The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-03-12

another"
During this apparently off-hand re-
cital began to feel more and more as
though q spell was being woven about
me inextricable and everlasting. A
sudden falntness stole over me and !
dropped helplessly into the nearest seat.
l heard the sound of Russell's voice, but
it seemed unnatural and afar of. At
last felt his hands placed firmly upon
my shoulders and he turned me sud-
denly face about. by all the gods,
Matthews, you must be drunk, crazy, or
dreaming. Or are you really very ill?
Your queer antics and swollen Jaw and
eyes would warrant any of these con-
illusions. Here we have fooled away q
good half hour before this pretty mass
Of paint and oil, you looking all the
while like q victim in the last stages of
the humps and jimjams. Come, 3
breath of fresh air and brisk walk
will do you good. my boy. and in few
days more we will sail away together.
We are in great luck, for l, too, am
booked for home by L'Amerigue.
Come, stroll, then dinner and cigars
at my hotel, and Richard Matthews will
be himself again.
1 felt no desire to resist the strong,
unyielding grip laid upon my arm, and
suffered Russell to lead me out again
into the pleasant sunshine and the gay.
restless scenes of the street. Winding
along through the busy, surging masses
we turned into the Rue Chaussee d Au-
tin, and after a short walk Russell
paused before a pleasant, substantial
looking house and asked me to accom-
pany him for few moments, as he had
an engagement with gentleman
| whose home we had reached. / might
have demurred from being ushered into
the presence of a stranger in my demon
allied condition, but all sense of pride,
| will-power, or desire had left me. l
blindly followed Russell, neither know
ing nor caring whittier he might lead
me. A lovely vision was again before
my eyes. 1 was blind to all else. A
servant ushered us into large. CHEEKY
apartment luxuriously furnished.
where we waited but a moment
when quick, dapper gentleman en-
tered and gave my friend very cordial
greeting in very Frenchy accents. He
and Russell held brief conversation in
low tones, and then our elegant host
invited us into an an elegant ante-room,
which was also very handsome and
flooded with sunshine from broad bay
window looking out upon a pleasant
boulevard. But shades of Hades! The
place might have been peopled with a
thousand devils, as became suddenly
conscious that had been inveigled into
the very clutches of dentists fOrceps.
no longer made pretense at selfcOn-
troll. raved like a mailman. and if l
did not strike my fiend down in his
tracks and murder the oily French
dentist, it was not because l made no
effort to do so. My arms were firmly
perate struggles and torrents of de-
moniacal abuse. When finally, through
sheer exhaustion, l was at length over
powered and utterly at their mercy, l
was gently thrust into the luxuriously-
cushioned chair, and my headfel back
limp and aching upon the velvet rest.
/ did not know how long l sat there
with the low voices of the two men din
ming in my ears, but at last sensa-
ton of perfect rest and delight
stole over me. Through all floated
vision of the lovely woman whose pic
ture had both delighted and tortured
my brain to madness, and hoped if l
were dreaming might never waken.
This delightful repose was at length
disturbed by the sound of approaching
wheels and the clatter of horses hoOfs
upon the pavement. The sound came
rapidly nearer and louder through the
open easement. A dashing equipage
stopped in open sight before the OPP
pOsite house. An unexpected vision
met my gaze, and my heart and pulse
seemed to stand still. In the beautiful
carriage, cleaning with silver para
phernalia, sat the woman whose SEM
blance had filled my heart and soul for
hours past. A white snood trimmed
with silver was picturesquely wound
about the head, while the wOndrous hair
fell bright rs the silver fringe over the
shoulders and beautiful brow. She
turned her head, and the light of a
smile l shall never forget fell full upon
me. Then noticed her companion
a handsome, dark cavalier, with love
beaming in every glance he cast upon
the fair face at his side.
"Who is the man?" l asked, roughly
Selling Russell by the arm in my jealous
rage.
ut is Lawrence Ashmore."
''By the gods and furies!' With all
of the tiend incarnate there was in my
nature reused to white heat of passion,
l grasped my revolver, and before my
companions could prevent the action
had leveled it at my rival; there was a
sharp crash. and ball cut the air in
its murderous flight across the way. 1
cried out in triumph as saw my victim
fall, and then he and the fair woman
and all other objects faded from my
sight.
We were well out in mid-ocean be-
fore Russell ventured to so much as in
dulge in the ghost of a smile at my ex-
pensc. l had warned him that his body
should be fed to sharks if any paintings,
tooth-ache. morphine, or dentists were
referred to during the voyage. had
no doubt the French dentist was still
roaring whenever he caught sight of that
molar with its four-pronged implements
of torture, which he declared he should
always keep as souvenir of one of the
funniest professional episodes he had
ever figured in. Ibid not know for some
time how matters had eliminated after
left my hotel that bright September day.
But l gathered at last from Russell that
he had found me in a sort of SEMI
insane condition before the portrait of a
handsome woman whose charms my