, 1883-11-24

We did not speak for some
time. Eaton pulled hard and
fast, and l lay back with my hands
under my head and looked up at the
sky. 1t was just before moon rise,
and the heavens were in their golden
glorious expectancy. did not care
to break the silence. The secret of
the night was grander and more in
teresting than any petty human
condolences could be. Eaton spoke
first:
"You are curious ?''
'-'g ises .SOtr pardon, ara- read:-.''
He was silent again for a few mo-
ments.
81 am going to be great painter" "
he said, suddenly.
All! 1t was not love secret then
"But to accomplish my end |
must take terrible means. l must
condemn myself to years of agony.
l must condemn, also, another being
to a briefer but very horrible tor
ture."
Then it must be love story after
all.
eyes ," replied, as he paused,
putting as much expression as l
could into the words.
My mind, curiously enough, ram
bled back to another moonht night
when l was quite lad, and when
sat in the stern Of a boat with such a
beautiful little girl, Anita Grayson
byname, a child Of twelve, perhaps.
Some one sitting by had said: can
ita looks like the mOOn," and / had
watched her during the rest Of the
evening and wondered why, and
gone home to dream that | saw the
moon in the water and it had Anita's
face in it. While l was dimly re-
calling this and half listening to my
friend, | became suddenly quite
reused from my dream. Eaton had
been saying something about his in
capacity to catch likeness"
81 cannot make the people l paint
impress me. One face follows an
other swiftly, and my model fits
away with these spectres. Now,
one thing can impress a face upon
my mind, / feel sure-impress it so
that>it- VIII stay by me and haunt
me by day and print itself on my
soul at night. l have thought it all
over. There is but one way. God
help me! l must commit "A crime.
Y | must kill some nnRl That. face
| his tdce-will haunt me. / shall see
only that, and can paint it, You
see am quite calm in this matter.
l have reasoned the thing out. ]
am a good man; my bitterness Of
spirit will harrass me into work. l
shall hold my brush with remorse.
I shall paint great, terrible pic
ture"
Great Heavens Gleason was right.
This is a madman, l thought, and
glanced about me with my mental
eye to take in the situation. 1t must
be strategy versus strength. l saw
that at a glance. | must not betray
the slightest fear. His plan was set
tied. l must plot to defeat it. In
the first place l must gain time.
This might he only wild talk.
"Whom do you propose to kill ?''
l inquired nonchalantly, although
my heart seemed to stand still as l
waited for his answer. He lifted
his oars and l could hear them drip,
drip in the moments silence.
H T propose TO drown a man." he
Rsaid. "Then l will tie him to my
boat, that you and I are in-and let
him float. l shall drink in the sight
of that floating face in the dark wa
ter, with the moonlight about it,
and the world that has scOrned me
| VIII hold its breath"
"An original plan, indeed" l re-
piled. "Have you chosen your
man ?"
81 have chosen you"
"You should have selected a hand
somer face, or at least have made
him shave before starting. A beard
ed face in the water is-pshaw! very
bad. Don't you see ?"
My voice sounded steady, and l
was lost in admiration of myself as
man of nerve. "Don't you see ?''
l repeated.
81 shall see, for | shall paint it
You. take 1t cOOlly," he continued,
eyeing me warily.
My thoughts were flying about in
confusion. Icould not swim. Eaton
knew it. am a slight man, a mere
nothing to this Hercules. No help,
indeed, but by my wits. If | was
cool, so was he. 1 must try a new
JtlClt NilStlllt Nllt llAth luCd lllbl uli-
chored his wild fancy and gave him
this terrible strength Of purpose:
"A woman's face would have been
better" l suggested. Something
really poetic about that, nowl All,
look therep l cried, an idea strik-
ing me, and pointing as cried out
to the moon mirrOred in the water.
She had risen, but had been cut off
from us in the Heavens by ledge
of rock at our left just beyond this
jut, her counterfeit presentment
shone round and full in the water.
"LOOk thereW
"What do you see ?" cried Eaton,
his voice trembling with excitement,
his whole body eagerly bent forward.
"a woman's face in the moon in
the waves p 1 called, gazing fixed
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