ,down1 down1 down they glided4 ,this was a foreign country4 ,there were straight avenues of poplars and canals4 ,this was not ,halvesham4 ,he felt the thing glide gently and bump into a field4 ,some men ran forward and approached them1 and the mad aviator called out to them4 ,they were mostly fat men in gray uniforms1 and they all spoke this foreign gibberish4 ,some one came and unstrapped him4 ,he was very stiff and could hardly move4 ,an exceptionally gross-looking man punched him in the ribs and roared with laughter4 ,they all stood round and laughed at him1 while the mad aviator talked to them and kept pointing at him4 ,then he said3 8,old ,grandfather1 you must come with me40 ,he was led to an iron-roofed building and shut in a little room4 ,there were guards outside with fixed bayonets4 ,after a while the mad aviator appeared again1 accompanied by two soldiers4 ,he beckoned him to follow4 ,they marched through a quadrangle and entered another building4 ,they went straight into an office where a very important-looking man1 covered with medals1 sat in an easy-chair4 ,there was a lot of saluting and clicking of heels4 ,the aviator pointed at ,sam and said something1 and the man with the medals started at sight of him1 and then came up and spoke to him in ,english4 8,what is your name8 ,where do you come from8 ,your age8 ,the name and birthplace of your parents80 ,he seemed intensely interested1 and also pulled his hair and beard to see if they came off4 ,so well and naturally did he and the aviator speak ,english that after a voluble examination they drew apart1 and continued the conversation in that language4 ,and the extraordinary conversation was of this nature3 8,it is a most remarkable resemblance10 said the man with medals4 8,unglaublich6 ,but what do you want me to do with him1 ,hausemann80 8,the idea came to me suddenly1 ,excellency10 replied the aviator1 8and you may consider it worthless4 ,it is just this4 ,the resemblance is so amazing4 ,paul ,jouperts has given us more valuable information than any one at present in our service1 and the ,english know that4 ,there is an award of five thousand francs on his head4 ,twice they have captured him1 and each time he escaped4 ,all the company commanders and their staff have his photograph4 ,he is a serious thorn in their flesh40 8,well80 replied the man with the medals4 ,the aviator whispered confidentially3 8,suppose1 your ,excellency1 that they found the dead body of ,paul ,jouperts80 8,well80 replied the big man4 8,my suggestion is this4 ,to-morrow1 as you know1 the ,english are attacking ,hill #gja1 which for tactical reasons we have decided to evacuate4 ,if after the attack they find the dead body of ,paul ,jouperts in1 say1 the second lines1 they will take no further trouble in the matter4 ,you know their lack of thoroughness4 ,pardon me1 ,i was two years at ,oxford ,university4 ,and consequently ,paul ,jouperts will be able to prosecute his labors undisturbed40 ,the man with the medals twirled his mustache and looked thoughtfully at his colleague4 8,where is ,paul at the moment80 he asked4 8,he is acting as a gardener at the ,convent of ,st4 ,eloise1 at ,mailleton-en-haut1 which1 as you know1 is one hundred meters from the headquarters of the ,british central army staff40 ,the man with the medals took two or three rapid turns up and down the room1 then he said3 8,your plan is excellent1 ,hausemann4 ,the only point of difficulty is that the attack started this morning40 8,this morning80 exclaimed the other4 8,yes2 the ,english attacked unexpectedly at dawn4 ,we have already evacuated the first line4 ,we shall evacuate the second line at eleven-fifty4 ,it is now ten-fifteen4 ,there may be just time40 ,he looked suddenly at old ,sam in the way that a butcher might look at a prize heifer at an agricultural show and remarked casually3 8,yes1 it is a remarkable resemblance4 ,it seems a pity not to--do something with it40 ,then1 speaking in ,german1 he added3 8,it is worth trying4 ,and if it succeeds1 the higher authorities shall hear of your lucky accident and inspiration1 ,herr ,hausemann4 ,instruct ,ober-lieutenant ,schultz to send the old fool by two orderlies to the east extremity of ,trench #ch4 ,keep him there till the order of evacuation is given1 then shoot him1 but don't disfigure him1 and lay him out face upward40 ,the aviator saluted and withdrew1 accompanied by his victim4 ,old ,sam had not understood the latter part of the conversation1 and he did not catch quite all that was said in ,english2 but he felt that somehow things were not becoming too promising1 and it was time to assert himself4 ,so he remarked when they got outside3 8,now1 look 'ee 'ere1 ,mister1 when am ,i goin' to get back to my turnips80 ,and the aviator replied1 with a pleasant smile3 8,do not be disturbed1 old ,grandfather4 ,you shall get back to the soil quite soon40 ,in a few moments he found himself in a large gray car1 accompanied by four soldiers4 ,the aviator left him4 ,the country was barren and horrible1 full of great pits and rents1 and he could hear the roar of artillery and the shriek of shells4 ,overhead1 aroplanes were buzzing angrily4 ,he seemed to be suddenly transported from the kingdom of ,god to the pit of darkness4 ,he wondered whether the vicar had enjoyed the runner beans4 ,he could not imagine runner beans growing here2 runner beans1 aye1 or anything else4 ,if this was a foreign country1 give him dear old ,england6 ,gr-r-r6 bang6 ,something exploded just at the rear of the car4 ,the soldiers ducked1 and one of them pushed him in the stomach and swore4 8,an ugly-looking lout10 he thought4 8,if ,i wor twenty years younger1 ,i'd give him a punch in the eye that 'u'd make him sit up40 ,the car came to a halt by a broken wall4 ,the party hurried out and dived behind a mound4 ,he was pulled down a kind of shaft1 and found himself in a room buried right underground1 where three officers were drinking and smoking4 ,the soldiers saluted and handed them a type-written dispatch4 ,the officers looked at him drunkenly1 and one came up and pulled his beard and spat in his face and called him 8an old ,english swine40 ,he then shouted out some instructions to the soldiers1 and they led him out into the narrow trench4 ,one walked behind him1 and occasionally prodded him with the butt-end of a gun4 ,the trenches were half full of water and reeked of gases1 powder1 and decaying matter4 ,shells were constantly bursting overhead1 and in places the trenches had crumbled and were nearly blocked up4 ,they stumbled on1 sometimes falling1 sometimes dodging moving masses1 and occasionally crawling over the dead bodies of men4 ,at last they reached a deserted-looking trench1 and one of the soldiers pushed him into the corner of it and growled something1 and then disappeared round the angle4 ,old ,sam was exhausted4 ,he leaned panting against the mud wall1 expecting every minute to be blown to pieces by one of those infernal things that seemed to be getting more and more insistent4 ,the din went on for nearly twenty minutes1 and he was alone in the trench4 ,he fancied he heard a whistle amidst the din4 ,suddenly one of the soldiers who had accompanied him came stealthily round the corner1 and there was a look in his eye old ,sam did not like4 ,when he was within five yards the soldier raised his rifle and pointed it at ,sam's body4 ,some instinct impelled the old man at that instant to throw himself forward on his face4 ,as he did so he was aware of a terrible explosion1 and he had just time to observe the soldier falling in a heap near him1 and then he lost consciousness4 ,his consciousness appeared to return to him with a snap4 ,he was lying on a plank in a building1 and he heard some one say3 8,i believe the old boy's ,english40 ,he looked round4 ,there were a lot of men lying there1 and others in khaki and white overalls were busy among them4 ,he sat up1 rubbed his head1 and said3 8,hi1 ,mister1 where be ,i now80 ,some one laughed1 and a young man came up and said3 8,well1 old man1 you were very nearly in hell4 ,who are you80 ,some one came up1 and two of them were discussing him4 ,one of them said3 8,he's quite all right4 ,he was only knocked out4 ,better take him in to the colonel4 ,he may be a spy40 ,the other came up1 touched his shoulder1 and remarked3 8,can you walk1 ,uncle80 ,he replied3 8,aye1 ,i can walk all roight40 8,that's an old sport60 ,the young man took his arm and helped him out of the room into a courtyard4 ,they entered another room1 where an elderly1 kind-faced officer was seated at a desk4 ,the officer looked up and exclaimed3 8,good ,god6 ,bradshaw1 do you know who you've got there80 ,the younger one said3 8,no4 ,who1 sir80 8,it's ,paul ,jouperts60 exclaimed the colonel4 8,paul ,jouperts6 ,great ,scott60 ,the older officer addressed himself to ,sam4 ,he said3 8,well1 we've got you once more1 ,paul4 ,we shall have to be a little more careful this time40 ,the young officer said3 8,shall ,i detail a squad1 sir80 8,we can't shoot him without a court-martial10 replied the kind-faced senior4 ,then ,sam interpolated3 8,look 'ee 'ere1 sir1 ,i'm fair' sick of all this4 ,my name bean't ,paul4 ,my name's ,sam4 ,i was a-thinnin' a loine o' turnips--0 ,both officers burst out laughing1 and the younger one said3 8,good6 ,good6 ,isn't it amazing1 sir1 the way they not only learn the language1 but even take the trouble to learn a dialect60 ,the older man busied himself with some papers4 8,well1 ,sam10 he remarked1 8you shall be given a chance to prove your identity4 ,our methods are less drastic than those of your ,boche masters4 ,what part of ,england are you supposed to come from8 ,let's see how much you can bluff us with your topographical knowledge40 8,i was a-thinnin' a loine o' turnips this mornin' at 'alf-past seven on ,mr4 ,hodge's farm at ,halvesham when one o' these 'ere airyplanes come down among the swedes4 ,i tells 'e to get clear o' that1 when the feller what gets out o' the car 'e drahs a revowlver and 'e says1 #8,you must 'company ,i--'0 8,yes1 yes10 interrupted the senior officer2 8that's all very good4 ,now tell me--where is ,halvesham8 ,what is the name of the local vicar8 ,i'm sure you'd know that40 ,old ,sam rubbed his chin4 8,i sits under the ,reverend ,david ,pryce1 ,mister1 and a good1 ,god-fearin' man he be4 ,i took him a cookin' o' runner beans on'y yesterday4 ,i works for ,mr4 ,hodge1 what owns ,greenway ,manor and 'as a stud-farm at ,newmarket1 they say40 8,charles ,hodge80 asked the young officer4 8,aye1 ,charlie ,hodge4 ,you write and ask un if he knows old ,sam ,gates40 ,the two officers looked at each other1 and the older one looked at ,sam more closely4 8,it's very extraordinary10 he remarked4 8,everybody knows ,charlie ,hodge10 added the young officer4 ,it was at that moment that a wave of genius swept over old ,sam4 ,he put his hand to his head1 and suddenly jerked out3 8,what's more1 ,i can tell 'ee where this yere ,paul is4 ,he's actin' a gardener in a convent at--0 ,he puckered up his brows1 fumbled with his hat1 and then got out1 8,mighteno40 ,the older officer gasped4 8,mailleton-en-haut6 ,good ,god6 what makes you say that1 old man80 ,sam tried to give an account of his experience and the things he had heard said by the ,german officers2 but he was getting tired1 and he broke off in the middle to say3 8,ye haven't a bite o' somethin' to eat1 ,i suppose1 ,mister2 or a glass o' beer8 ,i usually 'as my dinner at twelve o'clock40 ,both the officers laughed1 and the older said3 8,get him some food1 ,bradshaw1 and a bottle of beer from the mess4 ,we'll keep this old man here4 ,he interests me40 ,while the younger man was doing this1 the chief pressed a button and summoned another junior officer4 8,gateshead10 he remarked1 8ring up the ,g4,h4,q4 and instruct them to arrest the gardener in that convent at the top of the hill and then to report40 ,the officer saluted and went out1 and in a few minutes a tray of hot food and a large bottle of beer were brought to the old man1 and he was left alone in the corner of the room to negotiate this welcome compensation4 ,and in the execution he did himself and his county credit4 ,in the meanwhile the officers were very busy4 ,people were coming and going and examining maps1 and telephone bells were ringing furiously4 ,they did not disturb old ,sam's gastric operations4 ,he cleaned up the mess tins and finished the last drop of beer4 ,the senior officer found time to offer him a cigarette1 but he replied3 8,thank 'ee kindly1 sir1 but ,i'd rather smoke my pipe40 ,the colonel smiled and said3 8,oh1 all right2 smoke away40 ,he lighted up1 and the fumes of the shag permeated the room4 ,some one opened another window1 and the young officer who had addressed him at first suddenly looked at him and exclaimed3 8,innocent6 ,you couldn't get shag like that anywhere but in ,norfolk40 ,it must have been an hour later when another officer entered and saluted4 8,message from the ,g4,h4,q41 sir10 he said4 8,well80 8,they have arrested the gardener at the convent of ,st4 ,eloise1 and they have every reason to believe that he is the notorious ,paul ,jouperts40 ,the colonel stood up1 and his eyes beamed4 ,he came over to old ,sam and shook his hand4 8,mr4 ,gates10 he said1 8you are an old brick4 ,you will probably hear more of this4 ,you have probably been the means of delivering something very useful into our hands4 ,your own honor is vindicated4 ,a loving ,government will probably award you five shillings or a ,victoria ,cross or something of that sort4 ,in the meantime1 what can ,i do for you80 ,old ,sam scratched his chin4 8,i want to get back 'ome10 he said4 8,well1 even that might be arranged40 8,i want to get back 'ome in toime for tea40 8,what time do you have tea80 8,foive o'clock or thereabouts40 8,i see40 ,a kindly smile came into the eyes of the colonel4 ,he turned to another officer standing by the table and said3 8,raikes1 is any one going across this afternoon with dispatches80 8,yes1 sir10 replied the other officer4 8,commander ,jennings is leaving at three o'clock40 8,you might ask him if he could see me40 ,within ten minutes a young man in a flight-commander's uniform entered4 8,ah1 ,jennings10 said the colonel1 8here is a little affair which concerns the honor of the ,british army4 ,my friend here1 ,sam ,gates1 has come over from ,halvesham1 in ,norfolk1 in order to give us valuable information4 ,i have promised him that he shall get home to tea at five o'clock4 ,can you take a passenger80 ,the young man threw back his head and laughed4 8,lord60 he exclaimed1 8what an old sport6 ,yes1 ,i expect ,i can manage it4 ,where is the forsaken place80 ,a large ordnance-map of ,norfolk 7which had been captured from a ,german officer7 was produced1 and the young man studied it closely4 ,at three o'clock precisely old ,sam1 finding himself something of a hero and quite glad to escape from the embarrassment which this position entailed upon him1 once more sped skyward in a 8dratted airyplane40 ,at twenty minutes to five he landed once more among ,mr4 ,hodge's swedes4 ,the breezy young airman shook hands with him and departed inland4 ,old ,sam sat down and surveyed the familiar field of turnips4 8,a noice thing1 ,i must say60 he muttered to himself as he looked along the lines of unthinned turnips4 ,he still had twenty minutes1 and so he went slowly along and completed a line which he had begun in the morning4 ,he then deliberately packed up his dinner-things and his tools and started out for home4 ,as he came round the corner of ,stillway's meadow and the cottage came in view1 his niece stepped out of the copse with a basket on her arm4 8,well1 ,uncle10 she said1 8is there any noos80 ,it was then that old ,sam really lost his temper4 8,noos60 he said4 8,noos6 ,drat the girl6 ,what noos should there be8 ,sixty-nine year' ,i live in these 'ere parts1 hoein' and weedin' and thinnin'1 and mindin' ,charlie ,hodge's sheep4 ,am ,i one o' these 'ere story-book folk havin' noos 'appen to me all the time8 ,ain't it enough1 ye silly1 dab-faced zany1 to earn enough to buy a bite o' some'at to eat and a glass o' beer and a place to rest a's head o'night without always wantin' noos1 noos1 noos6 ,i tell 'ee it's this that leads 'ee to 'alf the troubles in the world4 ,devil take the noos60 ,and turning his back on her1 he went fuming up the hill4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,moti ,,guj--,,mutineer ,by ,,rudyard ,,kipling ,,once upon a time there was a coffee-planter in ,india who wished to clear some forest land for coffee-planting4 ,when he had cut down all the trees and burned the underwood the stumps still remained4 ,dynamite is expensive and slow fire slow4 ,the happy medium for stump-clearing is the lord of all beasts1 who is the elephant4 ,he will either push the stump out of the ground with his tusks1 if he has any1 or drag it out with ropes4 ,the planter1 therefore1 hired elephants by ones and twos and threes1 and fell to work4 ,the very best of all the elephants belonged to the very worst of all the drivers or mahouts2 and the superior beast's name was ,moti ,guj4 ,he was the absolute property of his mahout1 which would never have been the case under native rule3 for ,moti ,guj was a creature to be desired by kings2 and his name1 being translated1 meant the ,pearl ,elephant4 ,because the ,british government was in the land1 ,deesa1 the mahout1 enjoyed his property undisturbed4 ,he was dissipated4 ,when he had made much money through the strength of his elephant1 he would get extremely drunk and give ,moti ,guj a beating with a tent-peg over the tender nails of the forefeet4 ,moti ,guj never trampled the life out of ,deesa on these occasions1 for he knew that after the beating was over1 ,deesa would embrace his trunk and weep and call him his love and his life and the liver of his soul1 and give him some liquor4 ,moti ,guj was very fond or liquor--arrack for choice1 though he would drink palm-tree toddy if nothing better offered4 ,then ,deesa would go to sleep between ,moti ,guj's forefeet1 and as ,deesa generally chose the middle of the public road1 and as ,moti ,guj mounted guard over him and would not permit horse1 foot1 or cart to pass by1 traffic was congested till ,deesa saw fit to wake up4 ,there was no sleeping in the daytime on the planter's clearing3 the wages were too high to risk4 ,deesa sat on ,moti ,guj's neck and gave him orders1 while ,moti ,guj rooted up the stumps--for he owned a magnificent pair of tusks2 or pulled at the end of a rope--for he had a magnificent pair of shoulders1 while ,deesa kicked him behind the ears and said he was the king of elephants4 ,at evening time ,moti ,guj would wash down his three hundred pounds' weight of green food with a quart of arrack1 and ,deesa would take a share and sing songs between ,moti ,guj's legs till it was time to go to bed4 ,once a week ,deesa led ,moti ,guj down to the river1 and ,moti ,guj lay on his side luxuriously in the shallows1 while ,deesa went over him with a coir swab and a brick4 ,moti ,guj never mistook the pounding blow of the latter for the smack of the former that warned him to get up and turn over on the other side4 ,then ,deesa would look at his feet1 examine his eyes1 and turn up the fringes of his mighty ears in case of sores or budding ophthalmia4 ,after inspection1 the two would 8come up with a song from the sea10 ,moti ,guj all black and shining1 waving a torn tree branch twelve feet long in his trunk1 and ,deesa knotting up his own long wet hair4 ,it was a peaceful1 well-paid life till ,deesa felt the return of the desire to drink deep4 ,he wished for an orgy4 ,the little draughts that led nowhere were taking the manhood out of him4 ,he went to the planter1 and 8,my mother's dead10 said he1 weeping4 8,she died on the last plantation two months ago1 and she died once before that when you were working for me last year10 said the planter1 who knew something of the ways of nativedom4 8,then it's my aunt1 and she was just the same as a mother to me10 said ,deesa1 weeping more than ever4 8,she has left eighteen small children entirely without bread1 and it is ,i who must fill their little stomachs10 said ,deesa1 beating his head on the floor4 8,who brought you the news80 said the planter4 8,the post10 said ,deesa4 8,there hasn't been a post here for the past week4 ,get back to your lines60 8,a devastating sickness has fallen on my village1 and all my wives are dying10 yelled ,deesa1 really in tears this time4 8,call ,chihun1 who comes from ,deesa's village10 said the planter4 8,chihun1 has this man got a wife80 8,he60 said ,chihun4 8,no4 ,not a woman of our village would look at him4 ,they'd sooner marry the elephant40 ,chihun snorted4 ,deesa wept and bellowed4 8,you will get into a difficulty in a minute10 said the planter4 8,go back to your work60 8,now ,i will speak ,heaven's truth10 gulped ,deesa1 with an inspiration4 8,i haven't been drunk for two months4 ,i desire to depart in order to get properly drunk afar off and distant from this heavenly plantation4 ,thus ,i shall cause no trouble40 ,a flickering smile crossed the planter's face4 8,deesa10 said he1 8you've spoken the truth1 and ,i'd give you leave on the spot if anything could be done with ,moti ,guj while you're away4 ,you know that he will only obey your orders40 8,may the light of the heavens live forty thousand years4 ,i shall be absent but ten little days4 ,after that1 upon my faith and honor and soul1 ,i return4 ,as to the inconsiderable interval1 have ,i the gracious permission of the heaven-born to call up ,moti ,guj80 ,permission was granted1 and in answer to ,deesa's shrill yell1 the mighty tusker swung out of the shade of a clump of trees where he had been squirting dust over himself till his master should return4 8,light of my heart1 protector of the drunken1 mountain of might1 give ear60 said ,deesa1 standing in front of him4 ,moti ,guj gave ear1 and saluted with his trunk4 8,i am going away10 said ,deesa4 ,moti ,guj's eyes twinkled4 ,he liked jaunts as well as his master4 ,one could snatch all manner of nice things from the roadside then4 8,but you1 you fussy old pig1 must stay behind and work40 ,the twinkle died out as ,moti ,guj tried to look delighted4 ,he hated stump-hauling on the plantation4 ,it hurt his teeth4 8,i shall be gone for ten days1 ,o delectable one4 ,hold up your near forefoot and ,i'll impress the fact upon it1 warty toad of a dried mud-puddle40 ,deesa took a tent-peg and banged ,moti ,guj ten times on the nails4 ,moti ,guj grunted and shuffled from foot to foot4 8,ten days10 said ,deesa1 8you will work and haul and root the trees as ,chihun here shall order you4 ,take up ,chihun and set him on your neck60 ,moti ,guj curled the tip of his trunk1 ,chihun put his foot there and was swung on to the neck4 ,deesa handed ,chihun the heavy ankus--the iron elephant goad4 ,chihun thumped ,moti ,guj's bald head as a paver thumps a curbstone4 ,moti ,guj trumpeted4 8,be still1 hog of the backwoods6 ,chihun's your mahout for ten days4 ,and now bid me good-by1 beast after mine own heart4 ,oh1 my lord1 my king6 ,jewel of all created elephants1 lily of the herd1 preserve your honored health2 be virtuous4 ,adieu60 ,moti ,guj lapped his trunk round ,deesa and swung him into the air twice4 ,this was his way of bidding him good-by4 8,he'll work now10 said ,deesa to the planter4 8,have ,i leave to go80 ,the planter nodded1 and ,deesa dived into the woods4 ,moti ,guj went back to haul stumps4 ,chihun was very kind to him1 but he felt unhappy and forlorn for all that4 ,chihun gave him a ball of spices1 and tickled him under the chin1 and ,chihun's little baby cooed to him after work was over1 and ,chihun's wife called him a darling2 but ,moti ,guj was a bachelor by instinct1 as ,deesa was4 ,he did not understand the domestic emotions4 ,he wanted the light of his universe back again--the drink and the drunken slumber1 the savage beatings and the savage caresses4 ,none the less he worked well1 and the planter wondered4 ,deesa had wandered along the roads till he met a marriage procession of his own caste and1 drinking1 dancing1 and tippling1 had drifted with it past all knowledge of the lapse of time4 ,the morning of the eleventh day dawned1 and there returned no ,deesa4 ,moti ,guj was loosed from his ropes for the daily stint4 ,he swung clear1 looked round1 shrugged his shoulders1 and began to walk away1 as one having business elsewhere4 8,hi6 ho6 ,come back1 you10 shouted ,chihun4 8,come back and put me on your neck1 misborn mountain6 ,return1 splendor of the hillsides6 ,adornment of all ,india1 heave to1 or ,i'll bang every toe off your fat forefoot60 ,moti ,guj gurgled gently1 but did not obey4 ,chihun ran after him with a rope and caught him up4 ,moti ,guj put his ears forward1 and ,chihun knew what that meant1 though he tried to carry it off with high words4 8,none of your nonsense with me10 said he4 8,to your pickets1 devil-son40 8,hrrump60 said ,moti ,guj1 and that was all--that and the forebent ears4 ,moti ,guj put his hands in his pockets1 chewed a branch for a toothpick1 and strolled about the clearing1 making fun of the other elephants1 who had just set to work4 ,chihun reported the state of affairs to the planter1 who came out with a dog-whip and cracked it furiously4 ,moti ,guj paid the white man the compliment of charging him nearly a quarter of a mile across the clearing and 8,hrrumping0 him into his veranda4 ,then he stood outside the house chuckling to himself1 and shaking all over with the fun of it1 as an elephant will4 8,we'll thrash him10 said the planter4 8,he shall have the finest thrashing ever elephant received4 ,give ,kala ,nag and ,nazim twelve foot of chain apiece1 and tell them to lay on twenty blows40 ,kala ,nag--which means ,black ,snake--and ,nazim were two of the biggest elephants in the lines1 and one of their duties was to administer the graver punishments1 since no man can beat an elephant properly4 ,they took the whipping-chains and rattled them in their trunks as they sidled up to ,moti ,guj1 meaning to hustle him between them4 ,moti ,guj had never1 in all his life of thirty-nine years1 been whipped1 and he did not intend to begin a new experience4 ,so he waited1 waving his head from right to left1 and measuring the precise spot in ,kala ,nag's fat hide where a blunt tusk would sink deepest4 ,kala ,nag had no tusks2 the chain was the badge of his authority2 but for all that1 he swung wide of ,moti ,guj at the last minute1 and tried to appear as if he had brought the chain out for amusement4 ,nazim turned round and went home early4 ,he did not feel fighting fit that morning1 and so ,moti ,guj was left standing alone with his ears cocked4 ,that decided the planter to argue no more1 and ,moti ,guj rolled back to his inspection of the clearing4 ,an elephant who will not work1 and is not tied up1 is about as manageable as an eighty-one-ton gun loose in a heavy seaway4 ,he slapped old friends on the back and asked them if the stumps were coming away easily2 he talked nonsense concerning labor and the inalienable rights of elephants to a long 8nooning02 and1 wandering to and fro1 he thoroughly demoralized the garden till sundown1 when he returned to his pickets for food4 8,if you won't work1 you shan't eat10 said ,chihun angrily4 8,you're a wild elephant1 and no educated animal at all4 ,go back to your jungle40 ,chihun's little brown baby was rolling on the floor of the hut1 and stretching out its fat arms to the huge shadow in the doorway4 ,moti ,guj knew well that it was the dearest thing on earth to ,chihun4 ,he swung out his trunk with a fascinating crook at the end1 and the brown baby threw itself shouting upon it4 ,moti ,guj made fast and pulled up till the brown baby was crowing in the air twelve feet above his father's head4 8,great ,lord60 said ,chihun4 8,flour cakes of the best1 twelve in number1 two feet across1 and soaked in rum1 shall be yours on the instant1 and two hundred pounds' weight of fresh-cut young sugar-cane therewith4 ,deign only to put down safely that insignificant brat who is my heart and my life to me40 ,moti ,guj tucked the brown baby comfortably between his forefeet1 that could have knocked into toothpicks all ,chihun's hut1 and waited for his food4 ,he ate it1 and the brown baby crawled away4 ,moti ,guj dozed1 and thought of ,deesa4 ,one of many mysteries connected with the elephant is that his huge body needs less sleep than anything else that lives4 ,four or five hours in the night suffice--two just before midnight1 lying down on one side2 two just after one o'clock1 lying down on the other4 ,the rest of the silent hours are filled with eating and fidgeting and long grumbling soliloquies4 ,at midnight1 therefore1 ,moti ,guj strode out of his pickets1 for a thought had come to him that ,deesa might be lying drunk somewhere in the dark forest with none to look after him4 ,so all that night he chased through the undergrowth1 blowing and trumpeting and shaking his ears4 ,he went down to the river and blared across the shallows where ,deesa used to wash him1 and there was no answer4 ,he could not find ,deesa1 but he disturbed all the other elephants in the lines1 and nearly frightened to death some gypsies in the woods4 ,at dawn ,deesa returned to the plantation4 ,he had been very drunk indeed1 and he expected to get into trouble for outstaying his leave4 ,he drew a long breath when he saw that the bungalow and the plantation were still uninjured1 for he knew something of ,moti ,guj's temper1 and reported himself with many lies and salaams4 ,moti ,guj had gone to his pickets for breakfast4 ,the night exercise had made him hungry4 8,call up your beast10 said the planter1 and ,deesa shouted in the mysterious elephant language1 that some mahouts believe came from ,china at the birth of the world1 when elephants and not men were masters4 ,moti ,guj heard and came4 ,elephants do not gallop4 ,they move from places at varying rates of speed4 ,if an elephant wished to catch an express train he could not gallop1 but he could catch the train4 ,so ,moti ,guj was at the planter's door almost before ,chihun noticed that he had left his pickets4 ,he fell into ,deesa's arms trumpeting with joy1 and the man and beast wept and slobbered over each other1 and handled each other from head to heel to see that no harm had befallen4 8,now we will get to work10 said ,deesa4 8,lift me up1 my son and my joy40 ,moti ,guj swung him up and the two went to the coffee-clearing to look for difficult stumps4 ,the planter was too astonished to be very angry4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,gulliver ,,the ,,great ,by ,,walter ,a4 ,,dyer ,,it was a mild evening in early spring1 and the magnolias were in bloom4 ,we motored around the park1 turned up a side street1 and finally came to a throbbing standstill before the ,churchwarden ,club4 ,there was nothing about its exterior to indicate that it was a clubhouse at all1 but within there was an indefinable atmosphere of early ,victorian comfort4 ,there was something about it that suggested ,mr4 ,pickwick4 ,old prints of horses and ships and battles hung upon the walls1 and the oak was dark and old4 ,there seemed to be no decorative scheme or keynote1 and yet the atmosphere was utterly distinctive4 ,it was my first visit to the ,churchwarden ,club1 of which my quaint1 old-fashioned ,uncle ,ford had long been a member1 and ,i was charmed4 ,we dined in the rathskeller1 the walls of which were completely covered with long churchwarden pipes1 arranged in the most intricate and marvelous patterns2 and after our mutton-chop and ale and plum pudding1 we filled with the choicest of tobaccos the pipes which the old major-domo brought us4 ,then came ,jacob ,r4 ,enderby to smoke with us4 ,tall and spare he was1 with long1 straight1 black hair1 large1 aquiline nose1 and piercing eyes4 ,i disgraced myself by staring at him4 ,i didn't know that such a man existed in ,new ,york1 and yet ,i couldn't decide whether his habitat should be ,arizona or ,cape ,cod4 ,enderby and ,uncle ,ford were deep in a discussion of the statesmanship of ,james ,g4 ,blaine1 when a waiter summoned my uncle to the telephone4 ,i neglected to state that my uncle1 in his prosaic hours1 is a physician2 and this was a call4 ,i knew it the moment ,i saw the waiter approaching4 ,i was disappointed and disgusted4 ,uncle ,ford saw this and laughed4 8,cheer up60 said he4 8,you needn't come with me to visit the sick4 ,i'll be back in an hour1 and meanwhile ,mr4 ,enderby will take care of you2 won't you1 ,jake80 ,for answer ,enderby arose1 and refilling his pipe took me by the arm1 while my uncle got into his overcoat4 ,as he passed us on the way out he whispered in my ear3 8,talk about dogs40 ,i heard and nodded4 ,enderby led me to the lounge or loafing-room1 an oak-paneled apartment in the rear of the floor above1 with huge leather chairs and a seat in the bay window4 ,save for a gray-haired old chap dozing over a copy of ,simplicissimus1 the room was deserted4 ,but no sooner had ,enderby seated himself on the window-seat than there was a rush and a commotion1 and a short1 glad bark1 and ,nubbins1 the steward's bull-terrier1 bounded in and landed at ,enderby's side with canine expressions of great joy4 ,i reached forward to pat him1 but he paid absolutely no attention to me4 ,at last his wriggling subsided1 and he settled down with his head on ,enderby's knee1 the picture of content4 ,then ,i recalled my uncle's parting injunction4 8,friend of yours80 ,i suggested4 ,enderby smiled4 8,yes10 he said1 8we're friends1 ,i guess4 ,and the funny part of it is that he doesn't pay any attention to any one else except his master4 ,they all act that way with me1 dogs do40 ,and he pulled ,nubbins's stubby ears4 8,natural attraction1 ,i suppose10 said ,i4 8,yes1 it is10 he answered1 with the modest frankness of a big man4 8,it's a thing hard to explain1 though there's a sort of reason for it in my case40 ,i pushed toward him a little tobacco-laden teak-wood stand hopefully4 ,he refilled and lighted4 8,it's an extraordinary thing1 even so10 he said1 puffing4 8,every dog nowadays seems to look upon me as his long-lost master1 but it wasn't always so4 ,i hated dogs and they hated me40 ,not wishing to say 8,really0 or 8,indeed0 to this big1 outdoor man1 ,i simply grunted my surprise4 8,yes1 we were born enemies4 ,more than that1 ,i was afraid of dogs4 ,a little fuzzy toy dog1 ambling up to me in a room full of company1 with his tail wagging1 gave me the shudders4 ,i couldn't touch the beast4 ,and as for big dogs outdoors1 ,i feared them like the plague4 ,i would go blocks out of my way to avoid one4 8,i don't remember being particularly cowardly about other things1 but ,i just couldn't help this4 ,it was in my blood1 for some reason or other4 ,it was the bane of my existence4 ,i couldn't see what the brutes were put into the world for1 or how any one could have anything to do with them4 8,and the dogs reciprocated4 ,they disliked and distrusted me4 ,the most docile old ,brunos would growl and show their teeth when ,i came near40 8,did the change come suddenly80 ,i asked4 8,quite4 ,it was in #aija4 ,i accepted a commission from an importing and trading company to go to the ,philippines to do a little quiet exploring1 and spent four months in the sickly place4 ,then ,i got the fever1 and when ,i recovered ,i couldn't get out of there too soon4 8,i reached ,manila just in time to see the mail steamer disappearing around the point1 and ,i was mad4 ,there would be another in six days1 but ,i couldn't wait4 ,i was just crazy to get back home4 8,i made inquiries and learned of an old tramp steamer1 named the ,old ,squaw1 making ready to leave for ,honolulu on the following day with a cargo of hemp and stuff1 and a bunch of ,moros for some show in the ,states1 and ,i booked passage on that4 8,she was the worst old tub you ever saw4 ,i didn't learn much about her1 but ,i verily believe her to have been a condemned excursion boat4 ,she wouldn't have been allowed to run to ,coney ,island4 8,she was battered and unpainted1 and she wallowed horribly4 ,i don't believe she could have reached ,honolulu much before the next regular boat1 but ,i couldn't wait1 and ,i took her4 8,i made myself as comfortable as possible1 bribed the cook to insure myself against starvation1 and swung a hammock on the forward deck as far as possible from the worst of the vile smells4 8,but we hadn't lost sight of ,manila ,bay when ,i discovered that there was a dog aboard--and such a dog6 ,i had never seen one that sent me into such a panic as this one1 and he had free range of the ship4 ,a ,great ,dane he was1 named ,gulliver1 and he was the pride of the captain's rum-soaked heart4 8,with all my fear1 ,i realized he was a magnificent animal1 but ,i looked on him as a gigantic devil4 ,without exception1 he was the biggest dog ,i ever saw1 and as muscular as a lion4 ,he lacked some points that show judges set store by1 but he had the size and the build4 8,i have seen ,vohl's ,vulcan and the ,wurtemburg breed1 but they were fox-terriers compared with ,gulliver4 ,his tail was as big around as my arm1 and the cook lived in terror of his getting into the galley and wagging it2 and he had a mouth that looked to me like the crater of ,mauna ,loa1 and a voice that shook the planking when he spoke4 8,i first caught sight of him appearing from behind a huge coil of cordage in the stern4 ,he stretched and yawned1 and ,i nearly died of fright4 8,i caught up a belaying-pin1 though little good that would have done me4 ,i think he saw me do it1 and doubtless he set me down for an enemy then and there4 8,we were well out of the harbor1 and there was no turning back1 but ,i would have given my right hand to be off that boat4 ,i fully expected him to eat me up1 and ,i slept with that belaying-pin sticking into my ribs in the hammock1 and with my revolver loaded and handy4 8,fortunately1 ,gulliver's dislike for me took the form of sublime contempt4 ,he knew ,i was afraid of him1 and he despised me for it4 ,he was a great pet with the captain and crew1 and even the ,moros treated him with admiring respect when they were allowed on deck4 ,i couldn't understand it4 ,i would as soon have made a pet of a hungry boa-constrictor4 8,on the third day out the poor old boiler burst and the ,old ,squaw caught fire4 ,she was dry and rotten inside and she burned like tinder4 ,no attempt was made to extinguish the flames1 which got into the hemp in the hold in short order4 8,the smoke was stifling1 and in a jiffy all hands were struggling with the boats4 ,the ,moros came tumbling up from below and added to the confusion with their terrified yells4 8,the davits were old and rusty1 and the men were soon fighting among themselves4 ,one boat dropped stern foremost1 filled1 and sank immediately1 and the ,old ,squaw herself was visibly settling4 8,i saw there was no chance of getting away in the boats1 and ,i recalled a life-raft on the deck forward near my hammock4 ,it was a sort of catamaran--a double platform on a pair of hollow1 water-tight1 cylindrical buoys4 ,it wasn't twenty feet long and about half as broad1 but it would have to do4 ,i fancy it was a forgotten relic of the old excursion-boat days4 8,there was no time to lose1 for the ,old ,squaw was bound to sink presently4 ,besides1 ,i was aft with the rest1 and the flames were licking up the deck and running-gear in the waist of the boat4 8,the galley1 which was amidships near the engine-room1 had received the full force of the explosion1 and the cook lay moaning in the lee scuppers with a small water-cask thumping against his chest4 ,i couldn't stop to help the man1 but ,i did kick the cask away4 8,it seemed to be nearly full1 and it occurred to me that ,i should need it4 ,i glanced quickly around1 and luckily found a tin of biscuits that had also been blown out of the galley4 ,i picked this up1 and rolling the cask of water ahead of me as rapidly as ,i could1 ,i made my way through the hot1 stifling smoke to the bow of the boat4 8,i kicked at the life-raft2 it seemed to be sound1 and ,i lashed the biscuits and water to it4 ,i also threw on a coil of rope and a piece of sail-cloth4 ,i saw nothing else about that could possibly be of any value to me4 ,i abandoned my trunk for fear it would only prove troublesome4 8,then ,i hacked the raft loose with my knife and shoved it over to the bulwark4 ,apparently no one had seen me1 for there was no one else forward of the sheet of flame that now cut the boat in two4 8,the raft was a mighty heavy affair1 but ,i managed to raise one end to the rail4 ,i don't believe ,i would ever have been able to heave it over under any circumstances1 but ,i didn't have to4 8,i felt a great upheaval1 and the prow of the ,old ,squaw went up into the air4 ,i grabbed the ropes that ,i had lashed the food on with and clung to the raft4 ,the deck became almost perpendicular1 and it was a miracle that the raft didn't slide down with me into the flames4 ,somehow it stuck where it was4 8,then the boat sank with a great roar1 and for about a thousand years1 it seemed to me1 ,i was under water4 ,i didn't do anything4 ,i couldn't think4 8,i was only conscious of a tremendous weight of water and a feeling that ,i would burst open4 ,instinct alone made me cling to the raft4 8,when it finally brought me to the surface ,i was as nearly dead as ,i care to be4 ,i lay there on the thing in a half-conscious condition for an endless time4 ,if my life had depended on my doing something1 ,i would have been lost4 8,then gradually ,i came to1 and began to spit out salt water and gasp for breath4 ,i gathered my wits together and sat up4 ,my hands were absolutely numb1 and ,i had to loosen the grip of my fingers with the help of my toes4 ,odd sensation4 8,then ,i looked about me4 ,my biscuits and water and rope were safe1 but the sail-cloth had vanished4 ,i remember that this annoyed me hugely at the time1 though ,i don't know what earthly good it would have been4 8,the sea was fairly calm1 and ,i could see all about4 ,not a human being was visible1 only a few floating bits of wreckage4 ,every man on board must have gone down with the ship and drowned1 except myself4 8,then ,i caught sight of something that made my heart stand still4 ,the huge head of ,gulliver was coming rapidly toward me through the water6 8,the dog was swimming strongly1 and must have leaped from the ,old ,squaw before she sank4 ,my raft was the only thing afloat large enough to hold him1 and he knew it4 8,i drew my revolver1 but it was soaking wet and useless4 ,then ,i sat down on the cracker-tin and gritted my teeth and waited4 ,i had been alarmed1 ,i must admit1 when the boiler blew up and the panic began1 but that was nothing to the terror that seized me now4 8,here ,i was all alone on the top of the ,pacific ,ocean with a horrible demon making for me as fast as he could swim4 ,my mind was benumbed1 and ,i could think of nothing to do4 ,i trembled and my teeth rattled4 ,i prayed for a shark1 but no shark came4 8,soon ,gulliver reached the raft and placed one of his forepaws on it and then the other4 ,the top of it stood six or eight inches above the water1 and it took a great effort for the dog to raise himself4 ,i wanted to kick him back1 but ,i didn't dare to move4 8,gulliver struggled mightily4 ,again and again he reared his great shoulders above the sea1 only to be cast back1 scratching and kicking1 at a lurch of the raft4 8,finally a wave favored him1 and he caught the edge of the under platform with one of his hind feet4 ,with a stupendous effort he heaved his huge bulk over the edge and lay sprawling at my feet1 panting and trembling40 ,enderby paused and gazed out of the window with a big sigh1 as though the recital of his story had brought back some of the horror of his remarkable experience4 ,nubbins looked up inquiringly1 and then snuggled closer to his friend1 while ,enderby smoothed the white head4 8,well10 he continued1 8there we were4 ,you can't possibly imagine how ,i felt unless you1 too1 have been afflicted with dog-fear4 ,it was awful4 ,and ,i hated the brute so4 ,i could have torn him limb from limb if ,i had had the strength4 ,but he was vastly more powerful than ,i4 ,i could only fear him4 8,by and by he got up and shook himself4 ,i cowered on my cracker-tin1 but he only looked at me contemptuously1 went to the other end of the raft1 and lay down to wait patiently for deliverance4 8,we remained this way until nightfall4 ,the sea was comparatively calm1 and we seemed to be drifting but slowly4 ,we were in the path of ships likely to be passing one way or the other1 and ,i would have been hopeful of the outcome if it had not been for my feared and hated companion4 8,i began to feel faint1 and opened the cracker-tin4 ,the biscuits were wet with salt water1 but ,i ate a couple1 and left the cover of the tin open to dry them4 ,gulliver looked around1 and ,i shut the tin hastily4 ,but the dog never moved4 ,he was not disposed to ask any favors4 ,by kicking the sides of the cask and prying with my knife1 ,i managed to get the bung out and took a drink4 ,then ,i settled myself on the raft with my back against the cask1 and longed for a smoke4 8,the gentle motion of the raft produced a lulling effect on my exhausted nerves1 and ,i began to nod1 only to awake with a start1 with fear gripping at my heart4 ,i dared not sleep4 ,i don't know what ,i thought ,gulliver would do to me1 for ,i did not understand dogs1 but ,i felt that ,i must watch him constantly4 ,in the starlight ,i could see that his eyes were open4 ,gulliver was watchful too4 8,all night long ,i kept up a running fight with drowsiness4 ,i dozed at intervals1 but never for long at a time4 ,it was a horrible night1 and ,i cannot tell you how ,i longed for day and welcomed it when it came4 8,i must have slept toward dawn1 for ,i suddenly became conscious of broad daylight4 ,i roused myself1 stood up1 and swung my arms and legs to stir up circulation1 for the night had been chilly4 ,gulliver arose1 too1 and stood silently watching me until ,i ceased for fear4 ,when he had settled down again ,i got my breakfast out of the cracker-tin4 ,gulliver was restless1 and was evidently interested4 8#8,he must be hungry1' ,i thought1 and then a new fear caught me4 ,i had only to wait until he became very hungry and then he would surely attack me4 ,i concluded that it would be wiser to feed him1 and ,i tossed him a biscuit4 8,i expected to see him grab it ravenously1 and wondered as soon as ,i had thrown it if the taste of food would only serve to make him more ferocious4 ,but at first he would not touch it4 ,he only lay there with his great head on his paws and glowered at me4 ,distrust was plainly visible in his face4 ,i had never realized before that a dog's face could express the subtler emotions4 8,his gaze fascinated me1 and ,i could not take my eyes from his4 ,the bulk of him was tremendous as he lay there1 and ,i noticed the big1 swelling muscles of his jaw4 ,at last he arose1 sniffed suspiciously at the biscuit1 and looked up at me again4 8#8,it's all right2 eat it6' ,i cried4 8,the sound of my own voice frightened me4 ,i had not intended to speak to him4 ,but in spite of my strained tone he seemed somewhat reassured4 8,he took a little nibble1 and then swallowed the biscuit after one or two crunches1 and looked up expectantly4 ,i threw him another and he ate that4 8#8,that's all1' said ,i4 #8,we must be sparing of them4' 8,i was amazed to discover how perfectly he understood4 ,he lay down again and licked his chops4 8,late in the forenoon ,i saw a line of smoke on the horizon1 and soon a steamer hove into view4 ,i stood up and waved my coat frantically1 but to no purpose4 ,gulliver stood up and looked from me to the steamer1 apparently much interested4 8#8,too far off1' ,i said to ,gulliver4 #8,i hope the next one will come nearer4' 8,at midday ,i dined1 and fed ,gulliver4 ,this time he took the two biscuits quite without reserve and whacked his great tail against the raft4 ,it seemed to me that his attitude was less hostile1 and ,i wondered at it4 8,when ,i took my drink from the cask1 ,gulliver showed signs of interest4 8#8,i suppose dogs get thirsty1 too1' ,i said aloud4 8,gulliver rapped with his tail4 ,i looked about for some sort of receptacle1 and finally pulled off my shoe1 filled it with water1 and shoved it toward him with my foot4 ,he drank gratefully4 8,during the afternoon ,i sighted another ship1 but it was too distant to notice me4 ,however1 the sea remained calm and ,i did not despair4 8,after we had had supper1 ,i settled back against my cask1 resolved to keep awake1 for still ,i did not trust ,gulliver4 ,the sun set suddenly and the stars came out1 and ,i found myself strangely lonesome4 ,it seemed as though ,i had been alone out there on the ,pacific for weeks4 ,the miles and miles of heaving waters1 almost on a level with my eye1 were beginning to get on my nerves4 ,i longed for some one to talk to1 and wished ,i had dragged the half-breed cook along with me for company4 ,i sighed loudly1 and ,gulliver raised his head4 8#8,lonesome out here1 isn't it8' ,i said1 simply to hear the sound of my own voice4 8,then for the first time ,gulliver spoke4 ,he made a deep sound in his throat1 but it wasn't a growl1 and with all my ignorance of dog language ,i knew it4 8,then ,i began to talk4 ,i talked about everything--the people back home and all that--and ,gulliver listened4 ,i know more about dogs now1 and ,i know that the best way to make friends with a dog is to talk to him4 ,he can't talk back1 but he can understand a heap more than you think he can4 8,finally ,gulliver1 who had kept his distance all this time1 arose and came toward me4 ,my words died in my throat4 ,what was he going to do8 ,to my immense relief he did nothing but sink down at my feet with a grunt and curl his huge body into a semicircle4 ,he had dignity1 ,gulliver had4 ,he wanted to be friendly1 but he would not presume4 ,however1 ,i had lost interest in conversation1 and sat watching him and wondering4 8,in spite of my firm resolution1 ,i fell asleep at length from sheer exhaustion1 and never woke until daybreak4 ,the sky was clouded and our craft was pitching4 ,gulliver was standing in the middle of the raft1 looking at me in evident alarm4 ,i glanced over my shoulder1 and the blackness of the horizon told me that a storm was coming1 and coming soon4 8,i made fast our slender provender1 tied the end of a line about my own waist for safety1 and waited4 8,in a short time the storm struck us in all its tropical fury4 ,the raft pitched and tossed1 now high up at one end1 and now at the other1 and sometimes almost engulfed in the waves4 8,gulliver was having a desperate time to keep aboard4 ,his blunt claws slipped on the wet deck of the raft1 and he fell and slid about dangerously4 ,the thought flashed across my mind that the storm might prove to be a blessing in disguise1 and that ,i might soon be rid of the brute4 8,as ,i clung there to the lashings1 ,i saw him slip down to the further end of the raft1 his hind quarters actually over the edge4 ,a wave swept over him1 but still he clung1 panting madly4 ,then the raft righted itself for a moment1 and as he hung there he gave me a look ,i shall never forget--a look of fear1 of pleading1 of reproach1 and yet of silent courage4 ,and with all my stupidity ,i read that look4 ,somehow it told me that ,i was the master1 after all1 and he the dog4 ,i could not resist it4 ,cautiously ,i raised myself and loosened the spare rope ,i had saved4 ,as the raft tipped the other way ,gulliver regained his footing and came sliding toward me4 8,quickly ,i passed the rope around his body1 and as the raft dived again ,i hung on to the rope with one hand1 retaining my own hold with the other4 ,gulliver's great weight nearly pulled my arm from its socket1 but he helped mightily1 and during the next moment of equilibrium ,i took another turn about his body and made the end of the rope fast4 8,the storm passed as swiftly as it had come1 and though it left us drenched and exhausted1 we were both safe4 ,illustration3 ,again and again ,gulliver gave voice1 deep1 full1 powerful 8,that evening ,gulliver crept close to me as ,i talked1 and ,i let him4 ,loneliness will make a man do strange things4 8,on the fifth day1 when our provisions were nearly gone1 and ,i had begun to feel the sinking dullness of despair1 ,i sighted a steamer apparently coming directly toward us4 ,instantly ,i felt new life in my limbs and around my heart1 and while the boat was yet miles away ,i began to shout and to wave my coat4 8#8,i believe she's coming1 old man6' ,i cried to ,gulliver2 #8,i believe she's coming6' 8,i soon wearied of this foolishness and sat down to wait4 ,gulliver came close and sat beside me1 and for the first time ,i put my hand on him4 ,he looked up at me and rapped furiously with his tail4 ,i patted his head--a little gingerly1 ,i must confess4 8,it was a big1 smooth head1 and it felt solid and strong4 ,i passed my hand down his neck1 his back1 his flanks4 ,he seemed to quiver with joy4 ,he leaned his huge body against me4 ,then he bowed his head and licked my shoe4 8,a feeling of intense shame and unworthiness came over me1 with the realization of how completely ,i had misunderstood him4 ,why should this great1 powerful creature lick my shoe8 ,it was incredible4 8,then1 somehow1 everything changed4 ,fear and distrust left me1 and a feeling of comradeship and understanding took their place4 ,we two had been through so much together4 ,a dog was no longer a frightful beast to me2 he was a dog6 ,i cannot think of a nobler word4 ,and ,gulliver had licked my shoe6 ,doubtless it was only the fineness of his perception that had prevented him from licking my hand4 ,i might have resented that4 ,i put my arms suddenly around ,gulliver's neck and hugged him4 ,i loved that dog6 8,slowly1 slowly1 the steamer crawled along1 but still she kept to her course4 ,when she was about a mile away1 however1 ,i saw that she would not pass as near to us as ,i had hoped2 so ,i began once more my waving and yelling4 ,she came nearer1 nearer1 but still showed no sign of observing us4 8,she was abreast of us and passing4 ,i was in a frenzy6 8,she was so near that ,i could make out the figure of the captain on the bridge1 and other figures on the deck below4 ,it seemed as though they must see us1 though ,i realized how low in the water we stood1 and how pitifully weak and hoarse my voice was4 ,i had been a fool to waste it4 ,then an idea struck me4 8#8,speak6' ,i cried to ,gulliver1 who stood watching beside me4 #8,speak1 old man6' 8,gulliver needed no second bidding4 ,a roar like that of all the bulls of ,bashan rolled out over the blue ,pacific4 ,again and again ,gulliver gave voice1 deep1 full1 powerful4 ,his great sides heaved with the mighty effort1 his red1 cavernous mouth open1 and his head raised high4 8#8,good1 old man6' ,i cried4 #8,good6' ,and again that magnificent voice boomed forth4 8,then something happened on board the steamer4 ,the figures came to the side4 ,i waved my coat and danced4 ,then they saw us4 8,i was pretty well done up when they took us aboard1 and ,i slept for twenty-four hours straight4 ,when ,i awoke there sat ,gulliver by my bunk1 and when ,i turned to look at him he lifted a great paw and put it on my arm40 ,enderby ceased1 and there was silence in the room save for the light snoring of ,nubbins4 8,you took him home with you1 ,i suppose80 ,i asked4 ,enderby nodded4 8,and you have him still80 ,i certainly wanted to have a look at that dog4 ,but he did not answer4 ,i saw an expression of great sadness come into his eyes as he gazed out of the window1 and ,i knew that ,jacob ,enderby had finished his story4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,sonny',s ,,schoolin' ,by ,,ruth ,mc,e,n,e,r,y ,,stuart ,a ,monologue ,,well1 sir1 we're tryin' to edjercate him--good ez we can4 ,th' ain't never been a edjercational advantage come in reach of us but we've give it to him4 ,of co'se he's all we've got1 that one boy is1 an' wife an' me1 why1 we feel the same way about it4 ,they's three schools in