Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-27
CHAPTER II.

fated to last unbroken for years. ripau 50
quickly as that between Carriston and my
self. As now look back find II hard to
associate him with any, even brief, period
Of time subsequent To our meeting during
" hich be was not my bosom friend. | for
get whether our meeting at the same pic
turesque spot on the morning which fol-
lowed our self introduction was the result
Of accident or arrangement Anyway, we
spent the day together, and that day was
the precursor of many passed in each others
society. Morning after morning we sailed
forth to do our lest to transfer the same bits
of scenery to our sketching blocks. Even
ing after evening we returned to dine side
by side. and afterward to talk and smoke
together. indoors or out doors, as the tenn
perature advised or our wishes inclined.
Great friends We soon becamc-inSepar-
able as long As my short holiday lasted. 1t
was, perhGp', pleasant for each to work in
company with an anna eur like himself We
could ask each the others opinion Of the
merits of the work done, and feel happy at
the approval duly given. An artists stand
ard of excellence is too high for n non-pro-
fassiunal. When he pra 5 - your work he
praises it but as the work Of an Outsi lcr
You feel that such Communication damns
it and diShcartens Won.
However, had Carriston cared to do so,
he might, | think, have fearlc sly submitted
his productions to any conscientious critic
his drawings We're immeastrahly more artis-
tic and powerful than mine. He had I'M
doubtelly great talent, and ! was much sur
prised to find that good aS be was at land
scape. h. wa, even better at the Ii gure He
could. with firm, bold hand, draw rapi lily
the most marvellous likenesseS So spirited
,,Ft l..
me that | coull without fattery advise hlm,
proviied he could fni N as he began, TO keep
entirely to the higher branch of the art /
have now before me a series of outline faces
drawn by him--many OF them from men,
ory; and as | look at them the original OF
each comes at once before my eyes.
From the very first had b.en much in
terested in the young man, and as day 10y
day went by and the peculiarjti,s of his
character were revea ed to me, my interest
grew deeper and deepc". ! fiattcr myself
that am a keen observer and skillful ana
lyst of personal character, and until now
fancied that to write a description Of its
component parts was an easy matter. Yet
now when ] am put % the proof | find it no
simple task 80 convey in words a proper idea
OF Charles Carriston's mental oryaniza;io
socn discovered that he wa, ] may say,
afflicted by u peculiarly sensitive nature
Although strong, and apparently in good
health, the very c.8rges Of the weather
seemed to affect him al most tp the same ex-
tent as they affect flower. Sweet as his
disposition always was, thn tone of his mind.
his spirits his conversation. yarisl ns IL
were, with the atmospaer,. He was full of
imagination, and that Imagination. always
rich, was AT times weird, even grutcsqucly
weird Not for one moment did he
seem to doubt the stability of the wild
theories he started, or the possibility of the
poetical dreams he dreamed being realized.
He had his faults, OF course: he was hasty
and impulsive ind aol, to me one of the
greatest charms about the boy was that,
right or wrong, each wcrd he spoke came
straight from bis heart.
So far as could judge, the whole organi-
Zation Of his mind was too highly strung.
too finely wrought, Tor everyday use A
note of JOY. of sorrow, even of pity yibrated
through it too strongly for his comfort or
well-being. As vt it had not been called
upon to bear the test of love: aad for,,..
nately-I uss the word adyisedly-fortu-
natey he was not, according to the usual
significance of tine word, eliSious man, or
l should have thought it not unlikely that
some day he would fall a victim to that re-
sional brethren, and have developed hystrria
or meancholia. He might even have fancied
himself messenger sent from heaven for
the regeneration of mankind. From natures
Ike Carriston's are prophets made.
In short, | may say that my exhaustive
study Of my new friends character resulted
in Il certain amount of uneasinass as to his
future-an uneasineSs not entirely free from
professional curiosity.
Although the smile came readily and fire.
quently to his lips, the general bent Of his
disposition was sad, even despOn lent aud
morbid. And yet few young mems lives
promised 20 he 50 pleasant as Charles Carris-
tons.
was rally;ng him one day on his future
rank and its responsibilities.
"You will, of course, be disgustingly
rich.n said
Carrston sighed. Eyes, If I live long
enough; but don't suppose SHALL
Why in the world shouldn't youf You
look pale aud thin, but are in capital health.
Twelve long miles we have walked to-day
you never turned hair
Carriston made no reply lie seemed IN
deep thought.
"Your friends ought to look after YOU and
get you a wife, | said.
Il have no friends" he said sadly. "No
nearer relation than a cousin a good deal older
than am, who looks upon me as one who
was born to rob him of what sheuli be his
"But by the law of primogeniture, so sa-
cred to the upper ten thousand, he must
know you are entitled TO it'
Yes; but for years and years 7 was al
ways going to die. My life was not thought
worth six months purchase. All of a sud
den l got we'll. Ever since then | have
seemed, even to myself, a kind of inter-
loper"
"It must BE- unpleasant TO have a man
longing for ones death. All the more rea-
son you should marry and put other lives
between him and the titlen
II fancy | shall never marry said Car
riston, looking at mo with his soft dark
eyes. 'You see, a boy who has waited for
years expecting to die doesn't grow up with
exactly the same feeling as other people.
Idont think shall ever meet a woman
can care for enough To make my wife, No;
j expect my cousin will be Sir Ralph YETI
l tried to laugh him out Of his morbid
ideas. Those who live will see" ! said.
"Only promise 10 ask me 10 your wedding,
and better still, if you live in town, ap-
point me your family doctor II may prove
the nucleus Of that West End practice which
1t is the dream Of every doctor to establish"
j have already alluded 10 the strange
beauty Of Carriston's dark eyes As soon
as companiOnship commenced between Us
those eyes became 10 me, from scientific
reasons, objects OF curiosity ON account Of
the my ysterious expression which at times |
detected In them. Often and often they
wore lcOk tho Lks to which. imagine. l.
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