The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-13

Giant but he walked brfskly, and, between exer-
else end excitement, managed to keep toerably
warm. In less than fve-and-forty minutes he
had pulled Elliott's bell.
maid answered it.
Strahan Hshed pad of paper from out the
depths of his pocket. and with stiffened fing ers
scrawled, lis Mr.. Walter Elliott at homer
The maid read the question, eyed the dumb
and shabby visitor with suspicious curiosity and
at length said, Yes"
Strahan watched her lips and understood.
'Then," he wrote please say that Mr..
Strahan would like to see him."
The maid left Strahan standing in the hall and
went up stairs. By and by coming back, she
signaled to him to enter the parlor. Then, hav-
ing lit the gas, she handed him note, and van
ished. The note ran thus:
Dear Strahan-Merry Xmas! Delighted that
you have hunted me up Am dressing for par
ty. Will be with you inside of ten minutes
Meanwhile, sit down and make yourself monarch
of all you survey. W. E."
Strahan sat down, and tried to be patient
Ten minutes! And each of them infinitely pre-
ciousl He wondered how much Roadway mis- fire
would make in ten minutes. What if it should
burn itself out sooner than he had counted. What
it, when he regained his studio, he should find
that the dreaded mischief had be wrought. The
lence it by rising and pacing restless to and fro.
1t was quite twenty minutes before Elliott ap-
peared.
The pair shook hands A sharp contrast they
presented the one, appropriately shorn and
shaver, in spotless linen and glossy broadcloth-
picture of health, prosperity and well-being;
the other out at elbows. sallow, unkempt ill fed
with long. disheveled hair and tangled beard-a
typical pilgrim from the shady by-ways Of Bo-
hemia At Munich they had been contempora-
few lessons in modelling, though his
regular courses were IA painting
Elliott had a rich father but dubious
tale talents ssrah an r, had plenty Of talent.
tress he had foresworn her. and espoused
Law. To Strahan Art was wife. he had re-
NAMED faithful to her, up to the brink of star
walton. True, Elliott had furnished an aesthetic
studio at the top of the house, where he still
dabbled with his paints on Sundays. On Sun
day Strahan put up his modelngtoos, and sold
walking-s sticks to the crowd Fifth avenue,
| thereby acquiring the wherewithal to carry him
through the week.
Elliott, who had learned to express himself
with some fuency in the finger alphabet de-
manded, ''Well, Strahan, how are you getting
ont"
"Oh, $780," was Strahan's answer. "And
you9"
First rate" sighed Elliott "Beastly cold
outside isn't it?"
Bitter" assented Strahan.
"Well, tomorrow being Christmas. It's no
more than we're bound to expect. Hard at work,
| supposep
Yes. My Lith is nearly finished"
in-bronze or marble2"
PLASTER for the present"
"Oh we'll, she'll keep. You car put her into
bronze after you get rich. But why don't you
sit down. Sitting's cheap as standing"
mo, thank you; / won't sit down. The fact
is, I'm in something of a hurry. l called-I
hate to bother you, but need it very much-I
called to ask if you would be kind enough to lend
me dollar"
Kind enoughl A dolarl Why, man, TIL
be delighted I'll lend you ten, if you want
them"
"Oh. no, thanks. I shall have some money
coming in next week. One will be ample. if you
can spare It."
"Take this, anyhow" said Elliott, and thrust
upon the applicant 6ve-dollar bill.
When Strahan babe Elliott goodbye, which
by the clock on the parlor mantel that it was
| half past 9-nearly an hour and quarter, he
calculated, since he had left his studio. Dread
set heavily upon his heart as he pursued his
march back He ran till his breath gave OUT
then he lasped into a rapid walk. 1t was colder
than ever The mercury, he guessed, had fallen
to the neigh borhood of zero The papers, next
day, reported that it had fallen to 40 below
The moon itself looked pinched and shriveled.
The moonlight seemed like avaporzed form of
ice. Strahans breath condensed and froze upon
mis- beard His imagination acted as though be-
| witched Ghastly visions of Lilith in ruins
kept lowering before him and turning his blood
to water These alternated with dazzling fash
served to aggravate his mortal anguish.
Strahan had got about half way through the
park-was trudeing along narrow foot-path,
hedged on either side by leaiess bushes-when
trian abroad in this quarter of the world; head
ing him by a rod or two, he could make out the
form OF woman, clad in some light-colored
stuff that futtered In the wind and caught a
silvery luster from the moon. She, like him
self, appeared to be Fastening onward at top
speed His interest followed in the track of his
attention, and he fell to specializing languidly
upon the possible nature of his travelling COM
panions errand. He wondered with passive
curiosity what she looked like, and what her
condition in life might be, and whether she was
poor and hungry and in distress. as he was. He
noticed that despite her haste, she advanced
with somewhat uncertain footeteps. as though
tired and weak, Once, indeed she tottered as
if on the point of falling, but then recovered
herself in time, and hurried on. By and by a
turn in the path shut her from bis sight; and
speedily, whatever passing fancies she had
aroused in his mind, took themselves off,
But pretty soon he too had reached the turn
in the path around which the woman had disap-
peared. Mechanically he raised his eyes and
sought her figure. She was nowhere to be seen.
He concluded that she had gained upon him
and got lost to view among the shadows ahead.
Or had he unconsciously slackened his own pace
and Jagged behind2 Now he consciously quick
ened it.
Next instant his foot struck violently against
an obstacle on the ground-something soft and
elastic. that would have felt like mass of India
rubber. except for the strange uncanny thrill
which it sent darting up his leg He looked
downward. There before him, obliquely across
the path, with the moon shining full upon it, lay
a woman's body; this was the obstacle that his
foot had encountered-the woman, he had no
doubt, who moment since had been the sub
ject of his idle speculations.
She was az old woman. with thin gray hair,
and white, peaked face. to which the moon
light lent greenish tinge. She wore an un-
seasonable gown of faded yellow Calico and had
no wrap. Her eyes, though wide open. appeared
fixed and sightless. A tiny stream of blood
trickled from her forehead. Manifestly, she had
fallen, and hurt herself in doing so. and swooned.
She was plainly unconscious.
A pitiable ands sickenne spectacle, all of
which Strahan took in at a glance And straight
way there presented themselves for his selection
the two horns Of maddening dilemma
If he should go about his business and leave