The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-01

inquired, nonchalantly, although my
heart seemed to stand still as l waited
for his answer. He lifted his oars and
I could hear them drip, drip in the mo-
silence.
II propose to drown q man." he said.
'.Then 1 will tie him to my boat-this,
nv boat, that you and L are in-and let
him float. I 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"
IAN original plan, indeed" replied.
''Have you chosen your manP'
81 have chosen you."
s.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?" =
My voice sounded steady, and Twas
lost in admiration of myself as a man of
nerve. .Don'tyou see?" 1 repeated.
81 shall see, for Ishall paint it! You
take it coolly," he continued, eyeingm
warily. ~ ~
My thoughts were flying about in con-
fusion. 1 could not swim. Eaton knew
it. / am a slight man, a mere nothing
this Hercules. No help, indeed, but
by my wits. If I was cool, so was he.
I must try a new tack, unsettle the fixed
idea that anchored his wild fancy and
gave him this terrible strength of pur-
pose.
ga woman's face would have been
better, II suggested. Something really
- -1- AL INolr tLorntt
I cried, an idea striking me, and point
ing as I cried out to the zoe mirrored
in the water. She had risen, but had
been cut off from us in the heavens by
q ledge of rock at our left just beyond
this jut, her counterfeit presentment
shone round and full in the water.
s.Look there!"
ssWhat 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!" 1 called, gazing ixedly, as if
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 killed
her?s"
81 swear to you, mol" cried Eaton:
81 swear to you, no! 1 know no such
woman! 1 have never killed heri ]
have not even broken her heart! Tel
me more about her!"
"She is young, very mystical, yet
her mouth, while the other looks quite
grave"
This was a characteristic of Anita.
mouth, and it was she I was describing
Anita as l fancied her grown older
for 1 mad not seer her, scarcely, indeed
thought of her, since that day when VIZ
were children.
"It's a pity you can't paint her fol
me-" said Eaton, i~mpetuously, as hi
gazed at the loon. 81 don't quite Sc,
her, but she sounds great" .fr-r-..
ST might try to paint her to-mor
row." l suggested, taking a cigarett'
from my pocket, and relapsing into m,
calm again.
"You forget-to-morrow will be to-
late. But you shall paint her to-nigh
now, before I kill you" =
He put up his oars as he spoke ant
came toward me, drawing a rop'
through his heavy hands. He was in
state of wild excitement, and I felt m,
light, airy n slipping away as h.
| approached. [ was chill as-as m,
watery grave was like to be. Yet / lie
him bind me hand and foot, and in
stinctiyely counted his deep breaths tn
while by way of something to do
A lurch, a struggle, and l should hav
been overheard and lost. Now tina
there seemed a chance for life, l was il
terror, and | was more than half out o
my senses as / watched my Charon la
me on the hither side of his stream
He took me from the boat as if | ha
been a child. Then he built a fire.
II can mix colors by freight" h
cried, and christening my hands set hi
canvas and easel before me, gave me
brush and babe me begin.
For the life of me, and in spite of tn
threatened death so near at hand,
could but feel an interest in the freak
! Il must do it in grays or brown;
Fit must be- a MONOCHROME, or W
shall ruin it, Ig.spoke oimpatienr
ly. So I did it in grays. TIL
jut of black rock, the waves, the moo
resting on the waves, and little Anita
face, with the half-solemn, half-smilin
look upon it.
The strange scene, the maniac besid
me, my own former fear and preseI
excitement and the stirring of my fame
gave me a certain fictitious strength. |
less than an hour, as l should think,
had finished my sketch. 1t was Gel
tainly weird and, as it seemed to mt
strong. In the distance I half suggeste
the boat. and two men in it, one gain
eagerly toward the moon and the fac'
and the ~otherlying in the stern, his arm
over his head. his eyes toward tn
heavens. The boat and the men wei
small and well in the shadow.
bravo! bravo!' cried Eaton. .Don
touch it again! Give me the brusl
Here" and s%natching it from my finger
he wrote his name, "ThomaS Eaton,
in bold black letters under the boa
''This is my work, remember-mine, NJ
yours. 1t will be a great success, an
you"-ho paused and looked at me-
''you have saved your life" Sayin
which he jumped into his boat with m
sketch, laughed u harsh, bleak sort
laugh, and rowed away around the ledg
of rock.
For a few moments l sat still thinkin
it over-the strange, ridiculous, yet a
most tragic scenes. Il am not sure tn;
little Anita didn't save my life aft.
ALL" 1 thought to myself.
1t did not take me long to get out
my close quarters, but the walk hon
over the dreary, rough coast was lony
and it was late before 1 reached the vi
lage. What q strange, eerie walk
was, with the sea charging the moist al
and the noon contracting and expand
ing before my eyes through the mi
that had risen. Anita shared the wal
with me.
found a telegram telling me of m
fathers very serious illness at Badel
Baden, and l was busy packing an