the county1 an' we send him to all three4 ,sir8 ,oh1 yas1 sir2 he b'longs to all three schools--to fo'1 for that matter1 countin' the home school4 ,you see1 ,sonny he's purty ticklish to handle1 an' a person has to know thess how to tackle him4 ,even wife an' me1 thet's been knowin' him f'om the beginnin'1 not only knowin' his traits1 but how he come by 'em1--though some is hard to trace to their so'ces1--why1 sir1 even we have to study sometimes to keep in with him1 an' of co'se a teacher--why1 it's thess hit an' miss whether he'll take the right tack with him or not2 an' sometimes one teacher'll strike it one day1 an' another nex' day2 so by payin' schoolin' for him right along in all three1 why1 of co'se1 ef he don't feel like goin' to one1 why1 he'll go to another4 ,once-t in a while he'll git out with the whole of 'em1 an' that was how wife come to open the home school for him4 ,she was determined his edjercation shouldn't be interrupted ef she could help it4 ,she don't encour'ge him much to go to her school1 though1 'cause it interrupts her in her housekeepin' consider'ble1 an' she's had extry quilt-patchin' on hand ever since he come4 ,she's patchin' him a set 'ginst the time he'll marry4 ,an' then ,i reckon he frets her a good deal in school4 ,somehow1 seems like he thess picks up enough in the other schools to be able to conterdic' her ways o' teachin'4 ,f' instance1 in addin' up a colume o' figgers1 ef she comes to a aught--which some calls 'em naughts--she'll say1 8,aught's a aught10 an' ,sonny ain't been learned to say it that a-way2 an' so maybe when she says1 8,aught's a aught10 he'll say1 8,who said it wasn't80 an' that puts her out in countin'4 ,he's been learned to thess pass over aughts an' not call their names2 and once-t or twice-t1 when wife called 'em out that a-way1 why1 he got so fretted he thess gethered up his things an' went to another school4 ,but seem like she's added aughts that a-way so long she can't think to add 'em no other way4 ,i notice nights after she's kept school for ,sonny all day she talks consider'ble in her sleep1 an' she says1 8,aught's a aught0 about ez often ez she says anything else4 ,oh1 yas1 sir2 he's had consider'ble fusses with his teachers1 one way an' another1 but they ever' one declare they think a heap of 'im4 ,sir8 ,oh1 yas1 sir2 of co'se they all draw their reg'lar pay whether he's a day in school du'in' the month or not4 ,that's right enough1 'cause you see they don't know what day he's li'ble to drop in on 'em1 an' it's worth the money thess a-keepin' their nerves strung for 'im4 ,well1 yas1 sir2 't is toler'ble expensive1 lookin' at it one way1 but lookin' at it another1 it don't cost no mo' 'n what it would to edjercate three child'en1 which many poor families have to do--an' more--which in our united mind ,sonny's worth 'em all4 ,yas1 sir2 't is confusin' to him in some ways1 goin' to all three schools at once-t4 ,f' instance1 ,miss ,alviry ,sawyer1 which she's a single-handed maiden lady 'bout wife's age1 why1 of co'se1 she teaches accordin' to the old rules2 an' in learnin' the child'en subtraction1 f' instance1 she'll tell 'em1 ef they run short to borry one f'om the nex' lef' han' top figur'1 an' pay it back to the feller underneath him4 ,well1 this didn't suit ,sonny's sense o' jestice no way1 borryin' from one an' payin' back to somebody else2 so he thess up an' argued about it--told her thet fellers thet borried nickels f'om one another couldn't pay back that a-way2 an' of co'se she told him they was heap o' difference 'twix' money and 'rithmetic----which ,i wish't they was more in my experience2 an' so they had it hot and heavy for a while1 till at last she explained to him thet that way of doin' subtraction fetched the answer1 which1 of co'se1 ought to satisfy any school-boy2 an' ,i reckon ,sonny would soon 'a' settled into that way 'ceptin' thet he got out o' patience with that school in sev'al ways1 an' he left an' went out to ,sandy ,crik school1 and it thess happened that he struck a subtraction class there the day he got in1 an' they was workin' it the other way--borry one from the top figur' an' never pay it back at all1 thess count it off 7that's the way ,i've worked my lifelong subtraction1 though wife does hers payin' back71 an' of co'se ,sonny was ready to dispute this way1 an' he didn't have no mo' tac' than to th'ow up ,miss ,alviry's way to the teacher1 which of co'se he wouldn't stand1 particular ez ,miss ,alviry's got the biggest school4 ,so they broke up in a row1 immejate1 and ,sonny went right along to ,miss ,kellog's school down here at the cross-roads4 ,she's a sort o' reformed teacher1 ,i take it2 an' she gets at her subtraction by a new route altogether--like ez ef the first feller thet had any surplus went sort o' security for them thet was short1 an' passed the loan down the line4 ,but ,i noticed he never got his money back1 for when they come to him1 why1 they docked him4 ,i reckon goin' security is purty much the same in an out o' books4 ,she passes the borryin' along some way till it gits to headquarters1 an' writes a new row o' figur's over the heads o' the others4 ,well1 my old brain got so addled watchin' ,sonny work it thet ,i didn't seem to know one figur' f'om another 'fo' he got thoo2 but when ,i see the answer come1 why1 ,i was satisfied4 ,ef a man can thess git his answers right all his life1 why nobody ain't a-goin' to pester him about how he worked his figur's4 ,i did try to get ,sonny to stick to one school for each rule in 'rithmetic1 an' havin' thess fo' schools1 why he could learn each o' the fo' rules by one settled plan4 ,but he won't promise nothin'4 ,he'll quit for lessons one week1 and maybe next week somethin' else'll decide him4 7,he's quit ever' one of 'em in turn when they come to long division47 ,he went thoo a whole week o' disagreeable lessons once-t at one school 'cause he was watchin' a bird-nest on the way to that school4 ,he was determined them young birds was to be allowed to leave that nest without bein' pestered1 an' they stayed so long they purty nigh run him into long division 'fo' they did fly4 ,ef he'd 'a' missed school one day he knowed two sneaky chaps thet would 'a' robbed that nest1 either goin' or comin'4 ,of co'se ,sonny goes to the exhibitions an' picnics of all the schools4 ,last summer we had a time of it when it come picnic season4 ,two schools set the same day for theirs1 which of co'se wasn't no ways fair to ,sonny4 ,he payin' right along in all the schools1 of co'se he was entitled to all the picnics2 so ,i put on my ,sunday clo'es1 an' ,i went down an' had it fixed right4 ,they all wanted ,sonny1 too1 come down to the truth1 'cause besides bein' fond of him1 they knowed thet ,sonny always fetched a big basket4 ,trouble with ,sonny is thet he don't take nothin' on nobody's say-so1 don't keer who it is4 ,he even commenced to dispute ,moses one ,sunday when wife was readin' the ,holy ,scriptures to him1 tell of co'se she made him understand thet that wouldn't do4 ,moses didn't intend to be conterdicted4 ,an' ez to secular lessons1 he ain't got no respec' for 'em whatsoever4 ,f' instance1 when the teacher learned him thet the world was round1 why he up an' told him 't warn't so1 less'n we was on the inside an' it was blue-lined1 which of co'se teacher he insisted thet we was on the outside1 walkin' over it1 all feet todes the center--a thing ,i've always thought myself was mo' easy said than proved4 ,well1 sir1 ,sonny didn't hesitate to deny it1 an' of co'se teacher he commenced by givin' him a check--which is a bad mark--for conterdictin'4 ,an' then ,sonny he 'lowed thet he didn't conterdic' to be a-conterdictin'1 but he knowed 't warn't so4 ,he had walked the whole len'th o' the road 'twix' the farm an' the school-house1 an' they warn't no bulge in it2 an' besides1 he hadn't never saw over the edges of it4 ,an' with that teacher he give him another check for speakin' out o' turn4 ,an' then ,sonny1 says he1 8,ef a man was tall enough he could see around the edges1 couldn't he80 8,no10 says the teacher2 8a man couldn't grow that tall10 says he2 8he'd be deformed40 ,an' ,sonny1 why1 he spoke up again1 an' says he1 8,but ,i'm thess a-sayin' ef10 says he4 8,an' teacher10 says he1 8we ain't a-studyin' efs2 we're studyin' geoger'phy40 ,and then ,sonny they say he kep' still a minute1 an' then he says1 says he1 8,oh1 maybe he couldn't see over the edges1 teacher1 'cause ef he was tall enough his head might reach up into the flo' o' heaven40 ,and with that teacher he give him another check1 an' told him not to dare to mix up geoger'phy an' religion1 which was a sackerlege to both studies2 an' with that ,sonny gethered up his books an' set out to another school4 ,i think myself it 'u'd be thess ez well ef ,sonny wasn't quite so quick to conterdic'2 but it's thess his way of holdin' his p'int4 ,why1 one day he faced one o' the teachers down thet two an' two didn't haf to make fo'1 wh'er or no4 ,this seemed to tickle the teacher mightily1 an' so he laughed an' told him he was goin' to give him rope enough to hang hisself now1 an' then he dared him to show him any two an' two thet didn't make fo'1 and ,sonny says1 says he1 8,heap o' two an' twos don't make four1 'cause they're kep' sep'rate10 says he4 8,an' then10 says he1 8,i don't want my two billy-goats harnessed up with nobody else's two billys to make fo' billys40 8,but10 says the teacher1 8suppose ,i was to harness up yo' two goats with ,tom ,deems's two1 there'd be fo' goats1 ,i reckon1 whether you wanted 'em there or not40 8,no they wouldn't10 says ,sonny4 8,they wouldn't be but two4 ',t wouldn't take my team more 'n half a minute to butt the life out o' ,tom's team40 ,an' with that little ,tommy ,deems1 why1 he commenced to cry1 an' 'stid o' punishin' him for bein' sech a cry-baby1 what did the teacher do but give ,sonny another check1 for castin' slurs on ,tommy's animals1 an' gettin' ,tommy's feelin's hurted6 ,which ,i ain't a-sayin' it on account o' ,sonny bein' my boy1 but it seems to me was a mighty unfair advantage4 ,no boy's feelin's ain't got no right to be that tender--an' a goat is the last thing on earth thet could be injured by a word of mouth4 ,sonny's pets an' beasts has made a heap o' commotion in school one way an' another1 somehow4 ,ef 't ain't his goats it's somethin' else4 ,sir8 ,sonny's pets8 ,oh1 they're all sorts4 ,he ain't no ways partic'lar thess so a thing is po' an' miser'ble enough4 ,that's about all he seems to require of anything4 ,he don't never go to school hardly 'thout a garter-snake or two or a lizard or a toad-frog somewheres about him4 ,he's got some o' the little girls at school that nervous thet if he thess shakes his little sleeve at 'em they'll squeal1 not knowin' what sort o' live critter'll jump out of it4 ,most of his pets is things he's got by their bein' hurted some way4 ,one of his toad-frogs is blind of a eye4 ,sonny rescued him from the old red rooster one day after he had nearly pecked him to death1 an' he had him hoppin' round the kitchen for about a week with one eye bandaged up4 ,when a hurted critter gits good an' strong he gen'ally turns it loose ag'in2 but ef it stays puny1 why he reg'lar 'dopts it an' names it ,jones4 ,that's thess a little notion o' his1 namin' his pets the family name4 ,the most outlandish thing he ever 'dopted1 to my mind1 is that old yaller cat4 ,that was a miser'ble low-down stray cat thet hung round the place a whole season1 an' ,sonny used to vow he was goin' to kill it1 'cause it kep' a-ketchin' the birds4 ,well1 one day he happened to see him thess runnin' off with a young mockin'-bird in his mouth1 an' he took a brickbat an' he let him have it1 an' of co'se he dropped the bird an' tumbled over--stunted4 ,the bird it got well1 and ,sonny turned him loose after a few days2 but that cat was hurted fatal4 ,he couldn't never no mo' 'n drag hisself around from that day to this2 an' ,i reckon ef ,sonny was called on to give up every pet he's got1 that cat would be 'bout the last thing he'd surrender4 ,he named him ,tommy ,jones1 an' he never goes to school of a mornin'1 rain or shine1 till ,tommy ,jones is fed f'om his own plate with somethin' he's left for him special4 ,of co'se ,sonny he's got his faults1 which anybody'll tell you2 but th' ain't a dumb brute on the farm but'll foller him around--an' ,dicey1 why1 she thinks they never was such another boy born into the world--that is1 not no human child4 ,an' wife an' me-- ,but of co'se he's ours4 ,i don't doubt thet he ain't constructed thess exac'ly ez the school-teachers would have him1 ef they had their way4 ,sometimes ,i have thought ,i'd like his disposition eased up a little1 myself1 when he taken a stand ag'in my jedgment or wife's4 ,takin' 'em all round1 though1 the teachers has been mighty patient with him4 ,at one school the teacher did take him out behind the school-house one day to whup him2 an' although teacher is a big strong man1 ,sonny's mighty wiry an' quick1 an' some way he slipped his holt1 an' 'fo' teacher could ketch him ag'in he had clumb up the lightnin'-rod on to the roof thess like a cat4 ,an' teacher he felt purty shore of him then1 'cause he 'lowed they wasn't no other way to git down 7which they wasn't1 the school bein' a steep-sided buildin'71 an' he'd wait for him4 ,so teacher he set down close-t to the lightnin'-rod to wait4 ,he wouldn't go back in school without him1 cause he didn't want the child'en to know he'd got away4 ,so down he set2 but he hadn't no mo' 'n took his seat sca'cely when he heerd the child'en in school roa'in' out loud1 laughin' fit to kill theirselves4 ,he 'lowed at first thet like ez not the monitor was cuttin' up some sort o' didoes1 the way monitors does gen'ally1 so he waited a-while2 but it kep' a-gittin' worse1 so d'rectly he got up1 an' he went in to see what the excitement was about2 an' lo and beholt6 ,sonny had slipped down the open chimbly right in amongst 'em--come out a-grinnin'1 with his face all sooted over1 an'1 says he1 8,say1 fellers10 says he1 8,i run up the lightnin'-rod1 an' he's a-waitin' for me to come down40 ,an' with that he went an' gethered up his books1 deliberate1 an' fetched his hat1 an' picked up a nest o' little chimbly-swallows he had dislodged in comin' down 7all this here it happened thess las' ,june71 an' he went out an' harnessed up his goat-wagon1 an' got in4 ,an' thess ez he driv' out the school-yard into the road the teacher come in1 an' he see how things was4 ,of co'se sech conduct ez that is worrisome1 but ,i don't see no1 to say1 bad principle in it4 ,sonny ain't got a bad habit on earth1 not a-one4 ,they'll ever' one o' the teachers tell you that4 ,he ain't never been knowed to lie1 an' ez for improper language1 why he wouldn't know how to select it4 ,an' ez to tattlin' at home about what goes on in school1 why1 he never has did it4 ,the only way we knowed about him comin' down the school-house chimbly was wife went to fetch his dinner to him1 an' she found it out4 ,she knowed he had went to that school in the mornin'1 an' when she got there at twelve o'clock1 why he wasn't there1 an' of co'se she questioned the teacher1 an' he thess told her thet ,sonny had been present at the mornin' session1 but thet he was now absent4 ,an' the rest of it she picked out o' the child'en4 ,oh1 no1 sir2 she don't take his dinner to him reg'lar--only some days when she happens to have somethin' extry good1 or maybe when she 'magines he didn't eat hearty at breakfast4 ,the school-child'en they always likes to see her come1 because she gen'ally takes a extry lot o' fried chicken thess for him to give away4 ,he don't keer much for nothin' but livers an' gizzards1 so we have to kill a good many to get enough for him2 an' of co'se the fryin' o' the rest of it is mighty little trouble4 ,sonny is a bothersome child one way3 he don't never want to take his dinner to school with him4 ,of co'se thess after eatin' breakfas' he don't feel hungry1 an' when wife does coax him to take it1 he'll seem to git up a appetite walkin' to school1 an' he'll eat it up 'fo' he gits there4 ,sonny's got a mighty noble disposition1 though1 take him all round4 ,now1 the day he slipped down that chimbly an' run away he wasn't a bit flustered1 an' he didn't play hookey the balance of the day neither4 ,he thess went down to the crik1 an' washed the soot off his face1 though they say he didn't no more 'n smear it round1 an' then he went down to ,miss ,phbe's school1 an' stayed there till it was out4 ,an' she took him out to the well1 an' washed his face good for him4 ,but nex' day he up an' went back to ,mr4 ,clark's school--walked in thess ez pleasant an' kind1 an' taken his seat an' said his lessons--never th'owed it up to teacher at all4 ,now1 some child'en1 after playin' off on a teacher that a-way would a' took advantage1 but he never4 ,it was a fair fight1 an' ,sonny whupped1 an' that's all there was to it2 an' he never put on no air about it4 ,wife did threaten to go herself an' make the teacher apologize for gittin' the little feller all sooted up an' sp'ilin' his clo'es2 but she thought it over1 an' she decided thet she wouldn't disturb things ez long ez they was peaceful4 ,an'1 after all1 he didn't exac'ly send him down the chimbly nohow1 though he provoked him to it4 ,ef ,sonny had 'a' fell an' hurted hisself1 though1 in that chimbly1 ,i'd 'a' helt that teacher responsible1 shore4 ,sonny says hisself thet the only thing he feels bad about in that chimbly business is thet one o' the little swallers' wings was broke by the fall4 ,sonny's got him yet1 an' he's li'ble to keep him1 cause he'll never fly4 ,named him ,swally ,jones1 an' reg'lar 'dopted him soon ez he see how his wing was4 ,sonny's the only child ,i ever see in my life thet could take young chimbly-swallers after their fall an' make 'em live4 ,but he does it reg'lar4 ,they ain't a week passes sca'cely but he fetches in some hurted critter an' works with it4 ,dicey says thet half the time she's afeered to step around her cookstove less'n she'll step on some critter thet's crawled back to life where he's put it under the stove to hatch or thaw out1 which she bein' bare-feeted1 ,i don't wonder at4 ,an' he has did the same way at school purty much4 ,it got so for a-while at one school thet not a child in school could be hired to put his hand in the wood-box1 not knowin' ef any piece o' bark or old wood in it would turn out to be a young alligator or toad-frog thawin' out4 ,teacher hisself picked up a chip1 reckless1 one day1 an' it hopped up1 and knocked off his spectacles4 ,of co'se it wasn't no chip4 ,hopper-toad frog an' wood-bark chips1 why1 they favors consider'ble--lay 'em same side up4 ,it was on account o' her takin' a interest in all his little beasts an' varmints thet he first took sech a notion to ,miss ,phbe ,kellog's school4 ,where any other teacher would scold about sech things ez he'd fetch in1 why1 she'd encourage him to bring 'em to her2 an' she'd fix a place for 'em1 an' maybe git out some book tellin' all about 'em1 an' showin' pictures of 'em4 ,she's had squir'l-books1 an' bird-books1 an' books on nearly every sort o' wild critter you'd think too mean to put into a book1 at that school1 an' give the child'en readin'-lessons on 'em an' drawin'-lessons an' clay-moldin' lessons4 ,why1 ,sonny has did his alligator so nach'l in clay thet you'd most expec' to see it creep away4 ,an' you'd think mo' of alligators forever afterward1 too4 ,an' ez to readin'1 he never did take no interest in learnin' how to read out 'n them school-readers1 which he declares don't no more 'n git a person interested in one thing befo' they start on another1 an' maybe start that in the middle4 ,the other teachers1 they makes a heap o' fun o' ,miss ,phbe's way o' school-teachin'1 'cause she lets the child'en ask all sorts of outlandish questions1 an' make pictures in school hours1 an' she don't requi' 'em to fold their arms in school1 neither4 ,maybe she is foolin' their time away4 ,i can't say ez ,i exac'ly see how she's a workin' it to edjercate 'em that a-way4 ,i had to set with my arms folded eight hours a day in school when ,i was a boy1 to learn the little ,i know1 an' wife she got her edjercation the same way4 ,an' we went clean thoo f'om the a-b abs an' e-b ebs clair to the end o' the blue-back speller4 ,an' we learned to purnounce a heap mo' words than either one of us has ever needed to know1 though there has been times1 sech ez when my wife's mother took the phthisic an' ,i had the asthma1 thet ,i was obligated to write to the doctor about it1 thet ,i was thankful for my experience in the blue-back speller4 ,them was our brag-words1 phthisic and asthma was4 ,they's a few other words ,i've always hoped to have a chance to spell in the reg'lar co'se of life1 sech ez y-a-c-h-t1 yacht1 but ,i suppose1 livin' in a little inland town1 which a yacht is a boat1 a person couldn't be expected to need sech a word--less'n he went travelin'4 ,i've often thought thet ef at the ,jedgment the good ,lord would only examine me an' all them thet went to school in my day1 in the old blue-back speller 'stid o' tacklin' us on the weak p'ints of our pore mortal lives1 why1 we'd stand about ez good a chance o' gettin' to heaven ez anybody else4 ,an' maybe ,he will--who knows8 ,but ez for book-readin'1 wife an' me ain't never felt called on to read no book save an' exceptin' the ,holy ,scriptures--an'1 of co'se1 the seed catalogues4 ,an' here ,sonny1 not quite twelve year old1 has read five books thoo1 an' some of 'em twice-t an' three times over4 ,his ,robinson ,crusoe shows mo' wear 'n tear 'n what my ,testament does1 ,i'm ashamed to say4 ,i've done give ,miss ,phbe free license to buy him any book she wants him to have1 an' he's got 'em all 'ranged in a row on the end o' the mantel-shelf4 ,quick ez he'd git thoo readin' a book1 of co'se wife she'd be for dustin' it off and puttin' up on the top closet shelf where a book nach'ally belongs2 but seem like ,sonny he wants to keep 'em in sight4 ,so wife she's worked a little lace shelf-cover to lay under 'em1 an' we've hung our framed marriage-c'tificate above 'em1 an' the corner looks right purty1 come to see it fixed up4 ,sir8 ,oh1 no2 we ain't took him from none o' the other schools yet4 ,he's been goin' to ,miss ,phbe's reg'lar now--all but the exhibition an' picnic days in the other schools--for nearly five months1 not countin' off-an'-on days he went to her befo' he settled down to it stiddy4 ,he says he's a-goin' there reg'lar from this time on1 an' ,i b'lieve he will2 but wife an' me we talked it over1 an' we decided we'd let things stand1 an' keep his name down on all the books till sech a time ez he come to long division with ,miss ,kellog4 ,an' ef he stays thoo that1 we'll feel free to notify the other schools thet he's quit4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,her ,,first ,,horse ,,show ,by ,,david ,,gray ,,she folded the program carefully for preservation in her memory-book1 and devoured the scene with her eyes4 ,it was hard to believe1 but unquestionably ,angelica ,stanton1 in the flesh1 was in ,madison ,square ,garden at the horse show4 ,the great arena was crowded2 the band was playing1 and a four-in-hand was swinging around the tan-bark ring4 ,what had been her dream since she put away her dolls and the flea-bitten pony was realized4 ,the pony had been succeeded by ,lady ,washington1 and with ,lady ,washington opened the epoch when she began to hunt with the grown-up people and to reflect upon the outside world4 ,from what she had gathered from the men in the hunting-field1 the outside world seemed to center in the great horse show1 and most of what was interesting and delightful in life took place there4 ,besides the obvious profit of witnessing this institution1 there had arisen1 later on1 more serious considerations which led ,angelica to take an interest in it4 ,since the disappearance of ,lady ,washington and the failure to trace her1 ,angelica's hope was in the show4 ,one of the judges who had visited ,jim had unwittingly laid the bases of this hope4 8,all the best performers in ,america are exhibited there10 he had said in the course of an interminable discussion upon the great subject4 ,and was not ,lady ,washington probably the best8 ,clearly1 therefore1 soon or late ,lady ,washington would be found winning blue ribbons at ,madison ,square ,garden4 ,to this cheering conclusion the doubting ,thomas within her replied that so desirable a miracle could never be2 and she cherished the doubt1 though rather to provoke contrary fate into refuting it than because it embodied her convictions4 ,she knew that some day ,lady ,washington must come back4 ,after ,jim had sold ,lady ,washington1 he had been informed by ,chloe1 the parlor-maid1 how ,angelica felt1 and he repented his act4 ,he had tried to buy the mare back1 but the man to whom he had sold her had sold her to a dealer1 and he had sold her to somebody who had gone abroad1 and no one knew what this person had done with her4 ,so ,lady ,washington had disappeared1 and ,angelica mourned for her4 ,two years passed1 two years that were filled with doubt and disappointment4 ,each autumn ,jim went ,north with his horses1 but never suggested taking ,angelica4 ,as for ,angelica1 the subject was too near her heart for her to broach it4 ,thus it seemed that life was slipping away1 harshly withholding opportunity4 ,that ,november1 for reasons of his own1 ,jim decided to take ,angelica along with him4 ,when he told her of his intention1 she gasped1 but made no demonstration4 ,on the threshold of fulfilling her hope she was afraid to exult3 she knew how things are snatched away the moment one begins to count upon them2 but inwardly she was happy to the point of apprehension4 ,on the trip ,north she 8knocked wood0 scrupulously every time she was lured into a day-dream which pictured the finding of ,lady ,washington1 and thus she gave the evil forces of destiny no opening4 ,the first hour of the show overwhelmed her4 ,it was too splendid and mystifying to be comprehended immediately1 or to permit a divided attention4 ,even ,lady ,washington dropped out of her thoughts1 but only until the jumping classes began4 ,the first hunter that trotted across the tan-bark brought her back to her quest4 ,but after two days the mystery was no more a mystery1 and the splendor had faded out4 ,the joy of it had faded out1 too4 ,for two days she had pored over the entry-lists and had studied every horse that entered the ring2 but the search for ,lady ,washington had been a vain one4 ,furthermore1 all the best horses by this time had appeared in some class1 and the chances of ,lady ,washington's turning up seemed infinitesimal4 ,reluctantly she gave up hope4 ,she explained it to herself that probably there had been a moment of vainglorious pride when she had neglected to 8knock wood40 ,she would have liked to discuss it with somebody2 but ,chloe and her colored mammy1 who understood such matters1 were at the 8,pines0 in ,virginia1 and ,jim would probably laugh at her2 so she maintained silence and kept her despair to herself4 ,it was the evening of the third day1 and she was at the show again1 dressed in her habit1 because she was going to ride4 ,her brother was at the other end of the ,garden1 hidden by a row of horses4 ,he was waiting to show in a class of park hacks4 ,there was nothing in it that looked like ,lady ,washington1 and she turned her eyes away from the ring with a heavy heart4 ,the band had stopped playing1 and there was no one to talk to but her aunt's maid1 and this maid was not companionable4 ,she fell to watching the people in the boxes2 she wished that she knew some of them4 ,there was a box just below her which looked attractive4 ,there were two pretty women in it1 and some men who looked as if they were nice2 they were laughing and seemed to be having a good time4 ,she wished she was with them1 or home1 or anywhere else than where she was4 ,presently the music struck up again2 the hum of the innumerable voices took a higher pitch4 ,the ceaseless current of promenaders staring and bowing at the boxes went slowly around and around4 ,nobody paid any attention to the horses1 but all jostled and chattered and craned their necks to see the people4 ,when her brother's ,redgauntlet took the blue ribbon in the heavy-weight green-hunter class1 not a person in the whole ,garden applauded except herself4 ,she heard a man ask1 8,what took the blue80 ,and she heard his friend answer1 8,southern horse1 ,i believe2 don't know the owner40 ,they didn't even know ,jim6 ,she would have left the place and gone back to her aunt's for a comfortable cry1 but she was going to ride ,hilda in the ladies' saddle class1 which came toward the end of the evening4 ,the next thing on the program were some qualified hunters which might be expected to show some good jumping4 ,this was something to be thankful for1 and she turned her attention to the ring4 8,i think ,i'll go down on the floor10 she said to the maid4 8,i'm tired of sitting still40 ,in theory ,miss ,angelica ,stanton was at the horse show escorted by her brother2 but in fact she was in the custody of ,caroline1 the maid of her aunt ,henrietta ,cushing1 who lived in ,washington ,square4 ,miss ,cushing was elderly1 and she disapproved of the horse show because her father had been a charter member of the ,society for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,animals1 and because to go to it in the afternoon interfered with her drive and with her tea1 while to go to it in the evening interfered with her whist1 and that was not to be thought of4 ,consequently1 when ,angelica arrived1 the horse show devolved upon ,caroline1 who accepted the situation not altogether with resignation4 ,she had done ,miss ,cushing's curls for twenty years1 and had absorbed her views4 ,angelica would have preferred stopping at the hotel with ,jim2 but that1 he said1 was out of the question4 ,jim admitted that ,aunt ,henrietta was never intentionally entertaining1 but he said that ,angelica needed her womanly influence4 ,jim had brought up ,angelica1 and the problem sometimes seemed a serious one4 ,she was now sixteen1 and he was satisfied that she was going to be a horsewoman1 but at times he doubted whether his training was adequate in other respects1 and that was why he had brought her to the horse show and had incarcerated her at ,aunt ,henrietta's4 ,the girl led ,caroline through the crowd1 and took a position at the end1 between the first and last jumps4 ,as the horses were shown1 they went round the ring1 came back1 and finished in front of them4 ,it was the best place from which to watch1 if one wished to see the jumping4 ,angelica admitted to herself that some of the men rode pretty well1 but not as well as some of the men rode at their out-of-door shows at home2 and the tan-bark was not as good as turf4 ,it was a large class1 and after eight or ten had been shown1 a striking-looking black mare came out of the line and started plunging and rearing toward the first jump4 ,her rider faced her at the bars1 and she minced reluctantly forward4 ,just before they reached the wings the man struck her4 ,she stopped short and whirled back into the ring4 ,from the time the black mare appeared ,angelica's heart almost stopped beating4 8,i'm sure of it1 ,i'm sure of it60 she gasped4 8,three white feet and the star4 ,caroline10 she said1 8that's ,lady ,washington4 ,he oughtn't to strike her4 ,he mustn't60 8,hush1 miss10 said ,caroline4 8,we'll be conspicuous40 ,the man was bringing the mare back toward the jump4 ,as before1 he used his whip1 intending to drive her into the wings1 and1 as before1 she stopped1 reared angrily1 wheeled about1 and came back plunging4 ,the man quieted her after a little1 and turned her again toward the hurdle4 ,it was his last chance4 ,she came up sulkily1 tossing her head and edging away from the bars4 ,as he got near the wings he raised his whip again4 ,then the people in that part of the ,garden heard a girl's shrill1 excited voice cry out3 8,you mustn't hit her6 ,steady1 ,lady ,washington6 ,drop your curb60 ,the black mare's ears went forward at the sound of the voice4 ,the young man on her back put down his uplifted whip and loosened the rein on the bit4 ,he glanced around with an embarrassed smile1 and the next instant he was over the jump1 and the mare was galloping for the hurdle beyond4 ,suddenly ,angelica became conscious that several thousand people were staring at her with looks of wonder and amusement4 ,caroline clutched her arm and dragged her away from the rail4 ,the girl colored1 and shook herself free4 8,i don't care10 she said4 8,he shouldn't have hit her4 ,she can jump anything if she's ridden right4 ,i knew we'd find her10 she muttered excitedly4 8,i knew it60 ,caroline struggled desperately through the crowd with her charge4 8,whatever will ,miss ,cushing say60 she gasped4 ,angelica forgot the crowd4 8,i don't care10 she said4 8,if ,aunt ,henrietta had ever owned ,lady ,washington she'd have done the same thing4 ,and if you tell her ,i'll pay you back4 ,she'll know that you let me leave my seat1 and she told you not to40 ,this silenced ,caroline4 8,there6 ,he's fussed her mouth again10 she went on4 ,the black mare had refused1 and was rearing at the jump next the last4 ,the girl stood on tiptoe and watched impatiently for a moment4 8,there she goes10 she murmured1 with a sigh4 ,the judges had ordered the horse out4 ,angelica tagged along disconsolately through the crowd till a conversation between two men who were leaning against the rail caught her ear4 8,i wonder who that little girl was10 said one4 8,the mare seemed to know her voice1 but ,reggie doesn't call her ,lady ,washington40 8,no--,hermione10 said the other4 8,he may have changed it1 though10 he added4 8,he gives them all names beginning with ,h40 8,you'll have an easy time beating him in the five-foot-six jumps10 said the first man4 8,it's a good mare1 but he can't ride her40 ,angelica wondered who they were1 but they turned around just then1 and she dropped her eyes and hurried after ,caroline4 ,as they made their way through the crowd1 a nudge from the maid took her thoughts from ,lady ,washington4 ,she had been wondering how she would find the young man who had ridden her4 ,she looked up and saw that a man was bowing to her4 ,it was ,mr4 8,billy0 ,livingstone4 ,mr4 ,livingstone was nearly sixty1 but he had certain qualities of permanent youth which made him 8,billy0 to three generations4 8,hello1 ,angelica60 he exclaimed4 8,when did you turn up8 ,how you've grown60 8,i came up ,north with ,jim10 she replied4 8,you should have let me know10 he said4 8,you know ,jim never writes any one4 ,this is the first time ,i've been here4 ,i'm just back from the country4 ,where's your box--that is1 who are you with80 8,i'm here with my maid10 said ,angelica1 with a somewhat conscious dignity4 8,jim is with the horses40 ,livingstone looked from the slender girl to the substantial ,caroline1 and the corners of his mouth twitched4 8,i prefer to be alone this way10 she explained4 8,it's more independent40 ,mr4 ,livingstone thought a moment4 8,of course that's so10 he said4 8,but ,i think ,i've got a better plan2 let's hunt up ,mrs4 ,dicky ,everett40 8,is she an old woman80 asked ,angelica4 8,not so terribly old10 said ,mr4 ,livingstone4 8,i suppose you'd call her middle-aged40 8,thirty80 asked ,angelica4 8,near it1 ,i'm afraid10 he answered4 8,well1 ,i don't know10 said ,angelica4 8,that's pretty old4 ,she won't have anything to say to me40 8,she knows something about a horse10 said ,livingstone1 8though1 of course1 she can't ride the way you do4 ,if you find her stupid1 ,i'll take you away2 but ,i want you to come because she will be very nice to me for bringing you40 ,he turned to ,caroline4 8,i'm a friend of ,miss ,stanton's brother4 ,go to your seat1 and ,i'll bring ,miss ,stanton back to you40 ,then he led the way up the stairs1 and ,angelica followed1 wondering what sort of person ,mrs4 8,dicky0 ,everett might be4 ,she cheered herself with the thought that she could not be any older or more depressing than ,aunt ,henrietta1 and if she was fond of horses she might know who owned ,lady ,washington4 ,livingstone consulted his program4 8,it's down on this side10 he said4 ,she followed him mechanically1 with her eyes wandering toward the ring1 till presently they stopped4 8,hello60 she heard them call to ,livingstone1 as he stepped in ahead of her1 and the next moment she realized that she was in the very box which she had watched from her seat among the chairs4 8,i want to present you to my friend ,miss ,stanton10 ,livingstone said4 ,he repeated the names1 but they made no impression upon her1 because there1 standing in front of her1 was the young man who had ridden ,lady ,washington4 8,you seem to know each other10 said ,livingstone4 8,am ,i wasting my breath8 ,is this a joke80 ,he looked at ,angelica4 ,she was speechless with mixed joy and embarrassment4 8,come here1 my dear10 said one of the two pretty women1 8and sit down beside me4 ,miss ,stanton10 she went on to ,livingstone1 8very kindly tried to teach ,reggie how to ride ,hermione1 and we are glad to have the chance to thank her40 8,i don't understand at all10 said ,livingstone4 8,but there are so many things that ,i shall never understand that one more makes no difference40 ,angelica's self-confidence began to come back4 8,why1 he was riding ,lady ,washington with a whip10 she explained4 8,and ,i just called out to him not to4 ,you remember ,lady ,washington1--she was a four-year-old when you were at the ,pines1--and you know you never could touch her with a whip40 8,i remember very well10 said ,livingstone4 8,you flattered me by offering to let me ride her1 an offer which1 ,i think1 ,i declined4 ,when did you sell her80 8,two years ago10 said ,angelica4 ,then the other young woman spoke4 8,but how did you recognize the horse80 she asked4 8,you haven't seen it for two years40 8,recognize her60 exclaimed ,angelica4 8,i guess if you had ever owned ,lady ,washington you would have recognized her4 ,i broke her as a two-year-old1 and schooled her myself4 ,jim says she's the best mare we ever had40 ,angelica looked at the woman pityingly4 ,she was sweet-looking and had beautiful clothes1 but she was evidently a goose4 8,miss ,stanton won the high jump with the mare10 ,livingstone remarked1 8at their hunt show down in ,virginia40 8,it was only six feet10 said the girl1 8but she can do better than that4 ,jim wouldn't let me ride her at anything bigger40 8,i should hope not10 said the lady by whose side she was sitting4 ,then she asked suddenly1 8,you are not ,jimmie ,stanton's sister80 8,yes10 said ,angelica4 8,i'd like to know why he hasn't brought you to see me60 8,he's awfully busy with the horses10 the girl replied4 8,he has to stop at the ,waldorf and see about the show with the men1 and he makes me stay with ,aunt ,henrietta ,cushing40 ,she stopped abruptly4 ,she was afraid that what she had said might sound disloyal4 8,i like to stop with ,aunt ,henrietta10 she added solemnly4 8,besides1 ,i've been busy looking for ,lady ,washington40 ,the young man whom they called ,reggie1 together with ,mr4 ,livingstone and the lady beside ,angelica1 laughed openly at this allusion to ,miss ,cushing4 8,do you know her80 asked ,angelica4 8,oh1 everybody knows your ,aunt ,henrietta10 said the lady4 8,and loves her10 added ,livingstone1 solemnly4 ,the lady laughed a little4 8,you see1 she's connected with nearly everybody4 ,she's a sort of connection of ,reggie's and mine1 so ,i suppose we're sort of cousins of yours4 ,i hope you will like us40 8,i don't know much about my relations on my mother's side10 ,angelica observed4 ,the distinction between connections and relatives had never been impressed upon her4 ,she was about to add that ,jim said that his ,new ,york relatives tired him1 but caught herself4 ,she paused uneasily4 8,please excuse me10 she said1 8but ,i didn't hear ,mr4 ,livingstone introduce me to you40 8,why10 said ,livingstone1 who overheard1 8this is ,mrs4 ,everett4 ,i told you we were coming into her box4 8,i thought she must have stepped out10 said ,angelica4 8,you told me she was middle-aged40 ,a peal of laughter followed4 8,angelica6 ,angelica60 ,livingstone exclaimed4 8,but you did10 said ,angelica4 8,i asked you if she was an old lady1 and you said1 #8,not so terribly old--middle-aged4' ,and she's not2 she's young40 8,things can never be as they were before10 said ,livingstone1 mournfully1 as the laughter died away4 8,no10 said ,mrs4 ,everett4 ,there was a pause1 and one of the men turned to ,reggie4 8,what are you going to do about the five-foot-six jumps80 8,let it go10 said ,reggie4 8,it's a pity10 said the other4 8,if you had met ,miss ,stanton earlier in the evening1 ,i think she could have taught you to ride that mare4 ,i wanted to see you win your bet40 8,bet80 said ,livingstone4 8,reggie's such an idiot10 said ,mrs4 ,everett4 8,he bet ,tommy ,post that ,hermione would beat his chestnut in the five-foot-six jumps1 and ,reggie can't make ,hermione jump at all1 so he's lost40 8,not yet2 ,i've got a chance10 said ,reggie1 good-naturedly4 8,perhaps ,i'll go in1 after all40 ,the other men laughed4 8,i should think you had made monkey enough of yourself for one evening10 observed ,palfrey1 who was his best friend and could say such things4 8,five feet six would be easy for ,lady ,washington10 said ,angelica4 8,i can't get used to calling her by that new name40 ,she hesitated a moment with embarrassment1 and then she stammered3 8,why don't you let me ride her80 ,the people in the box looked aghast4 8,i'm afraid it wouldn't do10 said ,reggie1 seriously4 8,it's awfully good of you1 but1 you see1 it wouldn't look well to put a lady on that horse4 ,suppose something should happen80 8,good of me60 the girl exclaimed4 8,i'd love it6 ,i want to ride her again so much60 8,well10 said ,reggie1 8,i'll have her at the park for you tomorrow morning4 ,you can ride her whenever you like40 ,a low cry of alarm ran through the ,garden1 and the conversation in the box hushed4 ,a tandem cart had tipped over1 and the wheeler was kicking it to pieces4 8,i don't like that sort of thing10 said ,mrs4 ,everett1 with a shudder4 ,they finally righted the trap1 and the driver limped off to show that he was not hurt4 ,the great crowd seemed to draw a long breath of relief1 and the even hum of voices went on again4 ,the judges began to award the ribbons1 and ,angelica looked down at her program4 8,dear me60 she exclaimed4 8,the saddle class ,i'm going to ride in is next4 ,i'm afraid ,i'll be late4 ,good-by40 8,good-by10 they all replied4 8,don't you come10 she said to ,livingstone4 8,it's just a step40 8,i must keep my word with ,caroline10 he answered1 and he took her to her seat4 8,she's immense1 isn't she80 he said1 as he came back4 8,i'm glad ,reggie didn't let her ride that brute4 ,she will be killed one of these days40 8,she's going to be a great beauty10 said ,mrs4 ,everett4 8,she looks like her blessed mother10 said ,livingstone4 8,i was very fond of her mother4 ,i think that if it hadn't been for ,stanton--0 8,stop60 interrupted ,mrs4 ,everett4 8,your heart-tragedies are too numerous4 ,besides1 if you had married her you wouldn't be here trying to tell us why you didn't40 ,and they all laughed1 and cheerfully condemned the judging of the tandem class4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the negro groom who had come up with the ,stanton horses met ,angelica as she was going down-stairs into the basement where the stalls were4 ,jim had not appeared1 so ,angelica and ,caroline had started off alone4 8,hilda's went lame behind1 ,miss ,angie10 the man said4 8,she must have cast huhself4 ,they ain't no use to show huh40 ,ordinarily this calamity would have disturbed ,angelica1 but the discovery of ,lady ,washington was a joy which could not be dimmed4 8,have you told my brother80 she asked4 8,yes1 ,miss ,angie10 said the man4 8,he was gwine to tell you40 8,i want to see her10 said ,angelica1 and they went on toward the stall4 ,but what ,angelica most wanted was to get among the horses and look for a certain black mare4 ,hilda was very lame1 and there was fever in the hock4 ,angelica patted her neck1 and turned away with a side glance at ,caroline1 who1 she feared1 would rebel at being led through the horses' quarters4 ,she walked down the row of stalls till she came to the corner1 then up through another passage till she stopped at a big box-stall over the side of which stretched a black head set on a long1 thoroughbred-looking neck4 ,the small1 fine ears1 the width between the eyes1 the square little muzzle1 were familiar2 and there was a white star on the forehead4 ,but ,angelica did not enumerate these things4 ,horses to her had personalities and faces1 just as people had them4 ,she recognized ,lady ,washington as she had recognized ,mr4 ,livingstone4 ,she made a little exclamation1 and1 standing on tiptoe1 put her arms about the mare's neck1 and kissed it again and again4 8,the dear6 ,she remembers me60 the girl said1 wiping her eyes4 8,it's ,lady ,washington10 she explained to ,caroline4 ,she reached up to fondle the little muzzle1 and the mare nipped playfully4 8,look out1 miss10 called the stable-boy1 who was sitting on a soap-box2 8she's mean40 8,she's no such thing10 said the girl4 8,oh1 ain't she80 said the boy4 8,well1 if she is1 you made her so10 retorted ,angelica4 ,the boy grinned4 8,i ain't only been in the stable two weeks10 he said4 8,she caught me on the second day and nigh broke me leg4 ,you see her act in the ring8 ,mr4 ,haughton says he won't ride her no more1 and she's entered in the five-foot-six jumps40 ,the girl looked thoughtfully at the boy and then at the horse4 ,an idea had come to her4 ,she was reflecting upon the last words ,mr4 ,haughton had spoken before she left the box3 8,you can ride her whenever you like40 8,i know10 she said aloud4 8,i'm going to ride her in that class4 ,i'm ,miss ,stanton4 ,i used to own her1 you know4 ,my saddle is down there with ,mr4 ,stanton's horses1 and ,i want you to go and get it40 8,oh1 never1 ,miss ,angelica60 exclaimed ,caroline4 8,dear me1 not that60 8,you hush10 said ,angelica4 ,the stable-boy looked at her incredulously4 8,i ain't had no orders1 miss10 he said4 8,i'll have to see ,william4 ,did ,mr4 ,haughton say you might80 8,of course he said ,i might10 she replied4 ,the boy said no more and went off after ,william4 8,of course he said ,i might10 she repeated half aloud4 8,didn't he say ,i might ride her #8whenever ,i wanted to'8 #8,whenever' is any time1 and ,i want to now40 ,she fortified herself behind this sophistry1 but she was all in a flutter lest ,jim or ,mr4 ,haughton should appear4 ,the thought1 however1 of being on ,lady ,washington's back1 and showing people that she wasn't sulky and bad-tempered1 was a temptation too strong to be resisted4 ,the boy came back with the head groom1 to whom he had explained the matter4 8,why1 miss10 said ,william1 8she'd kill you4 ,i wouldn't want to show her myself4 ,mr4 ,haughton1 miss1 must have been joking4 ,honest1 miss1 you couldn't ride ,hermione40 ,the man was respectful but firm4 8,think what ,miss ,cushing would say10 said ,caroline4 8,but ,i tell you ,i can10 retorted ,angelica4 ,she paid no attention to ,caroline2 her temper flashed up4 8,you don't seem to understand4 ,i owned that mare when she was ,lady ,washington1 and broke her all myself1 and schooled her1 too4 ,mr4 ,haughton hasn't any #8hands1' and he ought to know better than to raise a whip on her40 ,william grinned at the unvarnished statement about his master's 8hands40 8,are you the young lady what called out to him in the ring80 he asked4 8,yes1 ,i am10 said ,angelica4 8,and if he'd done what ,i told him to she would have won4 ,here's our ,emanuel10 she went on4 8,he'll tell you ,i can ride her4 ,emanuel10 she demanded1 as the negro approached1 8haven't ,i ridden ,lady ,washington80 8,you jest have1 ,miss ,angie10 said ,emanuel4 8,why10 said he1 turning to ,william1 8this heah young lady have rode that maah ovah six feet4 ,she done won the high jump at ouah hunt show4 ,that's ,lady ,washington all right10 he went on1 looking at the head poked out over the stall4 8,i got huh maahk on mah ahm foh to remembah huh40 ,the stable-boy grinned4 8,well1 she never bit me10 said ,angelica4 8,the young lady10 said ,william1 doubtfully1 8wants to ride her in the five-foot-six class4 ,she says ,mr4 ,haughton said she might40 8,oh1 ,miss ,angelica10 interposed ,caroline1 8you'll be kilt60 8,you're a goose10 said ,angelica4 8,i've ridden her hundreds of times40 8,i don't know how ,mistah ,jim would like it10 said ,emanuel2 8but she could ride that maah all right1 you jest bet40 ,william was getting interested4 ,he was not so concerned about ,mr4 ,stanton's likes as he was that his stable should take some ribbons4 8,mr4 ,haughton said you might ride her80 he repeated4 8,of course he did10 said ,angelica2 8,i just left him in ,mrs4 ,everett's box1 and ,i've got my own saddle and everything40 8,all right1 miss10 said ,william4 8,get the saddle1 ,tim40 ,william did not believe that ,mr4 ,haughton had given any such orders1 but he had gotten into trouble not long before by refusing to give a mount to a friend of ,haughton's whom he did not know and who came armed only with verbal authority4 ,he knew that if any harm was done he could hide behind that occurrence4 8,i want a double-reined snaffle10 said ,angelica4 8,emanuel10 she added1 8you have the bit ,i used to ride her with4 ,bring my own bridle40 8,i'm afraid you won't be able to hold her1 miss10 muttered ,william2 8but it's as you say4 ,hurry up with that saddle10 he called to the stable-boy4 8,we ain't got no time to lose4 ,they're callin' the class now4 ,you're number two1 miss2 ,i'll get your number for you40 8,you'll be kilt6 ,you'll be kilt60 said ,caroline1 dolefully4 8,think what ,miss ,cushing will say60 8,caroline10 said ,angelica1 8you don't know anything about horses1 so you hush40 ,and then she added under her breath1 8,if ,i can only get started before ,jim sees me60 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the ,everett box they were waiting for the five-foot-six class to begin4 ,they called it the five-foot-six class because there were four jumps that were five feet six inches high2 the others were an even five feet4 ,it was the 8sensational event0 of the evening4 ,thus far the show had been dull4 8,those saddle-horses were an ordinary lot10 observed ,reggie4 8,this isn't opening very well1 either10 said ,palfrey4 ,the first horse had started out by refusing4 ,then he floundered into the jump and fell4 8,let's not wait10 said ,mrs4 ,everett4 ,but the words were hardly spoken when1 with a quick movement1 she turned her glasses on the ring4 ,something unusual was going on at the farther end4 ,a ripple of applause came down the sides of the ,garden1 and then she saw a black horse1 ridden by a girl1 come cantering toward the starting-place4 8,it's that child on ,hermione6 ,you must stop it1 ,reggie60 she exclaimed excitedly4 ,before any one could move1 ,angelica had turned the horse toward the first jump4 ,it looked terribly high to ,mrs4 ,everett4 ,it was almost even with the head of the man who was standing on the farther side ready to replace the bars if they should be knocked down4 ,tossing her head playfully1 the black mare galloped steadily for the wings1 took off in her stride1 and swept over the jump in a long curve4 ,she landed noiselessly on the tan-bark1 and was on again4 ,around the great ring went the horse and the girl1 steadily1 not too fast1 and taking each jump without a mistake4 ,the great crowd remained breathless and expectant4 ,horse and rider finished in front of the ,everett box1 and pulled up to a trot1 the mare breathing hard with excitement1 but well-mannered4 ,then a storm of cheers and hand-clapping burst1 the like of which was never heard at a ,new ,york horse show before4 ,as the applause died away1 ,reggie rose and hurried out4 8,let's all go10 said ,mrs4 ,everett4 ,before they got through the crowd the judges had awarded the ribbons4 ,there were only three other horses that went over all the jumps1 and none of them made a clean score4 ,there was no question about which was first4 ,the judges ran their hands down the mare's legs in a vain search for lumps4 ,she was short-coupled1 with a beautiful shoulder and powerful quarters4 ,she had four crosses of thoroughbred1 and showed it4 8,she's a picture mare10 said one of the judges1 and he tied the blue rosette to her bridle himself4 ,then the great crowd cheered and clapped again1 and ,angelica rode down to the entrance as calmly as if she were in the habit of taking blue ribbons daily4 ,but inside she was not calm4 8,i've got to cry or something10 she thought4 ,at the gate some one came out of the crowd and took the mare by the head4 ,angelica looked down1 and there were her brother and ,reggie and ,mrs4 ,everett's party4 ,the ,garden began to swim4 8,oh1 ,jim60 she murmured1 8help me down4 ,it's ,lady ,washington40 ,then she threw her arms around his neck and wept4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they were at supper in the old ,waldorf ,palm ,room before ,angelica was quite certain whether actual facts had been taking place or whether she had been dreaming4 ,it seemed rather too extraordinary and too pleasant to be true4 ,still1 she was sure that she was there1 because the people stared at her when she came in dressed in her habit1 and whispered to each other about her4 ,furthermore1 a party of judges came over and asked ,mrs4 ,everett to present them4 ,there never before was quite such an evening4 ,it was after twelve1 at least1 and nobody had suggested that she ought to be in bed4 ,one pleasant thing followed another in quick succession1 and there seemed no end to them4 ,she was absorbed in an edible rapture which ,mrs4 ,everett called a 8caf parfait0 when she became aware that ,reggie's friend1 ,mr4 ,palfrey1 had started to address the party4 ,she only half listened1 because she was wondering why every one except ,mrs4 ,everett and herself had denied himself this delightful sweet4 ,grown-up people had strange tastes4 ,mr4 ,palfrey began by saying that he thought it was time to propose a toast in honor of ,miss ,stanton1 which might also rechristen ,reggie's mare by her first and true name1 8,lady ,washington40 ,he said that it was plain to him that the mare had resented a strange name out of ,greek mythology1 and in future would go kindly1 particularly if ,reggie never tried to ride her again4 ,he went on with his remarks1 and from time to time the people interrupted with laughter2 but it was only a meaningless sound in ,angelica's ears4 ,the words 8,reggie's mare0 had come like a blow in the face4 ,she had forgotten about that4 ,her knees grew weak and a lump swelled in her throat4 ,it was true1 of course1 but for the time being it had passed out of her mind4 ,and now that ,lady ,washington had won the five-foot-six class and was so much admired1 probably ,jim could not afford to buy her back4 ,it was doubtful if ,mr4 ,haughton would sell her at any price4 ,presently she was aroused by a remark addressed directly to her4 8,i think that's a good idea10 said ,reggie4 8,don't you80 ,she nodded2 but she did not know what the idea was1 and she did not trust her voice to ask4 8,only10 he continued1 turning to ,palfrey1 8it isn't my mare any more2 it's ,miss ,stanton's4 ,put that in1 ,palfrey40 ,angelica's mouth opened in wonderment and her heart stood still4 ,she looked about the table blankly4 8,it's so10 said ,reggie2 8she's yours40 8,but ,i can't take her10 she said falteringly4 8,she's too valuable4 ,can ,i1 ,jim80 8,but ,jim's bought her10 said ,reggie1 hurriedly4 ,angelica's eyes settled on her brother's face2 he said nothing1 but began to smile2 ,reggie was kicking him under the table4 8,yes10 said ,reggie2 8when ,i saw you ride ,lady ,washington1 that settled it with me4 ,i'm too proud to stand being beaten by a girl2 so ,i made ,jim buy her back and promise to give her to you40 8,do