The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-07-29
HUNKEL's ROYAL EDITION.

could not determine. In the center of the room
was a small writing table; q chair stood near il,
pushed back as il the occupant had risen in
haste. and upon the table were some papers and
q small polished skull mounted on an onyx slab.
In the top Of which was set an ink well, trimmed
with gold. A soft light from the tinted globes OF
the chandelier fell over everything, and en-
HANGED the oriental warmth and beauty Of the
Darby looked Town on his wre,ched, eattered
clothes, soiled with dust and mud, and wet with
snow and rain, and hesitated to sit down on the
rich divan, as directed by a gesture Of bis host.
But he threw aside his s~cruples. and sat down
on the end near the fire; the warmth thawed
out his mind as we'll as his body. As the feeling
or intense physical discomfort disappeared his
thoughts became clearer. and the sense of sub
i~ective personality sharper; q crushed and al
most lifeless sense of shame stirred within him.
Such comfort and luxury had once been his,
now gone through his own weakness and wick
edness. He sank back on the cushions of the
divan. and with a start awoke from his momen-
tary fit of abstraction to find the pawn-broker
looking at him sharply with a sinister smile on
his face; he seemed to have been following the
unspoken train of thought that ran through
Darby's mind, and to be smiling at the final
little flicker Of regret as an exhibition Of weak
ness.
Darby was astonished to note the apparent
change in the pswnbrokers appearance. The
face and dress were the same. but the figure
was taller and straiehter. He now noted the
high forehead and the intellectual cast OF the
clear-cut features, expressive, yet cold and
almost immobile. The man stood gazing in
tently at him. with one hand resting on the
table. There WAS something inscrutable about
this mysterious pawnbroker. who lived in schol-
arly elegance.
The pawnbroker picked mp from the table a
we~ll-thumbed old volume with metal clasps and
opened it.
Il read in the Moallakat," he said in the pur-
est English. though with . certain indefinite in
inns fIn fhA n npAtn A 2.hA~
oriental nativity, these lines" He read in the
original from the book hs held in his hand. sin
terpreted they mean: Look not upon the beauty
OF the cup. which may deceive the senses, but
cast thine eyes within and learn whether is con-
tains water or wine have looked within and
1 find wine. though 10 be but dregs- Yet, you
know, the last drops contain more OF the inner
eut essence than the first draueht. Therefore I
take you in. The cup is battered, but there is
metal in it yet
A silence fell upon the room, and Darby now
for the first time perceived the faint ticking of
o clock in the apartment, but he could not de-
termine its location. He skunk from the pene-
trating gaze OF the pawDbroker. Then asudden
food Of self-assertIon swept across his conscious
ness--a faint burst Of flame from the smolder-
ing and dying fires of manhood He sprang to
his feet with q passionate. energetic motion; his
gaze met unfinchingly the magnetic CLEAN Of
the old mans eyes.
SPEAK no riddles to me- he cried, fercely.
81 am as | am. l would not be otherwise. What
do 1 care for the world, when / am to die to-
night. to leave its painted pleasures, It's deceit
full shows, its disappointments. know it is as
we make it, and / have made 1t SO. With ono
blow or one leap | can destroy the hated picture
make the world vanish into nothingness and
leave no traces behind The blow that kills me
grasses history and blots out time. 1t is all q
phantom, conceived of . brain whose inevitable
cApability TO draw the lines 70 or so is prescribed
by We know not ON the brain and the
phantom is gone. Why talk Of others-you are
me and ell the world Is me-this tortured head
contains the universe. which is to be snuffed
out tonight. shall kill it air
his voice rose to . shrek as We went on, and
his eyes took on a wilder look, but the man still
looked at him cold and immovable.
"Sit down. my dear sir. said the pawnbroker
~ last, In his soothing. musical voice That
portion OF you, which is i, NAV be able to re-
store the blurred and meaningless picture to its
former oesuty-life and the world may yet look
bright to You. i Am the friend OF many tenn
pest-tossed souls. rs we'll as many starving bod
les For the battered wreckage CT a household
l give the means OF warmth and nourishrnsnt;
for the remnants OF o laundering soul
The sharp clangor OF a he'll in the shop cut
short the words just as tn old mans voice had
fallen 10 an ominous whisper. He stepped TO
the cnrtained door, and Darby sank back on the
divan- The pawnbroker stepped into the dingy
shop and for . moment Darby was left alone in
the strange little room. The unseen clock
licked louder and louder; . faint murmur OF
voices. one that OF o woman, but hoarse and
louH came from the shop; and he could just
eaten the far-on whiri and rush of the storm
outside. A moment more and the curtain was
roughly pulled aside, and a bedraegled woman
pushed into the room Her profile was visible
an instant. and then DARBY turned away with Q
smothered exclamation; be bent forward and
covered his face with his hands.
.sAadthax victiu. ah. Moiachi, ala fkn R~u~