The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-11-16

l laid my palette aside; / placed my
brushes upon the stand: l arose and
walked to the window. After standing
there moment, l turned. Miss Pansy
had arisen, and was looking at me In
tently.
81 beg your pardon. Mr.. Vincent, are
you ill?" she asked.
al do not know" / said, returning tc
my seat. ii experience feelings that
l freely confess. alarm me-"
"The same you spoke OF when l first
saw you?" she cried. with great in
tercst and animation. Tell me! tell
mer'
1.-THE same said /. EITHER my
/ brain Or my eyes must be in bad way,
for / actually seemed to see another
figure, exactly like your own. leaning
over your chair. II the illusion returns,
/ must cease to attempt to paint to-day,
of course.
But Pansy claspcd her fair hands to-
gether. and stretched them toward me.
a implore you" she said. ''to re,
member that there are mys cries which
man can not comprehend. That there
are facts which those who boast OF
common sense deny. entreat you to
paint what You see. Whatever that
may be, however impossible it may
seem to you that you really look upon
it. Paint it. paint it, paint it."
As she spoke she resumed her former
position. Her face grew pale. her eyes
dilated.
took up my palette and brushes, as
one does things in a dream. l resolved
to obey her literally-to paint what
saw.
As arrived at this decision, felt an
indiscribable thrill run through me.
Ny finger tips tingled, the tip OF my
tongue had that sensation which is Gre
ated by touching the heart of a pine
apple; a cold breeze seemed to blow
over me, and my scalp turned icy cold.
l gazed fixedly upon my sitter. Be-
hind her chair seemed to arise delicate
puff of white smoke which lowered
about her head Then saw it condense
itself. and take shape. The figure l
had seen twice before was leaning on
the back of the chair With her hand on
Pansy's shoulder. could not be seeing
double" for the girl in the chair had a
different attitude from the girl behind
it. As looked at this latter, she lifted
her finger, and touched her chin with
it, and | saw it was deeply dimpled,
while that OF Pansy was not, being
smooth. and round. and oval. 1t was
the only great difference between the
two faces-the real and the unreal one.
| painted fast, | painted long, and
painted well that day. The setting sun
indicated the lapse OF time to me. l
looked toward the window for an in
slant, and when again turned my eyes
upon the dais, my mysterious sitter was
gone. Pansy, pale to the lips, and
trembling from head to foot. sat gazing
at me like child just awakened from a
sound slumber. approached her, and
held out my hand to assist her to de-
scend. We stood together before the
canvas. She chung to my arm, unable
to support herself, and trembling vio-
lently.
81 labor under no delusion, them"
she said, rather to herself than to me.
at is perfectly true; there can no lon
ger be any doubt of it"
As she spoke a sudden rap came upon
the panels of the door. 1t opened-a
sharp voice was heard.
"Oh, my sakes. Miss. 'Ow skeered
your ma is about you. We really felt
sure some accident had happened to
you"
II was Bobbins. She took her young
lady's cloak from the chair. where it
had been thrown. and wrapped it around
her.
"Why. you're like ice, Miss, she said,
land that 'acgcred."
81 am very. very tired" said Pansy;
but she smiled upon me as she went her
way. and said, sweetly: lat two o'clock
tomorrow"
tense. / had never been so weary. /
staggered to the sofa. dropped my head
upon the cushion. and in an instant was
asleep.
1t was long after midnight when !
owoke, and having eaten biscuit and
taken a glass OF sherry, retired for the
night, through which l slumbered
heavily.
lawokc, possessed of great horror
that of insanity.
turned to my glass and examined
my face carefully.
| felt my own pulse. l tested my
memory. | renewed my school-day
tasks, and gave myself an intricate
problem in mathematics to solve. As
far as could Judge, was in full pos
session of my faculties. Every thing
looked us usual; nothing had any odd
or peculiar appearance or effect. a
sud den hope rushed into my mind. l
had heard of dreams so vivid that the
dreamer thought them actual occur
renceS after he had awakened from
them; perhaps one such had visited
me. With batcd breath l hurried to
examine my canvas. Alas. upon the
surface | saw a work that seemed to be
better than any thing had done pre-
viously, but still the sketch of ticO
young ladies. Pausy sat in the great
chair, with her calm, PARKWAY look,
and behind her, the arm resting upon
the chair. the hand upon Pansy's Shout
der. stood that other figure so like hers,
and there smiled the face that differed
from her oVu only in tho f,Il and djmn-