you mean it80 said ,angelica4 8,is ,lady ,washington really mine80 8,yes10 he said4 ,she dropped her hands in her lap and sighed wearily4 8,it doesn't seem possible10 she murmured4 ,she paused and seemed to be running over the situation in her mind4 ,presently she spoke as if unaware that the others were listening4 8,i knew it would happen1 though10 she said4 8,i knew it4 ,i reckon ,i prayed enough40 ,she smiled as a great thrill of happiness ran through her1 and glancing up1 saw that all the rest were smiling1 too4 8,i'm so happy10 she said apologetically4 ,then she bethought herself1 and furtively reached down and tapped the frame of her chair with her knuckles4 8,well1 here's the toast10 said ,mr4 ,palfrey1 rising4 8,to the lady and ,lady ,washington40 ,and they all rose and drank it standing4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,my ,,husband',s ,,book#g ,by ,james ,matthew ,barrie ,footnote #g3 ,from ,two of ,them4 ,copyright1 #ahic1 by the ,united ,states ,book ,co4 ,,long before ,i married ,george ,i knew that he was dreadfully ambitious4 ,we were not yet engaged when he took me into his confidence about his forthcoming great book1 which was to take the form of an inquiry into the ,metaphysics of ,ethics4 8,i have not begun it yet10 he always said1 8but ,i shall be at it every night once the winter sets in40 ,in the daytime ,george is only a clerk1 though a much-valued one1 so that he has to give the best hours of his life to a ledger4 8,if you only had more time at your disposal10 ,i used to say1 when he told me of the book that was to make his name4 8,i don't complain10 he said1 heartily1 like the true hero he always is1 except when he has to take medicine4 8,indeed1 you will find that the great books have nearly always been written by busy men4 ,i am firmly of opinion that if a man has original stuff in him it will come out40 ,he glowed with enthusiasm while he spoke in this inspiriting strain1 and some of his ardor passed into me4 ,when we met we talked of nothing but his future2 at least he talked while ,i listened with clasped hands4 ,it was thus that we became engaged4 ,george was no ordinary lover4 ,he did not waste his time telling me that ,i was beautiful1 or saying 8,beloved60 at short intervals4 ,no1 when we were alone he gave me his hand to hold1 and spoke fervently of the ,metaphysics of ,ethics4 ,our engagement was not of a very long duration1 for ,george coaxed me into marriage thus--8,i cannot settle down to my book10 he said1 8until we are married40 ,his heart was so set on that book that ,i yielded4 ,we wandered all over ,london together buying the furniture4 ,there was a settee that ,i particularly wanted1 but ,george1 with his usual thoughtfulness1 said3 8,let us rather buy a study table4 ,it will help me at my work1 and once the book is out we shall be able to afford half a dozen settees40 ,another time he went alone to buy some pictures for the drawing-room4 8,i got a study chair instead10 he told me in the evening4 8,i knew you would not mind1 my darling1 for the chair is the very thing for writing a big book in40 ,he even gave thought to the ink-bottle4 8,in my room10 he said1 8,i am constantly discovering that my ink-bottle is empty1 and it puts me out of temper to write with water and soot4 ,i therefore think we ought to buy one of those large ink-stands with two bottles40 8,we shall10 ,i replied1 with the rapture of youth1 8and mine will be the pleasant task of seeing that the bottles are kept full40 8,dearest60 he said1 fondly1 for this was the sort of remark that touched him most4 8,every evening10 ,i continued1 encouraged by his caressing tones1 8you will find your manuscripts lying on the table waiting for you1 and a pen with a new nib in it40 8,what a wife you will make60 he exclaimed4 8,but you mustn't write too much10 ,i said4 8,you must have fixed hours1 and at a certain time1 say at ten o'clock1 ,i shall insist on your ceasing to write for the night40 8,that seems a wise arrangement4 ,but sometimes ,i shall be too entranced in the work1 ,i fancy1 to leave it without an effort40 8,ah10 ,i said1 8,i shall come behind you1 and snatch the pen from your hand60 8,every ,saturday night10 he said1 8,i shall read to you what ,i have written during the week40 ,no wonder ,i loved him4 ,we were married on a ,september day1 and the honeymoon passed delightfully in talk about the book4 ,nothing proved to me the depth of ,george's affection so much as his not beginning the great work before the honeymoon was over4 ,so ,i often told him1 and he smiled fondly in reply4 ,the more1 indeed1 ,i praised him the better pleased he seemed to be4 ,the name for this is sympathy4 ,conceive us at home in our dear little house in ,clapham4 8,will you begin the book at once80 ,i asked ,george the day after we arrived4 8,i have been thinking that over10 he said4 8,i needn't tell you that there is nothing ,i should like so much1 but1 on the whole1 it might be better to wait a week40 8,don't make the sacrifice for my sake10 ,i said1 anxiously4 8,of course it is for your sake10 he replied4 8,but it is such a pity to waste any more time10 ,i said4 8,there is no such hurry10 he answered1 rather testily4 ,i looked at him in surprise4 8,what ,i mean10 he said1 8is that ,i can be thinking the arrangement of the book over40 ,we had1 of course1 a good many callers at this time1 and ,i told most of them about the book4 ,for reasons to be seen by and by ,i regret this now4 ,when the week had become a fortnight1 ,i insisted on leaving ,george alone in the study after dinner4 ,he looked rather gloomy1 but ,i filled the ink-bottles1 and put the paper on the desk1 and handed him his new pen4 ,he took it1 but did not say 8thank you40 ,an hour afterward ,i took him a cup of tea4 ,he was still sitting by the fire1 but the pen had fallen from his hands4 8,you are not sleeping1 ,george80 ,i asked4 8,sleeping60 he cried1 as indignantly as if ,i had charged him with crime4 8,no1 ,i'm thinking40 8,you haven't written any yet80 8,i was just going to begin when you came in4 ,i'll begin as soon as ,i've drunk this tea40 8,then ,i'll leave you to your work1 dear40 ,i returned to the study at nine o'clock4 ,he was still in the same attitude4 8,i wish you would bring me a cup of tea10 he said4 8,i brought you one hours ago40 8,eh8 ,why didn't you tell me80 8,oh1 ,george6 ,i talked with you about it4 ,why1 here it is on the table1 untouched40 8,i declare you never mentioned it to me4 ,i must have been thinking so deeply that ,i never noticed you4 ,you should have spoken to me40 8,but ,i did speak1 and you answered40 8,my dear1 ,i assure you ,i did nothing of the sort4 ,this is very vexing1 for it has spoiled my evening's work40 ,the next evening ,george said that he did not feel in the mood for writing1 and ,i suppose ,i looked disappointed1 for he flared up4 8,i can't be eternally writing10 he growled4 8,but you haven't done anything at all yet40 8,that is a rather ungenerous way of expressing it40 8,but you spoke as if the work would be a pleasure40 8,have ,i said that it is not a pleasure8 ,if you knew anything of literary history1 you would be aware that there are occasions when the most industrious writers cannot pen a line40 8,they must make a beginning some time1 though60 8,well1 ,i shall make a beginning to-morrow40 ,next evening he seemed in no hurry to go into the study4 8,i'll hang the bedroom pictures10 he said4 8,no1 no1 you must get begone to your book40 8,you are in a desperate hurry to see me at that book40 8,you spoke as if you were so anxious to begin it40 8,so ,i am4 ,did ,i say ,i wasn't80 ,he marched off to the study1 banging the drawing-room door4 ,an hour or so afterward ,i took him his tea4 ,he had left his study door open so that ,i could see him on the couch before ,i entered the room4 ,when he heard the rattle of the tea-things he jumped up and strode to the study table1 where1 when ,i entered1 he pretended to be busy writing4 8,how are you getting on1 dear80 ,i asked1 with a sinking at the heart4 8,excellently1 my love1 excellently40 ,i looked at him so reproachfully that he blushed4 8,i think10 said he1 when he had drunk the tea1 8that ,i have done enough for one night4 ,i mustn't overdo it40 8,won't you let me hear what you have written80 ,he blushed again4 8,wait till ,saturday10 he said4 8,then let me put your papers away10 ,i said1 for ,i was anxious to see whether he had written anything at all4 8,i couldn't think of it10 he replied1 covering the paper with his elbows4 ,next morning ,i counted the clean sheets of paper4 ,they were just as ,i had put them on the table4 ,so it went on for a fortnight or more1 with this difference4 ,he either suspected that ,i counted the sheets1 or thought that ,i might take it into my head to do so4 ,to allay my suspicions1 therefore1 he put away what he called his manuscript in a drawer1 which he took care to lock4 ,i discovered that one of my own keys opened this drawer1 and one day ,i examined the manuscripts4 ,they consisted of twenty-four pages of paper1 without a word written on them4 ,every evening he added two more clean pages to the contents of the drawer4 ,this discovery made me so scornful that ,i taxed him with the deceit4 ,at first he tried to brazen it out1 but ,i was merciless1 and then he said3 8,the fact is that ,i can't write by gas-light4 ,i fear ,i shall have to defer beginning the work until spring40 8,but you used to say that the winter was the best season for writing40 8,i thought so at the time1 but ,i find ,i was wrong4 ,it will be a great blow to me to give up the work for the present1 but there is no help for it40 ,when spring came ,i reminded him that now was his opportunity to begin the book4 8,you are eternally talking about that book10 he snarled4 8,i haven't mentioned it for a month40 8,well1 you are always looking at me as if ,i should be at it40 8,because you used to speak so enthusiastically about it40 8,i am as enthusiastic as ever1 but ,i can't be forever writing at the book40 8,we have now been married seven months1 and you haven't written a line yet40 ,he banged the doors again1 and a week afterward he said that spring was a bad time for writing a book4 8,one likes to be out-of-doors10 he said1 8in spring1 watching the trees become green again4 ,wait till ,july1 when one is glad to be indoors4 ,then ,i'll give four hours to the work every evening40 ,summer came1 and then he said3 8,it is too hot to write books4 ,get me another bottle of iced soda-water4 ,i'll tackle the book in the autumn40 ,we have now been married more than five years1 but the book is not begun yet4 ,as a rule1 we now shun the subject1 but there are times when he still talks hopefully of beginning4 ,i wonder if there are any other husbands like mine4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,war ,by ,,jack ,,london ,,he was a young man1 not more than twenty-four or five1 and he might have sat his horse with the careless grace of his youth had he not been so catlike and tense4 ,his black eyes roved everywhere1 catching the movements of twigs and branches where small birds hopped1 questing ever onward through the changing vistas of trees and brush1 and returning always to the clumps of undergrowth on either side4 ,and as he watched1 so did he listen1 though he rode on in silence1 save for the boom of heavy guns from far to the west4 ,this had been sounding monotonously in his ears for hours1 and only its cessation would have aroused his notice4 ,for he had business closer to hand4 ,across his saddle-bow was balanced a carbine4 ,so tensely was he strung1 that a bunch of quail1 exploding into flight from under his horse's nose1 startled him to such an extent that automatically1 instantly1 he had reined in and fetched the carbine half-way to his shoulder4 ,he grinned sheepishly1 recovered himself1 and rode on4 ,so tense was he1 so bent upon the work he had to do1 that the sweat stung his eyes unwiped1 and unheeded rolled down his nose and spattered his saddle pommel4 ,the band of his cavalryman's hat was fresh-stained with sweat4 ,the roan horse under him was likewise wet4 ,it was high noon of a breathless day of heat4 ,even the birds and squirrels did not dare the sun1 but sheltered in shady hiding places among the trees4 ,man and horse were littered with leaves and dusted with yellow pollen1 for the open was ventured no more than was compulsory4 ,they kept to the brush and trees1 and invariably the man halted and peered out before crossing a dry glade or naked stretch of upland pasturage4 ,he worked always to the north1 though his way was devious1 and it was from the north that he seemed most to apprehend that for which he was looking4 ,he was no coward1 but his courage was only that of the average civilized man1 and he was looking to live1 not die4 ,up a small hillside he followed a cowpath through such dense scrub that he was forced to dismount and lead his horse4 ,but when the path swung around to the west1 he abandoned it and headed to the north again along the oak-covered top of the ridge4 ,the ridge ended in a steep descent--so steep that he zigzagged back and forth across the face of the slope1 sliding and stumbling among the dead leaves and matted vines and keeping a watchful eye on the horse above that threatened to fall down upon him4 ,the sweat ran from him1 and the pollen-dust1 settling pungently in mouth and nostrils1 increased his thirst4 ,try as he would1 nevertheless the descent was noisy1 and frequently he stopped1 panting in the dry heat and listening for any warning from beneath4 ,at the bottom he came out on a flat1 so densely forested that he could not make out its extent4 ,here the character of the woods changed1 and he was able to remount4 ,instead of the twisted hillside oaks1 tall straight trees1 big-trunked and prosperous1 rose from the damp fat soil4 ,only here and there were thickets1 easily avoided1 while he encountered winding1 park-like glades where the cattle had pastured in the days before war had run them off4 ,his progress was more rapid now1 as he came down into the valley1 and at the end of half an hour he halted at an ancient rail fence on the edge of a clearing4 ,he did not like the openness of it1 yet his path lay across to the fringe of trees that marked the banks of the stream4 ,it was a mere quarter of a mile across that open1 but the thought of venturing out in it was repugnant4 ,a rifle1 a score of them1 a thousand1 might lurk in that fringe by the stream4 ,twice he essayed to start1 and twice he paused4 ,he was appalled by his own loneliness4 ,the pulse of war that beat from the west suggested the companionship of battling thousands2 here was naught but silence1 and himself1 and possible death-dealing bullets from a myriad ambushes4 ,and yet his task was to find what he feared to find4 ,he must go on1 and on1 till somewhere1 some time1 he encountered another man1 or other men1 from the other side1 scouting1 as he was scouting1 to make report1 as he must make report1 of having come in touch4 ,changing his mind1 he skirted inside the woods for a distance1 and again peeped forth4 ,this time1 in the middle of the clearing1 he saw a small farmhouse4 ,there were no signs of life4 ,no smoke curled from the chimney1 not a barnyard fowl clucked and strutted4 ,the kitchen door stood open1 and he gazed so long and hard into the black aperture that it seemed almost that a farmer's wife must emerge at any moment4 ,he licked the pollen and dust from his dry lips1 stiffened himself1 mind and body1 and rode out into the blazing sunshine4 ,nothing stirred4 ,he went on past the house1 and approached the wall of trees and bushes by the river's bank4 ,one thought persisted maddeningly4 ,it was of the crash into his body of a high-velocity bullet4 ,it made him feel very fragile and defenseless1 and he crouched lower in the saddle4 ,tethering his horse in the edge of the wood1 he continued a hundred yards on foot till he came to the stream4 ,twenty feet wide it was1 without perceptible current1 cool and inviting1 and he was very thirsty4 ,but he waited inside his screen of leafage1 his eyes fixed on the screen on the opposite side4 ,to make the wait endurable1 he sat down1 his carbine resting on his knees4 ,the minutes passed1 and slowly his tenseness relaxed4 ,at last he decided there was no danger2 but just as he prepared to part the bushes and bend down to the water1 a movement among the opposite bushes caught his eye4 ,it might be a bird4 ,but he waited4 ,again there was an agitation of the bushes1 and then1 so suddenly that it almost startled a cry from him1 the bushes parted and a face peered out4 ,it was a face covered with several weeks' growth of ginger-colored beard4 ,the eyes were blue and wide apart1 with laughter-wrinkles in the corners that showed despite the tired and anxious expression of the whole face4 ,all this he could see with microscopic clearness1 for the distance was no more than twenty feet4 ,and all this he saw in such brief time1 that he saw it as he lifted his carbine to his shoulder4 ,he glanced along the sights1 and knew that he was gazing upon a man who was as good as dead4 ,it was impossible to miss at such point blank range4 ,but he did not shoot4 ,slowly he lowered the carbine and watched4 ,a hand1 clutching a water-bottle1 became visible and the ginger beard bent downward to fill the bottle4 ,he could hear the gurgle of the water4 ,then arm and bottle and ginger beard disappeared behind the closing bushes4 ,a long time he waited1 when1 with thirst unslaked1 he crept back to his horse1 rode slowly across the sun-washed clearing1 and passed into the shelter of the woods beyond4 ,,ii ,another day1 hot and breathless4 ,a deserted farmhouse1 large1 with many outbuildings and an orchard1 standing in a clearing4 ,from the woods1 on a roan horse1 carbine across pommel1 rode the young man with the quick black eyes4 ,he breathed with relief as he gained the house4 ,that a fight had taken place here earlier in the season was evident4 ,clips and empty cartridges1 tarnished with verdigris1 lay on the ground1 which1 while wet1 had been torn up by the hoofs of horses4 ,hard by the kitchen garden were graves1 tagged and numbered4 ,from the oak tree by the kitchen door1 in tattered1 weather-beaten garments1 hung the bodies of two men4 ,the faces1 shriveled and defaced1 bore no likeness to the faces of men4 ,the roan horse snorted beneath them1 and the rider caressed and soothed it and tied it farther away4 ,entering the house1 he found the interior a wreck4 ,he trod on empty cartridges as he walked from room to room to reconnoiter from the windows4 ,men had camped and slept everywhere1 and on the floor of one room he came upon stains unmistakable where the wounded had been laid down4 ,again outside1 he led the horse around behind the barn and invaded the orchard4 ,a dozen trees were burdened with ripe apples4 ,he filled his pockets1 eating while he picked4 ,then a thought came to him1 and he glanced at the sun1 calculating the time of his return to camp4 ,he pulled off his shirt1 tying the sleeves and making a bag4 ,this he proceeded to fill with apples4 ,as he was about to mount his horse1 the animal suddenly pricked up its ears4 ,the man1 too1 listened1 and heard1 faintly1 the thud of hoofs on soft earth4 ,he crept to the corner of the barn and peered out4 ,a dozen mounted men1 strung out loosely1 approaching from the opposite side of the clearing1 were only a matter of a hundred yards or so away4 ,they rode on to the house4 ,some dismounted1 while others remained in the saddle as an earnest that their stay would be short4 ,they seemed to be holding a council1 for he could hear them talking excitedly in the detested tongue of the alien invader4 ,the time passed1 but they seemed unable to reach a decision4 ,he put the carbine away in its boot1 mounted1 and waited impatiently1 balancing the shirt of apples on the pommel4 ,he heard footsteps approaching1 and drove his spurs so fiercely into the roan as to force a surprised groan from the animal as it leaped forward4 ,at the corner of the barn he saw the intruder1 a mere boy of nineteen or twenty for all of his uniform1 jump back to escape being run down4 ,at the same moment the roan swerved1 and its rider caught a glimpse of the aroused men by the house4 ,some were springing from their horses1 and he could see the rifles going to their shoulders4 ,he passed the kitchen door and the dried corpses swinging in the shade1 compelling his foes to run around the front of the house4 ,a rifle cracked1 and a second1 but he was going fast1 leaning forward1 low in the saddle1 one hand clutching the shirt of apples1 the other guiding the horse4 ,the top bar of the fence was four feet high1 but he knew his roan and leaped it at full career to the accompaniment of several scattered shots4 ,eight hundred yards straight away were the woods1 and the roan was covering the distance with mighty strides4 ,every man was now firing4 ,they were pumping their guns so rapidly that he no longer heard individual shots4 ,a bullet went through his hat1 but he was unaware1 though he did know when another tore through the apples on the pommel4 ,and he winced and ducked even lower when a third bullet1 fired low1 struck a stone between his horse's legs and ricochetted off through the air1 buzzing and humming like some incredible insect4 ,the shots died down as the magazines were emptied1 until1 quickly1 there was no more shooting4 ,the young man was elated4 ,through that astonishing fusillade he had come unscathed4 ,he glanced back4 ,yes1 they had emptied their magazines4 ,he could see several reloading4 ,others were running back behind the house for their horses4 ,as he looked1 two already mounted1 came back into view around the corner1 riding hard4 ,and at the same moment1 he saw the man with the unmistakable ginger beard kneel down on the ground1 level his gun1 and coolly take his time for the long shot4 ,the young man threw his spurs into the horse1 crouched very low1 and swerved in his flight in order to distract the other's aim4 ,and still the shot did not come4 ,with each jump of the horse1 the woods sprang nearer4 ,they were only two hundred yards away1 and still the shot was delayed4 ,and then he heard it1 the last thing he was to hear1 for he was dead ere he hit the ground in the long crashing fall from the saddle4 ,and they1 watching at the house1 saw him fall1 saw his body bounce when it struck the earth1 and saw the burst of red-cheeked apples that rolled about him4 ,they laughed at the unexpected eruption of apples1 and clapped their hands in applause of the long shot by the man with the ginger beard4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,monsters ,by ,morgan ,robertson ,,extract from hospital record of the case of ,john ,anderson1 patient of ,dr4 ,brown1 ,ward #c1 ,room #f3 ,august #c4 ,arrived at hospital in extreme mental distress1 having been bitten on the wrist three hours previously by dog known to have been rabid4 ,large1 strong man1 full-blooded and well nourished4 ,sanguine temperament4 ,pulse and temperature higher than normal1 due to excitement4 ,cauterized wound at once 7#b ,p4,m47 and inoculated with antitoxin4 ,as patient admits having recently escaped1 by swimming ashore1 from lately arrived cholera ship1 now at quarantine1 he has been isolated and clothing disinfected4 ,watch for symptoms of cholera4 ,august #c1 #f ,p4,m4 ,microscopic examination of blood corroborative of ,metschnikoff's theory of fighting leucocytes4 ,white corpuscles gorged with bacteria4 --- ,he was an amphibian1 and1 as such1 undeniably beautiful2 for the sunlight1 refracted and diffused in the water1 gave his translucent1 pearl-blue body all the shifting colors of the spectrum4 ,vigorous and graceful of movement1 in shape he resembled a comma of three dimensions1 twisted1 when at rest1 to a slight spiral curve2 but in traveling he straightened out with quick successive jerks1 each one sending him ahead a couple of lengths4 ,supplemented by the undulatory movement of a long continuation of his tail1 it was his way of swimming1 good enough to enable him to escape his enemies2 this1 and riding at anchor in a current by his cable-like appendage1 constituting his main occupation in life4 ,the pleasure of eating was denied him2 nature had given him a mouth1 but he used it only for purposes of offense and defense1 absorbing his food in a most unheard-of manner--through the soft walls of his body4 ,yet he enjoyed a few social pleasures4 ,though the organs of the five senses were missing in his economy1 he possessed an inner sixth sense which answered for all and also gave him power of speech4 ,he would converse1 swap news and views1 with creatures of his own and other species1 provided that they were of equal size and prowess2 but he wasted no time on any but his social peers4 ,smaller creatures he pursued when they annoyed him2 larger ones pursued him4 ,the sunlight1 which made him so beautiful to look at1 was distasteful to him2 it also made him too visible4 ,he preferred a half-darkness and less fervor to life's battle--time to judge of chances1 to figure on an enemy's speed and turning-circle1 before beginning flight or pursuit4 ,but his dislike of it really came of a stronger animus--a shuddering recollection of three hours once passed on dry land in a comatose condition1 which had followed a particularly long and intense period of bright sunlight4 ,he had never been able to explain the connection1 but the awful memory still saddened his life4 ,and now it seemed1 as he swam about1 that this experience might be repeated4 ,the light was strong and long-continued1 the water uncomfortably warm1 and the crowd about him denser--so much so as to prevent him from attending properly to a social inferior who had crossed his bow4 ,but just as his mind grasped the full imminence of the danger1 there came a sudden darkness1 a crash and vibration of the water1 then a terrible1 rattling roar of sound4 ,the social inferior slipped from his mouth1 and with his crowding neighbors was washed far away1 while he felt himself slipping along1 bounding and rebounding against the projections of a corrugated wall which showed white in the gloom4 ,there was an unpleasant taste to the water1 and he became aware of creatures in his vicinity unlike any he had known1--quickly darting little monsters about a tenth as large as himself1--thousands of them1 black and horrid to see1 each with short1 fish-like body and square head like that of a dog2 with wicked mouth that opened and shut nervously2 with hooked flippers on the middle part1 and a bunch of tentacles on the fore that spread out ahead and around4 ,a dozen of them surrounded him menacingly2 but he was young and strong1 much larger than they1 and a little frightened4 ,a blow of his tail killed two1 and the rest drew off4 ,the current bore them on until the white wall rounded off and was lost to sight beyond the mass of darting creatures4 ,here was slack water1 and with desperate effort he swam back1 pushing the small enemies out of his path1 meeting some resistance and receiving a few bites1 until1 in a hollow in the wall1 he found temporary refuge and time to think4 ,but he could not solve the problem4 ,he had not the slightest idea where he was or what had happened--who and what were the strange black creatures1 or why they had threatened him4 ,his thoughts were interrupted4 ,another vibrant roar sounded1 and there was pitch-black darkness2 then he was pushed and washed away from his shelter1 jostled1 bumped1 and squeezed1 until he found himself in a dimly lighted tunnel1 which1 crowded as it was with swimmers1 was narrow enough to enable him to see both sides at once4 ,the walls were dark brown and blue1 broken up everywhere into depressions or caves1 some of them so deep as to be almost like blind tunnels4 ,the dog-faced creatures were there--as far as he could see2 but besides them1 now1 were others1 of stranger shape--of species unknown to him4 ,a slow current carried them on1 and soon they entered a larger tunnel4 ,he swam to the opposite wall1 gripped a projection1 and watched in wonder and awe the procession gliding by4 ,he soon noticed the source of the dim light4 ,a small creature with barrel-like body and innumerable legs or tentacles1 wavering and reaching1 floated past4 ,its body swelled and shrank alternately1 with every swelling giving out a phosphorescent glow1 with every contraction darkening to a faint red color4 ,then came a group of others2 then a second living lamp2 later another and another3 they were evenly distributed1 and illumined the tunnel4 ,there were monstrous shapes1 living but inert1 barely pulsing with dormant life1 as much larger than himself as the dog-headed kind were smaller--huge1 unwieldy1 disk-shaped masses of tissue1 light gray at the margins1 dark red in the middle4 ,they were in the majority1 and blocked the view4 ,darting and wriggling between and about them were horrible forms1 some larger than himself1 others smaller4 ,there were serpents1 who swam with a serpent's motion4 ,some were serpents in form1 but were curled rigidly into living cork-screws1 and by sculling with their tails screwed their way through the water with surprising rapidity4 ,others were barrel-or globe-shaped1 with swarming tentacles4 ,with these they pulled themselves along1 in and out through the crowd1 or1 bringing their squirming appendages rearward1--each an individual snake1--used them as propellers1 and swam4 ,there were creatures in the form of long cylinders1 some with tentacles by which they rolled along like a log in a tide-way2 others1 without appendages1 were as inert and helpless as the huge red-and-gray disks4 ,he saw four ball-shaped creatures float by1 clinging together2 then a group of eight1 then one of twelve4 ,all these1 to the extent of their volition1 seemed to be in a state of extreme agitation and excitement4 ,the cause was apparent4 ,the tunnel from which he had come was still discharging the dog-faced animals by the thousand1 and he knew now the business they were on4 ,it was war--war to the death4 ,they flung themselves with furious energy into the parade1 fighting and biting all they could reach4 ,a hundred at a time would pounce on one of the large red-and-gray creatures1 almost hiding it from view2 then1 and before they had passed out of sight1 they would fall off and disperse1 and the once living victim would come with them1 in parts4 ,the smaller1 active swimmers fled1 but if one was caught1 he suffered2 a quick dart1 a tangle of tentacles1 an embrace of the wicked flippers1 a bite--and a dead body floated on4 ,and now into the battle came a ponderous engine of vengeance and defense4 ,a gigantic1 lumbering1 pulsating creature1 white and translucent but for the dark1 active brain showing through its walls1 horrible in the slow1 implacable deliberation of its movements1 floated down with the current4 ,it was larger than the huge red-and-gray creatures4 ,it was formless1 in the full irony of the definition--for it assumed all forms4 ,it was long--barrel-shaped2 it shrank to a sphere1 then broadened laterally1 and again extended above and below4 ,in turn it was a sphere1 a disk1 a pyramid1 a pentahedron1 a polyhedron4 ,it possessed neither legs1 flippers1 nor tentacles2 but out from its heaving1 shrinking body it would send1 now from one spot1 now from another1 an active arm1 or feeler1 with which it swam1 pulled1 or pushed4 ,an unlucky invader which one of them touched made few more voluntary movements2 for instantly the whole side of the whitish mass bristled with arms4 ,they seized1 crushed1 killed it1 and then pushed it bodily through the living walls to the animal's interior to serve for food4 ,and the gaping fissure healed at once1 like the wounds of ,milton's warring angels4 ,the first white monster floated down1 killing as he went2 then came another1 pushing eagerly into the fray2 then came two1 then three1 then dozens4 ,it seemed that the word had been passed1 and the army of defense was mustering4 ,sick with horror1 he watched the grim spectacle from the shelter of the projection1 until roused to an active sense of danger to himself--but not from the fighters4 ,he was anchored by his tail1 swinging easily in the eddy1 and now felt himself touched from beneath1 again from above4 ,a projection down-stream was extending outward and toward him4 ,the cave in which he had taken refuge was closing on him like a great mouth--as though directed by an intelligence behind the wall4 ,with a terrified flirt of his tail he flung himself out1 and as he drifted down with the combat the walls of the cave crunched together4 ,it was well for him that he was not there4 ,the current was clogged with fragments of once living creatures1 and everywhere1 darting1 dodging1 and biting1 were the fierce black invaders4 ,but they paid no present attention to him or to the small tentacled animals4 ,they killed the large1 helpless red-and-gray kind1 and were killed by the larger white monsters1 each moment marking the death and rending to fragments of a victim1 and the horrid interment of fully half his slayers4 ,the tunnel grew larger1 as mouth after mouth of tributary tunnels was passed2 but as each one discharged its quota of swimming and drifting creatures1 there was no thinning of the crowd4 ,as he drifted on with the inharmonious throng1 he noticed what seemed the objective of the war4 ,this was the caves which lined the tunnel4 ,some were apparently rigid1 others were mobile4 ,a large red-and-gray animal was pushed into the mouth of one of the latter1 and the walls instantly closed2 then they opened1 and the creature drifted out1 limp and colorless1 but alive2 and with him came fragments of the wall1 broken off by the pressure4 ,this happened again and again1 but the large creature was never quite killed--merely squeezed4 ,the tentacled non-combatants and the large white fighters seemed to know the danger of these tunnel mouths1 possibly from bitter experiences1 for they avoided the walls2 but the dog-faced invaders sought this death1 and only fought on their way to the caves4 ,sometimes two1 often four or more1 would launch themselves together into a hollow1 but to no avail2 their united strength could not prevent the closing in of the mechanical maw1 and they were crushed and flung out1 to drift on with other debris4 ,soon the walls could not be seen for the pushing1 jostling crowd1 but everywhere the terrible1 silent war went on until there came a time when fighting ceased2 for each must look out for himself4 ,they seemed to be in an immense cave1 and the tide was broken into cross-currents rushing violently to the accompaniment of rhythmical thunder4 ,they were shaken1 jostled1 pushed about and pushed together1 hundreds of the smaller creatures dying from the pressure4 ,then there was a moment of comparative quiet1 during which fighting was resumed1 and there could be seen the swiftly flying walls of a large tunnel4 ,next they were rushed through a labyrinth of small caves with walls of curious1 branching formation1 sponge-like and intricate4 ,it required energetic effort to prevent being caught in the meshes1 and the large red-and-gray creatures were sadly torn and crushed1 while the white ones fought their way through by main strength4 ,again the flying walls of a tunnel1 again a mighty cave1 and the cross-currents1 and the rhythmical thunder1 and now a wild charge down an immense tunnel1 the wall of which surged outward and inward1 in unison with the roaring of the thunder4 ,the thunder died away in the distance1 though the walls still surged--even those of a smaller tunnel which divided the current and received them4 ,down-stream the tunnel branched again and again1 and with the lessening of the diameter was a lessening of the current's velocity1 until1 in a maze of small1 short passages1 the invaders1 content to fight and kill in the swifter tide1 again attacked the caves4 ,but to the never-changing result3 they were crushed1 mangled1 and cast out1 the number of suicides1 in this neighborhood1 largely exceeding those killed by the white warriors4 ,and yet1 in spite of the large mortality among them1 the attacking force was increasing4 ,where one died two took his place2 and the reason was soon made plain--they were reproducing4 ,a black fighter1 longer than his fellows1 a little sluggish of movement1 as though from the restrictive pressure of a large1 round protuberance in his middle1 which made him resemble a snake which had swallowed an egg1 was caught by a white monster and instantly embraced by a multitude of feelers4 ,he struggled1 bit1 and broke in two2 then the two parts escaped the grip of the astonished captor1 and wriggled away1 the protuberance becoming the head of the rear portion1 which immediately joined the fight1 snapping and biting with unmistakable jaws4 ,this phenomenon was repeated4 ,and on went the battle4 ,illumined by the living lamps1 and watched by terrified noncombatants1 the horrid carnival continued with never-slacking fury and ever-changing background--past the mouths of tributary tunnels which increased the volume and velocity of the current and added to the fighting strength1 on through widening archways to a repetition of the cross-currents1 the thunder1 and the sponge-like maze1 down past the heaving walls of larger tunnels to branched passages1 where1 in comparative slack water1 the siege of the caves was resumed4 ,for hour after hour this went on1 the invaders dying by hundreds1 but increasing by thousands and ten thousands1 as the geometrical progression advanced1 until1 with swimming-spaces nearly choked by their bodies1 living and dead1 there came the inevitable turn in the tide of battle4 ,a white monster was killed4 ,glutted with victims1 exhausted and sluggish1 he was pounced upon by hundreds1 hidden from view by a living envelop of black1 which pulsed and throbbed with his death-throes4 ,a feeler reached out1 to be bitten off2 then another1 to no avail4 ,his strength was gone1 and the assailants bit and burrowed until they reached a vital part1 when the great mass assumed a spherical form and throbbed no more4 ,they dropped off1 and1 as the mangled ball floated on1 charged on the next enemy with renewed fury and courage born of their victory4 ,this one died as quickly4 ,and as though it had been foreseen1 and a policy arranged to meet it1 the white army no longer fought in the open1 but lined up along the walls to defend the immovable caves4 ,they avoided the working jaws of the other kind1 which certainly needed no garrison1 and drifting slowly in the eddies1 fought as they could1 with decreasing strength and increasing death-rate4 ,and thus it happened that our conservative noncombatant1 out in midstream1 found himself surrounded by a horde of black enemies who had nothing better to do than attack him4 ,and they did4 ,as many as could crowd about him closed their wicked jaws in his flesh4 ,squirming with pain1 rendered trebly strong by his terror1 he killed them by twos and threes as he could reach them with his tail4 ,he shook them off with nervous contortions1 only to make room for more4 ,he plunged1 rolled1 launched himself forward and back1 up and down1 out and in1 bending himself nearly double1 then with lightning rapidity throwing himself far into the reverse curve4 ,he was fighting for his life1 and knew it4 ,when he could1 he used his jaws1 only once to an enemy4 ,he saw dimly at intervals that the white monsters were watching him2 but none offered to help1 and he had not time to call4 ,he thought that he must have become the object of the war2 for from all sides they swarmed1 crowding about him1 seeking a place on which to fasten their jaws4 ,little by little the large red-and-gray creatures1 the noncombatants1 and the phosphorescent animals were pushed aside1 and he1 the center of an almost solid black mass1 fought1 in utter darkness1 with the fury of extreme fright4 ,he had no appreciation of the passing of time1 no knowledge of his distance from the wall1 or the destination of this never-pausing current4 ,but finally1 after an apparently interminable period1 he heard dimly1 with failing consciousness1 the reverberations of the thunder1 and knew momentary respite as the violent cross-currents tore his assailants away4 ,then1 still in darkness1 he felt the crashing and tearing of flesh against obstructing walls and sharp corners1 the repetition of thunder and the roar of the current which told him he was once more in a large tunnel4 ,an instant of light from a venturesome torch showed him to his enemies1 and again he fought1 like a whale in his last flurry1 slowly dying from exhaustion and pain1 but still potential to kill--terrible in his agony4 ,there was no counting of scalps in that day's work2 but perhaps no devouring white monster in all the defensive army could have shown a death-list equal to this4 ,from the surging black cloud there was a steady outflow of the dead1 pushed back by the living4 ,weaker and weaker1 while they mangled his flesh1 and still in darkness1 he fought them down through branching passages to another network of small tunnels1 where he caught a momentary view of the walls and the stolid white guard1 thence on to what he knew was open space4 ,and here he felt that he could fight no more4 ,they had covered him completely1 and1 try as he might with his failing strength1 he could not dislodge them4 ,so he ceased his struggles2 and numb with pain1 dazed with despair1 he awaited the end4 ,but it did not come4 ,he was too exhausted to feel surprise or joy when they suddenly dropped away from him2 but the instinct of self-preservation was still in force1 and he swam toward the wall4 ,the small creatures paid him no attention2 they scurried this way and that1 busy with troubles of their own1 while he crept stupidly and painfully between two white sentries floating in the eddies1--one of whom considerately made room for him1--and anchored to a projection1 luckily choosing a harbor that was not hostile4 8,any port in a storm1 eh1 neighbor80 said the one who had given him room1 and who seemed to notice his dazed condition4 8,you'll feel better soon4 ,my1 but you put up a good fight1 that's what you did60 ,he could not answer1 and the friendly guard resumed his vigil4 ,in a few moments1 however1 he could take cognizance of what was going on in the stream4 ,there was a new army in the fight1 and reinforcements were still coming4 ,a short distance above him was a huge rent in the wall1 and the caves around it1 crushed and distorted1 were grinding fiercely4 ,protruding through the rent and extending half-way across the tunnel was a huge mass of some strange substance1 roughly shaped to a cylindrical form4 ,it was hollow1 and out of it1 by thousands and hundred thousands1 was pouring the auxiliary army1 from which the black fighters were now fleeing for dear life4 ,the newcomers1 though resembling in general form the creatures they pursued1 were much larger and of two distinct types4 ,both were light brown in color2 but while one showed huge development of head and jaw1 with small flippers1 the other kind reversed these attributes1 their heads being small1 but their flippers long and powerful4 ,they ran their quarry down in the open1 and seized them with outreaching tentacles4 ,no mistakes were made--no feints or false motions2 and there was no resistance by the victims4 ,where one was noticed he was doomed4 ,the tentacles gathered him in--to a murderous bite or a murderous embrace4 ,at last1 when the inflow had ceased1--when there must have been millions of the brown killers in the tunnel1--the great hollow cylinder turned slowly on its axis and backed out through the rent in the wall1 which immediately closed1 with a crushing and scattering of fragments4 ,though the allies were far down-stream now1 the war was practically ended2 for the white defenders remained near the walls1 and the black invaders were in wildest panic1 each one1 as the resistless current rushed him past1 swimming against the stream1 to put distance between himself and the destroyer below4 ,but before long an advance-guard of the brown enemy shot out from the tributaries above1 and the tide of retreat swung backward4 ,then came thousands of them1 and the massacre was resumed4 8,hot stuff1 eh80 said his friendly neighbor to him4 8,y-y-y-es--,i guess so10 he answered1 rather vacantly2 8,i don't know4 ,i don't know anything about it4 ,i never saw such doings4 ,what is it all for8 ,what does it mean80 8,oh1 this is nothing2 it's all in a lifetime4 ,still1 ,i admit it might ha' been serious for us--and you1 too--if we hadn't got help40 8,but who are they1 and what8 ,they all seem of a family1 and are killing each other40 8,immortal shade of ,darwin60 exclaimed the other sentry1 who had not spoken before4 8,where were you brought up8 ,don't you know that variations from type are the deadliest enemies of the parent stock8 ,these two brown breeds are the hundredth or two-hundredth cousins of the black kind4 ,when they've killed off their common relative1 and get to competing for grub1 they'll exterminate each other1 and we'll be rid of 'em all4 ,law of nature4 ,understand80 8,oh1 y-yes1 ,i understand1 of course2 but what did the black kind attack me for8 ,and what do they want1 anyway80 8,to follow out their destiny1 ,i s'pose4 ,they're the kind of folks who have missions4 ,reformers1 we call 'em--who want to enforce their peculiar ideas and habits on other people4 ,sometimes we call them expansionists--fond of colonizing territory that doesn't belong to them4 ,they wanted to get through the cells to the lymph-passages1 thence on to the brain and spinal marrow4 ,know what that means8 ,hydrophobia40 8,what's that80 8,oh1 say1 now6 ,you're too easy40 8,come1 come10 said the other1 good-naturedly2 8don't guy him4 ,he never had our advantages4 ,you see1 neighbor1 we get these points from the subjective brain1 which knows all things and gives us our instructions4 ,we're the white corpuscles1--phagocytes1 the scientists call us1--and our work is to police the blood-vessels1 and kill off invaders that make trouble4 ,those red-and-gray chumps can't take care of themselves1 and we must protect 'em4 ,understand8 ,but this invasion was too much for us1 and we had to have help from outside4 ,you must have come in with the first crowd--think ,i saw you--in at the bite4 ,second crowd came in through an inoculation tube1 and just in time to pull you through40 8,i don't know10 answered our bewildered friend4 8,in at the bite8 ,what bite8 ,i was swimming round comfortable-like1 and there was a big noise1 and then ,i was alongside of a big white wall1 and then--0 8,exactly2 the dog's tooth4 ,you got into bad company1 friend1 and you're well out of it4 ,that first gang is the microbe of rabies1 not very well known yet1 because a little too small to be seen by most microscopes4 ,all the scientists seem to have learned about 'em is that a colony a few hundred generations old--which they call a culture1 or serum--is death on the original bird2 and that's what they sent in to help out4 ,pasteur's dead1 worse luck1 but sometime old ,koch'll find out what we've known all along--that it's only variation from type40 8,koch60 he answered eagerly and proudly4 8,oh1 ,i know ,koch2 ,i've met him4 ,and ,i know about microscopes1 too4 ,why1 ,koch had me under his microscope once4 ,he discovered my family1 and named us--the comma bacilli--the ,spirilli of ,asiatic ,cholera40 ,in silent horror they drew away from him1 and then conversed together4 ,other white warriors drifting along stopped and joined the conference1 and when a hundred or more were massed before him1 they spread out to a semi-spherical formation and closed in4 8,what's the matter80 he asked nervously4 8,what's wrong8 ,what are you going to do8 ,i haven't done anything1 have ,i80 8,it's not what you've done1 stranger10 said his quondam friend1 8or what we're going to do4 ,it's what you're going to do4 ,you're going to die4 ,don't see how you got past quarantine1 anyhow80 8,what--why--,i don't want to die4 ,i've done nothing4 ,all ,i want is peace and quiet1 and a place to swim where it isn't too light nor too dark4 ,i mind my own affairs4 ,let me alone--you hear me--let me alone60 ,they answered him not4 ,slowly and irresistibly the hollow formation contracted--individuals slipping out when necessary--until he was pushed1 still protesting1 into the nearest movable cave4 ,the walls crashed together and his life went out4 ,when he was cast forth he was in five pieces4 ,and so our gentle1 conservative1 non-combative cholera microbe1 who only wanted to be left alone to mind his own affairs1 met this violent death1 a martyr to prejudice and an unsympathetic environment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,extract from hospital record of the case of ,john ,anderson3 ,august #ah4 ,as period of incubation for both cholera and hydrophobia has passed and no initial symptoms of either disease have been noticed1 patient is this day discharged1 cured4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,dilemma ,by ,s4 ,,weir ,,mitchell ,i ,,was just thirty-seven when my ,uncle ,philip died4 ,a week before that event he sent for me2 and here let me say that ,i had never set eyes on him4 ,he hated my mother1 but ,i do not know why4 ,she told me long before his last illness that ,i need expect nothing from my father's brother4 ,he was an inventor1 an able and ingenious mechanical engineer1 and had made much money by his improvement in turbine-wheels4 ,he was a bachelor2 lived alone1 cooked his own meals1 and collected precious stones1 especially rubies and pearls4 ,from the time he made his first money he had this mania4 ,as he grew richer1 the desire to possess rare and costly gems became stronger4 ,when he bought a new stone1 he carried it in his pocket for a month and now and then took it out and looked at it4 ,then it was added to the collection in his safe at the trust company4 ,at the time he sent for me ,i was a clerk1 and poor enough4 ,remembering my mother's words1 his message gave me1 his sole relative1 no new hopes2 but ,i thought it best to go4 ,when ,i sat down by his bedside1 he began1 with a malicious grin3 8,i suppose you think me queer4 ,i will explain40 ,what he said was certainly queer enough4 8,i have been living on an annuity into which ,i put my fortune4 ,in other words1 ,i have been1 as to money1 concentric half of my life to enable me to be as eccentric as ,i pleased the rest of it4 ,now ,i repent of my wickedness to you all1 and desire to live in the memory of at least one of my family4 ,you think ,i am poor and have only my annuity4 ,you will be profitably surprised4 ,i have never parted with my precious stones2 they will be yours4 ,you are my sole heir4 ,i shall carry with me to the other world the satisfaction of making one man happy4 8,no doubt you have always had expectations1 and ,i desire that you should continue to expect4 ,my jewels are in my safe4 ,there is nothing else left40 ,when ,i thanked him he grinned all over his lean face1 and said3 8,you will have to pay for my funeral40 ,i must say that ,i never looked forward to any expenditure with more pleasure than to what it would cost me to put him away in the earth4 ,as ,i rose to go1 he said3 8,the rubies are valuable4 ,they are in my safe at the trust company4 ,before you unlock the box1 be very careful to read a letter which lies on top of it2 and be sure not to shake the box40 ,i thought this odd4 8,don't come back4 ,it won't hasten things40 ,he died that day week1 and was handsomely buried4 ,the day after1 his will was found1 leaving me his heir4 ,i opened his safe and found in it nothing but an iron box1 evidently of his own making1 for he was a skilled workman and very ingenious4 ,the box was heavy and strong1 about ten inches long1 eight inches wide and ten inches high4 ,on it lay a letter to me4 ,it ran thus3 8,,dear ,,tom3 ,this box contains a large number of very fine pigeon-blood rubies and a fair lot of diamonds2 one is blue--a beauty4 ,there are hundreds of pearls--one the famous green pearl and a necklace of blue pearls1 for which any woman would sell her soul--or her affections40 ,i thought of ,susan4 8,i wish you to continue to have expectations and continuously to remember your dear uncle4 ,i would have left these stones to some charity1 but ,i hate the poor as much as ,i hate your mother's son1--yes1 rather more4 8,the box contains an interesting mechanism1 which will act with certainty as you unlock it1 and explode ten ounces of my improved1 supersensitive dynamite--no1 to be accurate1 there are only nine and a half ounces4 ,doubt me1 and open it1 and you will be blown to atoms4 ,believe me1 and you will continue to nourish expectations which will never be fulfilled4 ,as a considerate man1 ,i counsel extreme care in handling the box4 ,don't forget your affectionate 8,,uncle40 ,i stood appalled1 the key in my hand4 ,was it true8 ,was it a lie8 ,i had spent all my savings on the funeral1 and was poorer than ever4 ,remembering the old man's oddity1 his malice1 his cleverness in mechanic arts1 and the patent explosive which had helped to make him rich1 ,i began to feel how very likely it was that he had told the truth in this cruel letter4 ,i carried the iron box away to my lodgings1 set it down with care in a closet1 laid the key on it1 and locked the closet4 ,then ,i sat down1 as yet hopeful1 and began to exert my ingenuity upon ways of opening the box without being killed4 ,there must be a way4 ,after a week of vain thinking ,i bethought me1 one day1 that it would be easy to explode the box by unlocking it at a safe distance1 and ,i arranged a plan with wires1 which seemed as if it would answer4 ,but when ,i reflected on what would happen when the dynamite scattered the rubies1 ,i knew that ,i should be none the richer4 ,for hours at a time ,i sat looking at that box and handling the key4 ,at last ,i hung the key on my watch-guard2 but then it occurred to me that it might be lost or stolen4 ,dreading this1 ,i hid it1 fearful that some one might use it to open the box4 ,this state of doubt and fear lasted for weeks1 until ,i became nervous and began to dread that some accident might happen to that box4 ,a burglar might come and boldly carry it away and force it open and find it was a wicked fraud of my uncle's4 ,even the rumble and vibration caused by the heavy vans in the street became at last a terror4 ,worst of all1 my salary was reduced1 and ,i saw that marriage was out of the question4 ,in my despair ,i consulted ,professor ,clinch about my dilemma1 and as to some safe way of getting at the rubies4 ,he said that1 if my uncle had not lied1 there was none that would not ruin the stones1 especially the pearls1 but that it was a silly tale and altogether incredible4 ,i offered him the biggest ruby if he wished to test his opinion4 ,he did not desire to do so4 ,dr4 ,schaff1 my uncle's doctor1 believed the old man's letter1 and added a caution1 which was entirely useless1 for by this time ,i was afraid to be in the room with that terrible box4 ,at last the doctor kindly warned me that ,i was in danger of losing my mind with too much thought about my rubies4 ,in fact1 ,i did nothing else but contrive wild plans to get at them safely4 ,i spent all my spare hours at one of the great libraries reading about dynamite4 ,indeed1 ,i talked of it until the library attendants1 believing me a lunatic or a dynamite fiend1 declined to humor me1 and spoke to the police4 ,i suspect that for a while ,i was 8shadowed0 as a suspicious1 and possibly criminal1 character4 ,i gave up the libraries1 and1 becoming more and more fearful1 set my precious box on a down pillow1 for fear of its being shaken2 for at this time even the absurd possibility of its being disturbed by an earthquake troubled me4 ,i tried to calculate the amount of shake needful to explode my box4 ,the old doctor1 when ,i saw him again1 begged me to give up all thought of the matter1 and1 as ,i felt how completely ,i was the slave of one despotic idea1 ,i tried to take the good advice thus given me4 ,unhappily1 ,i found1 soon after1 between the leaves of my uncle's ,bible1 a numbered list of the stones with their cost and much beside4 ,it was dated two years before my uncle's death4 ,many of the stones were well known1 and their enormous value amazed me4 ,several of the rubies were described with care1 and curious histories of them were given in detail4 ,one was said to be the famous 8,sunset ruby10 which had belonged to the ,empress-,queen ,maria ,theresa4 ,one was called the 8,blood ruby10 not1 as was explained1 because of the color1 but on account of the murders it had occasioned4 ,now1 as ,i read1 it seemed again to threaten death4 ,the pearls were described with care as an unequalled collection4 ,concerning two of them my uncle had written what ,i might call biographies1--for1 indeed1 they seemed to have done much evil and some good4 ,one1 a black pearl1 was mentioned in an old bill of sale as--,she--which seemed queer to me4 ,it was maddening4 ,here1 guarded by a vision of sudden death1 was wealth 8beyond the dreams of avarice40 ,i am not a clever or ingenious man2 ,i know little beyond how to keep a ledger1 and so ,i was1 and am1 no doubt1 absurd about many of my notions as to how to solve this riddle4 ,at one time ,i thought of finding a man who would take the risk of unlocking the box1 but what right had ,i to subject any one else to the trial ,i dared not face8 ,i could easily drop the box from a height somewhere1 and if it did not explode could then safely unlock it2 but if it did blow up when it fell1 good-by to my rubies4 ,mine1 indeed6 ,i was rich1 and ,i was not4 ,i grew thin and morbid1 and so miserable that1 being a good ,catholic1 ,i at last carried my troubles to my father confessor4 ,he thought it simply a cruel jest of my uncle's1 but was not so eager for another world as to be willing to open my box4 ,he1 too1 counselled me to cease thinking about it4 ,good heavens6 ,i dreamed about it4 ,not to think about it was impossible4 ,neither my own thought nor science nor religion had been able to assist me4 ,two years have gone by1 and ,i am one of the richest men in the city1 and have no more money than will keep me alive4 ,susan said ,i was half cracked like ,uncle ,philip1 and broke off her engagement4 ,in my despair ,i have advertised in the 8,journal of ,science10 and have had absurd schemes sent me by the dozen4 ,at last1 as ,i talked too much about it1 the thing became so well known that when ,i put the horror in a safe1 in bank1 ,i was promptly desired to withdraw it4 ,i was in constant fear of burglars1 and my landlady gave me notice to leave1 because no one would stay in the house with that box4 ,i am now advised to print my story and await advice from the ingenuity of the ,american mind4 ,i have moved into the suburbs and hidden the box and changed my name and my occupation4 ,this ,i did to escape the curiosity of the reporters4 ,i ought to say that when the government officials came to hear of my inheritance1 they very reasonably desired to collect the succession tax on my uncle's estate4 ,i was delighted to assist them4 ,i told the collector my story1 and showed him ,uncle ,philip's letter4 ,then ,i offered him the key1 and asked for time to get half a mile away4 ,that man said he would think it over and come back later4 ,this is all ,i have to say4 ,i have made a will and left my rubies and pearls to the ,society for the ,prevention of ,human ,vivisection4 ,if any man thinks this account a joke or an invention1 let him coldly imagine the situation3 ,given an iron box1 known to contain wealth1 said to contain dynamite1 arranged to explode when the key is used to unlock it--what would any sane man do8 ,what would he advise8 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league#h ,by ,a4 ,,conan ,,doyle ,footnote #h3 ,by permission of ,harper ,brothers4 ,i ,,had called upon my friend1 ,mr4 ,sherlock ,holmes1 one day in the autumn of last year1 and found him in deep conversation with a very stout1 florid-faced1 elderly gentleman1 with fiery red hair4 ,with an apology for my intrusion1 ,i was about to withdraw when ,holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door behind me4 8,you could not possibly have come at a better time1 my dear ,watson10 he said1 cordially4 8,i was afraid that you were engaged40 8,so ,i am4 ,very much so40 8,then ,i can wait in the next room40 8,not at all4 ,this gentleman1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 has been my partner and helper in many of my most successful cases1 and ,i have no doubt that he will be of the utmost use to me in yours also40 ,the stout gentleman half rose from his chair and gave a bob of greeting1 with a quick1 little1 questioning glance from his small1 fat-encircled eyes4 8,try the settee10 said ,holmes1 relapsing into his arm-chair and putting his finger-tips together1 as was his custom when in judicial moods4 8,i know1 my dear ,watson1 that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life4 ,you have shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to chronicle1 and1 if you will excuse my saying so1 somewhat to embellish so many of my own little adventures40 8,your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me10 ,i observed4 8,you will remember that ,i remarked the other day1 just before we went into the very simple problem presented by ,miss ,mary ,sutherland1 that for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life itself1 which is always far more daring than any effort of the imagination40 8,a proposition which ,i took the liberty of doubting40 8,you did1 doctor1 but none the less you must come round to my view1 for otherwise ,i shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you1 until your reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to be right4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning1 and to begin a narrative which promises to be one of the most singular which ,i have listened to for some time4 ,you have heard me remark that the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with the larger but with the smaller crimes1 and occasionally1 indeed1 where there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed4 ,as far as ,i have heard it is impossible for me to say whether the present case is an instance of crime or not1 but the course of events is certainly among the most singular that ,i have ever listened to4 ,perhaps1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 you would have the great kindness to recommence your narrative4 ,i ask you1 not merely because my friend ,dr4 ,watson has not heard the opening part1 but also because the peculiar nature of the story makes me anxious to have every possible detail from your lips4 ,as a rule1 when ,i have heard some slight indication of the course of events1 ,i am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to my memory4 ,in the present instance ,i am forced to admit that the facts are1 to the best of my belief1 unique40 ,the portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some little pride1 and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside pocket of his great-coat4 ,as he glanced down the advertisement column1 with his head thrust forward1 and the paper flattened out upon his knee1 ,i took a good look at the man1 and endeavored1 after the fashion of my companion1 to read the indications which might be presented by his dress or appearance4 ,i did not gain very much1 however1 by my inspection4 ,our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace ,british tradesman1 obese1 pompous1 and slow4 ,he wore rather baggy gray shepherd's check trousers1 a not over-clean black frock-coat1 unbuttoned in the front1 and a drab waistcoat with a heavy brassy ,albert chain1 and a square pierced bit of metal dangling down as an ornament4 ,a frayed top-hat and a faded brown overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him4 ,altogether1 look as ,i would1 there was nothing remarkable about the man save his blazing red head1 and the expression of extreme chagrin and discontent upon his features4 ,sherlock ,holmes's quick eye took in my occupation1 and he shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances4 8,beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labor1 that he takes snuff1 that he is a ,freemason1 that he has been in ,china1 and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately1 ,i can deduce nothing else40 ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson started up in his chair1 with his forefinger upon the paper1 but his eyes upon my companion4 8,how1 in the name of good-fortune1 did you know all that1 ,mr4 ,holmes80 he asked4 8,how did you know1 for example1 that ,i did manual labor8 ,it's as true as gospel1 for ,i began as a ship's carpenter40 8,your hands1 my dear sir4 ,your right hand is quite a size larger than your left4 ,you have worked with it1 and the muscles are more developed40 8,well1 the snuff1 then1 and the ,freemasonry80 8,i won't insult your intelligence by telling you how ,i read that1 especially as1 rather against the strict rules of your order1 you use an arc-and-compass breastpin40 8,ah1 of course1 ,i forgot that4 ,but the writing80 8,what else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for five inches1 and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it upon the desk80 8,well1 but ,china80 8,the fish that you have tattooed immediately above your right wrist could only have been done in ,china4 ,i have made a small study of tattoo marks1 and have even contributed to the literature of the subject4 ,that trick of staining the fishes' scales a delicate pink is quite peculiar to ,china4 ,when1 in addition1 ,i see a ,chinese coin hanging from your watch-chain1 the matter becomes even more simple40 ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson laughed heavily4 8,well1 ,i never60 said he4 8,i thought at first that you had done something clever1 but ,i see that there was nothing in it1 after all40 8,i begin to think1 ,watson10 said ,holmes1 8that ,i make a mistake in explaining4 #8,omne ignotum pro magnifico1' you know1 and my poor little reputation1 such as it is1 will suffer shipwreck if ,i am so candid4 ,can you not find the advertisement1 ,mr4 ,wilson80 8,yes1 ,i have got it now10 he answered1 with his thick1 red finger planted half-way down the column4 8,here it is4 ,this is what began it all4 ,you just read it for yourself1 sir40 ,i took the paper from him1 and read as follows3 8,,to ,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league3 ,on account of the bequest of the late ,ezekiah ,hopkins1 of ,lebanon1 ,pa41 ,u4,s4,a41 there is now another vacancy open which entitles a member of the ,league to a salary of #d a week for purely nominal services4 ,all red-headed men who are sound in body and mind1 and above the age of twenty-one years1 are eligible4 ,apply in person on ,monday1 at eleven o'clock1 to ,duncan ,ross1 at the offices of the ,league1 #g ,pope's ,court1 ,fleet ,street40 8,what on earth does this mean80 ,i ejaculated1 after ,i had twice read over the extraordinary announcement4 ,holmes chuckled1 and wriggled in his chair1 as was his habit when in high spirits4 8,it is a little off the beaten track1 isn't it80 said he4 8,and now1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 off you go at scratch1 and tell us all about yourself1 your household1 and the effect which this advertisement had upon your fortunes4 ,you will first make a note1 doctor1 of the paper and the date40 8,it is ,the ,morning ,chronicle1 of ,april #bg1 #ahij4 ,just two months ago40 8,very good4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,wilson80 8,well1 it is just as ,i have been telling you1 ,mr4 ,sherlock ,holmes10 said ,jabez ,wilson1 mopping his forehead2 8,i have a small pawnbroker's business at ,coburg ,square1 near the city4 ,it's not a very large affair1 and of late years it has not done more than just give me a living4 ,i used to be able to keep two assistants1 but now ,i only keep one2 and ,i would have a job to pay him1 but that he is willing to come for half wages1 so as to learn the business40 8,what is the name of this obliging youth80 asked ,sherlock ,holmes4 8,his name is ,vincent ,spaulding1 and he's not such a youth1 either4 ,it's hard to say his age4 ,i should not wish a smarter assistant1 ,mr4 ,holmes2 and ,i know very well that he could better himself1 and earn twice what ,i am able to give him4 ,but1 after all1 if he is satisfied1 why should ,i put ideas in his head80 8,why1 indeed8 ,you seem most fortunate in having an employ who comes under the full market price4 ,it is not a common experience among employers in this age4 ,i don't know that your assistant is not as remarkable as your advertisement40 8,oh1 he has his faults1 too10 said ,mr4 ,wilson4 8,never was such a fellow for photography4 ,snapping away with a camera when he ought to be improving his mind1 and then diving down into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures4 ,that is his main fault2 but1 on the whole1 he's a good worker4 ,there's no vice in him40 8,he is still with you1 ,i presume80 8,yes1 sir4 ,he and a girl of fourteen1 who does a bit of simple cooking1 and keeps the place clean--that's all ,i have in the house1 for ,i am a widower1 and never had any family4 ,we live very quietly1 sir1 the three of us2 and we keep a roof over our heads1 and pay our debts1 if we do nothing more4 8,the first thing that put us out was that advertisement4 ,spaulding1 he came down into the office just this day eight weeks1 with this very paper in his hand1 and he says3 8#8,i wish to the ,lord1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 that ,i was a red-headed man4' 8#8,why that8' ,i asks4 8#8,why1' says he1 #8here's another vacancy in the ,league of the ,red-headed ,men4 ,it's worth quite a little fortune to any man who gets it1 and ,i understand that there are more vacancies than there are men1 so that the trustees are at their wits' end what to do with the money4 ,if my hair would only change color1 here's a nice little crib all ready for me to step into4' 8#8,why1 what is it1 then8' ,i asked4 ,you see1 ,mr4 ,holmes1 ,i am a very stay-at-home man1 and as my business came to me instead of my having to go to it1 ,i was often weeks on end without putting my foot over the door-mat4 ,in that way ,i didn't know much of what was going on outside1 and ,i was always glad of a bit of news4 8#8,have you never heard of the ,league of the ,red-headed ,men8' he asked1 with his eyes open4 8#8,never4' 8#8,why1 ,i wonder at that1 for you are eligible yourself for one of the vacancies4' 8#8,and what are they worth8' ,i asked4 8#8,oh1 merely a couple of hundred a year1 but the work is slight1 and it need not interfere very much with one's other occupations4' 8,well1 you can easily think that that made me prick up my ears1 for the business has not been over-good for some years1 and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy4 8#8,tell me all about it1' said ,i4 8#8,well1' said he1 showing me the advertisement1 #8you can see for yourself that the ,league has a vacancy1 and there is the address where you should apply for particulars4 ,as far as ,i can make out1 the ,league was founded by an ,american millionaire1 ,ezekiah ,hopkins1 who was very peculiar in his ways4 ,he was himself red-headed1 and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men2 so1 when he died1 it was found that he had left his enormous fortune in the hands of trustees1 with instructions to apply the interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose hair is of that color4 ,from all ,i hear it is splendid pay1 and very little to do4' 8#8,but1' said ,i1 #8there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply4' 8#8,not so many as you might think1' he answered4 #8,you see it is really confined to ,londoners1 and to grown men4 ,this ,american had started from ,london when he was young1 and he wanted to do the old town a good turn4 ,then1 again1 ,i have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red1 or dark red1 or anything but real bright1 blazing1 fiery red4 ,now1 if you cared to apply1 ,mr4 ,wilson1 you would just walk in2 but perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds4' 8,now1 it is a fact1 gentlemen1 as you may see for yourselves1 that my hair is of a very full and rich tint1 so that it seemed to me that1 if there was to be any competition in the matter1 ,i stood as good a chance as any man that ,i had ever met4 ,vincent ,spaulding seemed to know so much about it that ,i thought he might prove useful1 so ,i just ordered him to put up the shutters for the day1 and to come right away with me4 ,he was very willing to have a holiday1 so we shut the business up1 and started off for the address that was given us in the advertisement4 8,i never hope to see such a sight as that again1 ,mr4 ,holmes4 ,from north1 south1 east1 and west every man who had a shade of red in his hair had tramped into the city to answer the advertisement4 ,fleet ,street was choked with red-headed folk1 and ,pope's ,court looked like a coster's orange barrow4 ,i should not have thought there were so many in the whole country as were brought together by that single advertisement4 ,every shade of color they were--straw1 lemon1 orange1 brick1 ,irish-setter1 liver1 clay2 but1 as ,spaulding said1 there were not many who had the real vivid flame-colored tint4 ,when ,i saw how many were waiting1 ,i would have given it up in despair2 but ,spaulding would not hear of it4 ,how he did it ,i could not imagine1 but he pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd1 and right up to the steps which led to the office4 ,there was a double stream upon the stair1 some going up in hope1 and some coming back dejected2 but we wedged in as well as we could1 and soon found ourselves in the office40 8,your experience has been a most entertaining one10 remarked ,holmes1 as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a huge pinch of snuff4 8,pray continue your very interesting statement40 8,there was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table1 behind which sat a small man1 with a head that was even redder than mine4 ,he said a few words to each candidate as he came up1 and then he always managed to find some fault in them which would disqualify them4 ,getting a vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy matter1 after all4 ,however1 when our turn came1 the little man was much more favorable to me than to any of the others1 and he closed the door as we entered1 so that he might have a private word with us4 8#8,this is ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson1' said my assistant1 #8and he is willing to fill a vacancy in the ,league4' 8#8,and he is admirably suited for it1' the other answered4 #8,he has every requirement4 ,i cannot recall when ,i have seen anything so fine4' ,he took a step backward1 cocked his head on one side1 and gazed at my hair until ,i felt quite bashful4 ,then suddenly he plunged forward1 wrung my hand1 and congratulated me warmly on my success4 8#8,it would be injustice to hesitate1' said he4 #8,you will1 however1 ,i am sure1 excuse me for taking an obvious precaution4' ,with that he seized my hair in both his hands1 and tugged until ,i yelled with the pain4 #8,there is water in your eyes1' said he1 as he released me4 #8,i perceive that all is as it should be4 ,but we have to be careful1 for we have twice been deceived by wigs and once by paint4 ,i could tell you tales of cobbler's wax which would disgust you with human nature4' ,he stepped over to the window1 and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the vacancy was filled4 ,a groan of disappointment came up from below1 and the folk all trooped away in different directions1 until there was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of the manager4 8#8,my name1' said he1 #8is ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross1 and ,i am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor4 ,are you a married man1 ,mr4 ,wilson8 ,have you a family8' 8,i answered that ,i had not4 8,his face fell immediately4 8#8,dear me6' he said1 gravely1 #8that is very serious indeed6 ,i am sorry to hear you say that4 ,the fund was1 of course1 for the propagation and spread of the red-heads as well as for their maintenance4 ,it is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a bachelor4' 8,my face lengthened at this1 ,mr4 ,holmes1 for ,i thought that ,i was not to have the vacancy after all2 but1 after thinking it over for a few minutes1 he said that it would be all right4 8#8,in the case of another1' said he1 #8the objection might be fatal1 but we must stretch a point in favor of a man with such a head of hair as yours4 ,when shall you be able to enter upon your new duties8' 8#8,well1 it is a little awkward1 for ,i have a business already1' said ,i4 8#8,oh1 never mind about that1 ,mr4 ,wilson6' said ,vincent ,spaulding4 #8,i shall be able to look after that for you4' 8#8,what would be the hours8' ,i asked4 8#8,ten to two4' 8,now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening1 ,mr4 ,holmes1 especially ,thursday and ,friday evening1 which is just before pay-day2 so it would suit me very well to earn a little in the mornings4 ,besides1 ,i knew that my assistant was a good man1 and that he would see to anything that turned up4 8#8,that would suit me very well1' said ,i4 #8,and the pay8' 8#8,is #d a week4' 8#8,and the work8' 8#8,is purely nominal4' 8#8,what do you call purely nominal8' 8#8,well1 you have to be in the office1 or at least in the building1 the whole time4 ,if you leave1 you forfeit your whole position forever4 ,the will is very clear upon that point4 ,you don't comply with the conditions if you budge from the office during that time4' 8#8,it's only four hours a day1 and ,i should not think of leaving1' said ,i4 8#8,no excuse will avail1' said ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross2 #8neither sickness nor business nor anything else4 ,there you must stay1 or you lose your billet4' 8#8,and the work8' 8#8,is to copy out the 8,encyclopdia ,britannica40 ,there is the first volume of it in that press4 ,you must find your own ink1 pens1 and blotting-paper1 but we provide this table and chair4 ,will you be ready to-morrow8' 8#8,certainly1' ,i answered4 8#8,then1 good-bye1 ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson1 and let me congratulate you once more on the important position which you have been fortunate enough to gain4' ,he bowed me out of the room1 and ,i went home with my assistant1 hardly knowing what to say or do1 ,i was so pleased at my own good fortune4 8,well1 ,i thought over the matter all day1 and by evening ,i was in low spirits again2 for ,i had quite persuaded myself that the whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud1 though what its object might be ,i could not imagine4 ,it seemed altogether past belief that any one could make such a will1 or that they would pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the #8,encyclopdia ,britannica4' ,vincent ,spaulding did what he could to cheer me up1 but by bedtime ,i had reasoned myself out of the whole thing4 ,however1 in the morning ,i determined to have a look at it anyhow1 so ,i bought a penny bottle of ink1 and with a quill-pen1 and seven sheets of foolscap paper1 ,i started off for ,pope's ,court4 8,well1 to my surprise and delight1 everything was as right as possible4 ,the table was set out ready for me1 and ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross was there to see that ,i got fairly to work4 ,he started me off upon the letter ,a1 and then he left me2 but he would drop in from time to time to see that all was right with me4 ,at two o'clock he bade me good-day1 complimented me upon the amount that ,i had written1 and locked the door of the office after me4 8,this went on day after day1 ,mr4 ,holmes1 and on ,saturday the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my week's work4 ,it was the same next week1 and the same the week after4 ,every morning ,i was there at ten1 and every afternoon ,i left at two4 ,by degrees ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross took to coming in only once of a morning1 and then1 after a time1 he did not come in at all4 ,still1 of course1 ,i never dared to leave the room for an instant1 for ,i was not sure when he might come1 and the billet was such a good one1 and suited me so well1 that ,i would not risk the loss of it4 8,eight weeks passed away like this1 and ,i had written about ,abbots and ,archery and ,armor and ,architecture and ,attica1 and hoped with diligence that ,i might get on to the ,b's before very long4 ,it cost me something in foolscap1 and ,i had pretty nearly filled a shelf with my writings4 ,and then suddenly the whole business came to an end40 8,to an end80 8,yes1 sir4 ,and no later than this morning4 ,i went to my work as usual at ten o'clock1 but the door was shut and locked1 with a little square of card-board hammered on to the middle of the panel with a tack4 ,here it is1 and you can read for yourself40 ,he held up a piece of white card-board about the size of a sheet of note-paper4 ,it read in this fashion3 8,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league is ,,dissolved4 ,october #i1 #ahij40 ,sherlock ,holmes and ,i surveyed this curt announcement and the rueful face behind it1 until the comical side of the affair so completely overtopped every other consideration that we both burst out into a roar of laughter4 8,i cannot see that there is anything very funny10 cried our client1 flushing up to the roots of his flaming head4 8,if you can do nothing better than laugh at me1 ,i can go elsewhere40 8,no1 no10 cried ,holmes1 shoving him back into the chair from which he had half risen4 8,i really wouldn't miss your case for the world4 ,it is most refreshingly unusual4 ,but there is1 if you will excuse my saying so1 something just a little funny about it4 ,pray what steps did you take when you found the card upon the door80 8,i was staggered1 sir4 ,i did not know what to do4 ,then ,i called at the offices round1 but none of them seemed to know anything about it4 ,finally1 ,i went to the landlord1 who is an accountant living on the ground-floor1 and ,i asked him if he could tell me what had become of the ,red-headed ,league4 ,he said that he had never heard of any such body4 ,then ,i asked him who ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross was4 ,he answered that the name was new to him4 8#8,well1' said ,i1 #8the gentleman at ,no4 #d4' 8#8,what1 the red-headed man8' 8#8,yes4' 8#8,oh1' said he1 #8his name was ,william ,morris4 ,he was a solicitor1 and was using my room as a temporary convenience until his new premises were ready4 ,he moved out yesterday4' 8#8,where could ,i find him8' 8#8,oh1 at his new offices4 ,he did tell me the address4 ,yes1 #ag ,king ,edward ,street1 near ,st4 ,paul's4' 8,i started off1 ,mr4 ,holmes1 but when ,i got to that address it was a manufactory of artificial knee-caps1 and no one in it had ever heard of either ,mr4 ,william ,morris or ,mr4 ,duncan ,ross40 8,and what did you do then80 asked ,holmes4 8,i went home to ,saxe-,coburg ,square1 and ,i took the advice of my assistant4 ,but he could not help me in any way4 ,he could only say that if ,i waited ,i should hear by post4 ,but that was not quite good enough1 ,mr4 ,holmes4 ,i did not wish to lose such a place without a struggle1 so1 as ,i had heard that you were good enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it1 ,i came right away to you40 8,and you did very wisely10 said ,holmes4 8,your case is an exceedingly remarkable one1 and ,i shall be happy to look into it4 ,from what you have told me ,i think that it is possible that graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear40 8,grave enough60 said ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson4 8,why1 ,i have lost four pound a week40 8,as far as you are personally concerned10 remarked ,holmes1 8,i do not see that you have any grievance against this extraordinary league4 ,on the contrary1 you are1 as ,i understand1 richer by some #cj1 to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you have gained on every subject which comes under the letter ,a4 ,you have lost nothing by them40 8,no1 sir4 ,but ,i want to find out about them1 and who they are1 and what their object was in playing this prank--if it was a prank--upon me4 ,it was a pretty expensive joke for them1 for it cost them two and thirty pounds40 8,we shall endeavor to clear up these points for you4 ,and1 first1 one or two questions1 ,mr4 ,wilson4 ,this assistant of yours who first called your attention to the advertisement--how long had he been with you80 8,about a month then40 8,how did he come80 8,in answer to an advertisement40 8,was he the only applicant80 8,no1 ,i had a dozen40 8,why did you pick him80 8,because he was handy1 and would come cheap40 8,at half wages1 in fact40 8,yes40 8,what is he like1 this ,vincent ,spaulding80 8,small1 stout-built1 very quick in his ways1 no hair on his face1 though he's not short of thirty4 ,has a white splash of acid upon his forehead40 ,holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement4 8,i thought as much10 said he4 8,have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for earrings80 8,yes1 sir4 ,he told me that a gypsy had done it for him when he was a lad40 8,hum60 said ,holmes1 sinking back in deep thought4 8,he is still with you80 8,oh1 yes1 sir2 ,i have only just left him40 8,and has your business been attended to in your absence80 8,nothing to complain of1 sir4 ,there's never very much to do of a morning40 8,that will do1 ,mr4 ,wilson4 ,i shall be happy to give you an opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two4 ,to-day is ,saturday1 and ,i hope that by ,monday we may come to a conclusion40 8,well1 ,watson10 said ,holmes1 when our visitor had left us1 8what do you make of it all80 8,i make nothing of it10 ,i answered1 frankly4 8,it is a most mysterious business40 8,as a rule10 said ,holmes1 8the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be4 ,it is your commonplace1 featureless crimes which are really puzzling1 just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify4 ,but ,i must be prompt over this matter40 8,what are you going to do1 then80 ,i asked4 8,to smoke10 he answered4 8,it is quite a three-pipe problem1 and ,i beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes40 ,he curled himself up in his chair1 with his thin knees drawn up to his hawk-like nose1 and there he sat with his eyes closed and his black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird4 ,i had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep1 and indeed was nodding myself1 when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind1 and put his pipe down upon the mantel-piece4 8,sarasate plays at the ,st4 ,james's ,hall this afternoon10 he remarked4 8,what do you think1 ,watson8 ,could your patients spare you for a few hours80 8,i have nothing to do to-day4 ,my practice is never very absorbing40 8,then put on your hat and come4 ,i am going through the city first1 and we can have some lunch on the way4 ,i observe that there is a good deal of ,german music on the program which is rather more to my taste than ,italian or ,french4 ,it is introspective1 and ,i want to introspect4 ,come along60 ,we travelled by the ,underground as far as ,aldersgate2 and a short walk took us to ,saxe-,coburg ,square1 the scene of the singular story which we had listened to in the morning4 ,it was a pokey1 little1 shabby-genteel place1 where four lines of dingy two-storied brick houses looked out into a small railed-in enclosure1 where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of faded laurel-bushes made a hard fight against a smoke-laden and uncongenial atmosphere4 ,three gilt balls and a brown board with 8,,jabez ,,wilson0 in white letters1 upon a corner house1 announced the place where our red-headed client carried on his business4 ,sherlock ,holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one side1 and looked it all over1 with his eyes shining brightly between puckered lids4 ,then he walked slowly up the street1 and then down again to the corner1 still looking keenly at the houses4 ,finally he returned to the pawnbroker's1 and1 having thumped vigorously upon the pavement with his stick two or three times1 he went up to the door and knocked4 ,it was instantly opened by a bright-looking1 clean-shaven young fellow1 who asked him to step in4 8,thank you10 said ,holmes1 8,i only wished to ask you how you would go from here to the ,strand40 8,third right1 fourth left10 answered the assistant1 promptly1 closing the door4 8,smart fellow1 that10 observed ,holmes1 as we walked away4 8,he is1 in my judgment1 the fourth smartest man in ,london1 and for daring ,i am not sure that he has not a claim to be third4 ,i have known something of him before40 8,evidently10 said ,i1 8,mr4 ,wilson's assistant counts for a good deal in this mystery of the ,red-headed ,league4 ,i am sure that you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him40 8,not him40 8,what then80 8,the knees of his trousers40 8,and what did you see80 8,what ,i expected to see40 8,why did you beat the pavement80 8,my dear doctor1 this is a time for observation1 not for talk4 ,we are spies in an enemy's country4 ,we know something of ,saxe-,coburg ,square4 ,let us now explore the parts which lie behind it40 ,the road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the corner from the retired ,saxe-,coburg ,square presented as great a contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back4 ,it was one of the main arteries which convey the traffic of the city to the north and west4 ,the roadway was blocked with the immense stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward1 while the foot-paths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians4 ,it was difficult to realize as we looked at the line of fine shops and stately business premises that they really abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant square which we had just quitted4 8,let me see10 said ,holmes1 standing at the corner1 and glancing along the line1 8,i should like just to remember the order of the houses here4 ,it is a hobby of mine to have an exact knowledge of ,london4 ,there is ,mortimer's1 the tobacconist1 the little newspaper shop1 the ,coburg branch of the ,city and ,suburban ,bank1 the ,vegetarian ,restaurant1 and ,mc,farlane's carriage-building depot4 ,that carries us right on to the other block4 ,and now1 doctor1 we've done our work1 so it's time we had some play4 ,a sandwich and a cup of coffee1 and then off to violin-land1 where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony1 and there are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums40 ,my friend was an enthusiastic musician1 being himself not only a very capable performer1 but a composer of no ordinary merit4 ,all the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the most perfect happiness1 gently waving his long1 thin fingers in time to the music1 while his gently smiling face and his languid1 dreamy eyes were as unlike those of ,holmes1 the sleuth-hound1 ,holmes the relentless1 keen-witted1 ready-handed criminal agent1 as it was possible to conceive4 ,in his singular character the dual nature alternately asserted itself1 and his extreme exactness and astuteness represented1 as ,i have often thought1 the reaction against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally predominated in him4 ,the swing of his nature took him from extreme languor to devouring energy2 and1 as ,i knew well1 he was never so truly formidable as when1 for days on end1 he had been lounging in his arm-chair amid his improvisations and his black-letter editions4 ,then it was that the lust of the chase would suddenly come upon him1 and that his brilliant reasoning power would rise to the level of intuition1 until those who were unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals4 ,when ,i saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at ,st4 ,james's ,hall ,i felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down4 8,you want to go home1 no doubt1 doctor10 he remarked1 as we emerged4 8,yes1 it would be as well40 8,and ,i have some business to do which will take some hours4 ,this business at ,coburg ,square is serious40 8,why serious80 8,a considerable crime is in contemplation4 ,i have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to stop it4 ,but to-day being ,saturday rather complicates matters4 ,i shall want your help to-night40 8,at what time80 8,ten will be early enough40 8,i shall be at ,baker ,street at ten40 8,very well4 ,and1 ,i say1 doctor1 there may be some little danger1 so kindly put your army revolver in your pocket40 ,he waved his hand1 turned on his heel1 and disappeared in an instant among the crowd4 ,i trust that ,i am not more dense than my neighbors1 but ,i was always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings with ,sherlock ,holmes4 ,here ,i had heard what he had heard1 ,i had seen what he had seen1 and yet from his words it was evident that he saw clearly not only what had happened1 but what was about to happen1 while to me the whole business was still confused and grotesque4 ,as ,i drove home to my house in ,kensington ,i thought over it all1 from the extraordinary story of the red-headed copier of the 8,encyclopdia0 down to the visit to ,saxe-,coburg ,square1 and the ominous words with which he had parted from me4 ,what was this nocturnal expedition1 and why should ,i go armed8 ,where were we going1 and what were we to do8 ,i had the hint from ,holmes that this smooth-faced pawnbroker's assistant was a formidable man--a man who might play a deep game4 ,i tried to puzzle it out1 but gave it up in despair1 and set the matter aside until night should bring an explanation4 ,it was a quarter past nine when ,i started from home and made my way across the ,park1 and so through ,oxford ,street to ,baker ,street4 ,two hansoms were standing at the door1 and1 as ,i entered the passage1 ,i heard the sound of voices from above4 ,on entering his room ,i found ,holmes in animated conversation with two men1 one of whom ,i recognized as ,peter ,jones1 the official police agent1 while the other was a long1 thin1 sad-faced man1 with a very shiny hat and oppressively respectable frock-coat4 8,ha6 our party is complete10 said ,holmes1 buttoning up his pea-jacket1 and taking his heavy hunting crop from the rack4 8,watson1 ,i think you know ,mr4 ,jones1 of ,scotland ,yard8 ,let me introduce you to ,mr4 ,merryweather1 who is to be our companion in to-night's adventure40 8,we're hunting in couples again1 doctor1 you see10 said ,jones1 in his consequential way4 8,our friend here is a wonderful man for starting a chase4 ,all he wants is an old dog to help him to do the running down40 8,i hope a wild goose may not prove to be the end of our chase10 observed ,mr4 ,merryweather1 gloomily4 8,you may place considerable confidence in ,mr4 ,holmes1 sir10 said the police agent1 loftily4 8,he has his own little methods1 which are1 if he won't mind my saying so1 just a little too theoretical and fantastic1 but he has the makings of a detective in him4 ,it is not too much to say that once or twice1 as in that business of the ,sholto murder and the ,agra treasure1 he has been more nearly correct than the official force40 8,oh1 if you say so1 ,mr4 ,jones1 it is all right10 said the stranger1 with deference4 8,still1 ,i confess that ,i miss my rubber4 ,it is the first ,saturday night for seven-and-twenty years that ,i have not had my rubber40 8,i think you will find10 said ,sherlock ,holmes1 8that you will play for a higher stake to-night than you have ever done yet1 and that the play will be more exciting4 ,for you1 ,mr4 ,merryweather1 the stake will be some #cj1jjj1 and for you1 ,jones1 it will be the man upon whom you wish to lay your hands40 8,john ,clay1 the murderer1 thief1 smasher1 and forger4 ,he's a young man1 ,mr4 ,merryweather1 but he is at the head of his profession1 and ,i would rather have my bracelets on him than on any criminal in ,london4 ,he's a remarkable man1 is young ,john ,clay4 ,his grandfather was a royal duke1 and he himself has been to ,eton and ,oxford4 ,his brain is as cunning as his fingers1 and though we meet signs of him at every turn1 we never know where to find the man himself4 ,he'll crack a crib in ,scotland one week1 and be raising money to build an orphanage in ,cornwall the next4 ,i've been on his track for years1 and have never set eyes on him yet40 8,i hope that ,i may have the pleasure of introducing you to-night4 ,i've had one or two little turns also with ,mr4 ,john ,clay1 and ,i agree with you that he is at the head of his profession4 ,it is past ten1 however1 and quite time that we started4 ,if you two will take the first hansom1 ,watson and ,i will follow in the second40 ,sherlock ,holmes was not very communicative during the long drive1 and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in the afternoon4 ,we rattled through an endless labyrinth of gas-lit streets until we emerged into ,farringdon ,street4 8,we are close there now10 my friend remarked4 8,this fellow ,merryweather is a bank director1 and personally interested in the matter4 ,i thought it as well to have ,jones with us also4 ,he is not a bad fellow1 though an absolute imbecile in his profession4 ,he has one positive virtue4 ,he is as brave as a bull-dog1 and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon any one4 ,here we are1 and they are waiting for us40 ,we had reached the same crowded thoroughfare in which we had found ourselves in the morning4 ,our cabs were dismissed1 and1 following the guidance of ,mr4 ,merryweather1 we passed down a narrow passage and through a side door1 which he opened for us4 ,within there was a small corridor1 which ended in a very massive iron gate4 ,this also was opened1 and led down a flight of winding stone steps1 which terminated at another formidable gate4 ,mr4 ,merryweather stopped to light a lantern1 and then conducted us down a dark1 earth-smelling passage1 and so1 after opening a third door1 into a huge vault or cellar1 which was piled all round with crates and massive boxes4 8,you are not very vulnerable from above10 ,holmes remarked1 as he held up the lantern and gazed about him4 8,nor from below10 said ,mr4 ,merryweather1 striking his stick upon the flags which lined the floor4 8,why1 dear me1 it sounds quite hollow60 he remarked1 looking up in surprise4 8,i must really ask you to be a little more quiet10 said ,holmes1 severely4 8,you have already imperilled the whole success of our expedition4 ,might ,i beg that you would have the goodness to sit down upon one of those boxes1 and not to interfere80 ,the solemn ,mr4 ,merryweather perched himself upon a crate1 with a very injured expression upon his face1 while ,holmes fell upon his knees upon the floor1 and1 with the lantern and a magnifying lens1 began to examine minutely the cracks between the stones4 ,a few seconds sufficed to satisfy him1 for he sprang to his feet again1 and put his glass in his pocket4 8,we have at least an hour before us10 he remarked2 8for they can hardly take any steps until the good pawnbroker is safely in bed4 ,then they will not lose a minute1 for the sooner they do their work the longer time they will have for their escape4 ,we are at present1 doctor--as no doubt you have divined--in the cellar of the city branch of one of the principal ,london banks4 ,mr4 ,merryweather is the chairman of directors1 and he will explain to you that there are reasons why the more daring criminals of ,london should take a considerable interest in this cellar at present40 8,it is our ,french gold10 whispered the director4 8,we have had several warnings that an attempt might be made upon it40 8,your ,french gold80 8,yes4 ,we had occasion some months ago to strengthen our resources1 and borrowed1 for that purpose1 #cj1jjj napoleons from the ,bank of ,france4 ,it has become known that we have never had occasion to unpack the money1 and that it is still lying in our cellar4 ,the crate upon which ,i sit contains #bjjj napoleons packed between layers of lead foil4 ,our reserve of bullion is much larger at present than is usually kept in a single branch office1 and the directors have had misgivings upon the subject40 8,which were very well justified10 observed ,holmes4 8,and now it is time that we arranged our little plans4 ,i expect that within an hour matters will come to a head4 ,in the mean time1 ,mr4 ,merryweather1 we must put the screen over that dark lantern40 8,and sit in the dark80 8,i am afraid so4 ,i had brought a pack of cards in my pocket1 and ,i thought that1 as we were a partie carre1 you might have your rubber after all4 ,but ,i see that the enemy's preparations have gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light4 ,and1 first of all1 we must choose our positions4 ,these are daring men1 and though we shall take them at a disadvantage1 they may do us some harm unless we are careful4 ,i shall stand behind this crate1 and do you conceal yourselves behind those4 ,then1 when ,i flash a light upon them1 close in swiftly4 ,if they fire1 ,watson1 have no compunction about shooting them down40 ,i placed my revolver1 cocked1 upon the top of the wooden case behind which ,i crouched4 ,holmes shot the slide across the front of his lantern1 and left us in pitch darkness--such an absolute darkness as ,i have never before experienced4 ,the smell of hot metal remained to assure us that the light was still there1 ready to flash out at a moment's notice4 ,to me1 with my nerves worked up to a pitch of expectancy1 there was something depressing and subduing in the sudden gloom1 and in the cold1 dank air of the vault4 8,they have but one retreat10 whispered ,holmes4 8,that is back through the house into ,saxe-,coburg ,square4 ,i hope that you have done what ,i asked you1 ,jones80 8,i have an inspector and two officers waiting at the front door40 8,then we have stopped all the holes4 ,and now we must be silent and wait40 ,what a time it seemed6 ,from comparing notes afterwards it was but an hour and a quarter1 yet it appeared to me that the night must have almost gone1 and the dawn be breaking above us4 ,my limbs were weary and stiff1 for ,i feared to change my position2 yet my nerves were worked up to the highest pitch of tension1 and my hearing was so acute that ,i could not only hear the gentle breathing of my companions1 but ,i could distinguish the deeper1 heavier in-breath of the bulky ,jones from the thin1 sighing note of the bank director4 ,from my position ,i could look over the case in the direction of the floor4 ,suddenly my eyes caught the glint of a light4 ,at first it was but a lurid spark upon the stone pavement4 ,then it lengthened out until it became a yellow line1 and then1 without any warning or sound1 a gash seemed to open and a hand appeared2 a white1 almost womanly hand1 which felt about in the center of the little area of light4 ,for a minute or more the hand1 with its writhing fingers1 protruded out of the floor4 ,then it was withdrawn as suddenly as it appeared1 and all was dark again save the single lurid spark which marked a chink between the stones4 ,its disappearance1 however1 was but momentary4 ,with a rending1 tearing sound1 one of the broad1 white stones turned over upon its side1 and left a square1 gaping hole1 through which streamed the light of a lantern4 ,over the edge there peeped a clean-cut1 boyish face1 which looked keenly about it1 and then1 with a hand on either side of the aperture1 drew itself shoulder-high and waist-high1 until one knee rested upon the edge4 ,in another instant he stood at the side of the hole1 and was hauling after him a companion1 lithe and small like himself1 with a pale face and a shock of very red hair4 8,it's all clear10 he whispered4 8,have you the chisel and the bags8 ,great ,scott6 ,jump1 ,archie1 jump1 and ,i'll swing for it60 ,sherlock ,holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar4 ,the other dived down the hole1 and ,i heard the sound of rending cloth as ,jones clutched at his skirts4 ,the light flashed upon the barrel of a revolver1 but ,holmes's hunting crop came down on the man's wrist1 and the pistol clinked upon the stone floor4 8,it's no use1 ,john ,clay10 said ,holmes1 blandly4 8,you have no chance at all40 8,so ,i see10 the other answered1 with the utmost coolness4 8,i fancy that my pal is all right1 though ,i see you have got his coat-tails40 8,there are three men waiting for him at the door10 said ,holmes4 8,oh1 indeed6 ,you seem to have done the thing very completely4 ,i must compliment you40 8,and ,i you10 ,holmes answered4 8,your red-headed idea was very new and effective40 8,you'll see your pal again presently10 said ,jones4 8,he's quicker at climbing down holes than ,i am4 ,just hold out while ,i fix the derbies40 8,i beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands10 remarked our prisoner1 as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists4 8,you may not be aware that ,i have royal blood in my veins4 ,have the goodness1 also1 when you address me always to say #8sir' and #8please4'0 8,all right10 said ,jones1 with a stare and a snigger4 8,well1 would you please1 sir1 march up-stairs1 where we can get a cab to carry your highness to the police-station80 8,that is better10 said ,john ,clay1 serenely4 ,he made a sweeping bow to the three of us1 and walked quietly off in the custody of the detective4 8,really ,mr4 ,holmes10 said ,mr4 ,merryweather1 as we followed them from the cellar1 8,i do not know how the bank can thank you or repay you4 ,there is no doubt that you have detected and defeated in the most complete manner one of the most determined attempts at bank robbery that have ever come within my experience40 8,i have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with ,mr4 ,john ,clay10 said ,holmes4 8,i have been at some small expense over this matter1 which ,i shall expect the bank to refund1 but beyond that ,i am amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways unique1 and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the ,red-headed ,league40 99 99 99 99 99 8,you see1 ,watson10 he explained1 in the early hours of the morning1 as we sat over a glass of whiskey-and-soda in ,baker ,street1 8it was perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible object of this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of the ,league1 and the copying of the #8,encyclopdia1' must be to get this not over-bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every day4 ,it was a curious way of managing it1 but1 really1 it would be difficult to suggest a better4 ,the method was no doubt suggested to ,clay's ingenious mind by the color of his accomplice's hair4 ,the #d a week was a lure which must draw him1 and what was it to them1 who were playing for thousands8 ,they put in the advertisement1 one rogue has the temporary office1 the other rogue incites the man to apply for it1 and together they manage to secure his absence every morning in the week4 ,from the time that ,i heard of the assistant having come for half wages1 it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive for securing the situation40 8,but how could you guess what the motive was80 8,had there been women in the house1 ,i should have suspected a mere vulgar intrigue4 ,that1 however1 was out of the question4 ,the man's business was a small one1 and there was nothing in his house which could account for such elaborate preparations1 and such an expenditure as they were at4 ,it must1 then1 be something out of the house4 ,what could it be8 ,i thought of the assistant's fondness for photography1 and his trick of vanishing into the cellar4 ,the cellar6 ,there was the end of this tangled clue4 ,then ,i made inquiries as to this mysterious assistant1 and found that ,i had to deal with one of the coolest and most daring criminals in ,london4 ,he was doing something in the cellar--something which took many hours a day for months on end4 ,what could it be1 once more8 ,i could think of nothing save that he was running a tunnel to some other building4 8,so far ,i had got when we went to visit the scene of action4 ,i surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick4 ,i was ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind4 ,it was not in front4 ,then ,i rang the bell1 and1 as ,i hoped1 the assistant answered it4 ,we have had some skirmishes1 but we had never set eyes upon each other before4 ,i hardly looked at his face4 ,his knees were what ,i wished to see4 ,you must yourself have remarked how worn1 wrinkled1 and stained they were4 ,they spoke of those hours of burrowing4 ,the only remaining point was what they were burrowing for4 ,i walked round the corner1 saw that the ,city and ,suburban ,bank abutted on our friend's premises1 and felt that ,i had solved my problem4 ,when you drove home after the concert ,i called upon ,scotland ,yard1 and upon the chairman of the bank directors1 with the result that you have seen40 8,and how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night80 ,i asked4 8,well1 when they closed their ,league offices that was a sign that they cared no longer about ,mr4 ,jabez ,wilson's presence--in other words1 that they had completed their tunnel4 ,but it was essential that they should use it soon1 as it might be discovered1 or the bullion might be removed4 ,saturday would suit them better than any other day1 as it would give them two days for their escape4 ,for all these reasons ,i expected them to come to-night40 8,you reasoned it out beautifully10 ,i exclaimed1 in unfeigned admiration4 8,it is so long a chain1 and yet every link rings true40 8,it saved me from ennui10 he answered1 yawning4 8,alas6 ,i already feel it closing in upon me4 ,my life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence4 ,these little problems help me to do so40 8,and you are a benefactor of the race10 said ,i4 ,he shrugged his shoulders4 8,well1 perhaps1 after all1 it is of some little use10 he remarked4 8#8,l'homme c'est rien--l'uvre c'est tout1' as ,gustave ,flaubert wrote to ,georges ,sand40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,one ,,hundred ,,in ,,the ,,dark ,by ,owen ,johnson ,,they were discussing languidly1 as such groups do1 seeking from each topic a peg on which to hang a few epigrams that might be retold in the lip currency of the club--,steingall1 the painter1 florid of gesture1 and effete1 foreign in type1 with black-rimmed glasses and trailing ribbon of black silk that cut across his cropped beard and cavalry mustaches2 ,de ,gollyer1 a critic1 who preferred to be known as a man about town1 short1 feverish1 incisive1 who slew platitudes with one adjective and tagged a reputation with three2 ,rankin1 the architect1 always in a defensive1 explanatory attitude1 who held his elbows on the table1 his hands before his long sliding nose1 and gestured with his fingers2 ,quinny1 the illustrator1 long and gaunt1 with a predatory eloquence that charged irresistibly down on any subject1 cut it off1 surrounded it1 and raked it with enfilading wit and satire2 and ,peters1 whose methods of existence were a mystery1 a young man of fifty1 who had done nothing and who knew every one by his first name1 the club postman1 who carried the tittle-tattle1 the bon mots and the news of the day1 who drew up a petition a week and pursued the house committee with a daily grievance4 ,about the latticed porch1 which ran around the sanded yard with its feeble fountain and futile evergreens1 other groups were eying one another1 or engaging in desultory conversation1 oppressed with the heaviness of the night4 ,at the round table1 ,quinny alone1 absorbing energy as he devoured the conversation1 having routed ,steingall on the ,germans and archology and ,rankin on the origins of the ,lord's ,prayer1 had seized a chance remark of ,de ,gollyer's to say3 8,there are only half a dozen stories in the world4 ,like everything