Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-07-14
rConcluded from First rage.1


quite foreign to his normal character. The
night before / had been wrought up TO O
state of intense agitation by the sight of a
badly painted picture; now ] was bound
on most ghastiy mission, vet felt nc
more agitation than il | had been casual
ly going up stairs. walked straight to
the little alley of which my room opened.
My door was still aiar. The doors of the
rooms on either side, were shut. / threw
open the one on my right. OF course,
there was nothing there. 1t was the room
l had visited early In the morning. "What
fool to have never thought OF this be-
forer' / muttered. rs i shut 1t. and, open
ing the one opposite. went in. Resolutely
keeping my eyes fixed on little round
hole in the shutter at the end OF the room,
through which food of light was stream
ing. ! advanced up the narrow passage
between the bed and the wall, until
reached the little. table. Then faced
toward the wall. There was long, red
scratch there. l began to revolye with
my heels for q pivot. A quarter round
a third round-half round-I looked down
and there, staring up into mine, was the
dead face of the night before. There ii
lay. framed by the coffin-sides-a suffi-
GENTLY ghastly spectacle at any time. l
looked upon it earnestly, but with no 9TH
er emotion than one oe sincere relief.
Then, stopping, picked up some matches
lying on the floor, put the matchbox ex-
actly i'm the centre of the table, and left
the room, shutting the door carefully be-
hind me. As | was hurrying down the
stairs | met the landlord and a
solemn, snug-looking man coming up.
THE undertaken! | was just in time" |
thought to myself.
"Giye me good, warm breakfast.
I've changed my mind about the train"
called to the waiter in the guests room.
which was already crowded with people
who had fiocked in TO attend the funeral.
When he brought me my meal found it
impossible to prevent pumping" him q
little $50 you are to have funeral !?
You ought to have told me what sort OF a
crossed yourself last night" The waiter
looked rather crestfalen.
The truth is" he replied, II was just
going to tell you all about it when the
candle went out. When came down
stairs to get a new light the master told
me not to say anything about it, as you
might be one of the nervous kind. SO |
didn't explain"
But one point now remained TO be ac-
counted for; how did get from that
room into my ownp pondered over it a
good while, and at last came to the con-
elusion that, after seeing the face. i had
instinctively rushed in the direction OF
my own room, and had reached it before
swooning. The two doors were shut
after me by the strong draught that was a
prominent attribute OF the little alley.
The landlord entering as ] reached this
solution, determined to ask him about
the singular picture that hung 10 my room.
Assuming an air Of great indifference,
casually alluded to the subject. .s,.
'sOh. yes, T. he said; "a half-crazy
young man-an artist, he called himself
who was passing along this road one
summer, painted 1t in payment for a few
days board. 1t wasn't worth 1t, know !;
but the fellow had nothing else, so | took
it."
I'm give you five thalers for it," incl
dentally remarked. At first he thought 1t
a Joke, but. finding me in earnest, he will
lingly agreed to forward it to me in Ber-
lin.
All uOuI 0ltGl ii ub L w ID Cu iOutC iOi
that city two days after had successful
ly passed my examination, and, some
three weeks after, the picture came safely
to hand.
The night succeeding its arrival / gave
little supper to some friends In my room.
There were five or six of us jolly, light
hearted Bohemians all. After supper,
when we were comfortably seated over
our wine and cigars, cautiously contrived
to turn the conversation upon genius in
art. An animated discussion arose be-
tween two of the company-both young
ariists--as to whether genius could ever
be discerned in a picture unless it were
duly supported by an ayeragely-good
technique. After we were pretty well
warmed up to the subject, said:
1.-The other day bought a picture which
think very extraordinary, in spite OF its
apparent defects"
"Trot it out, then,' was the unanimous
cry. So the picture from the "Star' was
uncovered and brought forth. Seen by
the strong light of table-lamp, and three
or four candles, ii certainly did look dauby
enough. Its exhibition was greeted with
shout of derision. "Why, it isn't worth
the canvass it's painted on y was the gen.
eral verdict, l began to feel decidedly
ashamed of myself. IAN right | accept
the Judgment" said. For all that,
could not help putting the thing in posi-
ton where all Of us could see it as we sat.
The talk was resumed. But from this
moment | remarked that, by almost i'm
perceptible degrees, our former high and
rather uproarious spirits began steadily to
flag and oar conversation to turn upon
more serious subjects. AS the evening
went on this tendency became more and
more pronounced, until 1t finally assumed
the form of absolute gloominess. Wierd
and horrible stories OF murders and ghosts
and crimes were substituted for the light
students gossip of a few hours before. and
l noticed that just as surely as one of the
narratoss cast furtive glance upon the
picture land it was wonderful to see what
a strange fascination 1t now had for all of
us). just so surely did his tale take on a
more sombre or more terrible hue. 1t
was nearly midnight when we broke up
all miserably depressed and detected. At
last no one was left but one Of the two ar
fists and myself. 1t was the one who had
taken the ultra-prosaic side in the discus
sion that led to the exhibition of the pic
ture. / saw that he was neryously anx-
ions IN say something and | 0uasepd on al