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The friendships of young girls prefigure the closer relations which
will one day come in and dissolve their earlier intimacies。 The
dependence of two young friends may be mutual； but one will always
lean more heavily than the other； the masculine and feminine elements
will be as sure to assert themselves as if the friends were of
different sexes。
On all common occasions Euthymia looked up to her friend as her
superior。 She fully appreciated all her varied gifts and knowledge；
and deferred to her opinion in every…day matters； not exactly as an
oracle； but as wiser than herself or any of her other companions。 It
was a different thing； however； when the graver questions of life
came up。 Lurida was full of suggestions； plans； projects； which were
too liable to run into whims before she knew where they were tending。
She would lay out her ideas before Euthymia so fluently and
eloquently that she could not help believing them herself； and
feeling as if her friend must accept them with an enthusiasm like her
own。 Then Euthymia would take them up with her sweet； deliberate
accents； and bring her calmer judgment to bear on them。
Lurida was in an excited condition； in the midst of all her new
interests and occupations。 She was constantly on the lookout for
papers to be read at the meetings of her Society；for she made it
her own in great measure； by her zeal and enthusiasm；and in the
mean time she was reading in various books which Dr。 Butts selected
for her； all bearing on the profession to which； at least as a
possibility； she was looking forward。 Privately and in a very still
way； she was occupying herself with the problem of the young
stranger； the subject of some delusion； or disease； or obliquity of
unknown nature； to which the vague name of antipathy had been
attached。 Euthymia kept an eye upon her； partly in the fear that
over…excitement would produce some mental injury； and partly from
anxiety lest she should compromise her womanly dignity in her desire
to get at the truth of a very puzzling question。
〃How do you like the books I see you reading？〃 said Euthymia to
Lurida； one day； as they met at the Library。
〃Better than all the novels I ever read；〃 she answered。 〃I have been
reading about the nervous system； and it seems to me I have come
nearer the springs of life than ever before in all my studies。 I
feel just as if I were a telegraph operator。 I was sure that I had a
battery in my head； for I know my brain works like one； but I did not
know how many centres of energy there are； and how they are played
upon by all sorts of influences； external and internal。 Do you know；
I believe I could solve the riddle of the 'Arrowhead Village Sphinx；'
as the paper called him； if he would only stay here long enough？〃
〃What paper has had anything about it； Lurida？ I have not seen or
heard of its being mentioned in any of the papers。〃
〃You know that rather queer…looking young man who has been about here
for some time；the same one who gave the account of his interview
with a celebrated author？ Well； he has handed me a copy of a paper
in which he writes； 'The People's Perennial and Household
Inquisitor。' He talks about this village in a very free and easy way。
He says there is a Sphinx here； who has mystified us all。〃
〃And you have been chatting with that fellow！ Don't you know that
he'll have you and all of us in his paper？ Don't you know that
nothing is safe where one of those fellows gets in with his note…book
and pencil？ Oh； Lurida； Lurida； do be careful！〃 What with this
mysterious young man and this very questionable newspaper…paragraph
writer； you will be talked about； if you don't mind； before you know
it。 You had better let the riddle of the Sphinx alone。 If you must
deal with such dangerous people； the safest way is to set one of them
to find out the other。 I wonder if we can't get this new man to
interview the visitor you have so much curiosity about。 That might
be managed easily enough without your having anything to do with it。
Let me alone； and I will arrange it。 But mind； now； you must not
meddle； if you do； you will spoil everything； and get your name in
the 'Household Inquisitor' in a way you won't like。〃
〃Don't be frightened about me； Euthymia。 I don't mean to give him a
chance to work me into his paper； if I can help it。 But if you can
get him to try his skill upon this interesting personage and his
antipathy； so much the better。 I am very curious about it； and
therefore about him。 I want to know what has produced this strange
state of feeling in a young man who ought to have all the common
instincts of a social being。 I believe there are unexplained facts
in the region of sympathies and antipathies which will repay study
with a deeper insight into the mysteries of life than we have dreamed
of hitherto。 I often wonder whether there are not heart…waves and
soul…waves as well as 'brain…waves；' which some have already
recognized。〃
Euthymia wondered； as well she might； to hear this young woman
talking the language of science like an adept。 The truth is； Lurida
was one of those persons who never are young； and who； by way of
compensation； will never be old。 They are found in both sexes。 Two
well…known graduates of one of our great universities are living
examples of this precocious but enduring intellectual development。
If the readers of this narrative cannot pick them out； they need not
expect the writer of it to help them。 If they guess rightly who they
are； they will recognize the fact that just such exceptional
individuals as the young woman we are dealing with are met with from
time to time in families where intelligence has been cumulative for
two or three generations。
Euthymia was very willing that the questioning and questionable
visitor should learn all that was known in the village about the
nebulous individual whose misty environment all the eyes in the
village were trying to penetrate； but that he should learn it from
some other informant than Lurida。
The next morning； as the Interviewer took his seat on a bench outside
his door； to smoke his after…breakfast cigar； a bright…looking and
handsome youth； whose features recalled those of Euthymia so
strikingly that one might feel pretty sure he was her brother； took a
seat by his side。 Presently the two were engaged in conversation。
The Interviewer asked all sorts of questions about everybody in the
village。 When he came to inquire about Maurice； the youth showed a
remarkable interest regarding him。 The greatest curiosity； he said；
existed with reference to this personage。 Everybody was trying to
find out what his story was；for a story； and a strange one； he must
surely have；and nobody had succeeded。
The Interviewer began to be unusually attentive。 The young man told
him the various antipathy stories； about the evil…eye hypothesis；
about his horse…taming exploits； his rescuing the student whose boat
was overturned； and every occurrence he could recall which would help
out the effect of his narrative。
The Interviewer was becoming excited。 〃Can't find out anything about
him； you said； did n…'t you？ How do you know there's anything to
find？ Do you want to know what I think he is？ I'll tell you。 I
think he is an actor；a fellow from one of the city theatres。 Those
fellows go off in their summer vacation； and like to puzzle the
country folks。 They are the very same chaps； like as not； the
visitors have seen in plays at the city theatres； but of course they
don't know 'em in plain clothes。 Kings and Emperors look pretty
shabby off the stage sometimes； I can tell you。〃
The young man followed the Interviewer's lead。 〃I shouldn't wonder
if you were right；〃 he said。 〃I remember seeing a young fellow in
Romeo that looked a good deal like this one。 But I never met the
Sphinx； as they call him； face to face。 He is as shy as a woodchuck。
I believe there are people here that would give a hundred dollars to
find out who he is； and where he came from； and what he is here for；
and why he does n't act like other folks。 I wonder why some of those
newspaper men don't come up here and get hold of this story。 It
would be just the thing for a sensational writer。〃
To all this the Interviewer listened with true professional interest。
Always on the lookout for something to make up a paragraph or a
column about； driven oftentimes to the stalest of repetitions；to
the biggest pumpkin story； the tall cornstalk； the fat ox； the live
frog from the human stomach story； the third set of teeth and reading
without spectacles at ninety story； and the rest of the marvellous
commonplaces which are kept in type with e o y or e 6 m （every
other year or every six months） at the foot； always in want of a
fresh incident； a new story； an undescribed character； an unexplained
mystery； it is no wonder that the Int