that's true it isn't true40 ,he waved his long1 gouty fingers in the direction of ,steingall1 who1 having been silenced1 was regarding him with a look of sleepy indifference4 8,what is more to the point1 is the small number of human relations that are so simple and yet so fundamental that they can be eternally played upon1 redressed1 and reinterpreted in every language1 in every age1 and yet remain inexhaustible in the possibility of variations40 8,by ,george1 that is so10 said ,steingall1 waking up4 8,every art does go back to three or four notes4 ,in composition it is the same thing4 ,nothing new--nothing new since a thousand years4 ,by ,george1 that is true6 ,we invent nothing1 nothing60 8,take the eternal triangle10 said ,quinny hurriedly1 not to surrender his advantage1 while ,rankin and ,de ,gollyer in a bored way continued to gaze dreamily at a vagrant star or two4 8,two men and a woman1 or two women and a man4 ,obviously it should be classified as the first of the great original parent themes4 ,its variations extend into the thousands4 ,by the way1 ,rankin1 excellent opportunity1 eh1 for some of our modern1 painstaking1 unemployed jackasses to analyze and classify40 8,quite right10 said ,rankin without perceiving the satirical note4 8,now there's ,de ,maupassant's ,fort comme la ,mort--quite the most interesting variation--shows the turn a genius can give4 ,there the triangle is the man of middle age1 the mother he has loved in his youth and the daughter he comes to love4 ,it forms1 you might say1 the head of a whole subdivision of modern continental literature40 8,quite wrong1 ,rankin1 quite wrong10 said ,quinny1 who would have stated the other side quite as imperiously4 8,what you cite is a variation of quite another theme1 the ,faust theme--old age longing for youth1 the man who has loved longing for the love of his youth1 which is youth itself4 ,the triangle is the theme of jealousy1 the most destructive and1 therefore1 the most dramatic of human passions4 ,the ,faust theme is the most fundamental and inevitable of all human experiences1 the tragedy of life itself4 ,quite a different thing40 ,rankin1 who never agreed with ,quinny unless ,quinny maliciously took advantage of his prior announcement to agree with him1 continued to combat this idea4 8,you believe then10 said ,de ,gollyer after a certain moment had been consumed in hair splitting1 8that the origin of all dramatic themes is simply the expression of some human emotion4 ,in other words1 there can exist no more parent themes than there are human emotions40 8,i thank you1 sir1 very well put10 said ,quinny with a generous wave of his hand4 8,why is the ,three ,musketeers a basic theme8 ,simply the interpretation of comradeship1 the emotion one man feels for another1 vital because it is the one peculiarly masculine emotion4 ,look at ,du ,maurier and ,trilby1 ,kipling in ,soldiers ,three--simply the ,three ,musketeers40 8,the ,vie de ,bohme80 suggested ,steingall4 8,in the real ,vie de ,bohme1 yes10 said ,quinny viciously4 8,not in the concocted sentimentalities that we now have served up to us by athletic tenors and consumptive elephants60 ,rankin1 who had been silently deliberating on what had been left behind1 now said cunningly and with evident purpose3 8,all the same1 ,i don't agree with you men at all4 ,i believe there are situations1 original situations1 that are independent of your human emotions1 that exist just because they are situations1 accidental and nothing else40 8,as for instance80 said ,quinny1 preparing to attack4 8,well1 ,i'll just cite an ordinary one that happens to come to my mind10 said ,rankin1 who had carefully selected his test4 8,in a group of seven or eight1 such as we are here1 a theft takes place2 one man is the thief--which one8 ,i'd like to know what emotion that interprets1 and yet it certainly is an original theme1 at the bottom of a whole literature40 ,this challenge was like a bomb4 8,not the same thing40 8,detective stories1 bah60 8,oh1 ,i say1 ,rankin1 that's literary melodrama40 ,rankin1 satisfied1 smiled and winked victoriously over to ,tommers1 who was listening from an adjacent table4 8,of course your suggestion is out of order1 my dear man1 to this extent10 said ,quinny1 who never surrendered1 8in that ,i am talking of fundamentals and you are citing details4 ,nevertheless1 ,i could answer that the situation you give1 as well as the whole school it belongs to1 can be traced back to the commonest of human emotions1 curiosity2 and that the story of ,bluebeard and ,the ,moonstone are to all purposes identically the same40 ,at this ,steingall1 who had waited hopefully1 gasped and made as though to leave the table4 8,i shall take up your contention10 said ,quinny without pause for breath1 8first1 because you have opened up one of my pet topics1 and1 second1 because it gives me a chance to talk40 ,he gave a sidelong glance at ,steingall and winked at ,de ,gollyer4 8,what is the peculiar fascination that the detective problem exercises over the human mind8 ,you will say curiosity4 ,yes and no4 ,admit at once that the whole art of a detective story consists in the statement of the problem4 ,any one can do it4 ,i can do it4 ,steingall even can do it4 ,the solution doesn't count4 ,it is usually banal2 it should be prohibited4 ,what interests us is1 can we guess it8 ,just as an able-minded man will sit down for hours and fiddle over the puzzle column in a ,sunday balderdash4 ,same idea4 ,there you have it1 the problem--the detective story4 ,now why the fascination8 ,i'll tell you4 ,it appeals to our curiosity1 yes--but deeper to a sort of intellectual vanity4 ,here are six matches1 arrange them to make four squares2 five men present1 a theft takes place--who's the thief8 ,who will guess it first8 ,whose brain will show its superior cleverness--see8 ,that's all--that's all there is to it40 8,out of all of which10 said ,de ,gollyer1 8the interesting thing is that ,rankin has supplied the reason why the supply of detective fiction is inexhaustible4 ,it does all come down to the simplest terms4 ,seven possibilities1 one answer4 ,it is a formula1 ludicrously simple1 mechanical1 and yet we will always pursue it to the end4 ,the marvel is that writers should seek for any other formula when here is one so safe1 that can never fail4 ,be ,george1 ,i could start up a factory on it40 8,the reason is10 said ,rankin1 8that the situation does constantly occur4 ,it's a situation that any of us might get into any time4 ,as a matter of fact1 now1 ,i personally know two such occasions when ,i was of the party2 and very uncomfortable it was too40 8,what happened80 said ,steingall4 8,why1 there is no story to it particularly4 ,once a mistake had been made1 and the other time the real thief was detected by accident a year later4 ,in both cases only one or two of us knew what had happened40 ,de ,gollyer had a similar incident to recall4 ,steingall1 after reflection1 related another that had happened to a friend4 8,of course1 of course1 my dear gentlemen10 said ,quinny impatiently1 for he had been silent too long1 8you are glorifying commonplaces4 ,every crime1 ,i tell you1 expresses itself in the terms of the picture puzzle that you feed to your six-year-old4 ,it's only the variation that is interesting4 ,now quite the most remarkable turn of the complexities that can be developed is1 of course1 the well-known instance of the visitor at a club and the rare coin4 ,of course every one knows that8 ,what80 ,rankin smiled in a bored1 superior way1 but the others protested their ignorance4 8,why1 it's very well known10 said ,quinny lightly4 8,a distinguished visitor is brought into a club--dozen men1 say1 present1 at dinner1 long table4 ,conversation finally veers around to curiosities and relics4 ,one of the members present then takes from his pocket what he announces as one of the rarest coins in existence--passes it around the table4 ,coin travels back and forth1 every one examining it1 and the conversation goes to another topic1 say the influence of the automobile on domestic infelicity1 or some other such asininely intellectual club topic--you know8 ,all at once the owner calls for his coin4 8,the coin is nowhere to be found4 ,every one looks at every one else4 ,first1 they suspect a joke4 ,then it becomes serious--the coin is immensely valuable4 ,who has taken it8 8,the owner is a gentleman--does the gentlemanly idiotic thing1 of course1 laughs1 says he knows some one is playing a practical joke on him and that the coin will be returned to-morrow4 ,the others refuse to leave the situation so4 ,one man proposes that they all submit to a search4 ,every one gives his assent until it comes to the stranger4 ,he refuses1 curtly1 roughly1 without giving any reason4 ,uncomfortable silence--the man is a guest4 ,no one knows him particularly well--but still he is a guest4 ,one member tries to make him understand that no offense is offered1 that the suggestion was simply to clear the atmosphere1 and all that sort of bally rot1 you know4 8#8,i refuse to allow my person to be searched1' says the stranger1 very firm1 very proud1 very ,english1 you know1 #8and ,i refuse to give my reason for my action4' 8,another silence4 ,the men eye him and then glance at one another4 ,what's to be done8 ,nothing4 ,there is etiquette--that magnificent inflated balloon4 ,the visitor evidently has the coin--but he is their guest and etiquette protects him4 ,nice situation1 eh8 8,the table is cleared4 ,a waiter removes a dish of fruit and there under the ledge of the plate where it had been pushed--is the coin4 ,banal explanation1 eh8 ,of course4 ,solutions always should be4 ,at once every one in profouse apologies6 ,whereupon the visitor rises and says3 8#8,now ,i can give you the reason for my refusal to be searched4 ,there are only two known specimens of the coin in existence1 and the second happens to be here in my waistcoat pocket4'0 8,of course10 said ,quinny with a shrug of his shoulders1 8the story is well invented1 but the turn to it is very nice--very nice indeed40 8,i did know the story10 said ,steingall1 to be disagreeable2 8the ending1 though1 is too obvious to be invented4 ,the visitor should have had on him not another coin1 but something absolutely different1 something destructive1 say1 of a woman's reputation1 and a great tragedy should have been threatened by the casual misplacing of the coin40 8,i have heard the same story told in a dozen different ways10 said ,rankin4 8,it has happened a hundred times4 ,it must be continually happening10 said ,steingall4 8,i know one extraordinary instance10 said ,peters1 who up to the present1 secure in his climax1 had waited with a professional smile until the big guns had been silenced4 8,in fact1 the most extraordinary instance of this sort ,i have ever heard40 8,peters1 you little rascal10 said ,quinny with a sidelong glance1 8,i perceive you have quietly been letting us dress the stage for you40 8,it is not a story that will please every one10 said ,peters1 to whet their appetite4 8,why not80 8,because you will want to know what no one can ever know40 8,it has no conclusion then80 8,yes and no4 ,as far as it concerns a woman1 quite the most remarkable woman ,i have ever met1 the story is complete4 ,as for the rest1 it is what it is1 because it is one example where literature can do nothing better than record40 8,do ,i know the woman80 asked ,de ,gollyer1 who flattered himself on passing through every class of society4 8,possibly1 but no more than any one else40 8,an actress80 8,what she has been in the past ,i don't know--a promoter would better describe her4 ,undoubtedly she has been behind the scenes in many an untold intrigue of the business world4 ,a very feminine woman1 and yet1 as you shall see1 with an unusual instantaneous masculine power of decision40 8,peters10 said ,quinny1 waving a warning finger1 8you are destroying your story4 ,your preface will bring an anti-climax40 8,you shall judge10 said ,peters1 who waited until his audience was in strained attention before opening his story4 8,the names are1 of course1 disguises40 99 99 99 99 99 ,mrs4 ,rita ,kildair inhabited a charming bachelor-girl studio1 very elegant1 of the duplex pattern1 in one of the buildings just off ,central ,park ,west4 ,she knew pretty nearly every one in that indescribable society in ,new ,york that is drawn from all levels1 and that imposes but one condition for membership--to be amusing4 ,she knew every one and no one knew her4 ,no one knew beyond the vaguest rumors her history or her means4 ,no one had ever heard of a ,mr4 ,kildair4 ,there was always about her a certain defensive reserve the moment the limits of acquaintanceship had been reached4 ,she had a certain amount of money1 she knew a certain number of men in ,wall ,street affairs1 and her studio was furnished with taste and even distinction4 ,she was of any age4 ,she might have suffered everything or nothing at all4 ,in this mingled society her invitations were eagerly sought1 her dinners were spontaneous1 and the discussions1 though gay and usually daring1 were invariably under the control of wit and good taste4 ,on the ,sunday night of this adventure she had1 according to her invariable custom1 sent away her ,japanese butler and invited to an informal chafing-dish supper seven of her more congenial friends1 all of whom1 as much as could be said of any one1 were habitus of the studio4 ,at seven o'clock1 having finished dressing1 she put in order her bedroom1 which formed a sort of free passage between the studio and a small dining room to the kitchen beyond4 ,then1 going into the studio1 she lit a wax taper and was in the act of touching off the brass candlesticks that lighted the room when three knocks sounded on the door and a ,mr4 ,flanders1 a broker1 compact1 nervously alive1 well groomed1 entered with the informality of assured acquaintance4 8,you are early10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 in surprise4 8,on the contrary1 you are late10 said the broker1 glancing at his watch4 8,then be a good boy and help me with the candles10 she said1 giving him a smile and a quick pressure of her fingers4 ,he obeyed1 asking nonchalantly3 8,i say1 dear lady1 who's to be here to-night80 8,the ,enos ,jacksons40 8,i thought they were separated40 8,not yet40 8,very interesting6 ,only you1 dear lady1 would have thought of serving us a couple on the verge40 8,it's interesting1 isn't it80 8,assuredly4 ,where did you know ,jackson80 8,through the ,warings4 ,jackson's a rather doubtful person1 isn't he80 8,let's call him a very sharp lawyer10 said ,flanders defensively4 8,they tell me1 though1 he is on the wrong side of the market--in deep40 8,and you80 8,oh1 ,i8 ,i'm a bachelor10 he said with a shrug of his shoulders1 8and if ,i come a cropper it makes no difference40 8,is that possible80 she said1 looking at him quickly4 8,probable even4 ,and who else is coming80 8,maude ,lille--you know her80 8,i think not40 8,you met her here--a journalist40 8,quite so1 a strange career40 8,mr4 ,harris1 a clubman1 is coming1 and the ,stanley ,cheevers40 8,the ,stanley ,cheevers60 said ,flanders with some surprise4 8,are we going to gamble80 8,you believe in that scandal about bridge80 8,certainly not10 said ,flanders1 smiling4 8,you see ,i was present4 ,the ,cheevers play a good game1 a well united game1 and have an unusual system of makes4 ,by-the-way it's ,jackson who is very attentive to ,mrs4 ,cheever1 isn't it80 8,quite right40 8,what a charming party10 said ,flanders flippantly4 8,and where does ,maude ,lille come in80 8,don't joke4 ,she is in a desperate way10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 with a little sadness in her eyes4 8,and ,harris80 8,oh1 he is to make the salad and cream the chicken40 8,ah1 ,i see the whole party4 ,i1 of course1 am to add the element of respectability40 8,of what80 ,she looked at him steadily until he turned away1 dropping his glance4 8,don't be an ass with me1 my dear ,flanders40 8,by ,george1 if this were ,europe ,i'd wager you were in the secret service1 ,mrs4 ,kildair40 8,thank you40 ,she smiled appreciatively and moved about the studio1 giving the finishing touches4 ,the ,stanley ,cheevers entered1 a short fat man with a vacant fat face and a slow-moving eye1 and his wife1 voluble1 nervous1 overdressed and pretty4 ,mr4 ,harris came with ,maude ,lille1 a woman1 straight1 dark1 ,indian1 with great masses of somber hair held in a little too loosely for neatness1 with thick1 quick lips and eyes that rolled away from the person who was talking to her4 ,the ,enos ,jacksons were late and still agitated as they entered4 ,his forehead had not quite banished the scowl1 nor her eyes the scorn4 ,he was of the type that never lost his temper1 but caused others to lose theirs1 immovable in his opinions1 with a prowling walk1 a studied antagonism in his manner1 and an impudent look that fastened itself unerringly on the weakness in the person to whom he spoke4 ,mrs4 ,jackson1 who seemed fastened to her husband by an invisible leash1 had a hunted1 resisting quality back of a certain desperate dash1 which she assumed rather than felt in her attitude toward life4 ,one looked at her curiously and wondered what such a nature would do in a crisis1 with a lurking sense of a woman who carried with her her own impending tragedy4 ,as soon as the company had been completed and the incongruity of the selection had been perceived1 a smile of malicious anticipation ran the rounds1 which the hostess cut short by saying3 8,well1 now that every one is here1 this is the order of the night3 ,you can quarrel all you want1 you can whisper all the gossip you can think of about one another1 but every one is to be amusing6 ,also every one is to help with the dinner--nothing formal and nothing serious4 ,we may all be bankrupt to-morrow1 divorced or dead1 but to-night we will be gay--that is the invariable rule of the house60 ,immediately a nervous laughter broke out and the company1 chattering1 began to scatter through the rooms4 ,mrs4 ,kildair1 stopping in her bedroom1 donned a ,watteaulike cooking apron1 and slipping her rings from her fingers fixed the three on her pincushion with a hatpin4 8,your rings are beautiful1 dear1 beautiful10 said the low voice of ,maude ,lille1 who1 with ,harris and ,mrs4 ,cheever1 was in the room4 8,there's only one that is very valuable10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 touching with her thin fingers the ring that lay uppermost1 two large diamonds1 flanking a magnificent sapphire4 8,it is beautiful--very beautiful10 said the journalist1 her eyes fastened to it with an uncontrollable fascination4 ,she put out her fingers and let them rest caressingly on the sapphire1 withdrawing them quickly as though the contact had burned them4 8,it must be very valuable10 she said1 her breath catching a little4 ,mrs4 ,cheever1 moving forward1 suddenly looked at the ring4 8,it cost five thousand six years ago10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 glancing down at it4 8,it has been my talisman ever since4 ,for the moment1 however1 ,i am cook2 ,maude ,lille1 you are scullery maid2 ,harris is the chef1 and we are under his orders4 ,mrs4 ,cheever1 did you ever peel onions80 8,good ,heavens1 no60 said ,mrs4 ,cheever1 recoiling4 8,well1 there are no onions to peel10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 laughing4 8,all you'll have to do is to help set the table4 ,on to the kitchen60 ,under their hostess's gay guidance the seven guests began to circulate busily through the rooms1 laying the table1 grouping the chairs1 opening bottles1 and preparing the material for the chafing dishes4 ,mrs4 ,kildair1 in the kitchen1 ransacked the ice box1 and with her own hands chopped the fines herbes1 shredded the chicken and measured the cream4 8,flanders1 carry this in carefully10 she said1 her hands in a towel4 8,cheever1 stop watching your wife and put the salad bowl on the table4 ,everything ready1 ,harris8 ,all right4 ,every one sit down4 ,i'll be right in40 ,she went into her bedroom1 and divesting herself of her apron hung it in the closet4 ,then going to her dressing table she drew the hatpin from the pincushion and carelessly slipped the rings on her fingers4 ,all at once she frowned and looked quickly at her hand4 ,only two rings were there1 the third ring1 the one with the sapphire and the two diamonds1 was missing4 8,stupid10 she said to herself1 and returned to her dressing table4 ,all at once she stopped4 ,she remembered quite clearly putting the pin through the three rings4 ,she made no attempt to search further1 but remained without moving1 her fingers drumming slowly on the table1 her head to one side1 her lip drawn in a little between her teeth1 listening with a frown to the babble from the outer room4 ,who had taken the ring8 ,each of her guests had had a dozen opportunities in the course of the time she had been busy in the kitchen4 8,too much time before the mirror1 dear lady10 called out ,flanders gaily1 who from where he was seated could see her4 8,it is not he10 she said quickly4 ,then she reconsidered4 8,why not8 ,he is clever--who knows8 ,let me think40 ,to gain time she walked back slowly into the kitchen1 her head bowed1 her thumb between her teeth4 8,who has taken it80 ,she ran over the characters of her guests and their situations as she knew them4 ,strangely enough1 at each her mind stopped upon some reason that might explain a sudden temptation4 8,i shall find out nothing this way10 she said to herself after a moment's deliberation2 8that is not the important thing to me just now4 ,the important thing is to get the ring back40 ,and slowly1 deliberately1 she began to walk back and forth1 her clenched hand beating the deliberate rhythmic measure of her journey4 ,five minutes later1 as ,harris1 installed en matre over the chafing dish1 was giving directions1 spoon in the air1 ,mrs4 ,kildair came into the room like a lengthening shadow4 ,her entrance had been made with scarcely a perceptible sound1 and yet each guest was aware of it at the same moment1 with a little nervous start4 8,heavens1 dear lady10 exclaimed ,flanders1 8you come in on us like a ,greek tragedy6 ,what is it you have for us1 a surprise80 ,as he spoke she turned her swift glance on him1 drawing her forehead together until the eyebrows ran in a straight line4 8,i have something to say to you10 she said in a sharp1 businesslike manner1 watching the company with penetrating eagerness4 ,there was no mistaking the seriousness of her voice4 ,mr4 ,harris extinguished the oil lamp1 covering the chafing dish clumsily with a discordant1 disagreeable sound4 ,mrs4 ,cheever and ,mrs4 ,enos ,jackson swung about abruptly1 ,maude ,lille rose a little from her seat1 while the men imitated these movements of expectancy with a clumsy shuffling of the feet4 8,mr4 ,enos ,jackson80 8,yes1 ,mrs4 ,kildair40 8,kindly do as ,i ask you40 8,certainly40 ,she had spoken his name with a peremptory positiveness that was almost an accusation4 ,he rose calmly1 raising his eyebrows a little in surprise4 8,go to the door10 she continued1 shifting her glance from him to the others4 8,are you there8 ,lock it4 ,bring me the key40 ,he executed the order without bungling1 and returning stood before her1 tendering the key4 8,you've locked it80 she said1 making the words an excuse to bury her glance in his4 8,as you wished me to40 8,thanks40 ,she took from him the key and1 shifting slightly1 likewise locked the door into her bedroom through which she had come4 ,then transferring the keys to her left hand1 seemingly unaware of ,jackson1 who still awaited her further commands1 her eyes studied a moment the possibilities of the apartment4 8,mr4 ,cheever80 she said in a low voice4 8,yes1 ,mrs4 ,kildair40 8,blow out all the candles except the candelabrum on the table40 8,put out the lights1 ,mrs4 ,kildair80 8,at once40 ,mr4 ,cheever1 in rising1 met the glance of his wife1 and the look of questioning and wonder that passed did not escape the hostess4 8,but1 my dear ,mrs4 ,kildair10 said ,mrs4 ,jackson with a little nervous catch of her breath1 8what is it8 ,i'm getting terribly worked up6 ,my nerves--0 8,miss ,lille80 said the voice of command4 8,yes40 ,the journalist1 calmer than the rest1 had watched the proceedings without surprise1 as though fore-warned by professional instinct that something of importance was about to take place4 ,now she rose quietly with an almost stealthy motion4 8,put the candelabrum on this table--here10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 indicating a large round table on which a few books were grouped4 8,no1 wait4 ,mr4 ,jackson1 first clear off the table4 ,i want nothing on it40 8,but1 ,mrs4 ,kildair--0 began ,mrs4 ,jackson's shrill voice again4 8,that's it4 ,now put down the candelabrum40 ,in a moment1 as ,mr4 ,cheever proceeded methodically on his errand1 the brilliant crossfire of lights dropped in the studio1 only a few smoldering wicks winking on the walls1 while the high room seemed to grow more distant as it came under the sole dominion of the three candles bracketed in silver at the head of the bare mahogany table4 8,now listen60 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 and her voice had in it a cold note4 8,my sapphire ring has just been stolen40 ,she said it suddenly1 hurling the news among them and waiting ferret-like for some indications in the chorus that broke out4 8,stolen60 8,oh1 my dear ,mrs4 ,kildair60 8,stolen--by ,jove60 8,you don't mean it60 8,what6 ,stolen here--to-night80 8,the ring has been taken within the last twenty minutes10 continued ,mrs4 ,kildair in the same determined1 chiseled tone4 8,i am not going to mince words4 ,the ring has been taken and the thief is among you40 ,for a moment nothing was heard but an indescribable gasp and a sudden turning and searching1 then suddenly ,cheever's deep bass broke out3 8,stolen6 ,but1 ,mrs4 ,kildair1 is it possible80 8,exactly4 ,there is not the slightest doubt10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair4 8,three of you were in my bedroom when ,i placed my rings on the pincushion4 ,each of you has passed through there a dozen times since4 ,my sapphire ring is gone1 and one of you has taken it40 ,mrs4 ,jackson gave a little scream1 and reached heavily for a glass of water4 ,mrs4 ,cheever said something inarticulate in the outburst of masculine exclamation4 ,only ,maude ,lille's calm voice could be heard saying3 8,quite true4 ,i was in the room when you took them off4 ,the sapphire ring was on top40 8,now listen60 said ,mrs4 ,kildair1 her eyes on ,maude ,lille's eyes4 8,i am not going to mince words4 ,i am not going to stand on ceremony4 ,i'm going to have that ring back4 ,listen to me carefully4 ,i'm going to have that ring back1 and until ,i do1 not a soul shall leave this room40 ,she tapped on the table with her nervous knuckles4 8,who has taken it ,i do not care to know4 ,all ,i want is my ring4 ,now ,i'm going to make it possible for whoever took it to restore it without possibility of detection4 ,the doors are locked and will stay locked4 ,i am going to put out the lights1 and ,i am going to count one hundred slowly4 ,you will be in absolute darkness2 no one will know or see what is done4 ,but if at the end of that time the ring is not here on this table ,i shall telephone the police and have every one in this room searched4 ,am ,i quite clear80 ,suddenly she cut short the nervous outbreak of suggestions and in the same firm voice continued3 8,every one take his place about the table4 ,that's it4 ,that will do40 ,the women1 with the exception of the inscrutable ,maude ,lille1 gazed hysterically from face to face2 while the men1 compressing their fingers1 locking them or grasping their chins1 looked straight ahead fixedly at their hostess4 ,mrs4 ,kildair1 having calmly assured herself that all were ranged as she wished1 blew out two of the three candles4 8,i shall count one hundred1 no more1 no less10 she said4 8,either ,i get back that ring or every one in this room is to be searched1 remember40 ,leaning over1 she blew out the remaining candle and snuffed it4 8,one1 two1 three1 four1 five--0 ,she began to count with the inexorable regularity of a clock's ticking4 ,in the room every sound was distinct1 the rustle of a dress1 the grinding of a shoe1 the deep1 slightly asthmatic breathing of a man4 8,twenty1 twenty-one1 twenty-two1 twenty-three--0 ,she continued to count1 while in the methodic unvarying note of her voice there was a rasping reiteration that began to affect the company4 ,a slight gasping breath1 uncontrollable1 almost on the verge of hysterics1 was heard1 and a man nervously clearing his throat4 8,forty-five1 forty-six1 forty-seven--0 ,still nothing had happened4 ,mrs4 ,kildair did not vary her measure the slightest1 only the sound became more metallic4 8,sixty-six1 sixty-seven1 sixty-eight1 sixty-nine and seventy--0 ,some one had sighed4 8,seventy-three1 seventy-four1 seventy-five1 seventy-six1 seventy-seven--0 ,all at once1 clear1 unmistakable1 on the resounding plane of the table was heard a slight metallic note4 8,the ring60 ,it was ,maude ,lille's quick voice that had spoken4 ,mrs4 ,kildair continued to count4 8,eighty-nine1 ninety1 ninety-one--0 ,the tension became unbearable4 ,two or three voices protested against the needless prolonging of the torture4 8,ninety-six1 ninety-seven1 ninety-eight1 ninety-nine and one hundred40 ,a match sputtered in ,mrs4 ,kildair's hand and on the instant the company craned forward4 ,in the center of the table was the sparkling sapphire and diamond ring4 ,candles were lit1 flaring up like searchlights on the white accusing faces4 8,mr4 ,cheever1 you may give it to me10 said ,mrs4 ,kildair4 ,she held out her hand without trembling1 a smile of triumph on her face1 which had in it for a moment an expression of positive cruelty4 ,immediately she changed1 contemplating with amusement the horror of her guests1 staring blindly from one to another1 seeing the indefinable glance of interrogation that passed from ,cheever to ,mrs4 ,cheever1 from ,mrs4 ,jackson to her husband1 and then without emotion she said3 8,now that that is over we can have a very gay little supper40 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,peters had pushed back his chair1 satisfied as only a trained raconteur can be by the silence of a difficult audience1 and had busied himself with a cigar1 there was an instant outcry4 8,i say1 ,peters1 old boy1 that is not all60 8,absolutely40 8,the story ends there80 8,that ends the story40 8,but who took the ring80 ,peters extended his hands in an empty gesture4 8,what6 ,it was never found out80 8,never40 8,no clue80 8,none40 8,i don't like the story10 said ,de ,gollyer4 8,it's no story at all10 said ,steingall4 8,permit me10 said ,quinny in a didactic way2 8it is a story1 and it is complete4 ,in fact1 ,i consider it unique because it has none of the banalities of a solution and leaves the problem even more confused than at the start40 8,i don't see--0 began ,rankin4 8,of course you don't1 my dear man10 said ,quinny crushingly4 8,you do not see that any solution would be commonplace1 whereas no solution leaves an extraordinary intellectual problem40 8,how so80 8,in the first place10 said ,quinny1 preparing to annex the topic1 8whether the situation actually happened or not1 which is in itself a mere triviality1 ,peters has constructed it in a masterly way1 the proof of which is that he has made me listen4 ,observe1 each person present might have taken the ring--,flanders1 a broker1 just come a cropper2 ,maude ,lille1 a woman on the ragged side of life in desperate means2 either ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,cheever1 suspected of being card sharps--very good touch that1 ,peters1 when the husband and wife glanced involuntarily at each other at the end--,mr4 ,enos ,jackson1 a sharp lawyer1 or his wife about to be divorced2 even ,harris1 concerning whom1 very cleverly1 ,peters has said nothing at all to make him quite the most suspicious of all4 ,there are1 therefore1 seven solutions1 all possible and all logical4 ,but beyond this is left a great intellectual problem40 8,how so80 8,was it a feminine or a masculine action to restore the ring when threatened with a search1 knowing that ,mrs4 ,kildair's clever expedient of throwing the room into darkness made detection impossible8 ,was it a woman who lacked the necessary courage to continue1 or was it a man who repented his first impulse8 ,is a man or is a woman the greater natural criminal80 8,a woman took it1 of course10 said ,rankin4 8,on the contrary1 it was a man10 said ,steingall1 8for the second action was more difficult than the first40 8,a man1 certainly10 said ,de ,gollyer4 8,the restoration of the ring was a logical decision40 8,you see10 said ,quinny triumphantly1 8personally ,i incline to a woman for the reason that a weaker feminine nature is peculiarly susceptible to the domination of her own sex4 ,there you are4 ,we could meet and debate the subject year in and year out and never agree40 8,i recognize most of the characters10 said ,de ,gollyer with a little confidential smile toward ,peters4 8,mrs4 ,kildair1 of course1 is all you say of her--an extraordinary woman4 ,the story is quite characteristic of her4 ,flanders1 ,i am not sure of1 but ,i think ,i know him40 8,did it really happen80 asked ,rankin1 who always took the commonplace point of view4 8,exactly as ,i have told it10 said ,peters4 8,the only one ,i don't recognize is ,harris10 said ,de ,gollyer pensively4 8,your humble servant10 said ,peters1 smiling4 ,the four looked up suddenly with a little start4 8,what60 said ,quinny1 abruptly confused4 8,you--you were there80 8,i was there40 ,the four continued to look at him without speaking1 each absorbed in his own thoughts1 with a sudden ill ease4 ,a club attendant1 with a telephone slip on a tray1 stopped by ,peters' side4 ,he excused himself and went along the porch1 nodding from table to table4 8,curious chap10 said ,de ,gollyer musingly4 8,extraordinary40 ,the word was like a murmur in the group of four1 who continued watching ,peters' trim1 disappearing figure in silence1 without looking at one another--with a certain ill ease4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,retrieved ,,reformation#i ,by ,o4 ,,henry ,footnote #i3 ,from ,roads of ,destiny4 ,published by permission of the publishers4 ,copyright1 #aiji1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,a ,,guard came to the prison shoe-shop1 where ,jimmy ,valentine was assiduously stitching uppers1 and escorted him to the front office4 ,there the warden handed ,jimmy his pardon1 which had been signed that morning by the governor4 ,jimmy took it in a tired kind of way4 ,he had served nearly ten months of a four-year sentence4 ,he had expected to stay only about three months1 at the longest4 ,when a man with as many friends on the outside as ,jimmy ,valentine had is received in the 8stir0 it is hardly worth while to cut his hair4 8,now1 ,valentine10 said the warden1 8you'll go out in the morning4 ,brace up1 and make a man of yourself4 ,you're not a bad fellow at heart4 ,stop cracking safes1 and live straight40 8,me80 said ,jimmy1 in surprise4 8,why1 ,i never cracked a safe in my life40 8,oh1 no10 laughed the warden4 8,of course not4 ,let's see1 now4 ,how was it you happened to get sent up on that ,springfield job8 ,was it because you wouldn't prove an alibi for fear of compromising somebody in extremely high-toned society8 ,or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you8 ,it's always one or the other with you innocent victims40 8,me80 said ,jimmy1 still blankly virtuous4 8,why1 warden1 ,i never was in ,springfield in my life60 8,take him back1 ,cronin10 smiled the warden1 8and fix him up with outgoing clothes4 ,unlock him at seven in the morning1 and let him come to the bull-pen4 ,better think over my advice1 ,valentine40 ,at a quarter past seven on the next morning ,jimmy stood in the warden's outer office4 ,he had on a suit of the villainously fitting1 ready-made clothes and a pair of the stiff1 squeaky shoes that the state furnishes to its discharged compulsory guests4 ,the clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which the law expected him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity4 ,the warden gave him a cigar1 and shook hands4 ,valentine1 #igfb1 was chronicled on the books 8,pardoned by ,governor10 and ,mr4 ,james ,valentine walked out into the sunshine4 ,disregarding the song of the birds1 the waving green trees1 and the smell of the flowers1 ,jimmy headed straight for a restaurant4 ,there he tasted the first sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine--followed by a cigar a grade better than the one the warden had given him4 ,from there he proceeded leisurely to the depot4 ,he tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door1 and boarded his train4 ,three hours set him down in a little town near the state line4 ,he went to the caf of one ,mike ,dolan and shook hands with ,mike1 who was alone behind the bar4 8,sorry we couldn't make it sooner1 ,jimmy1 me boy10 said ,mike4 8,but we had that protest from ,springfield to buck against1 and the governor nearly balked4 ,feeling all right80 8,fine10 said ,jimmy4 8,got my key80 ,he got his key and went up-stairs1 unlocking the door of a room at the rear4 ,everything was just as he had left it4 ,there on the floor was still ,ben ,price's collar-button that had been torn from that eminent detective's shirt-band when they had overpowered ,jimmy to arrest him4 ,pulling out from the wall a folding-bed1 ,jimmy slid back a panel in the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suit-case4 ,he opened this and gazed fondly at the finest set of burglar's tools in the ,east4 ,it was a complete set1 made of specially tempered steel1 the latest design in drills1 punches1 braces and bits1 jimmies1 clamps1 and augers1 with two or three novelties1 invented by ,jimmy himself1 in which he took pride4 ,over nine hundred dollars they had cost him to have made at ----1 a place where they make such things for the profession4 ,in half an hour ,jimmy went down stairs and through the caf4 ,he was now dressed in tasteful and well-fitting clothes1 and carried his dusted and cleaned suit-case in his hand4 8,got anything on80 asked ,mike ,dolan1 genially4 8,me80 said ,jimmy1 in a puzzled tone4 8,i don't understand4 ,i'm representing the ,new ,york ,amalgamated ,short ,snap ,biscuit ,cracker and ,frazzled ,wheat ,company40 ,this statement delighted ,mike to such an extent that ,jimmy had to take a seltzer-and-milk on the spot4 ,he never touched 8hard0 drinks4 ,a week after the release of ,valentine1 #igfb1 there was a neat job of safe-burglary done in ,richmond1 ,indiana1 with no clue to the author4 ,a scant eight hundred dollars was all that was secured4 ,two weeks after that a patented1 improved1 burglar-proof safe in ,logansport was opened like a cheese to the tune of fifteen hundred dollars1 currency2 securities and silver untouched4 ,that began to interest the rogue-catchers4 ,then an old-fashioned bank-safe in ,jefferson ,city became active and threw out of its crater an eruption of bank-notes amounting to five thousand dollars4 ,the losses were now high enough to bring the matter up into ,ben ,price's class of work4 ,by comparing notes1 a remarkable similarity in the methods of the burglaries was noticed4 ,ben ,price investigated the scenes of the robberies1 and was heard to remark3 8,that's ,dandy ,jim ,valentine's autograph4 ,he's resumed business4 ,look at that combination knob--jerked out as easy as pulling up a radish in wet weather4 ,he's got the only clamps that can do it4 ,and look how clean those tumblers were punched out6 ,jimmy never has to drill but one hole4 ,yes1 ,i guess ,i want ,mr4 ,valentine4 ,he'll do his bit next time without any short-time or clemency foolishness40 ,ben ,price knew ,jimmy's habits4 ,he had learned them while working up the ,springfield case4 ,long jumps1 quick get-aways1 no confederates1 and a taste for good society--these ways had helped ,mr4 ,valentine to become noted as a successful dodger of retribution4 ,it was given out that ,ben ,price had taken up the trail of the elusive cracksman1 and other people with burglar-proof safes felt more at ease4 ,one afternoon ,jimmy ,valentine and his suit-case climbed out of the mail-hack in ,elmore1 a little town five miles off the railroad down in the black-jack country of ,arkansas4 ,jimmy1 looking like an athletic young senior just home from college1 went down the board side-walk toward the hotel4 ,a young lady crossed the street1 passed him at the corner and entered a door over which was the sign 8,the ,elmore ,bank40 ,jimmy ,valentine looked into her eyes1 forgot what he was1 and became another man4 ,she lowered her eyes and colored slightly4 ,young men of ,jimmy's style and looks were scarce in ,elmore4 ,jimmy collared a boy that was loafing on the steps of the bank as if he were one of the stockholders1 and began to question him about the town1 feeding him dimes at intervals4 ,by and by the young lady came out1 looking royally unconscious of the young man with the suit-case1 and went her way4 8,isn't that young lady ,miss ,polly ,simpson80 asked ,jimmy1 with specious guile4 8,naw10 said the boy4 8,she's ,annabel ,adams4 ,her pa owns this bank4 ,what'd you come to ,elmore for8 ,is that a gold watch-chain8 ,i'm going to get a bulldog4 ,got any more dimes80 ,jimmy went to the ,planters' ,hotel1 registered as ,ralph ,d4 ,spencer1 and engaged a room4 ,he leaned on the desk and declared his platform to the clerk4 ,he said he had come to ,elmore to look for a location to go into business4 ,how was the shoe business1 now1 in the town8 ,he had thought of the shoe business4 ,was there an opening8 ,the clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of ,jimmy4 ,he1 himself1 was something of a pattern of fashion to the thinly gilded youth of ,elmore1 but he now perceived his shortcomings4 ,while trying to figure out ,jimmy's manner of tying his four-in-hand he cordially gave information4 ,yes1 there ought to be a good opening in the shoe line4 ,there wasn't an exclusive shoe-store in the place4 ,the dry-goods and general stores handled them4 ,business in all lines was fairly good4 ,hoped ,mr4 ,spencer would decide to locate in ,elmore4 ,he would find it a pleasant town to live in1 and the people very sociable4 ,mr4 ,spencer thought he would stop over in the town a few days and look over the situation4 ,no1 the clerk needn't call the boy4 ,he would carry up his suit-case1 himself2 it was rather heavy4 ,mr4 ,ralph ,spencer1 the phnix that arose from ,jimmy ,valentine's ashes--ashes left by the flame of a sudden and alterative attack of love--remained in ,elmore1 and prospered4 ,he opened a shoe-store and secured a good run of trade4 ,socially he was also a success1 and made many friends4 ,and he accomplished the wish of his heart4 ,he met ,miss ,annabel ,adams1 and became more and more captivated by her charms4 ,at the end of a year the situation of ,mr4 ,ralph ,spencer was this3 he had won the respect of the community1 his shoe-store was flourishing1 and he and ,annabel were engaged to be married in two weeks4 ,mr4 ,adams1 the typical1 plodding1 country banker1 approved of ,spencer4 ,annabel's pride in him almost equalled her affection4 ,he was as much at home in the family of ,mr4 ,adams and that of ,annabel's married sister as if he were already a member4 ,one day ,jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter1 which he mailed to the safe address of one of his old friends in ,st4 ,louis3 ,,dear ,,old ,,pal3 ,i want you to be at ,sullivan's place1 in ,little ,rock1 next ,wednesday night1 at nine o'clock4 ,i want you to wind up some little matters for me4 ,and1 also1 ,i want to make you a present of my kit of tools4 ,i know you'll be glad to get them--you couldn't duplicate the lot for a thousand dollars4 ,say1 ,billy1 ,i've quit the old business--a year ago4 ,i've got a nice store4 ,i'm making an honest living1 and ,i'm going to marry the finest girl on earth two weeks from now4 ,it's the only life1 ,billy--the straight one4 ,i wouldn't touch a dollar of another man's money now for a million4 ,after ,i get married ,i'm going to sell out and go ,west1 where there won't be so much danger of having old scores brought up against me4 ,i tell you1 ,billy1 she's an angel4 ,she believes in me2 and ,i wouldn't do another crooked thing for the whole world4 ,be sure to be at ,sully's1 for ,i must see you4 ,i'll bring the tools with me4 ,your old friend1 ,,jimmy4 ,on the ,monday night after ,jimmy wrote this letter1 ,ben ,price jogged unobtrusively into ,elmore in a livery buggy4 ,he lounged about town in his quiet way until he found out what he wanted to know4 ,from the drug-store across the street from ,spencer's shoe-store he got a good look at ,ralph ,d4 ,spencer4 8,going to marry the banker's daughter are you1 ,jimmy80 said ,ben to himself1 softly4 8,well1 ,i don't know60 ,the next morning ,jimmy took breakfast at the ,adamses4 ,he was going to ,little ,rock that day to order his wedding-suit and buy something nice for ,annabel4 ,that would be the first time he had left town since he came to ,elmore4 ,it had been more than a year now since those last professional 8jobs10 and he thought he could safely venture out4 ,after breakfast quite a family party went downtown together--,mr4 ,adams1 ,annabel1 ,jimmy1 and ,annabel's married sister with her two little girls1 aged five and nine4 ,they came by the hotel where ,jimmy still boarded1 and he ran up to his room and brought along his suit-case4 ,then they went on to the bank4 ,there stood ,jimmy's horse and buggy and ,dolph ,gibson1 who was going to drive him over to the railroad station4 ,all went inside the high1 carved oak railings into the banking-room--,jimmy included1 for ,mr4 ,adams's future son-in-law was welcome anywhere4 ,the clerks were pleased to be greeted by the good-looking1 agreeable young man who was going to marry ,miss ,annabel4 ,jimmy set his suit-case down4 ,annabel1 whose heart was bubbling with lively youth1 put on ,jimmy's hat1 and picked up the suit-case4 8,wouldn't ,i make a nice drummer80 said ,annabel4 8,my6 ,ralph1 how heavy it is8 ,feels like it was full of gold bricks40 8,lot of nickel-plated shoe-horns in there10 said ,jimmy1 coolly1 8that ,i'm going to return4 ,thought ,i'd save express charges by taking them up4 ,i'm getting awfully economical40 ,the ,elmore ,bank had just put in a new safe and vault4 ,mr4 ,adams was very proud of it1 and insisted on an inspection by every one4 ,the vault was a small one1 but it had a new1 patented door4 ,it fastened with three solid steel bolts thrown simultaneously with a single handle1 and had a time-lock4 ,mr4 ,adams beamingly explained its workings to ,mr4 ,spencer1 who showed a courteous but not too intelligent interest4 ,the two children1 ,may and ,agatha1 were delighted by the shining metal and funny clock and knobs4 ,while they were thus engaged ,ben ,price sauntered in and leaned on his elbow1 looking casually inside between the railings4 ,he told the teller that he didn't want anything2 he was just waiting for a man he knew4 ,suddenly there was a scream or two from the women1 and a commotion4 ,unperceived by the elders1 ,may1 the nine-year-old girl1 in a spirit of play1 had shut ,agatha in the vault4 ,she had then shot the bolts and turned the knob of the combination as she had seen ,mr4 ,adams do4 ,the old banker sprang to the handle and tugged at it for a moment4 8,the door can't be opened10 he groaned4 8,the clock hasn't been wound nor the combination set40 ,agatha's mother screamed again1 hysterically4 8,hush60 said ,mr4 ,adams1 raising his trembling hand4 8,all be quiet for a moment4 ,agatha60 he called as loudly as he could4 8,listen to me40 ,during the following silence they could just hear the faint sound of the child wildly shrieking in the dark vault in a panic of terror4 8,my precious darling60 wailed the mother4 8,she will die of fright6 ,open the door6 ,oh1 break it open6 ,can't you men do something80 8,there isn't a man nearer than ,little ,rock who can open that door10 said ,mr4 ,adams1 in a shaky voice4 8,my ,god6 ,spencer1 what shall we do8 ,that child--she can't stand it long in there4 ,there isn't enough air1 and1 besides1 she'll go into convulsions from fright40 ,agatha's mother1 frantic now1 beat the door of the vault with her hands4 ,somebody wildly suggested dynamite4 ,annabel turned to ,jimmy1 her large eyes full of anguish1 but not yet despairing4 ,to a woman nothing seems quite impossible to the powers of the man she worships4 8,can't you do something1 ,ralph--try1 won't you80 ,he looked at her with a queer1 soft smile on his lips and in his keen eyes4 8,annabel10 he said1 8give me that rose you are wearing1 will you80 ,hardly believing that she heard him aright1 she unpinned the bud from the bosom of her dress1 and placed it in his hand4 ,jimmy stuffed it into his vest-pocket1 threw off his coat and pulled up his shirt-sleeves4 ,with that act ,ralph ,d4 ,spencer passed away and ,jimmy ,valentine took his place4 8,get away from the door1 all of you10 he commanded1 shortly4 ,he set his suit-case on the table1 and opened it out flat4 ,from that time on he seemed to be unconscious of the presence of any one else4 ,he laid out the shining1 queer implements swiftly and orderly1 whistling softly to himself as he always did when at work4 ,in a deep silence and immovable1 the others watched him as if under a spell4 ,in a minute ,jimmy's pet drill was biting smoothly into the steel door4 ,in ten minutes--breaking his own burglarious record--he threw back the bolts and opened the door4 ,agatha1 almost collapsed1 but safe1 was gathered into her mother's arms4 ,jimmy ,valentine put on his coat1 and walked outside the railings toward the front door4 ,as he went he thought he heard a far-away voice that he once knew call 8,ralph60 ,but he never hesitated4 ,at the door a big man stood somewhat in his way4 8,hello1 ,ben60 said ,jimmy1 still with his strange smile 8,got around at last1 have you8 ,well1 let's go4 ,i don't know that it makes much difference1 now40 ,and then ,ben ,price acted rather strangely4 8,guess you're mistaken1 ,mr4 ,spencer10 he said4 8,don't believe ,i recognize you4 ,you're buggy's waiting for you1 ain't it80 ,and ,ben ,price turned and strolled down the street4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,brother ,,leo ,by ,,phyllis ,,bottome ,,it was a sunny morning1 and ,i was on my way to ,torcello4 ,venice lay behind us a dazzling line1 with towers of gold against the blue lagoon4 ,all at once a breeze sprang up from the sea2 the small1 feathery islands seemed to shake and quiver1 and1 like leaves driven before a gale1 those flocks of colored butterflies1 the fishing-boats1 ran in before the storm4 ,far away to our left stood the ancient tower of ,altinum1 with the island of ,burano a bright pink beneath the towering clouds4 ,to our right1 and much nearer1 was a small cypress-covered islet4 ,one large umbrella-pine hung close to the sea1 and behind it rose the tower of the convent church4 ,the two gondoliers consulted together in hoarse cries and decided to make for it4 8,it is ,san ,francesco del ,deserto10 the elder explained to me4 8,it belongs to the little brown brothers1 who take no money and are very kind4 ,one would hardly believe these ones had any religion1 they are such a simple people1 and they live on fish and the vegetables they grow in their garden40 ,we fought the crooked little waves in silence after that2 only the high prow rebelled openly against its sudden twistings and turnings4 ,the arrowy-shaped gondola is not a structure made for the rough jostling of waves1 and the gondoliers put forth all their strength and skill to reach the tiny haven under the convent wall4 ,as we did so1 the black bars of cloud rushed down upon us in a perfect deluge of rain1 and we ran speechless and half drowned across the tossed field of grass and forget-me-nots to the convent door4 ,a shivering beggar sprang up from nowhere and insisted on ringing the bell for us4 ,the door opened1 and ,i saw before me a young brown brother with the merriest eyes ,i have ever seen4 ,they were unshadowed1 like a child's1 dancing and eager1 and yet there was a strange gentleness and patience about him1 too1 as if there was no hurry even about his eagerness4 ,he was very poorly dressed and looked thin4 ,i think he was charmed to see us1 though a little shy1 like a hospitable country hostess anxious to give pleasure1 but afraid that she has not much to offer citizens of a larger world4 8,what a tempest60 he exclaimed4 8,you have come at a good hour4 ,enter1 enter1 ,signore6 ,and your men1 will they not come in80 ,we found ourselves in a very small rose-red cloister2 in the middle of it was an old well under the open sky1 but above us was a sheltering roof spanned by slender arches4 ,the young monk hesitated for a moment1 smiling from me to the two gondoliers4 ,i think it occurred to him that we should like different entertainment1 for he said at last3 8,you men would perhaps like to sit in the porter's lodge for a while8 ,our ,brother ,lorenzo is there2 he is our chief fisherman1 with a great knowledge of the lagoons2 and he could light a fire for you to dry yourselves by--,signori4 ,and you1 if ,i mistake not1 are ,english1 are you not1 ,signore8 ,it is probable that you would like to see our chapel4 ,it is not much4 ,we are very proud of it1 but that1 you know1 is because it was founded by our blessed father1 ,saint ,francis4 ,he believed in poverty1 and we also believe in it1 but it does not give much for people to see4 ,that is a misfortune1 to come all this way and to see nothing40 ,brother ,leo looked at me a little wistfully4 ,i think he feared that ,i should be disappointed4 ,then he passed before me with swift1 eager feet toward the little chapel4 ,it was a very little chapel and quite bare2 behind the altar some monks were chanting an office4 ,it was clean1 and there were no pictures or images1 only1 as ,i knelt there1 ,i felt as if the little island in its desert of waters had indeed secreted some vast treasure1 and as if the chapel1 empty as it had seemed at first1 was full of invisible possessions4 ,as for ,brother ,leo1 he had stood beside me nervously for a moment2 but on seeing that ,i was prepared to kneel1 he started1 like a bird set free1 toward the altar steps1 where his lithe young impetuosity sank into sudden peace4 ,he knelt there so still1 so rapt1 so incased in his listening silence1 that he might have been part of the stone pavement4 ,yet his earthly senses were alive1 for the moment ,i rose he was at my side again1 as patient and courteous as ever1 though ,i felt as if his inner ear were listening still to some unheard melody4 ,we stood again in the pink cloister4 8,there is little to see10 he repeated4 8,we are poverelli2 it has been like this for seven hundred years40 ,he smiled as if that age-long1 simple service of poverty were a light matter1 an excuse1 perhaps1 in the eyes of the citizen of a larger world for their having nothing to show4 ,only the citizen1 as he looked at ,brother ,leo1 had a sudden doubt as to the size of the world outside4 ,was it as large1 half as large1 even1 as the eager young heart beside him which had chosen poverty as a bride8 ,the rain fell monotonously against the stones of the tiny cloister4 8,what a tempest60 said ,brother ,leo1 smiling contentedly at the sky4 8,you must come in and see our father4 ,i sent word by the porter of your arrival1 and ,i am sure he will receive you2 that will be a pleasure for him1 for he is of the great world1 too4 ,a very learnd man1 our father2 he knows the ,french and the ,english tongue4 ,once he went to ,rome2 also he has been several times to ,venice4 ,he has been a great traveler40 8,and you10 ,i asked--8have you also traveled80 ,brother ,leo shook his head4 8,i have sometimes looked at ,venice10 he said1 8across the water1 and once ,i went to ,burano with the marketing