The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-03

| before mOOnrlSe, ana tne heavens WeIo u,
their golden glorious expectancy. L ana
not care to break the silence. The secret
of the night was grander and more
interesting than any petty human con-
fidences could be. Eaton spoke first;
You are curious?"
Il beg your pardon, l am ready"
He was silent again for few mo-
ments. =,
II am going to be q great painter, "
he said, abruptly.
All! 1t was not love secret then!
"But to accomplish my end L must
take terrible means. must condemn
myself to years of agony. L must con-
denim. also, another being to brieter
but very horrible torture"
Then it must be love story, after
all.
"Yes?" I replied, as he paused,
putting as much expression as l could
into the words.
My mind, curiously enough, rambled
back to another moonlit night when l
was quite lad, and when l sat in the
stern of boat with such a beautiful
little girl, Anita Grayson by name, a
child of twelve, perhaps. Some one
sitting by had said: "Anita looks like
the moon," and | had watched her dur
ing the rest of the evening and Won
dered why, and gone home to dream
that | saw the moon in the water and
that it had Anita's face in it. While |
was dimly recalling this and half lis
tening to my friend. became suddenly
quite reused from my dream. Eaton
had been saying something about his
incapacity to catch likeness. "
Il cannot make the people I paint
impress me. One face follows another
swiftly, and my model fits away with
these spectreS. Now, only one thing
can impress a face upon my mind, |
feel sure-impress it so that it will stay
by me and haunt me by day and print
itself on my soul at night. | have
thought it all over. There is but one
way. God help me! | must commit a
crime. must kill some onet That face
his tace-will haunt me. / shall see
only that, and | can paint it. You see
I am quite calm in this matter l have
reasoned the thing out. [ am a good
man; my bitternessof spirit will harass
me into work. I shall hold my brush
with remorse. l shall paint a great, a
terrible picturen
Great heavens! Gleason was right
This is a mailman, | thought, and
glanced about with my mental eye to
take in the situation. 1t must be STRAIT
egy versus strength. saw that at a
glance. | must not betray the slightest
fear. His plan was settled. | must
plot to defeat it. In the first place l
must gain time. This might be only
wild talk.
"Whom do you propose to kill?" I
inquired, nonChalantly, although my
heart seemed to stand still as [ waited
for his answer. He lifted his oars and
l could hear them drip, drip in the mo-
ment's silence.
Il propose to drown a man." he said.
"Then | will tie him to my boat-this,
my boat, that you and are inland let
him float. l shall drink in the sight of
that floating face in the dark water,
with the moonlight about it, and the
world that has scorned me will hold its
breath"
''An original plan, indeed, I replied.
'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 bearded face
in the water is-pshaw! very bad.
Don't you see?"
Ny voice sounded steady, and Twas
lost in admiration of myself as man OF
nerve. "Don'tyou see?" l repeated.
81 shall see, for shall paint it! You
take it coolly,' he continued, cycling me
warily.
My thoughts were flying about in con.
fusion. could not swim. Eaton knew
it. | am slight man, mere nothing
to this Hercules. No help, indeed, but
by my wits. If | was cool, so was he
| must try new tack, unsettle the fixed
idea that anchored his wild fancy and
gave him this terrible strength of pur.
pose.
"a woman's face would have beer
better, suggested. something really
poetic about that, now! All, look there!'
| cried, an idea striking me, and point
ING as | cried out to the moon mirroreC
in the water, She had risen, but haC
been cut off from us in the heavens by
a ledge of rock at our left Just beyonC
this jut, her counterfeit presentment
shone round and full in the water
''Look there!n
''What do you see?" cried Eaton, his
voice trembling with excitement, hi
whole body eagerly bent forward.
"a woman's face in the moon in the
waves" l called, gazing fxedly, as i
at a vision. 'What a brooding face
What shadowy hair! What a slow smile
And her eyes! All! do you see her eyes
She has opened them! Have you killeC
her?'
81 swear to you, no." cried Eaton
81 swear to you, no! | know no sucl
woman! l have never killed herl
have not even broken her heart! Tel
me more about hertz
"She is young, very mystical, We
very real, with smile at one side O
her mouth, while the other looks quit
grave"
This was a characteristic of Anita
mouth, and it was she / was describn!
Anita as l fancied her grown Older
for had not seen her, scarcely, indeed
thought of her, since taat day when W
were children.
Its pity you can't paint her 70
me" said Eaton, impetuously, as h
gazed at the moon. 81 don't quite Sc