The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-21
CASIMIR HALL.

In the old ancestral home of the Cast
Mrs, where history and tradition breatheC
their many legends upon the snowy canvas
there was amid the masterpieces pictur,
of an old, gray bearded man. 1t was
masterpiece itself. Simply an old MAJ
with piercing eyes, but yet the picture fas
cinated. 1t seemed instinct with life, anC
the eyes spoke. 1t was not like the por
traits of other men, nor indeed like any
other picture. In looking at it every one
felt kind of fear, as if they thought the
old man was going to speak to them. And
yet there was nothing in his face to indi-
cate that he would do any one an injury,
unless it was the deep look of his eyes
! Besides his piercing gaze there was an
other impressive featRre about the picture.
The old man seemed to have been count
/ ing something on his band and had stopped
on the fifth finger. And there, with the
first finger of one hand on the fifth finger
of the other he stood like Fate itself. But
some who looked deeper into the eyes said
he looked more like a picture of Ven
geance, and that Lad he been alive they
would almost rather die than encounter
the wrath of those eyes.
Z,
and who he was that had once moved in
the world as its living prototype, none of
the Casimirs ever knew-unless it was the
founder of their long and illUstrious line
For there was story, a myth, some said,
connected with the picture that had been
whispered down from generation to gen
Grafton among the Casimirs. No one ever
spoke of the portrait or its history, yet
something seemed to keep the story alive,
and the young Casimirs breathed in the
mystery as naturally as they drew in the
forests breath And the old tradition
fashioned itself something like this:
The founder of the Casimirs, years back,
was man Of war-a creature of blood and
iron. When he came into the broad and
rich domain which his posterity still en-
joyed the rightful heir was brave and
generous, though in some respects a
wicked, old man. This heir, who alone
stood between James Casimir and fortune,
disappeared one night and was seen no
more, and the young soldier took undis-
puted possession of the estates. In the
manor house that was then standing upon
the lands there were number of works of
art left by the former owner, who had re-
Gently died.
Casimir's steward, after having arranged
everything in the new home, called his
masters attention to 4 very peculiar fact.
There was picture of an old man. with
gray hair and beard, in the gallery, he
said, Notwithstanding IN the list of pic
lures no mention whatever was made of
1t, neither was it included or mentioned in
the inventory made out after the owners
death; and the steward, as well as his mas
ter, knew that nothing of the kind had
ever been among the latter's effects. How
the portrait came there was a mystery
which they never solved. But the steward,
so the story went, told friend of his that
this picture that had so suddenly taken
its place among the others was the perfect
image of the old man, the heir, who had so
disappeared. And it is said
that when the warlille Casimir looked upon
it he shuddered and turned deathly pale.
and ordered curtain TO be placed over it,
which should never be lifted save at his
command. And while he lived it was
never removed nor did any one gaze upon
the old mans face.
And so the broad hands and princely
home had descended from sire to son until
ClAHiOu ASeASlllliI. VIC lillD III uiTtGD ueSCcDI
from the first of the name, came into pos
session, he being the only child of his
father and the one survivor Of the race.
At the time of his fathers death young
Casimir had just reached the years of man
hood, and in his own person he illustrated
right royalty the blood that flowed in his
veins. OF fine physical stature, handsome
and brave, he was model for the artist
But of all the wicked and Hcentious young
men of that land Clinton Casimir was the
widest. Already, though 50 young in
years, he had gone through nearly all the
abyrinths of crime
He knew the story of the old man whose
picture hung in the handsome collection
hat adorned his home. He did not remem-
Der that any one had told him of it; it
seemed to him that he had read it for him.
elf in the depths Of the old mans eyes
Not day passed that he did not think of it
md wonder what the old man meant by
off the number five with his long
ndex finger. He pondered in his mind in
he still hours of the night. and sometimes,
Urged on by an irresistible impulse, lie
would rise, and with lighted candle in his
hand steal noiselessly along TO where the
portrait hung and gaze upon it. shuddering
Ind afraid. Atsuch times he felt that there
vas a curse upon him, an ancient doom, |
Ind that ghostly hands from old graves |
we're round about him Then he would |
plunge into wilder dissip ations. But inthe |
-ery midst of his carouSals he would be- |
'ome quiet and thoughtful, for he could !
zee those fierce and heart scorching eyes 4
ook down into his.
One night, worn ont from long days and /
nights of revelry and crime, Clinton Cast /
mir fell into long and deep sleep. lie 4
lreaZaed-it might not have been dream 4
but he saw q young man strangely like /
himself engaged IN Wild and rIOtous living. /
lie hooked upon him closer, and he knew
n his dream that he was gazing upon his l
'vn image. He saw the young man going 4
u in h;S wickedness until he had spread q
moral blight and desolation in all the land 1
where he lived. And then in his dream,
liter a lapse he knew not how long he saw
change come upaa the Young man. He 4
vas no longer young. for the snow Of agC
lad Lali~n upon his locks In his dream he
ecos1ize6 him then a. ne old Man whose
ortrsit hung in his own home. and before
those fierce and silent look he had 50 often
rembied. lie saw the old man as he went
bout 10 retrieve the errors and sins Of lis
outh. aud trying TO make peace for his
1ul in good works. Ana then ne saw hin
ie, an UnTepentsnt sinner. beneath The
sgger Of = waSliGs nan IL the dead hour
. the night
AFTER "a long tine Clinton Casinir awoke
ON his dream. Bcs be v.-s u,- the sal1e
IAN y no had fallen % sleep II mad yghirl
seDsihilities twelve hours before. He
As changed. He knew it; he felt Il in every 1
Der OF bis frame he realized ne curse.