brother2 otherwise1 no1 ,i have not traveled4 ,but being a guest-brother1 you see1 ,i meet often with those who have1 like your ,excellency1 for instance1 and that is a great education40 ,we reached the door of the monastery1 and ,i felt sorry when another brother opened to us1 and ,brother ,leo1 with the most cordial of farewell smiles1 turned back across the cloister to the chapel door4 8,even if he does not hurry1 he will still find prayer there10 said a quiet voice beside me4 ,i turned to look at the speaker4 ,he was a tall old man with white hair and eyes like small blue flowers1 very bright and innocent1 with the same look of almost superb contentment in them that ,i had seen in ,brother ,leo's eyes4 8,but what will you have80 he added with a twinkle4 8,the young are always afraid of losing time2 it is1 perhaps1 because they have so much4 ,but enter1 ,signore6 ,if you will be so kind as to excuse the refectory1 it will give me much pleasure to bring you a little refreshment4 ,you will pardon that we have not much to offer80 ,the father--for ,i found out afterward that he was the superior himself--brought me bread and wine1 made in the convent1 and waited on me with his own hands4 ,then he sat down on a narrow bench opposite to watch me smoke4 ,i offered him one of my cigarettes1 but he shook his head1 smiling4 8,i used to smoke once10 he said4 8,i was very particular about my tobacco4 ,i think it was similar to yours--at least the aroma1 which ,i enjoy very much1 reminds me of it4 ,it is curious1 is it not1 the pleasure we derive from remembering what we once had8 ,but perhaps it is not altogether a pleasure unless one is glad that one has not got it now4 ,here one is free from things4 ,i sometimes fear one may be a little indulgent about one's liberty4 ,space1 solitude1 and love--it is all very intoxicating40 ,there was nothing in the refectory except the two narrow benches on which we sat1 and a long trestled board which formed the table2 the walls were white-washed and bare1 the floor was stone4 ,i found out later that the brothers ate and drank nothing except bread and wine and their own vegetables in season1 a little macaroni sometimes in winter1 and in summer figs out of their own garden4 ,they slept on bare boards1 with one thin blanket winter and summer alike4 ,the fish they caught they sold at ,burano or gave to the poor4 ,there was no doubt that they enjoyed very great freedom from 8things40 ,it was a strange experience to meet a man who never had heard of a flying-machine and who could not understand why it was important to save time by using the telephone or the wireless-telegraphy system2 but despite the fact that the father seemed very little impressed by our modern urgencies1 ,i never have met a more intelligent listener or one who seized more quickly on all that was essential in an explanation4 8,you must not think we do nothing at all1 we lazy ones who follow old paths10 he said in answer to one of my questions4 8,there are only eight of us brothers1 and there is the garden1 fishing1 cleaning1 and praying4 ,we are sent for1 too1 from ,burano to go and talk a little with the people there1 or from some island on the lagoons which perhaps no priest can reach in the winter4 ,it is easy for us1 with our little boat and no cares40 8,but ,brother ,leo told me he had been to ,burano only once10 ,i said4 8,that seems strange when you are so near40 8,yes he went only once1 said the father1 and for a moment or two he was silent1 and ,i found his blue eyes on mine1 as if he were weighing me4 8,brother ,leo10 said the superior at last1 8is our youngest4 ,he is very young1 younger perhaps than his years2 but we have brought him up altogether1 you see4 ,his parents died of cholera within a few days of each other4 ,as there were no relatives1 we took him1 and when he was seventeen he decided to join our order4 ,he has always been happy with us1 but one cannot say that he has seen much of the world40 ,he paused again1 and once more ,i felt his blue eyes searching mine4 8,who knows80 he said finally4 8,perhaps you were sent here to help me4 ,i have prayed for two years on the subject1 and that seems very likely4 ,the storm is increasing1 and you will not be able to return until to-morrow4 ,this evening1 if you will allow me1 we will speak more on this matter4 ,meanwhile ,i will show you our spare room4 ,brother ,lorenzo will see that you are made as comfortable as we can manage4 ,it is a great privilege for us to have this opportunity2 believe me1 we are not ungrateful40 ,it would have been of no use to try to explain to him that it was for us to feel gratitude4 ,it was apparent that none of the brothers had ever learned that important lesson of the worldly respectable--that duty is what other people ought to do4 ,they were so busy thinking of their own obligations as to overlook entirely the obligations of others4 ,it was not that they did not think of others4 ,i think they thought only of one another1 but they thought without a shadow of judgment1 with that bright1 spontaneous love of little children1 too interested to point a moral4 ,indeed1 they seemed to me very like a family of happy children listening to a fairy-story and knowing that the tale is true4 ,after supper the superior took me to his office4 ,the rain had ceased1 but the wind howled and shrieked across the lagoons1 and ,i could hear the waves breaking heavily against the island4 ,there was a candle on the desk1 and the tiny1 shadowy cell looked like a picture by ,rembrandt4 8,the rain has ceased now10 the father said quietly1 8and to-morrow the waves will have gone down1 and you1 ,signore1 will have left us4 ,it is in your power to do us all a great favor4 ,i have thought much whether ,i shall ask it of you1 and even now ,i hesitate2 but ,scripture nowhere tells us that the kingdom of heaven was taken by precaution1 nor do ,i imagine that in this world things come oftenest to those who refrain from asking4 8,all of us10 he continued1 8have come here after seeing something of the outside world2 some of us even had great possessions4 ,leo alone knows nothing of it1 and has possessed nothing1 nor did he ever wish to2 he has been willing that nothing should be his own1 not a flower in the garden1 not anything but his prayers1 and even these ,i think he has oftenest shared4 ,but the visit to ,burano put an idea in his head4 ,it is1 perhaps you know1 a factory town where they make lace1 and the people live there with good wages1 many of them1 but also much poverty4 ,there is a poverty which is a grace1 but there is also a poverty which is a great misery1 and this ,leo never had seen before4 ,he did not know that poverty could be a pain4 ,it filled him with a great horror1 and in his heart there was a certain rebellion4 ,it seemed to him that in a world with so much money no one should suffer for the lack of it4 8,it was useless for me to point out to him that in a world where there is so much health ,god has permitted sickness2 where there is so much beauty1 ugliness2 where there is so much holiness1 sin4 ,it is not that there is any lack in the gifts of ,god2 all are there1 and in abundance1 but ,he has left their distribution to the soul of man4 ,it is easy for me to believe this4 ,i have known what money can buy and what it cannot buy2 but ,brother ,leo1 who never has owned a penny1 how should he know anything of the ways of pennies8 8,i saw that he could not be contented with my answer2 and then this other idea came to him--the idea that is1 ,i think1 the blessd hope of youth3 that this thing being wrong1 he1 ,leo1 must protest against it1 must resist it6 ,surely1 if money can do wonders1 we who set ourselves to work the will of ,god should have more control of this wonder-working power8 ,he fretted against his rule4 ,he did not permit himself to believe that our blessd father1 ,saint ,francis1 was wrong1 but it was a hardship for him to refuse alms from our kindly visitors4 ,he thought the beggars' rags would be made whole by gold2 he wanted to give them more than bread1 he wanted1 poverino6 to buy happiness for the whole world40 ,the father paused1 and his dark1 thought-lined face lighted up with a sudden1 beautiful smile till every feature seemed as young as his eyes4 8,i do not think the human being ever has lived who has not thought that he ought to have happiness10 he said4 8,we begin at once to get ready for heaven2 but heaven is a long way off4 ,we make haste slowly4 ,it takes us all our lives1 and perhaps purgatory1 to get to the bottom of our own hearts4 ,that is the last place in which we look for heaven1 but ,i think it is the first in which we shall find it40 8,but it seems to me extraordinary that1 if ,brother ,leo has this thing so much on his mind1 he should look so happy10 ,i exclaimed4 8,that is the first thing ,i noticed about him40 8,yes1 it is not for himself that he is searching10 said the superior4 8,if it were1 ,i should not wish him to go out into the world1 because ,i should not expect him to find anything there4 ,his heart is utterly at rest2 but though he is personally happy1 this thing troubles him4 ,his prayers are eating into his soul like flame1 and in time this fire of pity and sorrow will become a serious menace to his peace4 ,besides1 ,i see in ,leo a great power of sympathy and understanding4 ,he has in him the gift of ruling other souls4 ,he is very young to rule his own soul1 and yet he rules it4 ,when ,i die1 it is probable that he will be called to take my place1 and for that it is necessary he should have seen clearly that our rule is right4 ,at present he accepts it in obedience1 but he must have more than obedience in order to teach it to others2 he must have a personal light4 8,this1 then1 is the favor ,i have to ask of you1 ,signore4 ,i should like to have you take ,brother ,leo to ,venice to-morrow1 and1 if you have the time at your disposal1 ,i should like you to show him the towers1 the churches1 the palaces1 and the poor who are still so poor4 ,i wish him to see how people spend money1 both the good and the bad4 ,i wish him to see the world4 ,perhaps then it will come to him as it came to me--that money is neither a curse nor a blessing in itself1 but only one of ,god's mysteries1 like the dust in a sunbeam40 8,i will take him very gladly2 but will one day be enough80 ,i answered4 ,the superior arose and smiled again4 8,ah1 we slow worms of earth10 he said1 8are quick about some things6 ,you have learned to save time by flying-machines2 we1 too1 have certain methods of flight4 ,brother ,leo learns all his lessons that way4 ,i hardly see him start before he arrives4 ,you must not think ,i am so myself4 ,no1 no4 ,i am an old man who has lived a long life learning nothing1 but ,i have seen ,leo grow like a flower in a tropic night4 ,i thank you1 my friend1 for this great favor4 ,i think ,god will reward you40 ,brother ,lorenzo took me to my bedroom2 he was a talkative old man1 very anxious for my comfort4 ,he told me that there was an office in the chapel at two o'clock1 and one at five to begin the day1 but he hoped that ,i should sleep through them4 8,they are all very well for us10 he explained1 8but for a stranger1 what cold1 what disturbance1 and what a difficulty to arrange the right thoughts in the head during chapel6 ,even for me it is a great temptation4 ,i find my mind running on coffee in the morning1 a thing we have only on great feast-days4 ,i may say that ,i have fought this thought for seven years1 but though a small devil1 perhaps1 it is a very strong one4 ,now1 if you should hear our bell in the night1 as a favor pray that ,i may not think about coffee4 ,such an imperfection6 ,i say to myself1 the sin of ,esau6 ,but he1 you know1 had some excuse2 he had been hunting4 ,now1 ,i ask you--one has not much chance of that on this little island2 one has only one's sins to hunt1 and1 alas6 they don't run away as fast as one could wish6 ,i am afraid they are tame1 these ones4 ,may your ,excellency sleep like the blessd saints1 only a trifle longer60 ,i did sleep a trifle longer2 indeed1 ,i was quite unable to assist ,brother ,lorenzo to resist his coffee devil during chapel-time4 ,i did not wake till my tiny cell was flooded with sunshine and full of the sound of ,st4 ,francis's birds4 ,through my window ,i could see the fishing-boats pass by4 ,first came one with a pair of lemon-yellow sails1 like floating primroses2 then a boat as scarlet as a dancing flame1 and half a dozen others painted some with jokes and some with incidents in the lives of patron saints1 all gliding out over the blue lagoon to meet the golden day4 ,i rose1 and from my window ,i saw ,brother ,leo in the garden4 ,he was standing under ,st4 ,francis's tree--the old gnarled umbrella-pine which hung over the convent-wall above the water by the island's edge4 ,his back was toward me1 and he was looking out over the blue stretch of lagoon into the distance1 where ,venice lay like a moving cloud at the horizon's edge2 but a mist hid her from his eyes1 and while ,i watched him he turned back to the garden-bed and began pulling out weeds4 ,the gondoliers were already at the tiny pier when ,i came out4 8,per ,bacco1 ,signore60 the elder explained4 8,let us hasten back to ,venice and make up for the ,lent we have had here4 ,the brothers gave us all they had1 the holy ones--a little wine1 a little bread1 cheese that couldn't fatten one's grandmother1 and no macaroni--not so much as would go round a baby's tongue6 ,for my part1 ,i shall wait till ,i get to heaven to fast1 and pay some attention to my stomach while ,i have one40 ,and he spat on his hands and looked toward ,venice4 8,and not an image in the chapel60 agreed the younger man4 8,why1 there is nothing to pray to but the ,signore ,dio ,himself6 ,veramente1 ,signore1 you are a witness that ,i speak nothing but the truth40 ,the father superior and ,leo appeared at this moment down the path between the cypresses4 ,the father gave me thanks and spoke in a friendly way to the gondoliers1 who for their part expressed a very pretty gratitude in their broad ,venetian patois1 one of them saying that the hospitality of the monks had been like paradise itself1 and the other hasting to agree with him4 ,the two monks did not speak to each other1 but as the gondolier turned the huge prow toward ,venice1 a long look passed between them--such a look as a father and son might exchange if the son were going out to war1 while his father1 remembering old campaigns1 was yet bound to stay at home4 ,it was a glorious day in early ,june2 the last traces of the storm had vanished from the serene1 still waters2 a vague curtain of heat and mist hung and shimmered between ourselves and ,venice2 far away lay the little islands in the lagoon1 growing out of the water like strange sea-flowers4 ,behind us stood ,san ,francesco del ,deserto1 with long reflections of its one pink tower and arrowy1 straight cypresses1 soft under the blue water4 ,the father superior walked slowly back to the convent1 his brown-clad figure a shining shadow between the two black rows of cypresses4 ,brother ,leo waited till he had disappeared1 then turned his eager eyes toward ,venice4 ,illustration3 ,he was looking out over the blue stretch of lagoon into the distance where ,venice lay ,as we approached the city the milky sea of mist retreated1 and her towers sprang up to greet us4 ,i saw a look in ,brother ,leo's eyes that was not fear or wholly pleasure2 yet there was in it a certain awe and a strange1 tentative joy1 as if something in him stretched out to greet the world4 ,he muttered half to himself3 8,what a great world1 and how many children il ,signore ,dio has60 ,when we reached the piazzetta1 and he looked up at the amazing splendor of the ducal palace1 that building of soft yellow1 with its pointed arches and double loggias of white marble1 he spread out both hands in an ecstasy4 8,but what a miracle60 he cried4 8,what a joy to ,god and to ,his angels6 ,how ,i wish my brothers could see this6 ,do you not imagine that some good man was taken to paradise to see this great building and brought back here to copy it80 8,chi lo sa80 ,i replied guardedly1 and we landed by the column of the ,lion of ,st4 ,mark's4 ,that noble beast1 astride on his pedestal1 with wings outstretched1 delighted the young monk1 who walked round and round him4 8,what a tribute to the saint60 he exclaimed4 8,look1 they have his wings1 too4 ,is not that faith80 8,come10 ,i said1 8let us go on to ,saint ,mark's4 ,i think you would like to go there first2 it is the right way to begin our pilgrimage40 ,the piazza was not very full at that hour of the morning1 and its emptiness increased the feeling of space and size4 ,the pigeons wheeled and circled to and fro1 a dazzle of soft plumage1 and the cluster of golden domes and sparkling minarets glittered in the sunshine like flames4 ,every image and statue on ,st4 ,mark's wavered in great lines of light like a living pageant in a sea of gold4 ,brother ,leo said nothing as he stood in front of the three great doorways that lead into the church4 ,he stood quite still for a while1 and then his eyes fell on a beggar beside the pink and cream of the new campanile1 and ,i saw the wistfulness in his eyes suddenly grow as deep as pain4 8,have you money1 ,signore80 he asked me4 ,that seemed to him the only question4 ,i gave the man something1 but ,i explained to ,brother ,leo that he was probably not so poor as he looked4 8,they live in rags10 ,i explained1 8because they wish to arouse pity4 ,many of them need not beg at all40 8,is it possible80 asked ,brother ,leo1 gravely2 then he followed me under the brilliant doorways of mosaic which lead into the richer dimness of ,st4 ,mark's4 ,when he found himself within that great incrusted jewel1 he fell on his knees4 ,i think he hardly saw the golden roof1 the jeweled walls1 and the five lifted domes full of sunshine and old gold1 or the dark altars1 with their mysterious1 rich shimmering4 ,all these seemed to pass away beyond the sense of sight2 even ,i felt somehow as if those great walls of ,st4 ,mark's were not so great as ,i had fancied4 ,something greater was kneeling there in an old habit and with bare feet1 half broken-hearted because a beggar had lied4 ,i found myself regretting the responsibility laid on my shoulders4 ,why should ,i have been compelled to take this strangely innocent1 sheltered boy1 with his fantastic third-century ideals1 out into the shoddy1 decorative1 unhappy world8 ,i even felt a kind of anger at the simplicity of his soul4 ,i wished he were more like other people2 ,i suppose because he had made me wish for a moment that ,i was less like them4 8,what do you think of ,saint ,mark's80 ,i asked him as we stood once more in the hot sunshine outside1 with the strutting pigeons at our feet and wheeling over our heads4 ,brother ,leo did not answer for a moment1 then he said3 8,i think ,saint ,mark would feel it a little strange4 ,you see1 ,i do not think he was a great man in the world1 and the great in paradise--0 ,he stooped and lifted a pigeon with a broken foot nearer to some corn a passer-by was throwing for the birds4 8,i cannot think10 he finished gravely1 8that they care very much for palaces in paradise2 ,i should think every one had them there or else--nobody40 ,i was surprised to see the pigeons that wheeled away at my approach allow the monk to handle them1 but they seemed unaware of his touch4 8,poverino60 he said to the one with the broken foot4 8,thank ,god that ,he has given you wings60 ,brother ,leo spoke to every child he met1 and they all answered him as if there was a secret freemasonry between them2 but the grown-up people he passed with troubled eyes4 8,it seems strange to me10 he said at last1 8not to speak to these brothers and sisters of ours1 and yet ,i see all about me that they do not salute one another40 8,they are many1 and they are all strangers10 ,i tried to explain4 8,yes1 they are very many10 he said a little sadly4 8,i had not known that there were so many people in the world1 and ,i thought that in a ,christian country they would not be strangers40 ,i took another gondola by the nearest bridge1 and we rowed to the ,frari4 ,i hardly knew what effect that great church1 with its famous ,titian1 would have upon him4 ,a group of tourists surrounded the picture4 ,i heard a young lady exclaiming3 8,my6 but ,i'd like her veil6 ,ain't she cute1 looking round it that way80 ,brother ,leo did not pause2 he passed as if by instinct toward the chapel on the right which holds the softest1 tenderest of ,bellinis4 ,there1 before the ,madonna with her four saints and two small attendant cherubs1 he knelt again1 and his eyes filled with tears4 ,i do not think he heard the return of the tourists1 who were rather startled at seeing him there4 ,the elder lady remarked that he might have some infectious disease1 and the younger that she did not think much of ,bellini1 anyway4 ,he knelt for some time1 and ,i had not the heart to disturb him2 indeed1 ,i had no wish to1 either1 for ,bellini's 8,madonna0 is my favorite picture1 and that morning ,i saw in it more than ,i had ever seen before4 ,it seemed to me as if that triumphant1 mellow glow of the great master was an eternal thing1 and as if the saints and their gracious ,lady1 with the stalwart1 standing ,child upon her knee1 were more real than flesh and blood1 and would still be more real when flesh and blood had ceased to be4 ,i never have recaptured the feeling2 perhaps there was something infectious about ,brother ,leo1 after all4 ,he made no comment on the ,madonna1 nor did ,i expect one1 for we do not need to assert that we find the object of our worship beautiful2 but ,i was amused at his calm refusal to look upon the great ,titian as a ,madonna at all4 8,no1 no10 he said firmly4 8,this one is no doubt some good and gracious lady1 but the ,madonna6 ,signore1 you jest4 ,or1 if the painter thought so1 he was deceived by the devil4 ,yes1 that is very possible4 ,the father has often told us that artists are exposed to great temptations3 their eyes see paradise before their souls have reached it1 and that is a great danger40 ,i said no more1 and we passed out into the street again4 ,i felt ashamed to say that ,i wanted my luncheon1 but ,i did say so1 and it did not seem in the least surprising to ,brother ,leo2 he merely drew out a small wallet and offered me some bread1 which he said the father had given him for our needs4 ,i told him that he must not dream of eating that2 he was to come and dine with me at my hotel4 ,he replied that he would go wherever ,i liked1 but that really he would prefer to eat his bread unless indeed we were so fortunate as to find a beggar who would like it4 ,however1 we were not so fortunate1 and ,i was compelled to eat my exceedingly substantial five-course luncheon while my companion sat opposite me and ate his half-loaf of black bread with what appeared to be appetite and satisfaction4 ,he asked me a great many questions about what everything in the room was used for and what everything cost1 and appeared very much surprised at my answers4 8,this1 then10 he said1 8is not like all the other houses in ,venice8 ,is it a special house--perhaps for the ,english only80 ,i explained to him that most houses contained tables and chairs2 that this1 being a hotel1 was in some ways even less furnished than a private house1 though doubtless it was larger and was arranged with a special eye to foreign requirements4 8,but the poor--they do not live like this80 ,leo asked4 ,i had to own that the poor did not4 8,but the people here are rich80 ,leo persisted4 8,well1 yes1 ,i suppose so1 tolerably well off10 ,i admitted4 8,how miserable they must be60 exclaimed ,leo1 compassionately4 8,are they not allowed to give away their money80 ,this seemed hardly the way to approach the question of the rich and the poor1 and ,i do not know that ,i made it any better by an after-dinner exposition upon capital and labor4 ,i finished1 of course1 by saying that if the rich gave to the poor to-day1 there would still be rich and poor to-morrow4 ,it did not sound very convincing to me1 and it did nothing whatever to convince ,brother ,leo4 8,that is perhaps true10 he said at last4 8,one would not wish1 however1 to give all into unready hands like that poor beggar this morning who knew no better than to pretend in order to get more money4 ,no1 that would be the gift of a madman4 ,but could not the rich use their money in trust for the poor1 and help and teach them little by little till they learned how to share their labor and their wealth8 ,but you know how ignorant am ,i who speak to you4 ,it is probable that this is what is already being done even here now in ,venice and all over the world4 ,it would not be left to a little one like me to think of it4 ,what an idea for the brothers at home to laugh at60 8,some people do think these things10 ,i admitted4 8,but do not all80 asked ,brother ,leo1 incredulously4 8,no1 not all10 ,i confessed4 8,andiamo60 said ,leo1 rising resolutely4 8,let us pray to the ,madonna4 ,what a vexation it must be to her and to all the blessd saints to watch the earth6 ,it needs the patience of the ,blessd ,one ,himself1 to bear it40 ,in the ,palazzo ,giovanelli there is one of the loveliest of ,giorgiones4 ,it is called 8,his ,family10 and it represents a beautiful nude woman with her child and her lover4 ,it seemed to me an outrage that this young brother should know nothing of the world1 of life4 ,i was determined that he should see this picture4 ,i think ,i expected ,brother ,leo to be shocked when he saw it4 ,i know ,i was surprised that he looked at it--at the serene content of earth1 its exquisite ultimate satisfaction--a long time4 ,then he said in an awed voice3 8,it is so beautiful that it is strange any one in all the world can doubt the love of ,god who gave it40 8,have you ever seen anything more beautiful2 do you believe there is anything more beautiful80 ,i asked rather cruelly4 8,yes10 said ,brother ,leo1 very quietly2 8the love of ,god is more beautiful1 only that cannot be painted40 ,after that ,i showed him no more pictures1 nor did ,i try to make him understand life4 ,i had an idea that he understood it already rather better than ,i did4 ,when ,i took him back to the piazza1 it was getting on toward sunset1 and we sat at one of the little tables at ,florian's1 where ,i drank coffee4 ,we heard the band and watched the slow-moving1 good-natured ,venetian crowd1 and the pigeons winging their perpetual flight4 ,all the light of the gathered day seemed to fall on the great golden church at the end of the piazza4 ,brother ,leo did not look at it very much2 his attention was taken up completely in watching the faces of the crowd1 and as he watched them ,i thought to read in his face what he had learned in that one day in ,venice--whether my mission had been a success or a failure2 but1 though ,i looked long at that simple and childlike face1 ,i learned nothing4 ,what is so mysterious as the eyes of a child8 ,but ,i was not destined to part from ,brother ,leo wholly in ignorance4 ,it was as if1 in his open kindliness of nature1 he would not leave me with any unspoken puzzle between us4 ,i had been his friend and he told me1 because it was the way things seemed to him1 that ,i had been his teacher4 ,we stood on the piazzetta4 ,i had hired a gondola with two men to row him back2 the water was like beaten gold1 and the horizon the softest shade of pink4 8,this day ,i shall remember all my life10 he said1 8and you in my prayers with all the world--always1 always4 ,only ,i should like to tell you that that little idea of mine1 which the father told me he had spoken to you about1 ,i see now that it is too large for me4 ,i am only a very poor monk4 ,i should think ,i must be the poorest monk ,god has in all ,his family of monks4 ,if ,he can be patient1 surely ,i can4 ,and it came over me while we were looking at all those wonderful things1 that if money had been the way to save the world1 ,christ himself would have been rich4 ,it was stupid of me4 ,i did not remember that when he wanted to feed the multitude1 he did not empty the great granaries that were all his1 too2 he took only five loaves and two small fishes2 but they were enough4 8,we little ones can pray1 and ,god can change ,his world4 ,speriamo60 ,he smiled as he gave me his hand--a smile which seemed to me as beautiful as anything we had seen that day in ,venice4 ,then the high-prowed1 black gondola glided swiftly out over the golden waters with the little brown figure seated in the smallest seat4 ,he turned often to wave to me1 but ,i noticed that he sat with his face away from ,venice4 ,he had turned back to ,san ,francesco del ,deserto1 and ,i knew as ,i looked at his face that he carried no single small regret in his eager heart4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a ,,fight ,,with ,,death#aj ,by ,,ian ,,maclaren ,footnote #aj3 ,from ,beside the ,bonnie ,brier ,bush4 ,copyright1 #ahid1 by ,dodd1 ,mead ,company4 ,,when ,drumsheugh's grieve was brought to the gates of death by fever1 caught1 as was supposed1 on an adventurous visit to ,glasgow1 the ,london doctor at ,lord ,kilspindie's shooting lodge looked in on his way from the moor1 and declared it impossible for ,saunders to live through the night4 8,i give him six hours1 more or less2 it is only a question of time10 said the oracle1 buttoning his gloves and getting into the brake4 8,tell your parish doctor that ,i was sorry not to have met him40 ,bell heard this verdict from behind the door1 and gave way utterly1 but ,drumsheugh declined to accept it as final1 and devoted himself to consolation4 8,dinna greet like that1 ,bell1 wumman1 sae lang as ,saunders is still livin'2 a'll never give up houp1 for ma pairt1 till oor ain man says the word4 8,a' the doctors in the land dinna ken as muckle aboot us as ,weelum ,mac,lure1 an' he's ill tae beat when he's tryin' tae save a man's life40 ,mac,lure1 on his coming1 would say nothing1 either weal or woe1 till he had examined ,saunders4 ,suddenly his face turned into iron before their eyes1 and he looked like one encountering a merciless foe4 ,for there was a feud between ,mac,lure and a certain mighty power which had lasted for forty years in ,drumtochty4 8,the ,london doctor said that ,saunders wud sough awa' afore mornin'1 did he8 ,weel1 he's an' authority on fevers an' sic like diseases1 an' ought tae ken4 8,it's may be presumptuous o' me tae differ frae him1 and it wudna be verra respectfu' o' ,saunders tae live aifter this opeenion4 ,but ,saunders wes aye thraun an' ill tae drive1 an' he's as like as no tae gang his ain gait4 8,a'm no meanin' tae reflect on sae clever a man1 but he didna ken the seetuation4 ,he can read fevers like a buik1 but he never cam' across sic a thing as the ,drumtochty constitution a' his days4 8,ye see1 when onybody gets as low as puir ,saunders here1 it's a juist a hand-to-hand wrastle atween the fever and his constitution1 an' of coorse1 if he hed been a shilpit1 stuntit1 feckless effeegy o' a cratur1 fed on tea an' made dishes and pushioned wi' bad air1 ,saunders wud hae nae chance2 he wes boond tae gae oot like the snuff o' a candle4 8,but ,saunders has been fillin' his lungs for five and thirty year wi' strong ,drumtochty air1 an' eatin' naethin' but kirny aitmeal1 and drinkin' naethin' but fresh milk frae the coo1 an' followin' the ploo through the new-turned1 sweet-smellin' earth1 an' swingin' the scythe in haytime and harvest1 till the legs an' airms o' him were iron1 an' his chest wes like the cuttin' o' an oak tree4 8,he's a waesome sicht the nicht1 but ,saunders wes a buirdly man aince1 and wull never lat his life be taken lichtly frae him4 ,na1 na2 he hesna sinned against ,nature1 and ,nature 'ill stand by him noo in his oor o' distress4 8,a' daurna say yea1 ,bell1 muckle as a' wud like1 for this is an evil disease1 cunnin' an' treacherous as the deevil himsel'1 but a' winna say nay1 sae keep yir hert frae despair4 8,it wull be a sair fecht1 but it 'ill be settled one wy or anither by six o'clock the morn's morn4 ,nae man can prophecee hoo it 'ill end1 but ae thing is certain1 a'll no see ,deith tak a ,drumtochty man afore his time if a' can help it4 8,noo1 ,bell1 ma wumman1 yir near deid wi' tire1 an' nae wonder4 ,ye've dune a' ye cud for yir man an' ye 'ill lippen 7trust7 him the nicht tae ,drumsheugh an' me2 we 'ill no fail him or you4 8,lie doon an' rest1 an' if it be the wull o' the ,almichty a'll wauken ye in the mornin' tae see a livin'1 conscious man1 an' if it be itherwise a'll come for ye the suner1 ,bell10 and the big red hand went out to the anxious wife4 8,a' gie ye ma word40 ,bell leant over the bed1 and at the sight of ,saunders' face a superstitious dread seized her4 8,see1 doctor1 the shadow of deith is on him that never lifts4 ,a've seen it afore1 on ma father an' mither4 ,a' canna leave him2 a' canna leave him60 8,it's hoverin'1 ,bell1 but it hesna fallen2 please ,god it never wull4 ,gang but and get some sleep1 for it's time we were at oor wark4 8,the doctors in the toons hae nurses an' a' kinds o' handy apparatus10 said ,mac,lure to ,drumsheugh when ,bell had gone1 8but you an' me 'ill need tae be nurse the nicht1 an' use sic things as we hev4 8,it 'ill be a lang nicht and anxious wark1 but a' wud raither hae ye1 auld freend1 wi' me than ony man in the ,glen4 ,ye're no feared tae gie a hand80 8,me feared8 ,no likely4 ,man1 ,saunders cam' tae me a haflin1 an' hes been on ,drumsheugh for twenty years1 an' though he be a dour chiel1 he's a faithfu' servant as ever lived4 ,it's waesome tae see him lyin' there moanin' like some dumb animal frae mornin' to nicht1 an' no able tae answer his ain wife when she speaks4 8,div ye think1 ,weelum1 he hes a chance80 8,that he hes1 at ony rate1 and it 'ill no be your blame or mine if he hesna mair40 ,while he was speaking1 ,mac,lure took off his coat and waistcoat and hung them on the back of the door4 ,then he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and laid bare two arms that were nothing but bone and muscle4 8,it gar'd ma very blood rin faster tae the end of ma fingers juist tae look at him10 ,drumsheugh expatiated afterwards to ,hillocks1 8for a' saw noo that there was tae be a stand-up fecht atween him an' ,deith for ,saunders1 and when a' thocht o' ,bell an' her bairns1 a' kent wha wud win4 8#8,aff wi' yir coat1 ,drumsheugh1' said ,mac,lure2 #8ye 'ill need tae bend yir back the nicht2 gither a' the pails in the hoose and fill them at the spring1 an' a'll come doon tae help ye wi' the carryin'4'0 ,it was a wonderful ascent up the steep pathway from the spring to the cottage on its little knoll1 the two men in single file1 bareheaded1 silent1 solemn1 each with a pail of water in either hand1 ,mac,lure limping painfully in front1 ,drumsheugh blowing behind2 and when they laid down their burden in the sick room1 where the bits of furniture had been put to a side and a large tub held the centre1 ,drumsheugh looked curiously at the doctor4 8,no1 a'm no daft2 ye needna be feared2 but yir tae get yir first lesson in medicine the nicht1 an' if we win the battle ye can set up for yersel' in the ,glen4 8,there's twa dangers--that ,saunders' strength fails1 an' that the force o' the fever grows2 and we have juist twa weapons4 8,yon milk on the drawers' head an' the bottle of whisky is tae keep up the strength1 and this cool caller water is tae keep doon the fever4 8,we 'ill cast oot the fever by the virtue o' the earth an' the water40 8,div ye mean tae pit ,saunders in the tub80 8,ye hiv it noo1 ,drumsheugh1 and that's hoo a' need yir help40 8,man1 ,hillocks10 ,drumsheugh used to moralise1 as often as he remembered that critical night1 8it wes humblin' tae see how low sickness can bring a pooerfu' man1 an' ocht tae keep us frae pride4 8,a month syne there wesna a stronger man in the ,glen than ,saunders1 an' noo he wes juist a bundle o' skin and bone1 that naither saw nor heard1 nor moved nor felt1 that kent naethin' that was dune tae him4 8,hillocks1 a' wudna hae wished ony man tae hev seen ,saunders--for it wull never pass frae before ma een as long as a' live--but a' wish a' the ,glen hed stude by ,mac,lure kneelin' on the floor wi' his sleeves up tae his oxters and waitin' on ,saunders4 8,yon big man wes as pitifu' an' gentle as a wumman1 and when he laid the puir fallow in his bed again1 he happit him ower as a mither dis her bairn40 ,thrice it was done1 ,drumsheugh ever bringing up colder water from the spring1 and twice ,mac,lure was silent2 but after the third time there was a gleam in his eye4 8,we're haudin' oor ain2 we're no bein' maistered1 at ony rate2 mair a' canna say for three oors4 8,we 'ill no need the water again1 ,drumsheugh2 gae oot and tak a breath o' air2 a'm on gaird masel'40 ,it was the hour before daybreak1 and ,drumsheugh wandered through the fields he had trodden since childhood4 ,the cattle lay sleeping in the pastures2 their shadowy forms1 with a patch of whiteness here and there1 having a weird suggestion of death4 ,he heard the burn running over the stones2 fifty years ago he had made a dam that lasted till winter4 ,the hooting of an owl made him start2 one had frightened him as a boy so that he ran home to his mother--she died thirty years ago4 ,the smell of ripe corn filled the air2 it would soon be cut and garnered4 ,he could see the dim outlines of his house1 all dark and cold2 no one he loved was beneath the roof4 ,the lighted window in ,saunders' cottage told where a man hung between life and death1 but love was in that home4 ,the futility of life arose before this lonely man1 and overcame his heart with an indescribable sadness4 ,what a vanity was all human labor2 what a mystery all human life6 ,but while he stood1 a subtle change came over the night1 and the air trembled round him as if one had whispered4 ,drumsheugh lifted his head and looked eastward4 ,a faint gray stole over the distant horizon1 and suddenly a cloud reddened before his eyes4 ,the sun was not in sight1 but was rising1 and sending forerunners before his face4 ,the cattle began to stir1 a blackbird burst into song1 and before ,drumsheugh crossed the threshold of ,saunders' house1 the first ray of the sun had broken on a peak of the ,grampians4 ,mac,lure left the bedside1 and as the light of the candle fell on the doctor's face1 ,drumsheugh could see that it was going well with ,saunders4 8,he's nae waur2 an' it's half six noo2 it's ower sune tae say mair1 but a'm houpin' for the best4 ,sit doon and take a sleep1 for ye're needin' 't1 ,drumsheugh1 an'1 man1 ye hae worked for it40 ,as he dozed off1 the last thing ,drumsheugh saw was the doctor sitting erect in his chair1 a clenched fist resting on the bed1 and his eyes already bright with the vision of victory4 ,he awoke with a start to find the room flooded with the morning sunshine1 and every trace of last night's work removed4 ,the doctor was bending over the bed1 and speaking to ,saunders4 8,it's me1 ,saunders2 ,doctor ,mac,lure1 ye ken2 dinna try tae speak or move2 juist let this drap milk slip ower--ye 'ill be needin' yir breakfast1 lad--and gang tae sleep again40 ,five minutes1 and ,saunders had fallen into a deep1 healthy sleep1 all tossing and moaning come to an end4 ,then ,mac,lure stepped softly across the floor1 picked up his coat and waistcoat1 and went out at the door4 ,drumsheugh arose and followed him without a word4 ,they passed through the little garden1 sparkling with dew1 and beside the byre1 where ,hawkie rattled her chain1 impatient for ,bell's coming1 and by ,saunders' little strip of corn ready for the scythe1 till they reached an open field4 ,there they came to a halt1 and ,dr4 ,mac,lure for once allowed himself to go4 ,his coat he flung east and his waistcoat west1 as far as he could hurl them1 and it was plain he would have shouted had he been a complete mile from ,saunders' room4 ,any less distance was useless for adequate expression4 ,he struck ,drumsheugh a mighty blow that well-nigh levelled that substantial man in the dust1 and then the doctor of ,drumtochty issued his bulletin4 8,saunders wesna tae live through the nicht1 but he's livin' this meenut1 an' like to live4 8,he's got by the warst clean and fair1 and wi' him that's as good as cure4 8,it 'ill be a graund waukenin' for ,bell2 she 'ill no be a weedow yet1 nor the bairnies fatherless4 8,there's nae use glowerin' at me1 ,drumsheugh1 for a body's daft at a time1 an' a' canna contain masel'1 and a'm no gaein' tae try40 ,then it dawned upon ,drumsheugh that the doctor was attempting the ,highland fling4 8,he's ill made1 tae begin wi'10 ,drumsheugh explained in the kirkyard next ,sabbath1 8and ye ken he's been terrible mishannelled by accidents1 sae ye may think what like it wes1 but1 as sure as deith1 o' a' the ,hielan' flings a' ever saw yon wes the bonniest4 8,a' hevna shaken ma ain legs for thirty years1 but a' confess tae a turn masel'4 ,ye may lauch an' ye like1 neeburs1 but the thocht o' ,bell an' the news that wes waitin' her got the better o' me40 ,drumtochty did not laugh4 ,drumtochty looked as if it could have done quite otherwise for joy4 8,a' wud hae made a third gin a' hed been there10 announced ,hillocks aggressively4 8,come on1 ,drumsheugh10 said ,jamie ,soutar1 8gie's the end o't2 it wes a michty mornin'40 8#8,we're twa auld fules1' says ,mac,lure tae me1 as he gaithers up his claithes4 #8,it wud set us better tae be tellin' ,bell4' 8,she was sleepin' on the top o' her bed wrapped in a plaid1 fair worn oot wi' three weeks' nursin' o' ,saunders1 but at the first touch she was oot upon the floor4 8#8,is ,saunders deein'1 doctor8' she cries4 #8,ye promised tae wauken me2 dinna tell me it's a' ower4' 8,there's nae deein' aboot him1 ,bell2 ye're no tae lose yir man this time1 sae far as a' can see4 ,come ben an' jidge for yersel'4 8,bell lookit at ,saunders1 and the tears of joy fell on the bed like rain4 8#8,the shadow's lifted1' she said2 #8he's come back frae the mooth o' the tomb4 8#8,a' prayed last nicht that the ,lord wud leave ,saunders till the laddies cud dae for themselves1 an' thae words came intae ma mind1 8,weepin' may endure for a nicht1 but joy cometh in the mornin'40 8#8,the ,lord heard ma prayer1 and joy hes come in the mornin'1' an' she gripped the doctor's hand4 8#8,ye've been the instrument1 ,doctor ,mac,lure4 ,ye wudna gie him up1 and ye did what nae ither cud for him1 an' a've ma man the day1 and the bairns hae their father4' 8,an' afore ,mac,lure kent what she was daein'1 ,bell lifted his hand to her lips an' kissed it40 8,did she1 though80 cried ,jamie4 8,wha wud hae thocht there wes as muckle spunk in ,bell80 8,mac,lure1 of coorse1 was clean scandalised10 continued ,drumsheugh1 8an' pooed awa' his hand as if it hed been burned4 8,nae man can thole that kind o' fraikin'1 and a' never heard o' sic a thing in the parish1 but we maun excuse ,bell1 neeburs2 it wes an occasion by ordinar10 and ,drumsheugh made ,bell's apology to ,drumtochty for such an excess of feeling4 8,a' see naethin' tae excuse10 insisted ,jamie1 who was in great fettle that ,sabbath2 8the doctor hes never been burdened wi' fees1 and a'm judgin' he coonted a wumman's gratitude that he saved frae weedowhood the best he ever got40 8,a' gaed up tae the ,manse last nicht10 concluded ,drumsheugh1 8an' telt the minister hoo the doctor focht aucht oors for ,saunders' life1 an' won1 an' ye never saw a man sae carried4 ,he walkit up an' doon the room a' the time1 and every other meenut he blew his nose like a trumpet4 8#8,i've a cold in my head to-night1 ,drumsheugh1' says he2 #8never mind me4'0 8,a've hed the same masel' in sic circumstances2 they come on sudden10 said ,jamie4 8,a' wager there 'ill be a new bit in the laist prayer the day1 an' somethin' worth hearin'40 ,and the fathers went into kirk in great expectation4 8,we beseech ,thee for such as be sick1 that ,thy hand may be on them for good1 and that ,thou wouldst restore them again to health and strength10 was the familiar petition of every ,sabbath4 ,the congregation waited in a silence that might be heard1 and were not disappointed that morning1 for the minister continued3 8,especially we tender ,thee hearty thanks that ,thou didst spare ,thy servant who was brought down into the dust of death1 and hast given him back to his wife and children1 and unto that end didst wonderfully bless the skill of him who goes out and in amongst us1 the beloved physician of this parish and adjacent districts40 8,didna a' tell ye1 neeburs80 said ,jamie1 as they stood at the kirkyard gate before dispersing1 8there's no a man in the coonty cud hae dune it better4 #8,beloved physician1' an' his #8skill1' tae1 an' bringing in #8adjacent districts'2 that's ,glen ,urtach2 it wes handsome1 and the doctor earned it1 ay1 every word4 8,it's an awfu' peety he didna hear yon2 but dear knows whar he is the day1 maist likely up----0 ,jamie stopped suddenly at the sound of a horse's feet1 and there1 coming down the avenue of beech trees that made a long vista from the kirk gate1 they saw the doctor and ,jess4 ,one thought flashed through the minds of the fathers of the commonwealth4 ,it ought to be done as he passed1 and it would be done if it were not ,sabbath4 ,of course it was out of the question on ,sabbath4 ,the doctor is now distinctly visible1 riding after his fashion4 ,there was never such a chance1 if it were only ,saturday2 and each man read his own regret in his neighbour's face4 ,the doctor is nearing them rapidly2 they can imagine the shepherd's tartan4 ,sabbath or no ,sabbath1 the ,glen cannot let him pass without some tribute of their pride4 ,jess has recognised friends1 and the doctor is drawing rein4 8,it hes tae be dune10 said ,jamie desperately1 8say what ye like40 ,then they all looked towards him1 and ,jamie led4 8,hurrah60 swinging his ,sabbath hat in the air1 8hurrah60 and once more1 8hurrah60 ,whinnie ,knowe1 ,drumsheugh1 and ,hillocks joining lustily1 but ,tammas ,mitchell carrying all before him1 for he had found at last an expression for his feelings that rendered speech unnecessary4 ,it was a solitary experience for horse and rider1 and ,jess bolted without delay4 ,but the sound followed and surrounded them1 and as they passed the corner of the kirkyard1 a figure waved his college cap over the wall and gave a cheer on his own account4 8,god bless you1 doctor1 and well done60 8,if it isna the minister10 cried ,drumsheugh1 8in his goon an' bans2 tae think o' that2 but a' respeck him for it40 ,then ,drumtochty became self-conscious and went home in confusion of face and unbroken silence1 except ,jamie ,soutar1 who faced his neighbours at the parting of the ways without shame4 8,a' wud dae it a' ower again if a' hed the chance2 he got naethin' but his due40 ,it was two miles before ,jess composed her mind1 and the doctor and she could discuss it quietly together4 8,a' can hardly believe me ears1 ,jess1 an' the ,sabbath tae2 their verra jidgment hes gane frae the fouk o' ,drumtochty4 8,they've heard about ,saunders1 a'm thinkin'1 wumman1 and they're pleased we brocht him roond2 he's fairly on the mend1 ye ken1 noo4 8,a' never expeckit the like o' this1 though1 and it wes juist a wee thingie mair than a' cud hae stude4 8,ye hev yir share in't tae1 lass2 we've hed mony a hard nicht and day thegither1 an' yon wes oor reward4 ,no mony men in this warld 'ill ever get a better1 for it cam' from the hert o' honest fouk40 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,the ,d,n-,,nan-,r,n#aa ,by ,,fiona ,,macleod ,footnote #aa3 ,from ,the ,dominion of ,dreams1 ,under the ,dark ,star4 ,by permission of ,mrs4 ,william ,sharp4 ,copyright1 #aiaj1 by ,duffield ,company4 ,,when ,anne ,gillespie1 that was my friend in ,eilanmore1 left the island after the death of her uncle1 the old man ,robert ,achanna1 it was to go far west4 ,among the men of the ,outer ,isles who for three summers past had been at the fishing off ,eilanmore there was one named ,mnus ,mac,codrum4 ,he was a fine lad to see1 but though most of the fisher-folk of the ,lews and ,north ,uist are fair1 either with reddish hair and grey eyes1 or blue-eyed and yellow-haired1 he was of a brown skin with dark hair and dusky brown eyes4 ,he was1 however1 as unlike to the dark ,celts of ,arran and the ,inner ,hebrides as to the northmen4 ,he came of his people1 sure enough4 ,all the ,mac,codrums of ,north ,uist had been brown-skinned and brown-haired and brown-eyed3 and herein may have lain the reason why1 in by-gone days1 this small clan of ,uist was known throughout the ,western ,isles as the ,sliochd non ,rn1 the offspring of the ,seals4 ,not so tall as most of the men of ,north ,uist and the ,lews1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum was of a fair height1 and supple and strong4 ,no man was a better fisherman than he1 and he was well liked of his fellows1 for all the morose gloom that was upon him at times4 ,he had a voice as sweet as a woman's when he sang1 and he sang often1 and knew all the old runes of the islands1 from the ,obb of ,harris to the ,head of ,mingulay4 ,often1 too1 he chanted the beautiful orain spioradail of the ,catholic priests and ,christian ,brothers of ,south ,uist and ,barra1 though where he lived in ,north ,uist he was the sole man who adhered to the ancient faith4 ,it may have been because ,anne was a ,catholic too1 though1 sure1 the ,achannas were so also1 notwithstanding that their forebears and kindred in ,galloway were ,protestant 7and this because of old ,robert ,achanna's love for his wife1 who was of the old ,faith1 so it is said7--it may have been for this reason1 though ,i think her lover's admiring eyes and soft speech and sweet singing had more to do with it1 that she pledged her troth to ,mnus4 ,it was a south wind for him as the saying is2 for with her rippling brown hair and soft1 grey eyes and cream-white skin1 there was no comelier lass in the isles4 ,so when ,achanna was laid to his long rest1 and there was none left upon ,eilanmore save only his three youngest sons1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum sailed northeastward across the ,minch to take home his bride4 ,of the four eldest sons1 ,alasdair had left ,eilanmore some months before his father died1 and sailed westward1 though no one knew whither or for what end or for how long1 and no word had been brought from him1 nor was he ever seen again in the island which had come to be called ,eilan-nan-,allmharachain1 the ,isle of the ,strangers2 ,allan and ,william had been drowned in a wild gale in the ,minch2 and ,robert had died of the white fever1 that deadly wasting disease which is the scourge of the isles4 ,marcus was now 8,eilanmore10 and lived there with ,gloom and ,seumas1 all three unmarried1 though it was rumoured among the neighbouring islanders that each loved ,marsail nic ,ailpean1#ab in ,eilean-,rona of the ,summer ,isles hard by the coast of ,sutherland4 ,footnote #ab3 ,marsail nic ,ailpean is the ,gaelic of which an ,english translation would be ,marjory ,mac,alpine4 ,nic is a contraction for nighean mhic1 8daughter of the line of40 ,when ,mnus asked ,anne to go with him she agreed4 ,the three brothers were ill-pleased at this1 for apart from their not wishing their cousin to go so far away1 they did not want to lose her1 as she not only cooked for them and did all that a woman does1 including spinning and weaving1 but was most sweet and fair to see1 and in the long winter nights sang by the hour together1 while ,gloom played strange wild airs upon his feadan1 a kind of oaten pipe or flute4 ,she loved him1 ,i know2 but there was this reason also for her going1 that she was afraid of ,gloom4 ,often upon the moor or on the hill she turned and hastened home1 because she heard the lilt and fall of that feadan4 ,it was an eerie thing to her1 to be going through the twilight when she thought the three men were in the house1 smoking after their supper1 and suddenly to hear beyond and coming toward her the shrill song of that oaten flute1 playing 8,the ,dance of the ,dead10 or 8,the ,flow and ,ebb10 or 8,the ,shadow-,reel40 ,that1 sometimes at least1 he knew she was there was clear to her1 because1 as she stole rapidly through the tangled fern and gale1 she would hear a mocking laugh follow her like a leaping thing4 ,mnus was not there on the night when she told ,marcus and his brothers that she was going4 ,he was in the haven on board the ,luath1 with his two mates1 he singing in the moonshine as all three sat mending their fishing gear4 ,after the supper was done1 the three brothers sat smoking and talking over an offer that had been made about some ,shetland sheep4 ,for a time1 ,anne watched them in silence4 ,they were not like brothers1 she thought4 ,marcus1 tall1 broad-shouldered1 with yellow hair and strangely dark blue-black eyes and black eyebrows2 stern1 with a weary look on his sun-brown face4 ,the light from the peats glinted upon the tawny curve of thick hair that trailed from his upper lip1 for he had the caisean-feusag of the ,northmen4 ,gloom1 slighter of build1 dark of hue and hair1 but with hairless face2 with thin1 white1 long-fingered hands that had ever a nervous motion1 as though they were tide-wrack4 ,there was always a frown on the centre of his forehead1 even when he smiled with his thin lips and dusky1 unbetraying eyes4 ,he looked what he was1 the brain of the ,achannas4 ,not only did he have the ,english as though native to that tongue1 but could and did read strange unnecessary books4 ,moreover1 he was the only son of ,robert ,achanna to whom the old man had imparted his store of learning1 for ,achanna had been a school-master in his youth1 in ,galloway1 and he had intended ,gloom for the priesthood4 ,his voice1 too1 was low and clear1 but cold as pale-green water running under ice4 ,as for ,seumas1 he was more like ,marcus than ,gloom1 though not so fair4 ,he had the same brown hair and shadowy hazel eyes1 the same pale and smooth face1 with something of the same intent look which characterised the long-time missing1 and probably dead1 eldest brother1 ,alasdair4 ,he1 too1 was tall and gaunt4 ,on ,seumas's face there was that indescribable1 as to some of course imperceptible1 look which is indicated by the phrase 8the dusk of the shadow10 though few there are who know what they mean by that1 or1 knowing1 are fain to say4 ,suddenly1 and without any word or reason for it1 ,gloom turned and spoke to her4 8,well1 ,anne1 and what is it80 8,i did not speak1 ,gloom40 8,true for you1 mo cailinn4 ,but it's about to speak you were40 8,well1 and that is true4 ,marcus1 and you ,gloom1 and you ,seumas1 ,i have that to tell which you will not be altogether glad for the hearing4 ',tis about--about--me and--and ,mnus40 ,there was no reply at first4 ,the three brothers sat looking at her like the kye at a stranger on the moorland4 ,there was a deepening of the frown on ,gloom's brow1 but when ,anne looked at him his eyes fell and dwelt in the shadow at his feet4 ,then ,marcus spoke in a low voice3 8,is it ,mnus ,mac,codrum you will be meaning80 8,ay1 sure40 ,again silence4 ,gloom did not lift his eyes1 and ,seumas was now staring at the peats4 ,marcus shifted uneasily4 8,and what will ,mnus ,mac,codrum be wanting80 8,sure1 ,marcus1 you know well what ,i mean4 ,why do you make this thing hard for me8 ,there is but one thing he would come here wanting4 ,and he has asked me if ,i will go with him2 and ,i have said yes2 and if you are not willing that he come again with the minister1 or that we go across to the kirk in ,berneray of ,uist in the ,sound of ,harris1 then ,i will not stay under this roof another night1 but will go away from ,eilanmore at sunrise in the ,luath1 that is now in the haven4 ,and that is for the hearing and knowing1 ,marcus and ,gloom and ,seumas60 ,once more1 silence followed her speaking4 ,it was broken in a strange way4 ,gloom slipped his feadan into his hands1 and so to his mouth4 ,the clear1 cold notes of the flute filled the flame-lit room4 ,it was as though white polar birds were drifting before the coming of snow4 ,the notes slid in to a wild1 remote air3 cold moonlight