Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-25

81 cannot make the people paint impress
me -One eace follows another swiftly, and
nv model fits away with these spectres.
Now, only one thing can impress face upon
nv mind, l feel sure-impress it so that it
win 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. I
must kill some onel That face-his face
viii haunt me. 1 shall see only that, and I
can paint it. You see, am quite calm in
this matter. / have reasoned the thing out.
am good man; my bitterness of spirit
will harasS me into work. shall hold my
brush with remorse. / shall paint great,
terrible picturei'
Great heavens! Gleason was right. This
is a mailman, I thought, and glanced about
with my mental eye to take in the situation.
1t must be strategy versus strength saw
at a glance that I must not display the
slightest fear. His plan was settled. l must
plot to defeat it. In the first place 1 must
gain time. This might be only wild talk.
'Whom do you propose to killg' inquired
nonchalantly, although my heart seemed to
stand still as / waited for his answer He
lifted his oars, and could hear them drip,
drip in the moments silence.
81 propose to drown a man." he said.
''Then will tie him to my boat-this, my
boat, that you and I are inland let him
float l shall drink in the sight of that float
ing face in the dark water, with the moon
light about it, and the world that has scorned
me will hold its breath"
"An original plan. indeed" I replied
''Have you chosen your manE'
II have chosen you"
"You should have selected handsomer
face, or at least have made him shave be-
fore starting. A bearded face in the water
i-pshaw! very bad, Don't you see"
My voice sounded steady, and was lost III
admiration of myself as a man OF nerve.
Don't you sea" 1 repeated.
II shall see, for / shall paint it! You take
| it coolly," he continued, cycling me warily.
My thoughts were flying about in confr1-
sion. | could not swim. Eaton knew 1t.
am a slight man, mere nothing to this
I Hercules No help, indeed, but by my wits
If I was cool, so was he. l must try new
| tack, unsettle the fixed idea that anchored
| his wild fancy and gave him this terrible
| strength of purpose.
| ga woman's face would have been better"
| suggested Something really poetic about
| that, nowl All, look there!" l CRIED an idea
| striking me, and pointing as l 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
| therer'
'What do you seer cried Eaton, his voice
trembling with excitement, his whole body
eagerly bent forward.
ga woman's face in the moon in the
wavesm 1 called, gazing fixedly as if at 8
vision. 'What a brooding face! What
shadowy HART What a slow smile! And hel
eyes! All! do you see her eyes! She ha
opened them! Have you killed her!'
II swear to you, noIn cried Eaton; 81 sweal
to you, mol know no such woman! have
never killed her! have not even broken hel
hearti Tell me more about her"
''She is young very mystical, yet very real
with a smile at one side of her mouth, while
the other looks quite grave"
This was a characteristic of Anita's mouth
and it was she | was describing-Anita as
fancied her grown older, for had not seel
her, scarcely indeed thought of her, since tina
| day when we were children.
ats pity you can't paint her FOR me,
said Eaton impetuously, as he gaZed at thu
1
great
AZ might try to paint her tomorrow"
suggested taking a cigarette from m,
pocket and relapsing into my calm manne
| again.
you forget-to-morrow will be too late
But you shall paint her to-night-now, be
fore kill you"
He put up his oars as he spoke and cam
toward me, drawing q rope through hi
heavy hands. He was in state of wild e1
element, and 1 felt my light, airy name
slipping away as he approached. [ was chi
as-as my watery grave was like to be. We
l let him bind me hand and foot, and instinc
lively counted his deep breaths the while b
way of something to do. A lurch, struggle
and | should have been overheard and lost
Now that there seemed a chance for life,
| was in terror, and | was more than half OF
of my senses as watched my Charon lay m
on the hither side of his stream. He took m
from the boat as if l had been a child. The
he built fire.
81 can mix coiors by freight" he erie,
and christening my hands set his canvas an
easel before me, gave me brush and bac
| IRE begin.
For the life of me. and in spite of IL
| threatened death so near at hand / could bu
feel an interest i'll the freak.
~ must do it in srays or browns 1t nus
! be monochrome, or we shall rain it.
! spoke impatiently. SO l did it in gray
| The tut of black rock, the waves, the moo
, | resting on the waves and little Anita's fac
with the half-solemn, half-smiliRg loo
uponit.
The strange scene, the maniac beside M
! my own former fear and excitement and ii
striking, of my fancy gave me certain fct
tious strength. In less than au hour, ss
should think had finished my sketch.
was certainly weird and, as it seemed to al
strong. In the distance 1 half suggested ii
boat, and two men in it, one gazing eager
toward the moon and the face, and the otis
| lying in the stern, his arms over his heae
. | his eyes toward the heavens The boat an
the men were, small and we'll in the SHADOW
, "Bravol hravow cried Eaton. Don
, | touch it again. Give me the brushl Here
and snatching it from my fingers he wrot
his Eame, ''Thomas Eaton,n in bold, blac
letters under the boat ''This is my worl
remeElber-mine. not yours 1t will be
great success. and you'-he paused ar
! looked Mt me-''you have saved your life
Saying which he jumped into his boat wit
I my sketch, laughed II harsh, black sort {
laugh, and rowed away around the ledge