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14 INTO MAHVZIOUS LIQHT (In the preceding chapters of this story a meeting takes place one night on the banks of the Hudson, between John Marsden, a young preacher, and Julian Deveaux, a brilliant actor, of rather unsavory moral reputation. This meeting results in exciting a keen interest in the heart of Deveaux and a feeling al most of repugnance in that of John Marsden; but the latter, hoping to be of some good to the young actor, conquers his natural aversion and promises to see him again.) HE desire of an evil spirit in Julian Deveaux took possession of him to at tempt to make John Marden fall from the roek upon which he seemed so con fident of having a firm foothold. The more he pondered over it, the stronger the desire grew upon him. His first step was to pose as a blase man of the world, who was so tired of its —7 - follies and vanities that he wished to renounce it all, and become a man of John Mars den’s faith. So, again and again he went to hear him preach, each time walking home with him, so that he had become a familiar figure in the church and in John’s apartments. Inch by he was winding himself about John’s heart, into his confidence and, deepest of all, into his sympathy; and, although he was wholly unconscious of it, John had a mellowing influence in Julian’s calloused heart. Deveaux had always been very self-indlugent, and now his ungoverned passions seemed to have abso lute control over him.. In an ugly mood, brought on by dissipation, he wandered into John Marsden’s study one day. John had never before seen him in this State, and was greatly shocked. “John, I don’t know why I allowed myself to stop to see you to-day, for I am in a hellish humor. It is better for me to be alone when I take these moods. I have become, since I knew you, to have a horror of their approach. But I have given them full sway for so long, I now seem to have no power to throw them off when they begin to come over me. I feel as I imagine I would if some evil spirit took possession of me to lead me to a certain point or to do a certain act, and though I may realize that it is horrible, and wish to draw back with all the will I possess, yet I am as one hypnotized and passively led on. It always ends in my getting so desperate, almost mad, that nothing drowns the ter rors of my state but a nartocized condition. This is done with a peculiar Eastern drug, the secrets of the concoction of which I learned from a noted ma gician the last time I was in India. Once the habit is formed, it is said that no human will has ever thrown it off. At the time I experimented with it, I did not care what was the result. Now that I would abandon it, I cannot. Often I lie awake through the dark hours of the night, haunted by the memory of the deeds of some of the frightful es capades of my past life, and I seem almost to sweat drops of blood. If your God had any such power on earth as you claim He has, I would have been struck dead long ago. When I was at Monte Carlo, fiive years ago, I did barely escape with my life; and for my standing here now, the world has one other man less—but wfliat am I saying?” Julian Deveaux rubbed his hands across his eyes in a dazed way. “You are the only man on earth ■who knows this secret. Swear you’ll keep it.” Something in the calm ,fearless way in which John Marsden looked into his eyes, maddened him almost to desperation. If John had only known it, his very life w’as in danger, alone with this, for the time, crazed man. Roughly he clutched his should ers, repealing, “Swear it, man, swear it.” “No,” said John, still looking at him without flinching, “I shall swear nothing. God shall be your judge, and your executioner. I shall not inter- CHAPTER 111. The Golden Age for March 8, 1906. By LLEWELYN ST EP HENS. sere with His judgments or His punishments. Never for one moment fear me.” Deveaux’s grasp relaxed, his hand fell to his side. A peculiar expression came over his face. He turned away without a word, and walked up and down the room. Then he raised his head and looked at John, while there was a touch of pathos in his voice, as he said, “The judgment or punishment of your God long ago ceased to effect me in the least. But you— who are you? What is there in you that appeals to me? I never saw you until six weeks ago. I suppose it is your usual sincerity that so appeals to me. Sincerity is such an unusual characteristic of this day and time, that there is something fascinat ing about it. I suppose you think you have a per fect right, and that it is your duty to preach to devils like me because you have so much faith in your honesty and virtue and piety. But, boy, you have just not happened to run up against the moun tain yet. But oh, it’s before you, it’s before you. The devil and his pets will get you. I shall live to see the day when you will curse the hour you were born. Ah, yes, you will. I see you looking at me with those great big pitying brown eyes of yours. But the day will come, when even this heart of mine shall shed tears of pity for you. Yes, I shall. But you don’t believe it, do you?” “You have your views, and I suppose, have your reasons for them. I have mine, and am satisfied. Therefore it is useless to discuss them, especially in your present mood. You seem so unlike yourself, I cannot talk to you. I can hardly imagine you as being other than quiet, deliberate, and perfectly sane in your ideas. That a man of your wonderful in tellect and charming personality, could become a slave to such