Publisher's Synopsis
ONE dark night in midsummer a man waking from a dreamless sleep in a forestlifted his head from the earth, and staring a few moments into the blackness, said: "Catherine Larue." He said nothing more; no reason was known to him why heshould have said so much.The man was Halpin Frayser. He lived in St. Helena, but where he lives now isuncertain, for he is dead. One who practices sleeping in the woods with nothingunder him but the dry leaves and the damp earth, and nothing over him but thebranches from which the leaves have fallen and the sky from which the earth hasfallen, cannot hope for great longevity, and Frayser had already attained the age ofthirty-two. There are persons in this world, millions of persons, and far and awaythe best persons, who regard that as a very advanced age. They are the children. Tothose who view the voyage of life from the port of departure the bark that hasaccomplished any considerable distance appears already in close approach to thefarther shore. However, it is not certain that Halpin Frayser came to his death byexposure
