The Blind Spot
is Harry
am still a young man; I have had a good education and still have friends and admirers. Such being the case, you
hall do it completely and go back to
I could not understand objection; the cat resisted for certain utilitarian reasons of its own and my mother through humane sympathy. I had been scratched and spanked in addition: it w
iful and soft and balmy; the world at full exuberance; the buds upon the trees, the flowers, and the songbirds singing. I could not understand it. It was so beautiful and
hen I
angles as is the manner of fat boys and his arms away from his body. I slid off the porch quietly. Here was something that could suffer for the cat and my mother
hem out of my reach. Then he tried to run away. But I had learned from the cat that had scratched me. I clung on, bitin
lders, to force me back, and finally to upset me. Then in the stolid way, and after the manner of fat boys, he sat upon my chest. When our startled mothers came upon the scene they so found us-I u
it? Who s
emember
boy backed off quietly and clung to
did you s
no a
ou started it. Didn't y
odd
me by the hand
has a temper like sin; but he wi
are so entwined and so related that without it you could not get the gist of the story. In the afternoon I came across the street to play with Hobart. He met me smiling. It was not in h
shall say right now that the fights were mostly my fault. I started them one and all; and if every battle had
althy, fat, and, like fat boys, forever laughing. He followed me into trouble and when I was retreating he valiantly defended the rear. Stro
n I got into deep water Hobart would come along, pluck me out and pull me to shore and safety. Did you
to help him take care of his baby sister. That is about the supreme sacrifice of a boy's devotion. In after years, of course, he
mathematics; he can talk to you from the binomial theorem up into Calculus; he is never so happy as when the air is buzzing with a conversation charged with induction coils, alternating currents, or atomic energy. The whole swing and force of popular science is his kingdom. I w
ntered law college, and in due time was admitted to practice. It was while studying to qualify that I first ran into philosophy. I was a lad to enjoy quick, pithy, epigrammatic statem
own and seldom came out second best, and when he lost out he could laugh like the next one. I was deeply impressed by him. As I took course after course under him I was convinced that for all of his dr
wisdom. I became interested and gradually took up with his speculation; for all
tand it. I was preparing for the law. He could see no advantage to be derived from this digging into speculation. He was practi
n for three thousand years. What have they got? You could read all their literature from the pyramid
rld is locked up in the concrete; unless a thing has wheels, pistons, some sort of combustion, or a chemical act
"Fine," he ans
red, "that's wh
our funeral, Harry. When you have found, it
rmulas. Just the same, next day when I entered Holcomb's lecture-room
ring department. Told him I wanted to study philosophy. The old boy put up a beautiful holler. Couldn't understand what an engineer would want with psychology or et
at. Perhaps you intend to take your notes over to the m
gri
mber that. I'm not much on phrases; but I'm sure the strong boy with the hammer. You don't ob
dy of philosophy. When the class was over and we we
old doctor is there; he's got them going.
s not more than a week after registration. In the time ensuing Fenton became just as great an enthusiast as myself. His id
eing a convert o
question. For all of my faith in the professor I was hardly prepared for a thing like this. Str
side of your abstract. That's good paradox, Harry; but almighty poor logic. If it is so it certainly can be proven. There's not one re
er or an equally great case of abduction. There were but few, even in the university, who embraced the sid
He was practical and concrete, and not at all attuned to philosophy; he had not the training for deep dry thinking. He wo
deep study?"
s I could see that his t
deep study?"
inking, Harry;
ha
d like to have about one hundred thousan
wered; "I could think that mys
hat I would do if I had that much m
as the idea that buzzed in the head of Hobart Fenton? He is concrete, physical, fearless. He is in South America. I have cabled to him and expect him as fast as steam
ve for the great professor I have pitted myself against it. From the beginning it has been almost hopeless. I remember that last digressio
romised by Dr. Holcomb? Through what process and what laws did the professor acquire even his partial control over the phenomena? Where
s up and onward. I am not a brave man, perhaps, under close analysis; but once I have given my word I shall keep it. I have done my bit; my simple duty. Perhaps I have failed. In holding myself against the Blind Spot I have done no m
tle. There are so many laws in the weave of Cosmos that are still unguessed. What is this death that we are afraid of? What is life? Ca
ows already will not hurt repeating. It is well that man shall have it; it may be that we shall both fail-there is no telling; but i
I am a bit loose, remember the stress under which I am