Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-09-05
ESPRIT PORTRAIT"
BY RYE JOHNSON.

terest Is felt In everything pertaining to
the matter. A friend gives us permits.
sion to relate the following circum.
stances, which are literally true save q
change of names.
Kent Gibson is a physician well.
known in certain quarters of New York.
At the time the events happened ]
am about to relate, he was twenty-six,
and handsome, well-bred fellow, who
was a great favorite where ever called.
He had come into his lucrative practice
by purchase. when an older man retired
and the people never regretted the ex-
change.
One night in March of 'S7, he had
heen at druggists compounding o pre-
scription which he hesitated to trust to
clerk. He stood upon the steps Civ
ing the man who waited for the medi-
cine, some last instructions, when he
was hurriedly accosted by woman.
Are you a physician?'
"Yes, madam"
daughter? 1t is only block"
Certainly" and turning he walked
beside her.
She was elegantly dressed, and the
house they entered, was pretentious and
extensively furnished
Depositing his hat and overccat in the
hall, he followed her up fight of steps
and into large room, where the light
burned dimly.
The air felt chill and death-like and
the doctor was not surprised to See upon
bed in one corner, long, white
draped object, which is always SO ex-
pressive.
With rapid steps the woman APP
preached the bed, and drew away the
covering. DIR. Gibson thought himself
Injured to pitiful sights, but an express
sion of sorrowful regret escaped him as
he saw the exquisite object extended
there. 1t was the body of girl of per-
haps eighteen, of beauty perfectly mar
velous, and with no look of death about
her, save the statuesque immobility of
her position.
The woman burst into wild lamenta-
ton, and he turned away silently wait
ing. A mothers grief was to him
sacred thing.
In a moment, however, she controlled
herself.
doctor, wish you to try, by every
means in your power, to ascertain be-
yond doubt if my daughter is dead.
She has not been ill. She simply fell
in what We thought faint, and has
been like this ever since. 1 have a
physicians certificate as to her death,
but do not, cannot believe it."
For the next half hour he was &C.
cupied as she had commanded. Then
he was forced, with a sincere regret, to
acknowledge himself unable to detect
sign of life But at the woman's earn
est entreaty, he gave her a paper for
bidding the interment of the beautiful
clay until unmistakable signs of decay
set in. Their saddened and weary, he
returned home.
The next day he was called away by
the severe illness of his father, and
when he returned to the city three
months later, he could obtain no further
information in regard to the matter, as
the house was re-let, and he had not
even the peoples names to guide Kim.
But the beautiful corpse haunted
him. In all his experience, he had
womanhood. He found himself con-
stantly striving to picture To b;msalf
what the face would he with lite in Tho
violet eyes.
inst at that time be beuan n baor q |
good deal about spirit pictures" and |
of q famous artist in that line. He
spent some time investigating the mat
ter. Saw several of the so-called |
the artist. who Il il said did the worL
which in many cases we're eycalIant
ikenesses of dead and GONE noonlo
He was sceptical I'm the matter but
Oman tn conviction
He found the artist. or Medium sur.
rounded bv considerable mvsterv which
he looked upon AZ a sort Of astoct in
trade She WAS a MALE sn;r;tn.I IooL-
ing woman. of perhaps thirty She
said nothing. but a cadaverons sicily
man. asked several Questions as tn tbo
general look and contour of tbe faca Tho
medium was to reproduce
Then Gibson was hidden to fix his
ewes mon her face. and his mind firmly
upon the one she was to naint A MACS ~
drspery was SO arranged that only her
face was visible. and our friend sus-
pected some deception was to be prac-
decd, but determined to give therh a
fair chance.
He is a man who possesses the rare
Gift to concentrate his tbonobts nnon a
given subject. Upon the occasion in
question. he ouite lost himself in con;nr-
ng up each exquisite detail of the beau
tiful face, and for the first time was Able
to see with his inner sight, what she