Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
CHAPTER VIII.

| Wnats yon That follows at my sidef-
The foe that ye must fight my lord
That hirples swift as can rider
The shadow of the night, my lord
Ihen wheel my horse against the foel-
He's down and overpast, my lord.
Ye war against the sunset glow:
The darkness gathers fast my lord.
The Fight Of. Heriors Ford.
'"This is cheerful life," said Dick, some
many days later. "Torp's away; Bessie
hates me; can't get at the notion of the
Melancolia; Maisie's letters are scrappy;
and believe I have indigestion. Wha.
gives man pains across his head and spots
before his eyes, Binkie? Shall US take
some liver pills?"
Dick had just gone through lively scene
with Bessie. She had, for the fiftieth time,
reproached him for sending Torpenhow
away. She explained her enduring hatred
for Dick, and made it clear to him that she
only sat for the sake of his money. "And
Mr.. Torpenhow's ten times better man
than you," she concluded.
"He is. That's why he went away. I
should have stayed and made love to you. 4"
The girl sat with her chin on her hand,
scowling. "To mel I'd like to catch you!
If wasn't afraid O. being hung I'd kill
you. That's what I'd do. D'you believe
me?"
Dick smiled wearily. It is not pleasant
to live in the company of notion that will
not work out. fox terrier that cannot talk,
and a woman who talks too much. He
would have answered, but at that moment
there unrolled itself from one corner of the
studio veil, as it were, of the flmiest
gauze. Dick rubbed his eyes, but the gray
haze would not 60.
This is disgraceful indigestion. Binkie,
we will go to o medicine man. We can't
have our eyes interiered with, for by these
we get our bread; also mutton-chop bones
for little dogs"
He was au affable local practitioner with
white hair, and he said nothing till Dick
began to describe the gray film in the
studio.
"Weall want little patching and re-
pairing from time to time" he chirped.
Like a ship, my dear sir-exactly like a
ship. Sometimes the hull is out of order,
and We consult the surgeon; sometimes the
rigging, and then I advise; sometimes the
engines and we go to the brain specialist;
sometimes the lookout on the bridge is tired,
and then we see an oculist. should recon-
mend you to see an oculist. A little patch
ing and repairing from time to time is all we
want An oculist, BY all means"
Dick sought an oculist-the best in Lon
don. He was certain that the local practi
tioner did not know anything about his
trade, and more certain that Maise would
laugh at hin if he had to take to spectacles.
'I've neglected the warnings of my lord
the stomach too long. Hence these spots be-
fore the eyes, Binkie. can see as well as I
ever could"
AS he entered the dark hall that led to the
consulting room a man caromed against
him. Dick saw the face as it hurried out
into the street.
"That's the writer type. He has the same
modelling of the forehead as Torp. He
looks very sick. Probably heard something
he didn't like"
Even as he thought, great fear came
upon Dick, a fear that made him hold his
breath as he walked into the oculist's wait
ing room, with the heavy carved furniture,
the dark green paper, and the sober-hued
prints on the wall. He recognized repro
duction of one of his own sketches.
Many people were waiting their turn be-
fore him. His eye was caught by flaming
red and gold Christmas carol book. Little
children came to that eye doctor and they
needed large type amusement
'Tnat's idolatrous bad art" he said,
drawing the book toward him. From
the anatomy ofthe angels, it has been maoe
in Germany" He opened it mechanically,
and there leaped to his eyes a verse printed
in red ink:
THE LIGHT THAT FAILED.
The next good JOY that Mary had,
1t was the joy of three.
To see her good son, Jesus Christ,
Making the blind to see;
Making the blind to see, good Lord,
And happy may we be.
Praise Father. Son and Holy Ghost
To all eternity!
Dick read and re-read the verse till his
turn came, and the doctor was bending
above him seated in an arm chair. The blaze
of gas-microscope in his eyes made him
vince. The doctors hand touched the scar
of the sword cut on Dicks head, and Dick
explained briefly how he had come by it.
When the fame was removed Dick saw the
doctors face, and the fear came upon him
again, The doctor wrapped himself in a
mist of words. Dick caught alIusions to
'scar," "frontal bone" "optic nerve, sex
treme caution" and the avoidance of
mental anxiety"
"Verdict?" be said, family. "My busi-
ness is painting, and daren't waste time.
What do you make of it?"
Again the whirl of words, but this time
they conveyed a meaning.
"Can you give me anything to drink"
Many sentences were pronounced in that
darkened room, and the prisoners often
needed cheering. Dick found q glass of
LIQUOR brandy in his hand.
t'As far as can gather" he said, cough
ing, above the spirit, ''you call it decay of
the optic nerve, or something, and therefore
hopeless. What is my time-limit, avoiding
all strain and worry?"
"Perhaps one year"
"My Godl And if don't take care of
myself ?"
sI really could not say. One cannot
ascertain the exact amount of injury in
ficted by the sword-cut The scar is an old
one, and-exposure to the strong light of the
desert, did you say?-with excessive appli-
carion to fine work? I really could not
say"
'I beg your pardon, but it has come with
out any warning. IT you will let me, I'll
sit here for minute, and then I'll go. You
have been very good in telling me the truth.
Without any warning-without any warn
ing Thauksn