a deadly drug seems incredible to me. But I am wasting words by appealing to you now. Leave me, lest something is said or done to sever our friendship.” “I am not myself to-day, John. Forget this visit.” He hurriedly departed, leaving John Marsden sorely troubled. Not that his faith in God, or his devotion to the cause he had chosen were weakened; but the magnetic personality of Julian Deveaux haunted him like some shadow. Whichever way he turned, there seemed to be before him that tall form, that shrug of the shoulders, that head of black curls, that lower lip now and then pressing over the up per one, and those unusually penetrating eyes which seemed to look through and through him. CHAPTER IV. Something drew Julian Deveaux to church the next Sabbath. As usual, he waited for John Mars den at the close of the service. “John, what do you suppose entices me to your church?” “Not having the faculty of mind reading, I am unable to say.” “It is not what you say that interests me. Do not flatter yourself on that score, my dear boy. It is your enthusiasm, your faith in yourself, your faith in your faith that makes you positively fasci nating. But tell me, why did you throw all that scripture at me to-day? Why did you not give a dose suited to the needs of your little flock? Just think what energy you wasted on me. Why, I know your Bible from cover to cover. I once had my theological training, too. I was educated for a Roman priest. I am quite sure no one in the world has the opportunity and takes advantage of it, too, that a Roman Catholic priest has for seeing just what a hell this world is. I broke loose from the prison, though, long before taking the final vows, but to vary the montony of my monkish life while in it, and to replenish my purse, I often played Fa ther Confessor. Tales were poured into my ears which should have made the dead rise and walk the earth again. I began to read human nature as it was, and is, and ever shall be. It showed me my- self as I am: you, as you are, all other men as they are. And Mother Eve, too, continues just the same throughout all the ages.” “I have a mother, therefore we shall not discuss ■women in that light.” “I never knew my mother, as she died when I was an infant. I am not speaking of mothers as the yappear to dutiful sons. I am speaking of wo men with whom I come in contact. Do you know— and I’m not speaking egotistically, either—l have never yet met a woman I cared a straw about catch ing in my net, that I did not have completely, in my spider’s w’eb in less than a month. That’s why I’ve never married. If I had ever met a woman that had enough individuality to despise me, I’d have married her if it had cost me the greatest effort of my life.” “See here, Julian, I can’t imagine what’s coming over you. Are you filled up on that horrible drug again ? ’ ’ “Not a bit of it.” “Then, if you care to have me walk with you you must change the subject of our conversation.” “Oh, my good boy, I like your frankness. It’s refreshing. Absolutely nothing you could say to me would ruffle the serenity of my mood or offend me in the least. I don’t deny being one of the devil’s own. I am just exactly what I seem to be. And I am not worse than the average man in his inmost heart, either. No matter with what kind of an ex terior he may be covered, after all, a man is a man. I tell you if circumstances and temptations come at the right time, a man will fall under them every time, no matter -what his professions of religion and faith in the power of his God. All history proves it. The most prominent Bible characters did so. Look at David and Solomon and Peter, and in fact, all the disciples when the great hour of trial came, their faith held none of them. Explain such contradictions.” “There are many mysteries our human minds cannot understand. Yet I do know this. The man who sins and truly repents is all the more humble and watchful of himself and feels more dependent upon God’s strength than his own, since he realizes that he has no strength within himself. Sin is like a mountain black and towering in the darkness, but when the sun shines upon it, it is glorified into beauty. So, sin forgiven elevates the sinner upon a mountain, glorified by God’s love. If David had not lived a life of varied experiences, he could never have written the wonderful Psalms. I thank God that He has not yet seen best to place me under any great temptation. Still I must tell you again that I am not such an inexperienced boy as you insist upon thinking me. I dare say you will be somewhat surprised when I tell you that I, too, was educated for a Roman Catholic priest.” “Well, well, John, you almost take my breath away. I knew there was some kind of a bond be tween us. But if you were wise enough to come out from under a creed of such superstition, why did you take up another even less reasonable?” “Julian, I am curious to know what your creed is.” “I do not think you would be any happier for knowing my belief.” “Yet, I insist.” “It gives me no pleasure, I must admit, to believe what I do, but it was forced upon me. You know I spoke to you of having the unusual faculty of a kind of second sight.” “Yes.” “Well, this came to me when I renounced Roman Catholicism, and all other religions. It was the prin cipal cause of my renouncing them. It came to me in a dream. I dare say you will think I was under the hallucination of my drug at the time, but I was not. I was a model boy. I knew nothing of the effects of narcotics, except from heresay.” (Continued on page 16.)