The Dillon tribune., 1885-10-03

else, any eV1uc0ce COUlO give III your 1avOl
must break down in cross-examination if an
inkling of these things got about. Come,
Carriston, 0e reasonable, and prove your
sanity by setting about this search for Miss
Rowan in a proper way."
He made no reply, but walked up and
down the room apparently in deep thought.
My words seemed to have had no effect upon
him. Presently he seated himself: and, as
ii to avoid returning to the argument. drew
book at hazard from my shelve; and began
to read. He opened the volume at random,
but after reading few lines seemed struck
by something that met his eyes, and in a
few minutes was deeply immersed III the
contents Of the book. glanced at it to see
what had 50 awakened his interest. BY a
curious fatality he had chosen a book the
very worst for hlm in his present frame of
mind-Gilchrist's recently published life Of
William Blake. that mastery memoir of Il
man who was On certain points as mad as
Carriston himself. I was about to renon-
strate, when he laid down the volume aud
turned to me.
''Varley, the painter" he said, ''was n
firm believer in Blake's visions"
''Varley was bigger fool than Blake" !
retortsd. Fancy his sitting down and
watching his clever but mad friend draw
KEN
uine portraits Of dead kings WHOSE forms
condescended to appear to Blake!''
A sudden thought seemed to strike Carris
ton. will you give me some paper and
cAalkF' he asked Upon Icing furnished
with these materials he seated himself at thu
table and began to draw. At least q dOzen
times he sketched, with his usual rapidity,
some objec5 or another, and dozen times,
r11
sketch a eide with an air of disappointment,
attempts seemed to come up to his require
meats. II have it now. exactlyw he c:iel,
with joy. even triumph, in his voice. He
spent some time in putting finishing touches
10 this successful sketch, then he handed me
the pa en-
THAI is the man I saw Just now with
Madeline" he said. when I find him,
shall find her." He spoke with oil sincerity
and conviction. l locked at the paper with,
/ am bound to say, great amount Of
curiosity.
No matter from what visionary source
Carriston had drawn his inspiration, his
sketch was vigorous and natural enough.
have already mentioned his wonderful
power Of drawing portraits from memory,
SO was willing to grant that he might have
Reproduced the outline of some face which
had somewhere struck him. Yet why should
it have been this onea His drawing repre-
sented the three-quarter face of man-an
ordinary man-apparently between 40 and
50 years Of ago. 1t was a coarse-featured,
ill-favored face, with ragged ruff Of hair
round thu chin. It was not the face of q
gentleman, nor even the face Of q gently
nurtured man, and the artist, by few cum
ming strokes, had mads it wear a crafty and
sullen look. The sketch, as write this, lies
before me, so that l am not speaking from
memory.
without having seen the original, we say,
'What splendid licensees these must bs!''
1t was 30 with Carriston's sketch. Looking
1t 1t you felt sure it was exactly like the
man whom 1t was intended to represent. So
that, with the certain amount Of art knowl-
edge which am at least supposed to pos
sess, 1t was hard for mo, after examining
the drawing and recognising the true
artists toucn in every line, to bring myself
to accept the fact that it was but the out
come OF diseased imagination. As at this
very moment l glance at TINT drawing I
scarcely blame myself for the question that
family frames itself in my innermost heart.
"Could it be possible-could there be in GER
tain organizations powers not yet known,
not yet properly investigatedl'
My thought-supposing such thought
was ever therc-was not discouraged by
Carriston, who, speaking as IL his faith in
the bodily existence of the man who's, por-
trait lay in my hand was unassaiiable, sold !:
~ noticed that his general appearance
was that of countrylnan, an English peas.
ant, 80 in the country l shall find my love.
A~s L.
as the top joint is missing from the middle
finger Of his right hand. As it lay on Mads-
lines arm I noticed that
argued with him no more. I felt that
words would be but wasted