Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-13

TO me that my acquaintance win sne ma
ture Of true eloquence had Just begun. It
was ''like reading Homer by flashes OF
hghtning.n What a wealth of bold
imagery, of keen appreciation, of sug-
gestive analogy, Of marvellous insight was
thereI And what treasure house OF
nemoryi And when he finally iapsed
into monologue, and INDUCING in rhap-
sody upon the wonders of Milton, quoted
from Paradise Lost" by PARAGRAPH and
page, l thought Of Nacauiay's boast that
il the great poets. immortal epic should
by any chance be lost TO men he might
hone TO reproduce *; and my admiration
for the attsinraents of the man swept over
me in one vast wave OF wonder. And
then. as lay there, listening 10 his deep
voice, which had growE singulariy rich
and sono-ous. as If in sympathy with the
dignity of those grand periods. bordering
what strange chance or force Of circGaa-
stance had compelled this homogeneous
being TO such surroundings. his form sad
denly diiated, his lips parted as II In
terror, his eyes became fixed on vacancy
and staring, and with a sudden spring IN
his feet, ne stood erect and menacing.
'.Avaaatf' he cried. gazing with n
wild and frenzied stare into the empty air.
''Avaunt. and quit my sight, Besone, I
say, Think'st thoa 10 dog my footsteps
always; To hound me 20 the day Of my
deaths Back Back! G-r-r-rhri Take
your grip from of my neck! Avaunt!'
He dashed his hands to his throat,
clutching It wildly, and stridinc 10 the
door, flung il wide open, claring long and
fiercely out into the quiet night with q
frenzied and hunted expression. Then he
came slowly back To the table. totteriug
feebly and muttering incoherentlX threw
himself into his chair. and. covsYlne his
haggard face with both his trembling
hands, shuddered and gasped alternately.
Great beads of agony stood upon his
brow.
was so startled by this sudden out
burst that ! could only stare and SIT
speeches.. When he first rose l was
under the impression that it was 20 give
greater force to some terrific dennncia-
ton. Not until he tore open the door
did / realize that it WAS the hallucina-
ton of illness, and even then my con-
sternation was so great as 10 deprive
me of all power 70 act or speak.
The paroxysm soon passed. Meanwhile,
/ had poured some brandy into the cup OF
my pocket flask and offered it TO him, lie
drank it with "a feverish eagerness. BY
degrees the stimulant seemed To- overcome
his nervous apprehension. He sat for -
long time with listless. leaden eyes. Theu
he rose YEARLY and asked, in a humble,
deprecatiag fashion, il there were any
place where he might sleep that night.
There WAS something SO piteous, 50 I'M
utterab,y wretched in this appeal, coming
from one whose wonderful discourse had
so delighted me, that l WAS indescribably
touched. Surely" said / 10 myself,
''such abilities as / have recognized this
night shall not be without shelter"
instantly placed my bed at his disposal
After much remonstrance and reluctance,
/. at last, got him TO bed, and he laid
himself down with a long. low, agonizing
sigh--the sigh of one 10 whom life Is
WEAKNESS and existence a burden.
AS i stepped to the table near which he
had been sitting, | observed a small tin
box. something like a tobacco box, lying
in his empty chair. picked it up mo-
chalically. Such singular odor rose
from this box that i was tempted to open
it almost unconsciously. 1t was half full
of a grayish brown drug. ! examined 1t
curiously. Opium!
| glanced toward the bed. he was
lying apparently in heavy sleep.
closed the lid of the box and placed it
quietly beside him. Full OF conjecture
for the past OF the unfortunate being who
occupied my bed, wrapped myself in my
blanket and lay down beneath the win
dow There was no sound in the quiet
night save the occasional long howl of tho
coyote from the hill. For long time l
lay awake, bordering over the singular
conversation of the evening and It's start
ling denouement. | wondered II his
Authorization could b. directly traced TO
opium, and what strange misfortune could
have placed him under the thrali OF the
deadly drug And then my thoughts re
CURED 10 his quotation from Macaulay,
But We know that there are remedies
that viii assuage pain" What was the
pain or what the SORROW
Unconsciously in my long reverie I had
turned toward him. lie was sleeping
peacefully in the wan light. The pale
moon, looking over the crest OF a western
divide, stole through the flies Of sentinel
mesquites in long pencil. and rested Ike
a ghostly arm upon his breast. ! thought,
1.-THE sister OF Apollo has him IN her
keeping" and I fell asleep. Bat IN tho
morning. the hands folded upon the breast
were puiseless and cold the face was
waxen and still, and. hushed IN the fear
ful calm Of LIES great mystery, the oil
man eloquent was desd.-Iioward SeeiY
ia The Argonaut