Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-12-20
and source of intelligence, seemed to shine

MY nephew, MAX Cramer, MI Aeltn
said, and wheeled an easy chair forward
for him. MAX, as you see, is in feeble
health, and have urged him to come out
and breathe the spring air."
MAX Cramer sat down and leaned his
| head YEARLY back against the crimson
cloth of the chair His face against such
background looked fragile as frost-work.
| The blue veins showed startlingly on his
| thin hands and almost fieshless temples.
| He might be of the earth, earthly, but L
| could not make it seem that he was flesh
and blood, like myself.
And such a sorrowful face as it wasl 1t
haunted me when | looked away, and some
| kind Of strong fascination in it would draw
| my eyes back to it. Was that shadow in
| the far-seeing eyes one of regret, remorse,
| or repentance? 1t was one, or all, and he
made me think of some fallen angel who
| pines for his lost estates, and is fading out
| OF life because the consciousness OF the SIN
| by which he fell cannot be shaken off, and
he is haunted night and day by the specter
! of dead hopes and dreams. 1t was face
| that had once been fair to look upon. 1t
had been strangely powerful face in days
gone by A mind that had been intense in
action had looked out through those dreary
eyes which now seemed TO see nothing but
shadows unseen to others. l saw at a
glance that before me was the wreck of a
strong intellect.
He sat there for perhaps an hour, never
once looking at or speaking TO me. Indeed
he did not seem to be conscious of my
presence.
By and by he rose and walked unsteadily
toward the door. Mr.. Leith sprang up to
assist him, but he waved him back.
"Do not come with me-" he said, and
though Mr. Leith insisted ON being al
lowed to help him up the stairs, he reso-
lutely refused all assistance.
poor Max" the old man said, coming
back and sitting down by me. "His life is
in the shadow that has fallen so darkly
about myself and family. He was to have
married Alice. He was away from home
when she died. He came back on the day
after her body was stolen. He has never
been the same person since that he was
before. He was always different from
other people. He was educated at Heidel-
berg, and think German metaphysics
took too strong a hold of him for his own
good. He came back to us a dreamer.
Alice loved him, and studied with him,
and took deep interest in his strange
fancies, but l never cared to trouble my
self about them. He has a laboratory in
the tower you see at the corner of the
house. and no one ever sets foot in it save
himself Under it is his study, and there
he remains from morning till night busy
over his wild theories. go there but sell
dom. The atmosphere seems too heavily
charged with uncanny elements to be
agreeable to me. What wonderful OK
periments he has tried in that workshop
of his none of US know. If Alice had lived
she might have won him from his IN
healthy books and work, and made him
more like the Max he used to be- But he
is nearly done with it all now. Poor Maxi"
1 was very much interested in this
strange person. So much so that | hung
about the house all next day, fearing that
he might come down when | was away
and | should fail to see him.
About sunset he came down the stairs,
slowly, weakly, often stopping to rest. l
went to him. and asked if | might not be
allowed to help him.
"If you please" he said II would like to
walk about the garden little, if you will
let me have your arm"
His weight upon me was like that of a
child. Our walk about the path was so
slow that it tired me.
81 think this is for the last time" he said
T by and by, pausing beneath the windows
of his er, and looking up to them as
they cleaned like crimson fire in the light
of the setting sun. For the last timel
Some would be glad of that, because they
had no fear of what was to come after, but
lam | glad? Am | afraid? Can what is
to come be worse than what | suffer here?
Somewhere in that book they call the
Bible it says something about dying daily
/ die daily" He repeated the words slowly,
Al.
self, as if unmindful of my presence.
"Have not suffered the pangs of death?
Have | not prayed to die and been refused
my plea? But the end men call death is
near-and after death, WHAT"
Suddenly he seemed to recollect my
presence.
81 have something here I want you to
read Tiff anything happens to me-" he
said, drawing a roll of manuscript from
his pocket. You are not going away for
day or two?"
q shall stay till the end of the week." 1
answered
81 feel that something will happen very
soon, perhaps tonight" he said. "If die.
read this after the discovery of my death,
but not before. Promise me this
| promised.
"If am alive when you go away. you
can give 1t back to me. You will not be-
lieve it when you read it. You will think
it the rawlings of a mailman, but it is true.
all true"
Presently he signified his desire to re-
turn to the house. He allowed me to as.
sist him as far as the stairs. Further
than that, he would not let me go.
"When you know all, pity me, pity me.n
he said. "lhave sinned, and for that sin
l have paid fearful penalty. Oh Godl
and the penalty goes on forever and for
ever"
Then he turned away, and went SLOWLY
up the stairs. That was the last time I
ever looked upon the living face of Max
Cramer.
We were sitting at the breakfast table
next morning, when servant came in saw
ing that the door of Max's room was omen.
and he was living on the floor. She had
spoken to him, but he had not replied. Be
coming frightened she had come to find
Mr.. Leith.
We hurried to his room. Max Cramer
had been dead for hours.
He was lying at the foot of the stairs
leading to the tower. 1t seemed as if he
had been attempting their ascent when
the springs of his life had given out and he
had fallen at the bottom of them to die.