on the dark o' the sea1 it was4 ,it was the ,dn-nan-,rn4 ,anne flushed1 trembled1 and then abruptly rose4 ,as she leaned on her clenched right hand upon the table1 the light of the peats showed that her eyes were aflame4 8,why do you play that1 ,gloom ,achanna80 ,the man finished the bar1 then blew into the oaten pipe1 before1 just glancing at the girl1 he replied3 8,and what harm will there be in that1 ,anna-ban80 8,do you know why ,gloom played the #8,dn-nan-,rn'80 8,ay1 and what then1 ,anna-ban80 8,what then8 ,are you thinking ,i don't know what you mean by playing the #8,song o' the ,seals'80 ,with an abrupt gesture ,gloom put the feadan aside4 ,as he did so1 he rose4 8,see here1 ,anne10 he began roughly1 when ,marcus intervened4 8,that will do just now1 ,gloom4 ,anne--ghraidh1 do you mean that you are going to do this thing80 8,ay1 sure40 8,do you know why ,gloom played the #8,dn-nan-,rn'80 8,it was a cruel thing40 8,you know what is said in the isles about--about--this or that man1 who is under gheasan1 who is spell-bound and--and--about the seals--0 8,yes1 ,marcus1 it is knowing it that ,i am3 #8,tha iad a' cantuinn gur h-e daoine fo gheasan a th' anns no roin4'0 8#8,they say that seals1'0 he repeated slowly4 8#8,they say that seals are men under magic spells4' ,and have you ever pondered that thing1 ,anne1 my cousin80 8,i am knowing well what you mean40 8,then you will know that the ,mac,codrums of ,north ,uist are called the ,sliochd-nan-,rn80 8,i have heard40 8,and would you be for marrying a man that is of the race of the beasts1 and himself knowing what that geas means1 and who may any day go back to his people80 8,ah1 now1 ,marcus1 sure it is making a mock of me you are4 ,neither you nor any here believe that foolish thing4 ,how can a man born of a woman be a seal1 even though his sinnsear were the offspring of the sea-people1 which is not a saying ,i am believing either1 though it may be2 and not that it matters much1 whatever1 about the far-back forebears40 ,marcus frowned darkly1 and at first made no response4 ,at last he answered1 speaking sullenly3 8,you may be believing this or you may be believing that1 ,anna-nic-,gilleasbuig1 but two things are as well known as that the east wind brings the blight and the west wind the rain4 ,and one is this3 that long ago a ,seal-man wedded a woman of ,north ,uist1 and that he or his son was called ,neil ,mac,codrum2 and that the sea-fever of the seal was in the blood of his line ever after4 ,and this is the other3 that twice within the memory of living folk1 a ,mac,codrum has taken upon himself the form of a seal1 and has so met his death1 once ,neil ,mac,codrum of ,ru' ,tormaid1 and once ,anndra ,mac,codrum of ,berneray in the ,sound4 ,there's talk of others1 but these are known of us all4 ,and you will not be forgetting now that ,neildonn was the grandfather1 and that ,anndra was the brother of the father of ,mnus ,mac,codrum80 8,i am not caring what you say1 ,marcus4 ,it is all foam of the sea40 8,there's no foam without wind or tide1 ,anne1 an' it's a dark tide that will be bearing you away to ,uist1 and a black wind that will be blowing far away behind the ,east1 the wind that will be carrying his death-cry to your ears40 ,the girl shuddered4 ,the brave spirit in her1 however1 did not quail4 8,well1 so be it4 ,to each his fate4 ,but1 seal or no seal1 ,i am going to wed ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 who is a man as good as any here1 and a true man at that1 and the man ,i love1 and that will be my man1 ,god willing1 the praise be ,his60 ,again ,gloom took up the feadan1 and sent a few cold1 white notes floating through the hot room1 breaking1 suddenly1 into the wild1 fantastic1 opening air of the 8,dn-nan-,rn40 ,with a low cry and passionate gesture ,anne sprang forward1 snatched the oat-flute from his grasp1 and would have thrown it in the fire4 ,marcus held her in an iron grip1 however4 8,don't you be minding ,gloom1 ,anne10 he said quietly1 as he took the feadan from her hand and handed it to his brother3 8sure he's only telling you in his way what ,i am telling you in mine40 ,she shook herself free1 and moved to the other side of the table4 ,on the opposite wall hung the dirk which had belonged to old ,achanna4 ,this she unfastened4 ,holding it in her right hand1 she faced the three men4-- 8,on the cross of the dirk ,i swear ,i will be the woman of ,mnus ,mac,codrum40 ,the brothers made no response4 ,they looked at her fixedly4 8,and by the cross of the dirk ,i swear that if any man come between me and ,mnus1 this dirk will be for his remembering in a certain hour of the day of the days40 ,as she spoke1 she looked meaningly at ,gloom1 whom she feared more than ,marcus or ,seumas4 8,and by the cross of the dirk ,i swear that if evil come to ,mnus1 this dirk will have another sheath1 and that will be my milkless breast2 and by that token ,i now throw the old sheath in the fire40 ,as she finished1 she threw the sheath on to the burning peats4 ,gloom quietly lifted it1 brushed off the sparks of flame as though they were dust1 and put it in his pocket4 8,and by the same token1 ,anne10 he said1 8your oaths will come to nought40 ,rising1 he made a sign to his brothers to follow4 ,when they were outside he told ,seumas to return1 and to keep ,anne within1 by peace if possible1 by force if not4 ,briefly they discussed their plans1 and then separated4 ,while ,seumas went back1 ,marcus and ,gloom made their way to the haven4 ,their black figures were visible in the moonlight1 but at first they were not noticed by the men on board the ,luath1 for ,mnus was singing4 ,when the islesman stopped abruptly1 one of his companions asked him jokingly if his song had brought a seal alongside1 and bid him beware lest it was a woman of the sea-people4 ,his face darkened1 but he made no reply4 ,when the others listened they heard the wild strain of the 8,dn-nan-,rn0 stealing through the moonshine4 ,staring against the shore1 they could discern the two brothers4 8,what will be the meaning of that80 asked one of the men1 uneasily4 8,when a man comes instead of a woman10 answered ,mnus1 slowly1 8the young corbies are astir in the nest40 ,so1 it meant blood4 ,aulay ,mac,neil and ,donull ,macdonull put down their gear1 rose1 and stood waiting for what ,mnus would do4 8,ho1 there60 he cried4 8,ho-ro60 8,what will you be wanting1 ,eilanmore80 8,we are wanting a word of you1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum4 ,will you come ashore80 8,if you want a word of me1 you can come to me40 8,there is no boat here40 8,i'll send the bta-beag40 ,when he had spoken1 ,mnus asked ,donull1 the younger of his mates1 a lad of seventeen1 to row to the shore4 8,and bring back no more than one man10 he added1 8whether it be ,eilanmore himself or ,gloom-mhic-,achanna40 ,the rope of the small boat was unfastened1 and ,donull rowed it swiftly through the moonshine4 ,the passing of a cloud dusked the shore1 but they saw him throw a rope for the guiding of the boat alongside the ledge of the landing place2 then the sudden darkening obscured the vision4 ,donull must be talking1 they thought1 for two or three minutes elapsed without sign1 but at last the boat put off again1 and with two figures only4 ,doubtless the lad had had to argue against the coming of both ,marcus and ,gloom4 ,this1 in truth1 was what ,donull had done4 ,but while he was speaking ,marcus was staring fixedly beyond him4 8,who is it that is there80 he asked1 8there1 in the stern80 8,there is no one there40 8,i thought ,i saw the shadow of a man40 8,then it was my shadow1 ,eilanmore40 ,achanna turned to his brother4 8,i see a man's death there in the boat40 ,gloom quailed for a moment1 then laughed low4 8,i see no death of a man sitting in the boat1 ,marcus1 but if ,i did ,i am thinking it would dance to the air of the #8,dn-nan-,rn1' which is more than the wraith of you or me would do40 8,it is not a wraith ,i was seeing1 but the death of a man40 ,gloom whispered1 and his brother nodded sullenly4 ,the next moment a heavy muffler was round ,donull's mouth2 and before he could resist1 or even guess what had happened1 he was on his face on the shore1 bound and gagged4 ,a minute later the oars were taken by ,gloom1 and the boat moved swiftly out of the inner haven4 ,as it drew near ,mnus stared at it intently4 8,that is not ,donull that is rowing1 ,aulay60 8,no3 it will be ,gloom ,achanna1 ,i'm thinking40 ,mac,codrum started4 ,if so1 that other figure at the stern was too big for ,donull4 ,the cloud passed just as the boat came alongside4 ,the rope was made secure1 and then ,marcus and ,gloom sprang on board4 8,where is ,donull ,mac,donull80 demanded ,mnus sharply4 ,marcus made no reply1 so ,gloom answered for him4 8,he has gone up to the house with a message to ,anne-nic-,gilleasbuig40 8,and what will that message be80 8,that ,mnus ,mac,codrum has sailed away from ,eilanmore1 and will not see her again40 ,mac,codrum laughed4 ,it was a low1 ugly laugh4 8,sure1 ,gloom ,achanna1 you should be taking that feadan of yours and playing the ,cod-hail-nan-,pairtean1 for ,i'm thinkin' the crabs are gathering about the rocks down below us1 an' laughing wi' their claws40 8,well1 and that is a true thing10 ,gloom replied slowly and quietly4 8,yes1 for sure ,i might1 as you say1 be playing the 'meeting of the ,crabs4' ,perhaps10 he added1 as by a sudden afterthought1 8perhaps1 though it is a calm night1 you will be hearing the comh-thonn4 ,the #8,slapping of the ,waves' is a better thing to be hearing than the 'meeting of the ,crabs4'0 8,if ,i hear the comh-thonn it is not in the way you will be meaning1 ,gloom-mhic-,achanna4 ',tis not the #8,up ,sail and ,good-bye' they will be saying1 but #8,home wi' the ,bride4'0 ,here ,marcus intervened4 8,let us be having no more words1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum4 ,the girl ,anne is not for you4 ,gloom is to be her man4 ,so get you hence4 ,if you will be going quiet1 it is quiet we will be4 ,if you have your feet on this thing1 then you will be having that too which ,i saw in the boat40 8,and what was it you saw in the boat1 ,achanna80 8,the death of a man40 8,so--4 ,and now0 7this after a prolonged silence1 wherein the four men stood facing each other1 8is it a blood-matter if not of peace80 8,ay4 ,go1 if you are wise4 ,if not1 'tis your own death you will be making40 ,there was a flash as of summer lightning4 ,a bluish flame seemed to leap through the moonshine4 ,marcus reeled1 with a gasping cry2 then1 leaning back1 till his face blenched in the moonlight1 his knees gave way4 ,as he fell1 he turned half round4 ,the long knife which ,mnus had hurled at him had not penetrated his breast more than an inch at most1 but as he fell on the deck it was driven into him up to the hilt4 ,in the blank silence that followed1 the three men could hear a sound like the ebb-tide in sea-weed4 ,it was the gurgling of the bloody froth in the lungs of the dead man4 ,the first to speak was his brother1 and then only when thin reddish-white foam-bubbles began to burst from the blue lips of ,marcus4 8,it is murder40 ,he spoke low1 but it was like the surf of breakers in the ears of those who heard4 8,you have said one part of a true word1 ,gloom ,achanna4 ,it is murder--that you and he came here for60 8,the death of ,marcus ,achanna is on you1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum40 8,so be it1 as between yourself and me1 or between all of your blood and me2 though ,aulay ,mac,neil1 as well as you1 can witness that though in self-defence ,i threw the knife at ,achanna1 it was his own doing that drove it into him40 8,you can whisper that to the rope when it is round your neck40 8,and what will you be doing now1 ,gloom-mhic-,achanna80 ,for the first time ,gloom shifted uneasily4 ,a swift glance revealed to him the awkward fact that the boat trailed behind the ,luath1 so that he could not leap into it1 while if he turned to haul it close by the rope he was at the mercy of the two men4 8,i will go in peace10 he said quietly4 8,ay10 was the answer1 in an equally quiet tone1 8in the white peace40 ,upon this menace of death the two men stood facing each other4 ,achanna broke the silence at last4 8,you'll hear the #8,dn-nan-,rn' the night before you die1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 and lest you doubt it you'll hear it again in your death-hour40 8,ma tha sin an ,dn--if that be ordained40 ,mnus spoke gravely4 ,his very quietude1 however1 boded ill4 ,there was no hope of clemency2 ,gloom knew that4 ,suddenly he laughed scornfully4 ,then1 pointing with his right hand as if to some one behind his two adversaries1 he cried out3 8,put the death-hand on them1 ,marcus6 ,give them the ,grave60 ,both men sprang aside1 the heart of each nigh upon bursting4 ,the death-touch of the newly slain is an awful thing to incur1 for it means that the wraith can transfer all its evil to the person touched4 ,the next moment there was a heavy splash4 ,mnus realised that it was no more than a ruse1 and that ,gloom had escaped4 ,with feverish haste he hauled in the small boat1 leaped into it1 and began at once to row so as to intercept his enemy4 ,achanna rose once1 between him and the ,luath4 ,mac,codrum crossed the oars in the thole-pins and seized the boat-hook4 ,the swimmer kept straight for him4 ,suddenly he dived4 ,in a flash1 ,mnus knew that ,gloom was going to rise under the boat1 seize the keel1 and upset him1 and thus probably be able to grip him from above4 ,there was time and no more to leap2 and1 indeed1 scarce had he plunged into the sea ere the boat swung right over1 ,achanna clambering over it the next moment4 ,at first ,gloom could not see where his foe was4 ,he crouched on the upturned craft1 and peered eagerly into the moonlit water4 ,all at once a black mass shot out of the shadow between him and the smack4 ,this black mass laughed--the same low1 ugly laugh that had preceded the death of ,marcus4 ,he who was in turn the swimmer was now close4 ,when a fathom away he leaned back and began to tread water steadily4 ,in his right hand he grasped the boat-hook4 ,the man in the boat knew that to stay where he was meant certain death4 ,he gathered himself together like a crouching cat4 ,mnus kept treading the water slowly1 but with the hook ready so that the sharp iron spike at the end of it should transfix his foe if he came at him with a leap4 ,now and again he laughed4 ,then in his low sweet voice1 but brokenly at times between his deep breathings1 he began to sing3 ,the tide was dark1 an' heavy with the burden that it bore2 ,i heard it talkin'1 whisperin'1 upon the weedy shore2 ,each wave that stirred the sea-weed was like a closing door2 ',tis closing doors they hear at last who hear no more1 no more4 ,my ,grief1 ,no more6 ,the tide was in the salt sea-weed1 and like a knife it tore2 ,the wild sea-wind went moaning1 sooing1 moaning o'er and o'er2 ,the deep sea-heart was brooding deep upon its ancient lore-- ,i heard the sob1 the sooing sob1 the dying sob at its core1 ,my ,grief1 ,its core6 ,the white sea-waves were wan and gray its ashy lips before1 ,the yeast within its ravening mouth was red with streaming gore2 ,o red sea-weed1 ,o red sea-waves1 ,o hollow baffled roar1 ,since one thou hast1 ,o dark dim ,sea1 why callest thou for more1 ,my ,grief1 ,for more6 ,in the quiet moonlight the chant1 with its long1 slow cadences1 sung as no other man in the isles could sing it1 sounded sweet and remote beyond words to tell4 ,the glittering shine was upon the water of the haven1 and moved in waving lines of fire along the stone ledges4 ,sometimes a fish rose1 and split a ripple of pale gold2 or a sea-nettle swam to the surface1 and turned its blue or greenish globe of living jelly to the moon dazzle4 ,the man in the water made a sudden stop in his treading and listened intently4 ,then once more the phosphorescent light gleamed about his slow-moving shoulders4 ,in a louder chanting voice came once again3 ,each wave that stirs the sea-weed is like a closing door2 ',tis closing doors they hear at last who hear no more--no more1 ,my ,grief1 ,no more6 ,yes1 his quick ears had caught the inland strain of a voice he knew4 ,soft and white as the moonshine came ,anne's singing as she passed along the corrie leading to the haven4 ,in vain his travelling gaze sought her2 she was still in the shadow1 and1 besides1 a slow drifting cloud obscured the moonlight4 ,when he looked back again a stifled exclamation came from his lips4 ,there was not a sign of ,gloom ,achanna4 ,he had slipped noiselessly from the boat1 and was now either behind it1 or had dived beneath it1 or was swimming under water this way or that4 ,if only the cloud would sail by1 muttered ,mnus1 as he held himself in readiness for an attack from beneath or behind4 ,as the dusk lightened1 he swam slowly toward the boat1 and then swiftly round it4 ,there was no one there4 ,he climbed on to the keel1 and stood1 leaning forward1 as a salmon-leisterer by torchlight1 with his spear-pointed boat-hook raised4 ,neither below nor beyond could he discern any shape4 ,a whispered call to ,aulay ,mac,neil showed that he1 too1 saw nothing4 ,gloom must have swooned1 and sunk deep as he slipped through the water4 ,perhaps the dog-fish were already darting about him4 ,going behind the boat ,mnus guided it back to the smack4 ,it was not long before1 with ,mac,neil's help1 he righted the punt4 ,one oar had drifted out of sight1 but as there was a sculling-hole in the stern that did not matter4 8,what shall we do with it80 he muttered1 as he stood at last by the corpse of ,marcus4 8,this is a bad night for us1 ,aulay60 8,bad it is2 but let us be seeing it is not worse4 ,i'm thinking we should have left the boat40 8,and for why that80 8,we could say that ,marcus ,achanna and ,gloom ,achanna left us again1 and that we saw no more of them nor of our boat40 ,mac,codrum pondered a while4 ,the sound of voices1 borne faintly across the water1 decided him4 ,probably ,anne and the lad ,donull were talking4 ,he slipped into the boat1 and with a sail-knife soon ripped it here and there4 ,it filled1 and then1 heavy with the weight of a great ballast-stone which ,aulay had first handed to his companion1 and surging with a foot-thrust from the latter1 it sank4 8,we'll hide the--the man there--behind the windlass1 below the spare sail1 till we're out at sea1 ,aulay4 ,quick1 give me a hand60 ,it did not take the two men long to lift the corpse1 and do as ,mnus had suggested4 ,they had scarce accomplished this1 when ,anne's voice came hailing silver-sweet across the water4 ,with death-white face and shaking limbs1 ,mac,codrum stood holding the mast1 while with a loud voice1 so firm and strong that ,aulay ,mac,neil smiled below his fear1 he asked if the ,achannas were back yet1 and if so for ,donull to row out at once1 and she with him if she would come4 ,it was nearly half an hour thereafter that ,anne rowed out toward the ,luath4 ,she had gone at last along the shore to a creek where one of ,marcus's boats was moored and returned with it4 ,having taken ,donull on board1 she made way with all speed1 fearful lest ,gloom or ,marcus should intercept her4 ,it did not take long to explain how she had laughed at ,seumas's vain efforts to detain her1 and had come down to the haven4 ,as she approached1 she heard ,mnus singing1 and so had herself broken into a song she knew he loved4 ,then1 by the water-edge she had come upon ,donull lying upon his back1 bound and gagged4 ,after she had released him they waited to see what would happen1 but as in the moonlight they could not see any small boat come in1 bound to or from the smack1 she had hailed to know if ,mnus were there4 ,on his side he said briefly that the two ,achannas had come to persuade him to leave without her4 ,on his refusal they had departed again1 uttering threats against her as well as himself4 ,he heard their quarrelling voices as they rowed into the gloom1 but could not see them at last because of the obscured moonlight4 8,and now1 ,ann-mochree10 he added1 8is it coming with me you are1 and just as you are8 ,sure1 you'll never repent it1 and you'll have all you want that ,i can give4 ,dear of my heart1 say that you will be coming away this night of the nights6 ,by the ,black ,stone on ,icolmkill ,i swear it1 and by the ,sun1 and by the ,moon1 and by ,himself60 8,i am trusting you1 ,mnus dear4 ,sure it is not for me to be going back to that house after what has been done and said4 ,i go with you1 now and always1 ,god save us40 8,well1 dear lass o' my heart1 it's farewell to ,eilanmore it is1 for by the ,blood of the ,cross ,i'll never land on it again60 8,and that will be no sorrow to me1 ,mnus1 my home60 99 99 99 99 99 ,and this was the way that my friend1 ,anne ,gillespie1 left ,eilanmore to go to the isles of the west4 ,it was a fair sailing1 in the white moonshine1 with a whispering breeze astern4 ,anne leaned against ,mnus1 dreaming her dream4 ,the lad ,donull sat drowsing at the helm4 ,forward1 ,aulay ,mac,neil1 with his face set against the moonshine to the west1 brooded dark4 ,though no longer was land in sight1 and there was peace among the deeps of the quiet stars and upon the sea1 the shadow of fear was upon the face of ,mnus ,mac,codrum4 ,this might well have been because of the as yet unburied dead that lay beneath the spare sail by the windlass4 ,the dead man1 however1 did not affright him4 ,what went moaning in his heart1 and sighing and calling in his brain1 was a faint falling echo he had heard1 as the ,luath glided slow out of the haven4 ,whether from the water or from the shore he could not tell1 but he heard the wild1 fantastic air of the 8,dn-nan-,rn10 as he had heard it that very night upon the feadan of ,gloom ,achanna4 ,it was his hope that his ears had played him false4 ,when he glanced about him1 and saw the sombre flame in the eyes of ,aulay ,mac,neil1 staring at him out of the dusk1 he knew that which ,oisn the son of ,fionn cried in his pain3 8his soul swam in mist40 ,,ii ,for all the evil omens1 the marriage of ,anne and ,mnus ,mac,codrum went well4 ,he was more silent than of yore1 and men avoided rather than sought him2 but he was happy with ,anne1 and content with his two mates1 who were now ,callum ,mac,codrum and ,ranald ,mac,ranald4 ,the youth ,donull had bettered himself by joining a ,skye skipper who was a kinsman1 and ,aulay ,mac,neil had surprised every one1 except ,mnus1 by going away as a seaman on board one of the ,loch line of ships which sail for ,australia from the ,clyde4 ,anne never knew what had happened1 though it is possible she suspected somewhat4 ,all that was known to her was that ,marcus and ,gloom ,achanna had disappeared1 and were supposed to have been drowned4 ,there was now no ,achanna upon ,eilanmore1 for ,seumas had taken a horror of the place and his loneliness4 ,as soon as it was commonly admitted that his two brothers must have drifted out to sea1 and been drowned1 or at best picked up by some ocean-going ship1 he disposed of the island-farm1 and left ,eilanmore forever4 ,all this confirmed the thing said among the islanders of the west1 that old ,robert ,achanna had brought a curse with him4 ,blight and disaster had visited ,eilanmore over and over in the many years he had held it1 and death1 sometimes tragic or mysterious1 had overtaken six of his seven sons1 while the youngest bore upon his brows the 8dusk of the shadow40 ,true1 none knew for certain that three out of the six were dead1 but few for a moment believed in the possibility that ,alasdair and ,marcus and ,gloom were alive4 ,on the night when ,anne had left the island with ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 he1 ,seumas1 had heard nothing to alarm him4 ,even when1 an hour after she had gone down to the haven1 neither she nor his brothers had returned1 and the ,luath had put out to sea1 he was not in fear of any ill4 ,clearly1 ,marcus and ,gloom had gone away in the smack1 perhaps determined to see that the girl was duly married by priest or minister4 ,he would have perturbed himself a little for days to come1 but for a strange thing that happened that night4 ,he had returned to the house because of a chill that was upon him1 and convinced1 too1 that all had sailed in the ,luath4 ,he was sitting brooding by the peat-fire1 when he was startled by a sound at the window at the back of the room4 ,a few bars of a familiar air struck painfully upon his ear1 though played so low that they were just audible4 ,what could it be but the 8,dn-nan-,rn10 and who would be playing that but ,gloom8 ,what did it mean8 ,perhaps after all1 it was fantasy only1 and there was no feadan out there in the dark4 ,he was pondering this when1 still low but louder and sharper than before1 there rose and fell the strain which he hated1 and ,gloom never played before him1 that of the ,dvsa-na mairv1 the 8,dance of the ,dead40 ,swiftly and silently he rose and crossed the room4 ,in the dark shadows cast by the byre he could see nothing1 but the music ceased4 ,he went out1 and searched everywhere1 but found no one4 ,so he returned1 took down the ,holy ,book1 with awed heart1 and read slowly till peace came upon him1 soft and sweet as the warmth of the peat-glow4 ,but as for ,anne1 she had never even this hint that one of the supposed dead might be alive1 or that1 being dead1 ,gloom might yet touch a shadowy feadan into a wild remote air of the grave4 ,when month after month went by1 and no hint of ill came to break upon their peace1 ,mnus grew light-hearted again4 ,once more his songs were heard as he came back from the fishing1 or loitered ashore mending his nets4 ,a new happiness was nigh to them1 for ,anne was with child4 ,true1 there was fear also1 for the girl was not well at the time when her labor was near1 and grew weaker daily4 ,there came a day when ,mnus had to go to ,loch ,boisdale in ,south ,uist3 and it was with pain and something of foreboding that he sailed away from ,berneray in the ,sound of ,harris1 where he lived4 ,it was on the third night that he returned4 ,he was met by ,katreen ,mac,ranald1 the wife of his mate1 with the news that on the morrow after his going ,anne had sent for the priest who was staying at ,loch ,maddy1 for she had felt the coming of death4 ,it was that very evening she died1 and took the child with her4 ,mnus heard as one in a dream4 ,it seemed to him that the tide was ebbing in his heart1 and a cold1 sleety rain falling1 falling through a mist in his brain4 ,sorrow lay heavily upon him4 ,after the earthing of her whom he loved1 he went to and fro solitary3 often crossing the ,narrows and going to the old ,pictish ,towre under the shadow of ,ban ,breac4 ,he would not go upon the sea1 but let his kinsman ,callum do as he liked with the ,luath4 ,now and again ,father ,allan ,mac,neil sailed northward to see him4 ,each time he departed sadder4 8,the man is going mad1 ,i fear10 he said to ,callum1 the last time he saw ,mnus4 ,the long summer nights brought peace and beauty to the isles4 ,it was a great herring-year1 and the moon-fishing was unusually good4 ,all the ,uist men who lived by the sea-harvest were in their boats whenever they could4 ,the pollack1 the dog-fish1 the otters1 and the seals1 with flocks of sea-fowl beyond number1 shared in the common joy4 ,mnus ,mac,codrum alone paid no heed to herring or mackerel4 ,he was often seen striding along the shore1 and more than once had been heard laughing2 sometimes1 too1 he was come upon at low tide by the great ,reef of ,berneray1 singing wild strange runes and songs1 or crouching upon a rock and brooding dark4 ,the midsummer moon found no man on ,berneray except ,mac,codrum1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,black1 the minister of the ,free ,kirk1 and an old man named ,anndra ,mc,ian4 ,on the night before the last day of the middle month1 ,anndra was reproved by the minister for saying that he had seen a man rise out of one of the graves in the kirkyard1 and steal down by the stone-dykes towards ,balnahunnur-sa-mona1#ac where ,mnus ,mac,codrum lived4 ,footnote #ac3 ,baille-'na-aonar'sa mhonadh1 8the solitary farm on the hill-slope40 8,the dead do not rise and walk1 ,anndra40 8,that may be1 maigstir1 but it may have been the ,watcher of the ,dead4 ,sure it is not three weeks since ,padruig ,mc,alistair was laid beneath the green mound4 ,he'll be wearying for another to take his place40 8,hoots1 man1 that is an old superstition4 ,the dead do not rise and walk1 ,i tell you40 8,it is right you may be1 maigstir1 but ,i heard of this from my father1 that was old before you were young1 and from his father before him4 ,when the last-buried is weary with being the ,watcher of the ,dead he goes about from place to place till he sees man1 woman1 or child with the death-shadow in the eyes1 and then he goes back to his grave and lies down in peace1 for his vigil it will be over now40 ,the minister laughed at the folly1 and went into his house to make ready for the ,sacrament that was to be on the morrow4 ,old ,anndra1 however1 was uneasy4 ,after the porridge1 he went down through the gloaming to ,balnahunnur-sa-mona4 ,he meant to go in and warn ,mnus ,mac,codrum4 ,but when he got to the west wall1 and stood near the open window1 he heard ,mnus speaking in a loud voice1 though he was alone in the room4 8,b'ionganntach do ghrdh dhomhsa1 a' toirt barrachd air grdh nam ban60444#ad ,footnote #ad3 8,thy love to me was wonderful1 surpassing the love of women40 ,this1 ,mnus cried in a voice quivering with pain4 ,anndra stopped still1 fearful to intrude1 fearful also1 perhaps1 to see some one there beside ,mac,codrum1 whom eyes should not see4 ,then the voice rose into a cry of agony4 8,aoram dhuit1 ay andigh dhomh fs aosda60#ae ,footnote #ae3 8,i shall worship thee1 ay1 even after ,i have become old40 ,with that1 ,anndra feared to stay4 ,as he passed the byre he started1 for he thought he saw the shadow of a man4 ,when he looked closer he could see nought1 so went his way1 trembling and sore troubled4 ,it was dusk when ,mnus came out4 ,he saw that it was to be a cloudy night2 and perhaps it was this that1 after a brief while1 made him turn in his aimless walk and go back to the house4 ,he was sitting before the flaming heart of the peats1 brooding in his pain1 when suddenly he sprang to his feet4 ,loud and clear1 and close as though played under the very window of the room1 came the cold1 white notes of an oaten flute4 ,ah1 too well he knew that wild1 fantastic air4 ,who could it be but ,gloom ,achanna1 playing upon his feadan2 and what air of all airs could that be but the 8,dn-nan-,rn08 ,was it the dead man1 standing there unseen in the shadow of the ,grave8 ,was ,marcus beside him1 ,marcus with the knife still thrust up to the hilt1 and the lung-foam upon his lips8 ,can the sea give up its dead8 ,can there be strain of any feadan that ever was made of man1 there in the ,silence8 ,in vain ,mnus ,mac,codrum tortured himself thus4 ,too well he knew that he had heard the 8,dn-nan-,rn10 and that no other than ,gloom ,achanna was the player4 ,suddenly an access of fury wrought him to madness4 ,with an abrupt lilt the tune swung into the ,davs-na mairv1 and thence1 after a few seconds1 and in a moment1 into that mysterious and horrible ,codhail-nan-,pairtean which none but ,gloom played4 ,there could be no mistake now1 nor as to what was meant by the muttering1 jerking air of the 8,gathering of the ,crabs40 ,with a savage cry ,mnus snatched up a long dirk from its place by the chimney1 and rushed out4 ,there was not the shadow of a sea-gull even in front2 so he sped round by the byre4 ,neither was anything unusual discoverable there4 8,sorrow upon me10 he cried2 8man or wraith1 ,i will be putting it to the dirk60 ,but there was no one2 nothing2 not a sound4 ,then1 at last1 with a listless droop of his arms1 ,mac,codrum turned and went into the house again4 ,he remembered what ,gloom ,achanna had said3 8,you'll hear the #8,dn-nan-,rn' the night before you die1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 and lest you doubt it1 you'll hear it in your death-hour40 ,he did not stir from the fire for three hours2 then he rose1 and went over to his bed and lay down without undressing4 ,he did not sleep1 but lay listening and watching4 ,the peats burned low1 and at last there was scarce a flicker along the floor4 ,outside he could hear the wind moaning upon the sea4 ,by a strange rustling sound he knew that the tide was ebbing across the great reef that runs out from ,berneray4 ,by midnight the clouds had gone4 ,the moon shone clear and full4 ,when he heard the clock strike in its worm-eaten1 rickety case1 he sat up1 and listened intently4 ,he could hear nothing4 ,no shadow stirred4 ,surely if the wraith of ,gloom ,achanna were waiting for him it would make some sign1 now1 in the dead of night4 ,an hour passed4 ,mnus rose1 crossed the room on tiptoe1 and soundlessly opened the door4 ,the salt wind blew fresh against his face4 ,the smell of the shore1 of wet sea-wrack and pungent bog-myrtle1 of foam and moving water1 came sweet to his nostrils4 ,he heard a skua calling from the rocky promontory4 ,from the slopes behind1 the wail of a moon-restless lapwing rose and fell mournfully4 ,crouching1 and with slow1 stealthy step1 he stole round by the seaward wall4 ,at the dyke he stopped1 and scrutinised it on each side4 ,he could see for several hundred yards1 and there was not even a sheltering sheep4 ,then1 soundlessly as ever1 he crept close to the byre4 ,he put his ear to chink after chink3 but not a stir of a shadow even4 ,as a shadow1 himself1 he drifted lightly to the front1 past the hay-rick2 then1 with swift glances to right and left1 opened the door and entered4 ,as he did so1 he stood as though frozen4 ,surely1 he thought1 that was a sound as of a step1 out there by the hay-rick4 ,a terror was at his heart4 ,in front1 the darkness of the byre1 with ,god knows what dread thing awaiting him2 behind1 a mysterious walker in the night1 swift to take him unawares4 ,the trembling that came upon him was nigh overmastering4 ,at last1 with a great effort1 he moved towards the ledge1 where he kept a candle4 ,with shaking hand he struck a light4 ,the empty byre looked ghostly and fearsome in the flickering gloom4 ,but there was no one1 nothing4 ,he was about to turn1 when a rat ran along a loose-hanging beam1 and stared at him1 or at the yellow shine4 ,he saw its black eyes shining like peat-water in moonlight4 ,the creature was curious at first1 then indifferent4 ,at last1 it began to squeak1 and then made a swift scratching with its fore-paws4 ,once or twice came an answering squeak2 a faint rustling was audible here and there among the straw4 ,with a sudden spring ,mnus seized the beast4 ,even in the second in which he raised it to his mouth and scrunched its back with his strong teeth1 it bit him severely4 ,he let his hands drop1 and groped furtively in the darkness4 ,with stooping head he shook the last breath out of the rat1 holding it with his front teeth1 with back-curled lips4 ,the next moment he dropped the dead thing1 trampled upon it1 and burst out laughing4 ,there was a scurrying of pattering feet1 a rustling of straw4 ,then silence again4 ,a draught from the door had caught the flame and extinguished it4 ,in the silence and darkness ,mac,codrum stood1 intent1 but no longer afraid4 ,he laughed again1 because it was so easy to kill with the teeth4 ,the noise of his laughter seemed to him to leap hither and thither like a shadowy ape4 ,he could see it2 a blackness within the darkness4 ,once more he laughed4 ,it amused him to see the thing leaping about like that4 ,suddenly he turned1 and walked out into the moonlight4 ,the lapwing was still circling and wailing4 ,he mocked it1 with loud shrill p-wty1 p-wty1 p-wt4 ,the bird swung waywardly1 alarmed3 its abrupt cry1 and dancing flight aroused its fellows4 ,the air was full of the lamentable crying of plovers4 ,a sough of the sea came inland4 ,mnus inhaled its breath with a sigh of delight4 ,a passion for the running wave was upon him4 ,he yearned to feel green water break against his breast4 ,thirst and hunger1 too1 he felt at last1 though he had known neither all day4 ,how cool and sweet1 he thought1 would be a silver haddock1 or even a brown-backed liath1 alive and gleaming1 wet with the sea-water still bubbling in its gills4 ,it would writhe1 just like the rat2 but then how he would throw his head back1 and toss the glittering thing up into the moonlight1 catch it on the downwhirl just as it neared the wave on whose crest he was1 and then devour it with swift voracious gulps6 ,with quick1 jerky steps he made his way past the landward side of the small1 thatch-roofed cottage4 ,he was about to enter1 when he noticed that the door1 which he had left ajar1 was closed4 ,he stole to the window and glanced in4 ,a single1 thin1 wavering moonbeam flickered in the room4 ,but the flame at the heart of the peats had worked its way through the ash1 and there was now a dull glow1 though that was within the 8smooring10 and threw scarce more than a glimmer into the room4 ,there was enough light1 however1 for ,mnus ,mac,codrum to see that a man sat on the three-legged stool before the fire4 ,his head was bent1 as though he were listening4 ,the face was away from the window4 ,it was his own wraith1 of course2 of that1 ,mnus felt convinced4 ,what was it doing there8 ,perhaps it had eaten the ,holy ,book1 so that it was beyond his putting a rosad on it6 ,at the thought he laughed loud4 ,the shadow-man leaped to his feet4 ,the next moment ,mac,codrum swung himself on to the thatched roof1 and clambered from rope to rope1 where these held down the big stones which acted as dead-weight for the thatch1 against the fury of tempests4 ,stone after stone he tore from its fastenings and hurled to the ground over beyond the door4 ,then with tearing hands he began to burrow an opening in the thatch4 ,all the time he whined like a beast4 ,he was glad the moon shone full upon him4 ,when he had made a big enough hole1 he would see the evil thing out of the grave that sat in his room1 and would stone it to death4 ,suddenly he became still4 ,a cold sweat broke out upon him4 ,the thing1 whether his own wraith1 or the spirit of his dead foe1 or ,gloom ,achanna himself1 had begun to play1 low and slow1 a wild air4 ,no piercing1 cold music like that of the feadan6 ,too well he knew it1 and those cool1 white notes that moved here and there in the darkness like snowflakes4 ,as for the air1 though he slept till ,judgment ,day and heard but a note of it amidst all the clamor of heaven and hell1 sure he would scream because of the 8,dn-nan-,rn40 ,the 8,dn-nan-,rn60 ,the ,roin6 the ,seals6 ,ah1 what was he doing there1 on the bitter-weary land6 ,out there was the sea4 ,safe would he be in the green waves4 ,with a leap he was on the ground4 ,seizing a huge stone1 he hurled it through the window4 ,then1 laughing and screaming1 he fled towards the ,great ,reef1 along whose sides the ebb-tide gurgled and sobbed1 with glistening white foam4 ,he ceased screaming or laughing as he heard the 8,dn-nan-,rn0 behind him1 faint1 but following2 sure1 following4 ,bending low1 he raced towards the rock-ledges from which ran the reef4 ,when at last he reached the extreme ledge he stopped abruptly4 ,out on the reef he saw from ten to twenty seals1 some swimming to and fro1 others clinging to the reef1 one or two making a curious barking sound1 with round heads lifted against the moon4 ,in one place there was a surge and lashing of water4 ,two bulls were fighting to the death4 ,with swift1 stealthy movements ,mnus unclothed himself4 ,the damp had clotted the leathern thongs of his boots1 and he snarled with curled lip as he tore at them4 ,he shone white in the moonshine1 but was sheltered from the sea by the ledge behind which he crouched4 8,what did ,gloom ,achanna mean by that80 he muttered savagely1 as he heard the nearing air change into the 8,dance of the ,dead40 ,for a moment ,mnus was a man again4 ,he was nigh upon turning to face his foe1 corpse or wraith or living body2 to spring at this thing which followed him1 and tear it with hands and teeth4 ,then1 once more1 the hated 8,song of the ,seals0 stole mockingly through the night4 ,with a shiver he slipped into the dark water4 ,then with quick1 powerful strokes he was in the moon-flood1 and swimming hard against it out by the leeside of the reef4 ,so intent were the seals upon the fight of the two great bulls that they did not see the swimmer1 or if they did1 took him for one of their own people4 ,a savage snarling and barking and half-human crying came from them4 ,mnus was almost within reach of the nearest1 when one of the combatants sank dead1 with torn throat4 ,the victor clambered on the reef1 and leaned high1 swaying its great head and shoulders to and fro4 ,in the moonlight its white fangs were like red coral4 ,its blinded eyes ran with gore4 ,there was a rush1 a rapid leaping and swirling1 as ,mnus surged in among the seals1 which were swimming round the place where the slain bull had sunk4 ,the laughter of this long1 white seal terrified them4 ,when his knees struck against a rock1 ,mac,codrum groped with his arms1 and hauled himself out of the water4 ,from rock to rock and ledge to ledge he went1 with a fantastic1 dancing motion1 his body gleaming foam-white in the moonshine4 ,as he pranced and trampled along the weedy ledges1 he sang snatches of an old rune--the lost rune of the ,mac,codrums of ,uist4 ,the seals on the rocks crouched spell-bound2 those slow-swimming in the water stared with brown unwinking eyes1 with their small ears strained against the sound3 ,it is ,i1 ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 ,i am telling you that1 you1 ,anndra of my blood1 ,and you1 ,neil my grandfather1 and you1 and you1 and you6 ,ay1 ay1 ,mnus my name is1 ,mnus ,mac,mnus6 ,it is ,i myself1 and no other4 ,your brother1 ,o ,seals of the ,sea6 ,give me blood of the red fish1 ,and a bite of the flying sgadan3 ,the green wave on my belly1 ,and the foam in my eyes6 ,i am your bull-brother1 ,o ,bulls of the ,sea1 ,bull--better than any of you1 snarling bulls6 ,come to me1 mate1 seal of the soft1 furry womb1 ,white am ,i still1 though red shall ,i be1 ,red with the streaming red blood if any dispute me6 ,aoh1 aoh1 aoh1 ar1 ar1 ho-r6 ,a man was ,i1 a seal am ,i1 ,my fangs churn the yellow foam from my lips3 ,give way to me1 give way to me1 ,seals of the ,sea2 ,give way1 for ,i am fy of the sea ,and the sea-maiden ,i see there1 ,and my name1 true1 is ,mnus ,mac,codrum1 ,the bull-seal that was a man1 ,ar6 ,ar6 ,by this time he was close upon the great black seal1 which was still monotonously swaying its gory head1 with its sightless eyes rolling this way and that4 ,the sea-folk seemed fascinated4 ,none moved1 even when the dancer in the moonshine trampled upon them4 ,when he came within arm-reach he stopped4 8,are you the ,ceann-,cinnidh80 he cried4 8,are you the head of this clan of the sea-folk80 ,the huge beast ceased its swaying4 ,its curled lips moved from its fangs4 8,speak1 ,seal1 if there's no curse upon you6 ,maybe1 now1 you'll be ,anndra himself1 the brother of my father6 ,speak6 ,h'st--are you hearing that music on the shore8 ',tis the #8,dn-nan-,rn'6 ,death o' my soul1 it's the #8,dn-nan-,rn'6 8,aha1 'tis ,gloom ,achanna out of the ,grave4 ,back1 beast1 and let me move on60 ,with that1 seeing the great bull did not move1 he struck it full in the face with clenched fist4 ,there was a hoarse1 strangling roar1 and the seal champion was upon him with lacerating fangs4 ,mnus swayed this way and that4 ,all he could hear now was the snarling and growling and choking cries of the maddened seals4 ,as he fell1 they closed in upon him4 ,his screams wheeled through the night like mad birds4 ,with desperate fury he struggled to free himself4 ,the great bull pinned him to the rock2 a dozen others tore at his white flesh1 till his spouting blood made the rocks scarlet in the white shine of the moon4 ,for a few seconds he still fought savagely1 tearing with teeth and hands4 ,once1 a red irrecognisable mass1 he staggered to his knees4 ,a wild cry burst from his lips1 when from the shore-end of the reef came loud and clear the lilt of the rune of his fate4 ,the next moment he was dragged down and swept from the reef into the sea4 ,as the torn and mangled body disappeared from sight1 it was amid a seething crowd of leaping and struggling seals1 their eyes wild with affright and fury1 their fangs red with human gore4 ,and ,gloom ,achanna1 turning upon the reef1 moved swiftly inland1 playing low on his feadan1 as he went4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,critical ,,comment ,,the ,,adventures ,,of ,,simon ,,and ,,susanna ,by ,,joel ,,chandler ,,harris ,,no one knows when story telling began4 ,it is as old as the human race4 ,it goes beyond history into the unknown darkness of the past4 ,some of the stories we still read originated far back in primitive life4 ,such stories1 that have been told for many years1 and are common to the race1 we call 8,folk-,lore0 stories4 ,every ,folk-,lore story probably began in the simplest form4 ,something happened1--and someone tried to tell about the event4 ,if the story was interesting enough to repeat1 it gradually became exaggerated4 ,thus the germ of ,the ,adventures of ,simon and ,susanna is the common-enough story of a successful elopement in which the cleverness of the young people1--of the girl in particular1--eluded the pursuing father4 ,their means of making their escape must have been quite ordinary1 but when the story was told again and again1--if this really is a ,folk-,lore story1 the cleverness was exaggerated and gradually turned into magic4 ,in reading this story we come into close touch with the origin of all story telling4 ,we see one man1 a common1 ignorant man1 telling a story to an interested listener1 and undoubtedly 8putting in a few extra touches0 to make the story more wonderful4 ,the primitive stories must always have been presented orally1 and at first to few listeners4 ,then came the days of story tellers for the crowd1 and finally the written story4 ,the author of ,the ,adventures of ,simon and ,susanna1 ,joel ,chandler ,harris1 retold many folk-lore stories4 ,he was born in ,georgia in #ahdh1 and died there in #aijh4 ,he devoted all his mature life to journalism and literature4 ,his many books about ,uncle ,remus presented that person so clearly that the good-natured negro story teller has almost ceased to be merely a book-character1 and has become a living reality4 ,every story that ,mr4 ,harris wrote has plot interest1 but it also has pith and wisdom4 ,,the ,,crow-,,child ,by ,,mary ,,mapes ,,dodge ,the ordinary 8,fairy ,story0 is a developed form of the 8,folk-,lore0 story4 ,instead of having the roughness1 and nave simplicity characteristic of primitive ways of story telling it has polish1 and definite literary or moral purpose4 ,it is not a mere wonder story told in the first person by some definite individual1 and made by the exaggeration of an actual event4 ,it is a written rather than a spoken story1 based1 in the remote past1 on some actual event1 but now told in the third person1 and directed strongly to an artistic1 literary purpose1--frequently to a moral purpose4 ,in every way the best type of 8,fairy ,story0 is a distinct advance towards developed story telling4 ,the ,crow ,child is not an actual 8,fairy ,story10 but it illustrates remarkably well the way in which 8,fairy ,stories0 developed4 ,every event in ,the ,crow ,child is strictly true1 but much of the story appears to be based on magic4 ,a true story of this sort1 told in primitive times1 and retold again and again1 with new emphasis placed on the elements of wonder1 would have developed into a pure story of wonder1--a 8,fairy ,story40 ,the author of this original1 and modern1 8,fairy ,story10 ,mary ,mapes ,dodge1 was born in ,new ,york in #ahch4 ,for many years she was the efficient editor of ,st4 ,nicholas1 a young people's magazine of the highest type4 ,in addition to her editorial work she wrote many books for young people1 the most famous being ,hans ,brinker1 or the ,silver ,skates4 ,she died in #aije4 ,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,bell ,by ,,lafcadio ,,hearn ,very often the earliest stories are not crude accounts of ordinary events1 exaggerated enough to be worthy of note4 ,they are poetic narratives founded on matters of deep significance in the life of a people4 ,all primitive people are poetic1 because they see the world through the eyes of emotion rather than of scientific understanding4 ,they also have an instinctive recognition of fundamental nobility4 ,therefore we have such stories as the legends of ,hiawatha1 in which an ideal man is presented1 bringing benefit to his kind4 ,any story that is handed down from generation to generation1 and that presents as facts matters that have no other verification1 is legendary4 ,the highest type of legendary story is one that presents high ideals4 ,the ,chinese1 whose literature is exceedingly ancient1 have always been an idealistic people4 ,it is not surprising that they should create such an appealing legendary tale as ,the ,soul of the ,great ,bell4 ,although the elements are quite simple the story has been turned from being a simple account of tragic self-sacrifice1 and has become an explanation of the music of the bell1 as well as an example of filial devotion4 ,the preservation of such stories shows natural appreciation of short story values4 ,the present rendering of ,the ,soul of the ,great ,bell undoubtedly far surpasses the ,chinese version4 ,the story has been appropriately introduced1 amplified and given added poetic and dramatic effect by careful choice of words1 descriptive passages1 suspense1 onomatopia1 and climax4 ,lafcadio ,hearn was born in #ahej1 of ,irish and ,greek parentage1 in ,leucadia1 of the ,greek ,ionian ,islands4 ,at #ai he came to ,america and engaged in newspaper work1 living at various times in ,new ,orleans and in ,new ,york4 ,from #ahia until his death in #aijd he made his home in ,japan1 where he became a ,buddhist and a naturalized ,japanese citizen under the name of ,yakumo ,koizumi4 ,he learned to know the oriental peoples as few others have known them4 ,his literary work is marked by poetic treatment1 and an atmosphere of the ,orient4 ,he wrote ,glimpses of ,unfamiliar ,japan1 ,out of the ,east1 ,some ,chinese ,ghosts1 and many other books on oriental subjects4 ,ta-chung sz'4 ,temple of the ,bell4 ,a building in ,pekin1 holding the bell that is the subject of the story4 ,the bell was made in the reign of ,yong-lo1 about #adjf ,a4 ,d4 ,it weighs over #abj1jjj pounds1 and is the largest bell known to be in actual use4 ,kwang-chan-fu4 ,the ,broad ,city4 ,canton4 ,,the ,,ten ,,trails ,by ,,ernest ,,thompson ,,seton ,the fable and the proverb are much alike in that both are highly condensed1 and both are told to instruct4 ,the short1 direct1 applied narratives known as 8,fables0 are among the oldest ancestors of the short story4 ,even in the most ancient times there were fables1 those of sop having been told perhaps as early as the sixth century1 ,b4,c4 ,many familiar fables have animals for their characters1 their known characteristics needing no comment4 ,thus the fox and the wolf appear frequently1 their mere names suggesting traits of character4 ,the fable1 as a type of wisdom literature1 is always short1 simple1 and emphatic4 ,it always emphasizes marked human characteristics1 and usually ends with a 8moral0 that adds to the emphasis4 ,the influence of the fable helped to make the story short1 condensed1 vivid1 pointed1 and based on character4 ,the ,ten ,trails is a modern imitation of older fables4 ,its directness1 simplicity1 clear story1 and appended moral are characteristic of the type4 ,ernest ,thompson ,seton1 born in ,england in #ahfj1 has written many stories in which he presents animal life with appealing sympathy4 ,he has devoted himself particularly to cultivating a love for outdoors life1 and for animate nature4 ,wild ,animals ,i ,have ,known1 ,the ,biography of a ,grizzly1 and similar books1 are full of original interest4 ,,where ,,love ,,is1 ,,there ,,god ,,is ,,also ,by ,,count ,,leo ,,tolstoi ,an allegory is a story that has an underlying meaning or moral4 ,it is in some ways an expanded fable1 with the meaning understood rather than presented4 ,the chief difference between the 8,fable0 and the 8,allegory0 lies in length and complexity of treatment1 and in the way of presenting the underlying meaning4 ,the 8,fable0 is short and usually appends the moral4 ,the 8,allegory0 is usually long1 and tells the story in such a way that the reader is sure to grasp the meaning without further comment4 ,the purpose1 as in the 8,fable10 is double1--to tell a story1 and to teach a truth4 ,all literatures have numerous allegories1 ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene1 ,bunyan's ,pilgrim's ,progress1 and ,tennyson's ,idylls of the ,king being notable examples in ,english literature4 ,where ,love ,is1 ,there ,god ,is ,also is an allegorical story of a pleasing type that is often found in our present-day literature4 ,the story has such evident good humor1 appreciation of the needs of humble life1 and such an unselfish spirit of sympathy that it appeals to any reader4 ,its strong realism1 effective plan1 and clear1 emphatic presentation make the story one of the best of its kind4 ,count ,leo ,tolstoi1 born at ,yasnaya ,polyana1 in ,russia1 in #ahbh1 and dying at ,astapovo in #aiaj1 is one of the greatest and most interesting figures in all modern literature4 ,the story of his career1 with its surprising changes from the life of a nobleman to that of a peasant1 from a life given over to pleasure to a life devoted to the moral uplift of a whole people1 is even more astonishing than any of the stories he told in his many works of fiction4 ,student1 soldier1 traveler1 lover of social life1 philosopher1 reformer1 and self-sacrificing idealist1 he developed a personality unique in the extreme1 and became a world-wide influence for good4 ,his best known novels are ,war and ,peace1 and ,anna ,karenina4 ,in them1 as in all that he wrote1 the notable qualities are realism1 dramatic force1 original thought1 and courageous expression of beliefs4 ,grivenki4 ,a grivenka is #aj copecks1 or about five cents4 ,,wood-,,ladies ,by ,,perceval ,,gibbon ,there is a strange fascination about the supernatural1 for men of all races instinctively believe that they are surrounded by a world of good and evil that lies just beyond their touch4 ,some have thought the woods and mountains peopled with unseen divinities2 others have believed in strange gnomes and dwarfs who are thought to live in the depths of the earth2 some have believed in pale ghosts1 specters that move by night1 haunting the scenes of unattoned crime4 ,one of the most pleasing beliefs is that in fairies1 or 8,little ,folk10--unseen1 beautiful1 and usually beneficent beings who live in woodland places and are endowed with all powers of magic4 ,stories of the unseen world that may lie about us have appeared in all ages4 ,sometimes such stories have been beautiful and fanciful1 and sometimes filled with the spirit of fear4 ,in the latter part of the eighteenth century and the first of the nineteenth it became quite the fashion to tell stories of ghosts and strange terrors4 ,ernst ,hoffmann and ,ludwig ,tieck in ,germany set an example that was followed by ,washington ,irving1 ,nathaniel ,hawthorne1 and ,edgar ,allan ,poe in this country1 as well as by many other writers since their time4 ,there is another and more healthful attitude of mind4 ,instead of the horror of ,gothic romance it presents the fancy of ,celtic thought4 ,in stories of this gentler type one does not feel that the unseen world is wholly to be feared4 ,such a story is ,wood-,ladies1 in which the spirit of ,celtic fancy has found full play4 ,in this story everything is woodsy1 delicate1 half-seen1 as though one were treading the very edges of fairyland without knowing it4 ,mother-love fills the whole story and gives it a noble beauty4 ,and yet1 in a certain sense1 the child1 conscious of another world1 is wiser than the mother4 ,a story of this sort1 dealing with the supernatural1 rests the mind like sweet music4 ,perceval ,gibbon was born in ,carmarthenshire in ,south ,wales1 in #ahgj4 ,he has spent much time in the merchant service on ,british1 ,french1 and ,american vessels4 ,he has done unusual work as war correspondent4 ,among his literary works are ,souls in ,bondage1 ,the ,adventures of ,miss ,gregory1 ,the ,second ,class ,passenger1 and a collection of ,poems4 ,his work is marked by originality1 and a clever mastery of technique4 ,,on ,,the ,,fever ,,ship ,by ,,richard ,,harding ,,davis ,love is so essential a part of life that it must also be a part of literature2 therefore romantic love has been a leading literary theme for centuries4 ,some of the world's greatest stories of love flash into our minds when we repeat the names of ,juliet1 ,rosalind1 ,portia1 ,elaine1 and ,evangeline4 ,such stories suggest depth of emotion1 charm1 womanly worth1 pure and innocent love1 or a love that lasts beyond the years4 ,in the days of chivalry the knight bore his lady's token1 and fought in her honor4 to-day men love just as deeply1 and fight for land and hearth and sweetheart just as truly as men did in the long ago4 ,on the ,fever ,ship is the story of a modern knight1--a soldier who went into his country's war1 bearing in his heart the memory of one he loved4 ,when he is wounded1 and lies fever-stricken on the deck of a transport1 he does not think at all of himself but only of the one who is far away4 ,that is the story1 an abiding love in absence1 with dreams at last made true4 ,the author makes the story notably strong and tender4 ,without formal introduction he presents the realistic picture of the fever ship1--the inexplicable monotony1 the dream-world1 the child-likeness of the wounded man's life4 ,old scenes and faces come before the wounded soldier in tantalizing dreams4 ,little by little the author draws us closer into sympathy with the central figure4 ,he makes us share in the man's intensity of feeling4 ,we feel the force of the strong episode of the somewhat unfeeling nurse1 and become indignant in the man's behalf4 ,finally1 lifted by the power of the story1 we rise with it into full comprehension of the depth of the hero's love4 ,then1 quickly and with artistic effect1 the story comes to an end4 ,simply1 surely1 strongly1 with real sentiment instead of sentimentality1 it has made us realize the all-powerful force of love4 ,the story is written with much sympathy and evident tenderness of spirit1 and is so touched with real pathos1 that it comes to us as a transcription of some real story the author had found in his work as war correspondent4 ,richard ,harding ,davis was one of the most romantic figures in recent literary life4 ,as war correspondent he saw fighting in the ,spanish-,american ,war1 the ,boer ,war1 the ,japanese-,russian ,war1 and the ,great ,war4 ,he traveled in all parts of ,europe1 in ,central and in ,south ,america1 and in the little-visited districts of the ,congo in ,africa4 ,he saw the magnificent coronation ceremonies of the ,king of ,spain1 the ,king of ,england1 and the ,czar of ,russia4 ,he attended gorgeous state occasions in various lands4 ,he also lived the hard field and camp life of a soldier and an explorer4 ,he wrote a number of extraordinarily good short stories1 several stirring novels1--among which are ,the ,king's ,jackal1 ,ransom's ,folly1 ,the ,white ,mice1 and ,the ,princess ,aline1--several plays1 and a number of works of travel and war correspondence4 ,richard ,harding ,davis was born in ,philadelphia in #ahfd1 and died in ,new ,york in #aiaf4 ,san ,juan4 ,a fortified hill position in ,cuba1 near ,santiago de ,cuba1 captured in the ,spanish-,american ,war by the ,united ,states soldiers ,july #a1 #ahih4 ,maitre d'hotel4 ,chief attendant--head-waiter4 ,embankment4 ,the ,thames ,embankment1 a noted part of ,london4 ,chasseur4 ,footman4 ,numero cinq1 sur la terrace1 un couvert4 ,number five1 on the terrace1 one place4 ,baiquiri4 ,a landing place in ,cuba near ,santiago de ,cuba4 ,the ,united ,states soldiers landed here1 ,june #ba-bc1 #ahih4 ,tampa4 ,a seaport in ,florida4 ,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation ,by ,,stacy ,,aumonier ,an interesting type of story shows an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation4 ,in ,robinson ,crusoe1 for example1 an ordinary ,englishman is left alone on an uninhabited island2 in ,stockton's ,the ,casting ,away of ,mrs4 ,lecks and ,mrs4 ,aleshine two good old ,new ,england women with little worldly experience are wrecked on a mysterious island in the ,pacific2 in ,howard ,pyle's ,the ,ruby of ,kishmore a peace-loving ,philadelphia ,quaker is suddenly involved in a series of bloody encounters in the ,west ,indies4 ,such stories always arouse interest or develop humor by the astonishing contrast between setting and characters1 and they always emphasize character by showing how it acts in unusual circumstances4 ,thus ,robinson ,crusoe at once attracts our interest and awakens admiration for the hero4 ,a ,source of ,irritation is especially clever in every way4 ,there could be no greater contrast than that between old ,sam ,gates' usual hum-drum1 eventless life1 and the sudden transfer to an aeroplane1 a foreign land1 the trenches1 battle1 and the search for a spy4 ,very rarely1 too1 is a character presented so emphatically as this #fi-year-old gardener1 with his irritable moods1 his insistence on the habits of a life-time1 his stolidity1 and his real manliness4 ,equally rare is a story told so effectively1 with just the proper combination of realism and romance1 with quick touches of comedy and of tragedy1 with a closeness to life that is indisputable1 and a romance that is unusual4 ,in its every part the story is a masterpiece of construction4 ,stacy ,aumonier is an ,englishman of ,huguenot descent4 ,swede4 ,a ,swedish turnip4 ,shag4 ,a fine-cut tobacco4 8,mare vudish40 ,merkwrdig1 remarkable4 ,a fearful noise4 ,the ,english made an attack on the ,german aeroplane4 ,uglaublich4 ,incredible4 ,a foreign country4 ,evidently ,flanders4 ,boche4 ,german4 ,g4,h4,q4 ,general ,head ,quarters4 ,norfolk4 ,one of the eastern counties of ,england1 bordering on the ,north ,sea4 ,,moti ,,guj--,,mutineer ,by ,,rudyard ,,kipling ,one of the pleasures of life is to travel and see the world4 ,if we are unable to travel far in reality we may at least see much of strange lands through short stories of distant places and ways of life different from the ordinary4 ,moti ,guj--,mutineer is a story of life in ,india1 of elephants and mahouts and strange events4 ,it has all the atmosphere of ,india1 given by half-humorous realistic touches that transport us from the land of everyday4 ,it is a story of animal life1 told with an intimate knowledge that shows close familiarity with 8elephanthood40 ,beyond that1 it has what every story must have1--close relation to human character as we see it in any land at any time4 ,even the elephant is made to act and to think as if he were a human being4 ,the humorous style1 and the quickness with which the story is told1 as well as the vivid pictures it gives1 are typical of its author's work4 ,rudyard ,kipling was born in ,bombay1 ,india1 in #ahfe4 ,after education in ,england he became a sub-editor of a paper published in ,lahore1 ,india1 where he lived for some years1 becoming intimate with all the life of the land4 ,he has lived at various times in ,india1 the ,united ,states1 ,south ,africa1 and ,england4 ,he has written a great number of astonishingly clever stories1 poems1 and novels1 all in quick1 vigorous style1 with freedom from restraint1 with rough realism1 and with genuine humor and pathos4 ,among his most notable books are3 ,plain ,tales from the ,hills1 ,the ,jungle ,book1 ,captains ,courageous1 ,the ,day's ,work1 and ,puck of ,pook's ,hill4 ,arrack4 ,a fermented drink4 ,coir-swab4 ,a mop made from cocoanut fiber4 ,,gulliver ,,the ,,great ,by ,,walter ,a4 ,,dyer ,there is a wonderfully close sympathy between man and the animal world1--a sympathy that is especially strong in the case of either the horse or the dog1 animals that are the close associates of man4 ,ancient literature1--,the ,bible and ,the ,odyssey1--tell of the faithfulness of the dog1 man's friend and protector4 ,in recent times writers have turned to the whole world of nature for subjects1--the stag1 the grizzly bear1 the wolf1 and other animals1 but stories of dogs still awaken interest and sympathy1 and will continue to do so as long as the faithfulness of dogs endures1--which is forever4 ,gulliver the ,great is told in an interestingly suggestive manner1 every part of the story being rich with hints on which our imaginations build4 ,the pleasant calm of the setting adds much to the effect4 ,the man's character is emphasized from the start1 making the story he tells have full meaning4 ,the story is dramatic1 but its power rests far more on sympathy than on events4 ,the art of the story is in the clever way in which the almost human soul of the dog is revealed1 acting upon the soul of the man4 ,walter ,a4 ,dyer was born in ,massachusetts in #ahgh4 ,since his graduation from ,amherst ,college in #aijj he has been engaged in editorial and other literary work4 ,his natural fondness for dogs has led to such books as ,pierrot3 ,dog of ,belgium1 and ,gulliver the ,great4 ,early ,victorian comforts4 ,the comforts characteristic of the first part of the reign of ,queen ,victoria of ,england1 before city life and commercial life were highly developed4 ,mr4 ,pickwick4 ,the humorous hero of ,charles ,dickens' famous novel1 ,pickwick ,papers4 ,james ,g4 ,blaine4 ,an ,american statesman1 #ahcj-ahic4 ,he held many high offices1 and was once candidate for the ,presidency4 ,simplicissimus4 ,a humorous and satirical ,german periodical4 ,brunos4 ,from the ,latin 8brunus0--brown4 ,a name frequently given to dogs4 ,moros4 ,the ,malay inhabitants of certain islands of the ,philippines4 ,great ,dane4 ,a type of dog noted for great size and graceful build4 ,vohl's ,vulcan4 ,a famous dog4 ,wurtemburg breed4 ,a well-known breed of dogs4 ,mauna ,loa4 ,a noted ,hawaiian volcano nearly #ad1jjj feet in height4 ,bulls of ,bashan4 ,the ,bible makes frequent mention of the bulls of ,bashan1 a section of ,palestine east of the valley of the ,jordan4 ,,sonny',s ,,schoolin' ,by ,,ruth ,mc,e,n,e,r,y ,,stuart ,laughter is a legitimate part of life1 especially when it clarifies the mind4 ,the short story has seized upon all the elements of humor and made them its own1 especially the anecdote4 ,some writers have used whimsical humor to give relief from sombre tales1 or have told stories lightly and fancifully humorous1 like several in this book4 ,others have written with broader effects4 ,every one of the many types of humorous story is good4--the unusual situation1 the surprising climax1 the fantastic character1 the utter absurdity1--but every type must follow the dictates of good taste4 ,humor need never be coarse1 or vulgar1 or in any way aimed at personal satire4 ,it may criticize1 but it must do so with friendly good will4 ,sonny's ,schoolin' is a series of connected anecdotes1 told in monologue4 ,the humor of the anecdotes lies in their absurdity--in the presence of ,sonny every one is so helpless6 ,any modern teacher would deal with ,sonny in a way that he would understand4 ,the humor of the narration lies partly in the events1 partly in the speaker's nave1 unconscious exposition of self1 and partly in the amusing dialect4 ,two qualities illuminate the story3 one1 the gradual presentation of ,sonny's really lovable nature1 seen to better advantage by the father-and-mother-love behind it2 the other1 the gradual criticism of the older system of education1 and the suggestion of a type well adapted to quick1 active1 original minds like ,sonny's4 ,ruth ,mc,enery ,stuart1 a native of ,louisiana1 contributed to our best periodicals1 and wrote many amusing1 and wholly sympathetic1 stories of southern life1 such as ,holly and ,pizen1 ,napoleon ,jackson1 ,sonny1 and ,sonny's ,father4 ,she died in #aiag4 ,,her ,,first ,,horse ,,show ,by ,,david ,,gray ,every side of life contributes short story material1--the deeds of people in strange surroundings1 unusual acts of heroism in war or in peace1 the lives of the poor1 and the lives of the rich4 ,since men's characters are independent of either wealth or poverty1 the story of society life1 when written effectively1 may awaken as deep feelings of sympathy or brotherhood as the story of humble life4 ,any story is worthy if it broadens the understanding of life and presents its material in artistic form4 ,on the surface ,her ,first ,horse ,show is a story of society life1 of rich people who delight in the fashionable horse show1 and in dining at the ,waldorf4 ,fundamentally1 it is a story of human understanding1 cleverness1 and daring1 in which the charm of a girl1 and the thoroughbred qualities of a horse1 play leading parts4 ,quick1 suggestive conversation makes the story vividly interesting1 and clear arrangement leads effectively to the climax4 ,david ,gray was born in ,buffalo1 ,new ,york1 in #ahgj4 ,he has done editorial work on various papers1 and has written a large number of interesting 8horse stories0 collected in such books as ,gallops ,i1 ,gallops ,,ii1 and ,mr4 ,carteret and ,others4 ,in #ahii ,mr4 ,gray entered the legal profession4 ,doubting ,thomas4 ,a reference to the ,bible story of ,st4 ,thomas1 who at first doubted the resurrection of ,jesus4 ,see ,john3 #bj3 #be4 8,hands40 ,much of the skill in riding high-spirited horses depends upon the use of the hands in holding the reins4 ,,my ,,husband',s ,,book ,by ,,james ,,matthew ,,barrie ,sometimes the short story is used as an effective means of satire of a type resembling that employed by ,addison in ,the ,spectator ,papers4 ,satire can be given in so few words1 and in the very speech and actions of the persons satirized1 that it is well adapted as material for the short story4 ,it should be the aim of all satirical short stones of the milder sort to follow ,addison's rule1 and point out little follies rather than great wickednesses1 and to aim at a thousand people rather than at one4 ,my ,husband's ,book is an admirable example of ideal satire of the lighter type4 ,the husband is typical--of whom8--of every one who puts off until tomorrow what he should do to-day4 ,the wife is presented whimsically as altogether adoring1 but as somewhat persistently and mischievously suspicious4 ,at no time does the husband become aware of his real defect of character1 nor the wife lose all her loving faith4 ,kindly satire like this is playful in nature1 the sort to be expected from the author of ,peter ,pan4 ,we laugh good-naturedly at the husband--and see ourselves in him6 ,sir ,james ,matthew ,barrie was born in ,kirriemuir1 ,scotland1 in #ahfj4 ,his delightfully romantic ,auld ,licht ,idylls1 ,a ,window in ,thrums1 and especially ,the ,little ,minister1 made him known to all the ,english-speaking world4 ,his remarkably original and fanciful plays1 ,quality ,street1 ,peter ,pan1 ,what ,every ,woman ,knows1 and numerous other dramatic works have added to his already great reputation4 ,he is one of the leading ,english writers of the present time4 ,,war ,by ,,jack ,,london ,the short story often rises beyond the light and the commonplace to act as a stern critic of world conditions4 ,with vivid1 realistic touches it points at reality4 ,by focussing every light upon a single human figure who compellingly commands sympathy it arouses in us a sense of kinship with all who suffer4 ,short stories of this type have teaching force that is all powerful4 ,war is such a story4 ,although little more than a vivid sketch it presents the brutality of war in all its horror1--not by picturing the slaughter of thousands1 but by showing a boy1--shrinking1 eager to perform his full duty1 loving life1 fearing death1 stopping to gather apples in a boyish way1--a boy whose instinctive and noble hesitation to kill rebounds on himself1 as if in irony1 and causes his own death4 ,in a certain sense1 the boy with his kindly manhood and generous motives represents the ,american spirit4 ,the opposite type of spirit1 the love of war for war's sake1 brutality for the sake of brutality1 is shown in the boy's enemies1--harsh foreigners who hang men to trees1 who shoot at the boy as at a target1 and laugh at his death4 ,the story individualizes war1 and thereby gives emphasis to its horror4 ,such a story demands on the part of the author a heartfelt interest in his theme1 an intense love of life1 and the ability to write in realistic style4 ,jack ,london was deeply interested in the world of men4 ,far from being a recluse1 he lived an active life with his fellows4 ,he left his college class in order to go with other adventurers into the ,klondike2 he went to ,japan1 and seal hunting in the ,behring ,sea as a sailor before the mast2 he tramped about the country2 he traveled as a war correspondent1 and went on an adventurous voyage into the ,south ,seas in a #ee-;foot yacht4 ,he wrote a great number of books1 all of which show a quick understanding of the needs of humanity4 ,some of his works are thoughtful studies of social conditions4 ,his best known books are3 ,the ,call of the ,wild1 ,the ,sea ,wolf1 and ,the ,mutiny of the ,elsinore4 ,he was born in ,san ,francisco in #ahgf1 and died in #aiaf4 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,monsters ,by ,,morgan ,,robertson ,in this day when science plays so great a part in life it is only natural that many stories should be based on scientific knowledge4 ,since such stories must almost always more or less distort scientific truth in order to make the facts have story-interest they are usually called 8pseudo-scientific10 that is1 falsely scientific4 ,edgar ,allan ,poe1 who did so much for the short story1 was one of the first to write pseudo-scientific stories1 his ,descent into the ,maelstrm1 and ,a ,tale of the ,ragged ,mountains being good examples of his peculiar power4 ,the ,battle of the ,monsters is a wonderfully clever pseudo-scientific story4 ,in it we enter the minute world of the microscope1 every character being infinitesimally small4 ,the story tells how a microbe of ,asiatic cholera enters the veins of ,john ,anderson at the same moment when he is bitten by a rabid dog4 ,the 8white1 corrugated wall0 is the dog's tooth2 the army of dog-faced creatures is composed of the microbes of rabies1 or hydrophobia4 ,the vibrant roar heard from time to time1 is the beat of the man's heart4 ,in the veins the cholera microbe finds the red corpuscles and other cells and microbes that exist in the blood1 and also the white corpuscles that1 according to ,metschnikoff1 act as destroyers of the microbes of disease4 ,we go with the cholera microbe through the series of blood vessels into the heart and thence back into the arteries and veins1 all the time seeing the struggle between the beneficent white corpuscles and the deadly microbes of rabies4 ,we see the desperate efforts to keep the microbes of rabies from entering the cells and finding their way to the brain4 ,as the microbes of rabies reproduce they begin to win the battle4 ,the cholera microbe1 himself fighting the hosts of rabies1 is about to be overcome1 when the physician's injection of antitoxin brings a new army to fight the dog-faced creatures4 ,now that the danger of rabies has been overcome attention is paid to the hero of the story1 who declares himself to be the microbe of ,asiatic cholera4 ,at once the police guardians of the blood1 the white corpuscles1 close on him and destroy him4 ,thus ,john ,anderson escapes all danger from rabies and from cholera1 to both of which he had been exposed4 ,the battle1 if microscopic1 had been real1 had been on a grand scale1 and had been of tremendous importance4 ,the pseudo-scientific story could have no better illustration4 ,every detail is clear1 vivid with action1 and tense with interest4 ,there is no turning aside to give scientific information--nothing that is dry-as-dust4 ,the microbes and corpuscles1 without losing their essential characteristics1 speak and act in ways that we can understand4 ,that is why the story is so successful4 ,it is a human story1 based upon human interest4 ,familiar language1 familiar ways of thought1 events that we can understand1 convey to us information on a learned scientific subject--the work of the white blood corpuscles4 ,morgan ,robertson1 #ahfa-aiae1 was born in ,oswego1 ,n4 ,y4 ,from #ahgg to #ahhf he lived the life of a sailor at sea4 ,gifted with natural literary ability he turned to writing1 and wrote a number of distinctly original stories1 most of them about the sea1 such as ,spun ,yarn1 ,masters of ,men1 ,shipmates1 and ,down to the ,sea4 ,metschnikoff's theory4 ,the great ,russian physiologist1 ,iliya ,metschnikoff1 #ahde-aiaf1 taught that the white blood corpuscles act as destroyers of disease microbes4 ,the wounds of ,milton's warring angels4 ,in ,milton's ,paradise ,lost the angels1 wounded in the war in heaven1 at once recovered4 ,darwin4 ,charles ,darwin1 #ahji-ahhb4 ,the great ,english naturalist1 founder of the 8,darwinian ,theory0 of evolution from lower forms4 ,pasteur4 ,louis ,pasteur1 #ahbb-ahie4 ,the great ,french microscopist1 and student of hydrophobia4 ,he was the first to inoculate for hydrophobia4 ,koch4 ,robert ,koch1 #ahdc-aiaj4 ,a great ,german physician who discovered the bacilli of tuberculosis and of cholera4 ,a ,,dilemma ,by ,s4 ,,weir ,,mitchell ,a popular type of story leaves the reader1 at the conclusion1 to choose one of two endings1 either of which is open to objections4 ,such a story sets the reader's mind at work1 leads him to review every part of the story1 and leaves a peculiarly lasting impression of construction and emphasis4 ,in stories of this sort there is careful exclusion of everything that does not tend to lead to1 or to increase1 the difficulty4 ,a ,dilemma makes complete preparation for the final puzzle by giving all the necessary facts1 and all the motives for possible action1 or non-action4 ,when the reader reviews all that has been said1 and sees how cleverly the story is constructed1 he finds that the difficulty of solution appears even greater than at first4 ,dr4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell1 #ahbi-aiad1 was born in ,philadelphia1 and there spent most of his life4 ,as a physician he wrote many medical books1 and became one of the most distinguished neurologists in the world4 ,his unusual ability led to his becoming member of many learned scientific societies in this country and in ,europe4 ,in spite of his active medical work he found time for much writing of a purely literary nature4 ,such books as ,hugh ,wynne1 ,the ,adventures of ,franois1 and ,dr4 ,north and ,his ,friends1 are distinctly original ,american contributions1 and made their author unusually popular4 ,empress-,queen ,maria ,theresa4 ,maria ,theresa1 #agag-aghj4 ,archduchess of ,austria1 ,queen of ,hungary1 and wife of ,emperor ,francis ,i of ,austria4 ,one of the most interesting and notable women in history4 ,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league ,by ,a4 ,,conan ,,doyle ,edgar ,allan ,poe was the first author to succeed in the 8detective story40 ,his ,murders in the ,rue ,morgue1 ,the ,mystery of ,marie ,roget1 and ,the ,purloined ,letter are among the first stories of their type4 ,since ,poe's time there have been all sorts of detective stories1--good1 bad1 and indifferent1--from cheap penny-dreadfuls to elaborate novels4 ,poe's method has been followed in nearly every one1 whether written in this country1 or abroad1 as by ,sir ,arthur ,conan ,doyle in ,england1 mile ,gaboriau in ,france1 or ,anton ,chekhov in ,russia4 ,of all the thousands who have tried their hands in writing detective stories ,sir ,arthur ,conan ,doyle has won the most pleasing success4 ,his ,sherlock ,holmes is a world-known character4 ,the ,red-,headed ,league is an admirable example of the author's method4 ,the story is told by the hero's friend1 ,dr4 ,watson1 allowing opportunity for close appearance of reality1 and for unstinted praise4 ,the problem is introduced at first hand1 apparently with every detail4 ,to a certain degree we are allowed to enter the series of deductive reasonings pursued by ,sherlock ,holmes4 ,we are given a brilliant series of events1 and then the final solution4 ,occasional hints at other work performed by ,sherlock ,holmes tend to awaken further interest4 ,there is such closeness to life1 realistic character drawing1 good humor1 and natural conversation1 that the story1--like all the four books of the ,sherlock ,holmes series1--is most attractive4 ,sir ,arthur ,conan ,doyle was born in ,edinburgh in #ahei4 ,both his father and grandfather achieved fame as artists4 ,sir ,arthur began life as a physician and surgeon1 but soon found his real work in letters4 ,he has written a number of our best historical novels1 ,the ,white ,company1 ,micah ,clarke1 ,the ,refugees1 ,sir ,nigel1 etc41 and four books of stories about ,sherlock ,holmes1 as well as much other work both in prose and in verse4 ,omne ignotum pro magnifico4 ,whatever is unknown is thought to be magnificent4 ,sarasate4 ,a famous ,spanish violinist1 #ahdd--4 ,partie carre4 ,a party of four4 8,l'homme c'est rien--l'uvre c'est tout48 ,the man is nothing--the work is everything4 ,gustave ,flaubert4 #ahba-ahhj4 ,one of the greatest ,french novelists4 ,george ,sand4 ,the pseudonym of the ,baroness ,dudevant1 #ahjd-ahgf1 a great ,french novelist and playwright4 ,,one ,,hundred ,,in ,,the ,,dark ,by ,,owen ,,johnson ,in ,one ,hundred in the ,dark ,owen ,johnson makes one of the characters say that the peculiar fascination of the detective story lies more in the statement of the problem than in the solution4 8,the solution doesn't count4 ,it is usually banal2 it should be prohibited4 ,what interests us is1 can we guess it80 ,one ,hundred in the ,dark illustrates that type of detective story that presents a problem but gives no solution4 ,giving all the information that one could be expected to have1 it presents a problem with several different solutions possible4 ,at the end of the story the problem is left unsolved--the reader is 8in the dark10 but1 because his mind has been awakened1 he is fascinated4 ,the author has gone further than usual1 for he gives the story as if told in a club at the conclusion of a conversation in which several persons have taken part4 ,the story is followed by further conversation that suggests a second problem--what did the members of the club think of the person who told the story8 ,the result is that the author has cleverly established a definite setting1 has aroused interest in the type of story to be told1 and has emphasized the problem by giving it a new interest in the light of the question3 ,what part did the members of the club think ,peters played in the story that he himself told8 ,owen ,johnson was born in ,new ,york in #ahgh4 ,he turned his college life at ,yale into literary account in his interesting novel1 ,stover at ,yale4 ,he is the author of numerous short stories and plays4 ,bon mots4 ,bright sayings4 ,de ,maupassant4 ,guy de ,maupassant1 #ahej-ahic4 ,a celebrated ,french novelist and poet4 ,in ,fort comme la ,mort 7,strong as ,death7 he tells of the life of fashionable society4 ,the ,faust theme4 ,a reference to the great tragedy of ,faust by the ,german poet1 ,goethe1 #agdi-ahcb4 ,faust personifies humanity with all its longings4 ,the ,three ,musketeers1 etc4 ,the ,three ,musketeers1 by ,alexander ,dumas1 pre1 #ahjc-ahgj2 ,trilby1 by ,george du ,maurier1 #ahcd-ahif1 and ,soldiers ,three1 by ,rudyard ,kipling1 #ahfe-1 all tell stories of the close comradeship of three men4 ,vie de ,bohme4 ,scnes de la vie de ,bohme by ,henri ,murger4 ,the opera ,la ,bohme is based upon this book4 ,bluebeard and ,the ,moonstone4 ,in the stories of ,bluebeard1 and ,the ,moonstone1 a famous mystery story by ,wilkie ,collins1 #ahbd-ahhi1 curiosity plays a leading part4 ,watteaulike4 ,a reference to the conventional pictures of shepherdesses by ,jean ,antoine ,watteau1 a celebrated ,french painter1 #afhd-agba4 ,fines herbes4 ,vegetable greens4 ,en matre4 ,as master4 ,a ,,retrieved ,,reformation ,by ,o4 ,,henry ,the story of self-sacrifice has appealed to people in all times1 whether it appears in history1--as in the partly legendary story of ,arnold von ,winkelried1 who gathered the ,austrian spears against his breast in order that his comrades might make a way through the ranks of the enemy1--or in fiction1 as in ,dickens' ,a ,tale of ,two ,cities4 ,such a story is particularly fascinating1 when1 as in the story of ,sidney ,carton1 it combines the idea of self-sacrifice with that of fundamental change in character4 ,in ,a ,retrieved ,reformation ,o4 ,henry has told1 in a convincingly brilliant way1 how a man--always really good at heart1--even when set in evil ways--was led through love to develop his better self4 ,the greatness of ,jimmy ,valentine's soul is made clear by his instant willingness to sacrifice every hope he had1--to lay everything on the altar of love and manliness4 ,the quick1 realistic1 kindly-humorous characterizations1 the clear1 logical arrangement of opposing forces1 the dramatic situation at the climax1 and the instant solution1--for which every step has inevitably prepared1--point alike to a master hand in story telling4 ,william ,sidney ,porter1 #ahfg-aiaj1--;better known by the name1 8,o4 ,henry10 which he chose humorously because it is so easy to write 8,o10 and because he happened to see 8,henry0 as a last name in a newspaper account1--achieved as much popularity as any short story writer could desire4 ,he was born in ,north ,carolina1 and brought up in ,texas1 where he gained the little schooling that fell to his lot4 ,he became a sort of rolling stone1 working on various periodicals1 living in ,south ,america1 working in ,texas as a drug clerk1 engaging fully in literary work in ,new ,orleans1 and finally coming to ,new ,york ,city where he sold stories as fast as he could write them--and his powers of production were most astonishing4 ,he was only #db when he died1 but1 in spite of his wandering life1 he had made himself1 with almost careless ease1 the master of the short story4 ,he wrote quite untrammeled by convention or custom1 using slang1 coining words1 writing in any way he pleased1 but always1 in reality1 following the best principles of story telling1 making his plots clear1 convincing1 and full of the unexpected humors of life4 ,with it all he wrote with a spirit of gentleness and often touched real pathos4 ,his favorite method was to surprise the reader by bringing him to a most unexpected climax4 ,,brother ,,leo ,by ,,phyllis ,,bottome ,the world is so full of selfishness1 and resulting misery1 that every one more or less often thinks how different life would be if every individual were to be ideal4 ,somewhere1 somehow1 we think1 must be a ,utopia where everything is as it should be4 ,brother ,leo is not a fantastic dream of some unreal place4 ,it is a simply beautiful story of a monk who had known no other life than that in his monastic retreat on an island near ,venice4 ,there1 in a sort of heaven on earth1 in a life of extreme simplicity1 the young man1 untouched by the world1 developed all that should characterize us in our daily lives4 ,for one day he goes out into the city1 comes into touch with its veneer and dishonesty1 and goes back joyfully1 without the slightest regret1 into his calm retreat4 ,the story1 or character sketch1 has no startling event4 ,the young monk moves in the soft light of kindliness1 a beautiful1 dream-like figure presented to us with sufficient realism to give verisimilitude4 ,how much better to show this modern1 idealistic figure in modern surroundings than to picture some one in the distant past1 or in the still more distant future6 ,phyllis ,bottome was born in ,england4 ,her father was an ,american clergyman and her mother an ,english woman4 ,she has spent most of her life in ,england1 although she has lived in ,america1 ,france and ,italy4 ,she has written many short stories1 some of which have been collected in a volume called ,the ,derelict4 ,torcello4 ,an island six miles northeast of ,venice4 ,saint ,francis4 ,francis of ,assisi1 #aahb-abbf4 ,the founder of the monastic order of ,franciscans4 ,poverelli4 ,poor people4 ,rembrandt4 #afjg-affi4 ,a great ,dutch painter4 ,some of his pictures1--especially ,the ,night ,watch1--show wonderful light effects4 ,poverino4 ,poor little fellow4 ,the sin of ,esau4 ,see the ,bible story in ,genesis #be3 #bg-cd4 ,esau sold his birthright in order to satisfy his hunger4 ,st4 ,francis' birds4 ,st4 ,francis loved all animate and inanimate nature1 and once preached to the birds as if they could understand him4 ,per ,bacco1 ,signore4 ,by ,bacchus1 ,sir6 ,signore ,dio4 ,lord ,god4 ,veramente4 ,truly4 ,il ,signore ,dio4 ,the ,lord ,god4 ,piazzetta4 ,an open square near the landing place in ,venice4 ,the ducal palace4 ,the palace of the ,doges of ,venice1 built in the fifteenth century4 ,chi lo sa8 ,who knows8 ,the column of the ,lion of ,st4 ,mark's4 ,a column in the ,piazzetta bearing a winged lion1 the emblem of ,st4 ,mark4 ,saint ,mark's4 ,one of the most famous and beautiful church buildings in the world1 originally founded in #hcj4 ,its attractive ,byzantine architecture and its wonderful mosaics have always given delight4 ,the ,piazza4 ,the chief business and pleasure center of ,venice4 ,the new ,campanile4 ,a new tower that takes the place of the fallen ,campanile begun in the ninth century4 ,frari4 ,a great ,venetian church built for the ,franciscan ,friars1 #abej-acej4 ,titian4 #adgg-aegf4 ,the most famous of all ,venetian painters4 ,one of the greatest artists the world has known4 ,bellinis4 ,pictures by ,giovanni ,bellini1 #adbg787-aeaf1 a great ,venetian painter1 and the instructor of ,titian4 ,andiamo4 ,let us go4 ,palazzo ,giovanelli4 ,a ,venetian palace containing a small but beautiful collection of paintings4 ,giorgiones4 ,pictures by ,giorgione1 #adgg-aeaa1 a pupil of ,bellini1 much noted for color effects4 ,florian's4 ,a famous ,venetian caf1 some #bjj years old4 ,speriamo4 ,we hope4 ,a ,,fight ,,with ,,death ,by ,,ian ,,maclaren ,heroism is as great in daily life as in battle4 ,we live beside heroic figures perhaps not recognizing their greatness4 ,plain1 simple surroundings1 daily scenes1 everyday people1 the accustomed language of daily life1 may all take on noble proportions4 ,a ,fight with ,death is a local color story1 for it gives the dialect1 the way of life1 the character1 of certain people in a remote part of ,scotland4 ,it is a story of noble type1 presenting a character ideal--a country doctor fighting for the life of a humble patient4 ,the world will always appreciate any story that finds the ideal in the actual2 it will appreciate it all the sooner if it is written1 as in this case1 with plenty of action1 vivid character drawing1 natural1 everyday language1 and touches of pathos and of humor1 all so combined that the story rises to climax1 and wakens sympathy4 ,a ,fight with ,death is the third of a series of five simple1 exquisitely pathetic stories of ,scotch life1 entitled ,a ,doctor of the ,old ,school1 printed in the collection of stories called ,beside the ,bonnie ,brier ,bush1 by ,ian ,maclaren1--the pseudonym of ,rev4 ,john ,watson4 ,the author was born in ,manningtree1 ,essex1 in #ahej4 ,he gained a large part of his education in ,edinburgh ,university1 and has spent many years in intimate touch with ,scotch life4 ,in addition to ,beside the ,bonnie ,brier ,bush ,dr4 ,watson has written a number of books1 the most notable being ,days of ,auld ,lang ,syne1 ,the ,upper ,room1 and ,the ,mind of the ,master4 ,drumsheugh's grieve4 ,drumsheugh is tenant of a large farm4 ,the 8grieve0 is his farm manager4 ,greet4 ,cry4 ,a certain mighty power4 ,death4 ,sough4 ,breathe4 ,thraun4 ,perverse4 ,shilpit4 ,weak4 ,feckless4 ,spiritless4 ,pushioned4 ,poisoned4 ,kirny aitmeal4 ,oatmeal with full kernels4 ,buirdly4 ,strong4 ,fecht4 ,fight4 ,haflin4 ,a stripling1--half-grown4 ,dour chiel4 ,stubborn fellow4 ,caller4 ,fresh4 ,oxters4 ,armpits4 ,grampians4 ,mountains in central ,scotland4 ,byre4 ,cow-barn4 ,thole4 ,endure1--permit4 ,fraikin'4 ,disgraceful action4 ,glen ,urtach4 ,a valley in the highlands4 ,jess4 ,the doctor's old horse4 ,goon and bans4 ,gown and bands1--clerical robes4 ,,the ,d,n-,,nan-,r,n ,by ,,fiona ,,macleod ,are there strange1 mystical forces in the world that affect us in spite of ourselves8 ,or do our own actions rebound upon us and make life 8heaven or hell0 as the case may be8 ,these questions that we ask when we read ,macbeth come to us when we read ,fiona ,macleod's ,dn-,nan-,rn4 ,the ,dn-,nan-,rn is not wholly a story of mysticism built on the idea that the weird flute-8song o' the seals0 could so thrill one who1 perhaps1 drew his ancestry from the seals1 that he would go out into the wild waters to live or die with his ancestral folk4 ,the story suggests all that4 ,it hints at strange descent1 magic melodies1 wraiths of the dead1 and weird powers beyond man4 ,this1 no doubt1 combined with unusual setting1 frequent use of the little-understood ,gaelic1 weirdly musical verse1 and romantic action1 gives the story an unusual atmosphere of gloom and shadow4 ,at heart1 in plain fact1 the story is psychological4 ,a man on whose soul hangs the memory of a crime1 maddened by grief at the death of a fervently loved wife1 tormented in his evil hour by a deadly human foe who subtly1 with compelling music1 plays upon his superstitions1 plunges1 in the violence of his madness1 into the sea4 ,from that point of view the man's own soul scourged him to his death4 ,the whole combination of weird atmosphere1 tragedy1 grief1 conscience1 and superstition1 is brought together in an artistic form that leads to a grimly startling catastrophe--the final mad fight with the seals4 ,this is no common story of sensational event4 ,it is a great human tragedy of grief and conscience1 played to the weird music of the north as if by a ,gaelic minstrel endowed with mystic powers4 ,there is something mystic indeed in ,fiona ,macleod4 ,william ,sharp1 #ahef-aije1 the ,scottish poet1 editor1 novelist1 biographer1 and critic1 lived a successful life as man of letters4 ,he did more1 for1 beginning in #ahid1 he used the name1 8,fiona ,macleod10 not as a pseudonym but as that of the actual author of the most unusual1 brilliant1 and altogether original series of poems and stories ever written4 ,not until ,mr4 ,sharp's death was it found that ,fiona ,macleod and ,william ,sharp were one and the same person4 ,the whole story is apparently one of dual personality4 ,all this adds to the strange fascination of ,fiona ,macleod's stories and poems4 ,eilanmore4 ,an island west of ,scotland4 ,the ,outer ,isles4 ,the ,hebrides1 or ,western ,isles1 west of ,scotland4 ,the ,lews and ,north ,uist4 ,islands of the ,hebrides4 ,arran4 ,an island west of ,ireland4 ,inner ,hebrides4 ,islands of the ,hebrides group1 not far from the coast of ,scotland4 ,runes4 ,mystical songs4 ,from the ,obb of ,harris to the ,head of ,mingulay4 ,from one end of the ,hebrides to the other4 ,orain spioradail4 ,spiritual song4 ,barra4 ,a southern island of the ,hebrides4 ,galloway4 ,the extreme southwestern coast of ,scotland4 ,the ,minch4 ,the strait between the ,hebrides and ,scotland4 ,caisean-feusag4 ,moustache4 ,mo cailinn4 ,my girl4 ,kye4 ,cattle4 ,berneray of ,uist4 ,a small island north of ,north ,uist in the ,hebrides4 ,the ,sound of ,harris4 ,the sound between ,north ,uist and ,harris in the ,hebrides4 ,anna-ban4 ,fair ,anna4 ,anne--ghraidh4 ,anna1 my dear4 ,gheasan4 ,a charm1 magic spell4 ,geas4 ,charm4 ,sinnsear4 ,ancestors4 ,anna-nic-,gilleasbuig4 ,anna1 daughter of the line of ,gilleasbuig4 ,ru' ,tormaid4 ,a place in the ,hebrides4 ,corbies4 ,ravens4 ,bta-beag4 ,small boat4 ,corrie4 ,a hollow in the side of a hill4 ,ann-mochree4 ,ann1 my tantalizer4 ,the black stone of ,icolmkill4 ,a famous stone at ,icolmkill in the ,hebrides4 ,oisin the son of ,fionn4 ,a character named in ,gaelic legends4 ,skye4 ,a large island close to the western shore of ,scotland4 ,the ,clyde4 ,the great estuary of the river ,clyde1 in the southwestern part of ,scotland1 one of the most important shipping centers of ,great ,britain4 ,byre4 ,a cow house4 ,loch ,boisdale4 ,an inlet of ,south ,uist in the ,hebrides4 ,loch ,maddy4 ,a small inlet in the ,hebrides4 ,pictish ,towre4 ,an ancient stone construction4 ,ban ,breac4 ,the ,spotted ,hill4 ,maigstir4 ,master4 ,skua4 ,a large sea bird something like a gull4 ,liath4 ,a small fish4 ,smooring4 ,the fireplace4 ,rosad4 ,a charm4 ,sgadan4 ,herrings4 ,fey4 ,doomed4 ,ceann-,cinnidh4 ,head of the ,clan4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,suggestive ,,questions ,,for ,,class ,,use ,,the ,,adventures ,,of ,,simon ,,and ,,susanna #a4 ,what is the advantage of having the two characters1--,uncle ,remus and the little boy8 #b4 ,what makes the introduction effective8 #c4 ,what advantages are gained by the little boy's criticisms8 #d4 ,show how the story maintains its interest4 #e4 ,what character distinctions are made in the story8 #f4 ,show how the story is made harmonious in every detail4 #g4 ,write a story in which you present an ignorant man of some familiar type telling to a neighbor an exaggerated story founded on a somewhat ordinary event4 ,,the ,,crow ,,child #a4 ,show that the language of ,the ,crow ,child is superior to the language of ,the ,adventures of ,simon and ,susanna4 #b4 ,what distinctly literary effects does the author produce8 #c4 ,make a list of the words by which the author prepares the reader for ,ruky's transformation4 #d4 ,what is the purpose of the story8 #e4 ,make an outline that will show the principal divisions of the story4 #f4 ,show that every division of the story is necessary4 #g4 ,write an original story in which you transmute a real experience into a wonder story with a moral effect4 ,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,bell #a4 ,how does the story show itself to be a legendary tale8 #b4 ,how is the simple story given movement and force8 #c4 ,show how the interest is focussed on the bell rather than on the girl4 #d4 ,how does the author make the various sounds of the bell effective in the story8 #e4 ,point out the poetic elements in the story4 #f4 ,write1 in poetic form1 some legend of ,america1 8,the ,indian ,bride of ,niagara10 for example4 ,,the ,,ten ,,trails #a4 ,show in what way the story is highly condensed4 #b4 ,expand any part of the story into the full form it might have if not told in the form of a fable4 #c4 ,how might the story have been told differently if it had not aimed at a moral8 #d4 ,when is it of advantage to write fables8 #e4 ,write an original fable1 no longer than ,the ,ten ,trails1 about high school students4 ,,where ,,love ,,is1 ,,there ,,god ,,is ,,also #a4 ,make an outline that will show the structure of the story4 #b4 ,why did the author have ,avdeitch help more than one person8 #c4 ,show how the use of realistic detail helps the story4 #d4 ,what characteristics make the story interesting8 #e4 ,make a list of the epigrammatic expressions that occur in the story4 ,how do they add to the effect8 #f4 ,what is the principal lesson taught by the story8 #g4 ,compare this story with ,eliot's ,silas ,marner1 ,leigh ,hunt's ,abou ,ben ,adhem1 ,lowell's ,the ,vision of ,sir ,launfal1 ,longfellow's ,the ,legend ,beautiful1 and ,henry ,van ,dyke's ,the ,other ,wise ,man4 #h4 ,write an allegorical story of some length1 using realistic characters from daily life1 leading to an effective climax1 and presenting a high ideal of conduct4 ,,wood ,,ladies #a4 ,point out the different steps in the action4 #b4 ,what different persons take up the search8 ,what is the effect of the constant additions to the number of searchers8 #c4 ,why did the author have little children1 five and seven years old1 play principal parts8 #d4 ,trace the emotions of the mother from the beginning of the story4 #e4 ,how did the mother1 at different times1 explain the child's absence8 #f4 ,why does the author narrate nothing that is impossible8 #g4 ,point out passages that suggest the supernatural4 #h4 ,tell the story of the little girl in the 8greeny sort of dress40 #i4 ,what is the effect of the setting8 ,what gives occasional relief from the setting and thereby emphasizes it all the more8 #aj4 ,how does the style of the story add to the effect8 #aa4 ,show in what ways the story expresses delicate fancy4 #ab4 ,what is the truth of the story8 #ac4 ,write an original story of supernatural beings1 using suggestion rather than statement1 and avoiding harsh and horrifying events4 ,,on ,,the ,,fever ,,ship #a4 ,show the steps by which the author makes us realize the soldier's mental condition4 ,his physical condition4 #b4 ,by what means does the author present the setting8 ,the principal plot elements8 #c4 ,what previous events are indicated but not told8 ,why are they merely indicated8 #d4 ,trace the steps by which we are led into full sympathy with the love story4 #e4 ,what means does the author take to increase the interest of the story as it nears the end8 #f4 ,characterize the different subordinate characters introduced in the story4 ,tell why every one is introduced4 #g4 ,show that the ending of the story is entirely appropriate4 ,how is it made emphatic8 #h4 ,write a story in which you show the moving effect of any deep love1 such as love for parents1 brothers1 sisters1 or children2 or else write a somewhat restrained story of romantic love4 ,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation #a4 ,what effect is given by the question3 8,well1 uncle1 is there any noos80 at the beginning and at the ending of the story8 #b4 ,show how the character of old ,sam ,gates is essential in the story4 #c4 ,show how every part of the story is possible and probable4 #d4 ,why did the aviator take ,sam ,gates with him8 #e4 ,point out the characteristics of ,sam's captors4 #f4 ,show that ,sam's character and actions are consistent4 #g4 ,show that realism and local color give important contributions to the story4 #h4 ,how is ,sam unknowingly made an important person8 ,what is the value of this importance as a part of the story8 #i4 ,why should ,sam so quietly resume work on his return home8 #aj4 ,write a story in which some person of quiet1 secluded life is suddenly placed in an unusual setting and in unusual circumstances4 ,,moti ,,guj--,,mutineer #a4 ,point out all that contributes to local color4 #b4 ,point out all that shows ultimate knowledge of elephants4 #c4 ,show how the author has made the work humorous4 #d4 ,show that the story has a definite course of action that leads to a climax4 #e4 ,show in what ways the story is highly original4 #f4 ,write an original story in which you use local color as a background for a story of animal life4 ,you may write about a horse1 or cat1 or dog1 but in any case you must make your story have action and lead to climax4 ,,gulliver ,,the ,,great #a4 ,what advantage is gained by having the story told in the club8 #b4 ,how is the dog made the central figure8 #c4 ,what is the climax of the story8 #d4 ,give the steps in the presentation of the dog's character4 #e4 ,tell how we are made to sympathize with the dog4 #f4 ,what suggestive effect is gained at the end of the story8 #g4 ,write a story in which you awaken sympathy for some dumb animal by suggesting that it has almost human emotions4 ,,sonny',s ,,schoolin' #a4 ,what is the advantage of the monologue form8 #b4 ,how is conversation indicated8 #c4 ,point out the separate incidents that make up the story4 #d4 ,what advantage is gained by the use of dialect8 #e4 ,point out elements of goodness in ,sonny4 #f4 ,what is the character of the father8 ,how is it presented8 #g4 ,tell why ,miss ,phoebe ,kellog's school was superior to all the others4 #h4 ,show in what way the author has produced humorous effects4 #i4 ,write an original story in which you tell what happened to ,sonny when he came to your school4 ,,her ,,first ,,horse ,,show #a4 ,why does the author introduce us to his characters in the midst of the horse show8 #b4 ,how does the author1 in the beginning of the story1 make the situation entirely clear8 #c4 ,what speeches and actions in the early part of the story serve to make the action in the latter part of the story seem natural8 #d4 ,how is the girl's daring act emphasized8 #e4 ,in what ways does the author make it seem probable that the girl could gain opportunity to ride the high-spirited horse at the horse show8 #f4 ,show in what ways the conclusion is particularly effective4 #g4 ,write an original story concerning a school athletic meet or contest in which one of the students1 by unexpected skill and courage1 wins the day4 ,,my ,,husband',s ,,book #a4 ,what is the character of the husband 7a7 as seen by himself8 7b7 as seen by the wife8 7c7 as seen by the reader8 #b4 ,what is the character of the wife8 #c4 ,what produces the humor of the story8 #d4 ,what is the advantage of having the wife so slow to see her husband's real weakness8 #e4 ,what is the effect of the last sentence8 #f4 ,at what is the satire directed8 #g4 ,write an original story in which you satirize1 in a kindly manner1 some common failing in high school boys or girls4 ,,war #a4 ,how are we made to sympathize with the young man8 #b4 ,what is the effect of the detailed description8 #c4 ,how is the emotion of the story presented8 #d4 ,how does the author make the story increase in emphasis8 #e4 ,why is the incident of the apples introduced8 #f4 ,why is 8the man with the ginger beard0 brought into the story8 #g4 ,what impression does the story leave upon the reader8 #h4 ,write a story in which you arouse indignation at some great world evil by making the reader realize its effect on one individual4 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,monsters #a4 ,what is the purpose of the physician's notes at the beginning and at the ending of the story8 #b4 ,show how the author has given story-interest to scientific material4 #c4 ,point out the characteristics of the different characters4 #d4 ,trace the development of the story to its climax4 #e4 ,by what means does the author make his scientific material clear8 #f4 ,how does the author arouse our sympathy8 #g4 ,point out the ways in which this story differs from most others4 #h4 ,write an original story in which you turn some scientific information into story form by making definite characters perform a series of actions that lead to a climax4 ,you may choose something as simple as the pumping of water from a well1 the action of electricity in lighting a lamp1 or the burning of a piece of coal4 ,a ,,dilemma #a4 ,point out all the ways in which the author prepares for the puzzle at the end of the story4 #b4 ,show in what way the author makes the story seem reasonable4 #c4 ,show in what way character description adds to the interest of the story4 #d4 ,how does the author emphasize the puzzle8 #e4 ,write a sequel to the story1 giving a solution for opening the box1 but leading to a new problem as difficult as the first4 ,,the ,,red-,,headed ,,league #a4 ,how does the opening lead one to think the story has unusual interest8 #b4 ,show how the author manages to keep the mystery to the end4 #c4 ,outline the parts of the story4 #d4 ,point out touches of unusual originality4 #e4 ,what are the characteristics of ,sherlock ,holmes8 #f4 ,what is the author's method in telling the story8 #g4 ,show how the author uses conversation4 #h4 ,write an original story involving mystery1 leading1 with sufficient action1 to a climax1 and depending upon the use of deductive reasoning4 ,,one ,,hundred ,,in ,,the ,,dark #a4 ,point out the advantages derived from the setting4 #b4 ,how much of the story depends upon character8 #c4 ,what is your opinion of the literary theories presented8 #d4 ,how does this story differ from ,a ,dilemma8 #e4 ,how many separate stories are contained in ,one ,hundred in the ,dark8 #f4 ,give the several possible solutions of the principal story4 #g4 ,what part did ,peters play in the principal story8 #h4 ,of what value are the hearers' comments on the story8 #i4 ,how does the story differ from most other stories8 #aj4 ,write a story of school life1 presenting a problem capable of several solutions1 but leaving the reader to make the final solution4 ,a ,,retrieved ,,reformation #a4 ,show in what way the first few paragraphs give an unusual amount of information in small space4 #b4 ,what is our first impression of ,jimmy ,valentine8 #c4 ,what are ,jimmy ,valentine's good characteristics as seen in the early part of the story8 #d4 ,what are the characteristics of ,ben ,price8 #e4 ,by what method does the author give the characteristics of the minor characters8 #f4 ,how do you account for ,jimmy ,valentine's reformation8 #g4 ,how did ,ben ,price find where ,jimmy ,valentine lived8 #h4 ,how does the author give the impression of a contest8 #i4 ,why did ,jimmy ,valentine ask for ,annabel's rose8 #aj4 ,what forces are brought into full play at the end of the story8 #aa4 ,why do we admire both ,ben ,price and ,jimmy ,valentine8 #ab4 ,write an original story in which you show the full establishment of naturally good characteristics1 and the development of a spirit of sacrifice4 ,make your story rise to a surprising conclusion4 ,,brother ,,leo #a4 ,in what way is the style appropriate to the theme8 #b4 ,show how the author has gained unity4 #c4 ,what makes the story seem true to life8 #d4 ,how does ,brother ,leo differ from other men8 #e4 ,what ideals does the story present8 #f4 ,why did the author make the events of the story so simple8 #g4 ,write a character study of some person who has unworldly ideals1--an old lady1 a sister of charity1 a member of the ,salvation ,army1 a missionary1 or a devoted scientist4 ,a ,,fight ,,with ,,death #a4 ,what advantage is gained by the use of dialect8 #b4 ,how is the story made to appeal to our sympathies8 #c4 ,how is the country doctor made heroic8 #d4 ,point out all the ways in which the doctor's character is emphasized4 #e4 ,how much of the worth of the story is due to local color8 #f4 ,point out examples of pathos2 of humor4 ,why have both been used8 #g4 ,write a story of heroism in ordinary life4 ,use the slang1 or the dialect of daily life as you have actually heard it1 as a means of increasing the effect4 ,be sure to make your story tell of action as well as of character4 ,make it rise to a climax4 ,,the ,d,n-,,nan-,r,n #a4 ,why is personal appearance emphasized in the beginning of the story8 #b4 ,point out examples of poetic fancy4 #c4 ,show how the author's style of writing contributes to the effect the story produces4 #d4 ,show how great a part belief in the supernatural is made to play4 #e4 ,how much of the story depends upon character8 #f4 ,what is the effect of the verse8 #g4 ,what keeps the story from being merely sensational8 #h4 ,what part does madness play in the story8 #i4 ,what is the author's purpose in using so much ,gaelic8 #aj4 ,show in what ways the story is true to ordinary mental action4 #aa4 ,how do you account for all the events that take place8 #ab4 ,how does the author give the strong atmospheric effects8 #ac4 ,in what ways is the story unusual8 #ad4 ,what gives the story its great power8 #ae4 ,how does the story affect you8 #af4 ,write an original story in which you make conscience play a great part1 especially when spurred on by superstitious fears4 ,,the ,,end ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected4 ,typographical errors were silently corrected4 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a predominant form was found in this book4 ,text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores 7italics72 text that was bold by 8equal0 signs 7bold74