Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-02-26
CARRISTON'S GIFT.
The Story Of an Occult and Mys-
terioI1s Power.
The Danger to Which Its Pcssessor Was
Subject. and How 1t Was Used to
Discover the Lost-Evil Machi-
nations Thwarted.
BIZ Hugh Con,cay, author Of "Ddrk Days.'
"CdltGd Back" etc.
PART I.

visiting books. and taking at random
any month out of the last twenty years,
give its record rs fair sample Of my
ordinary work. The dismal ext act
would tell YOU what doctor's-I sup
pose l may say a successful doctor rs
lot is, when his practice lies in poor
and densely populated district of Lon
don. Drcary us such beginning
might be. 1T would perhaps ALA some
of the lncredulity which this tale may
probably provoke, as it would plainly
show how little room there is for things |
imaginative or romantic in work SO hard |
as mine or among SUI h grim reallt.e
of poverty. pain snct s,rier as those BY /
which have been surrounded. 1t would |
certainly make it appear extremely I'M
likely that l should nave found time 10 |
imagine. much less to write, 4 romance |
or melodrama.
The truth is that when man has |
toied from nine o'clock in the morning |
until nine o'clock at night such leisure |
as he can enjoy is precious to him, es- !
pecially when even that short respite is |
liable to be bro,en in upon at any mo-
ment
Still in spite of the doleful picture I
have drawn OF what may be called 1.-the
daily grind" l begin this tale with the
account OF q n llOay.
In the autumn of 1864 l turned my
back with right goodwill upon London
streets, hospitals and patients, and took
| my seat in the North express. The first
| revolution of the wheels sent q thrill OF
! delight through my jaded frame. a
| joyful sensation of freedom came over
me. l had really got away at last! More
| over, had LEFT nc address behind me,
| so for three blessed weeks might roam
an undisputed lord of myself. Three
| weeks were not very many to take out
of the fifty two, but they were all could
| venture to give myself: for even at th@t
time my practice, if not SO lucrative rs
could wish. was large and increasing
one Having done - twelvemonth's
| hard work, l felt that no one in the
| kingdom could take his holiday with
| a conscience clearer than mine, so l lay
back in a peculiarly contentcd frame of
mind, and discounted tho coming pleas
ures of my brief respite from labor.
There are many ways of passing hol-
iday-many places at which it may be
spent; but, after all, if you wish to thor
oughly enjoy it. there is but one royal
rule to be followed. That is. simply to
| please yourself go where you like, and
mount tho innocent holiday hobby which
is dearest to your heart, let its name DO
botany, geology, entomology, conchol-
ogy, piscation, or what not, Then you
shall be happy, and return we'll biaced
up for the battle "f lfe. | kne'v 6. city
| clerk of literary tastes who invariably
spent his annual fortng ht among the
mu test tones of the British Museum,
and averred that his health was more
benefited by so doing than if he had
passed the time inhaling the freshest
| sea-breezes. | dare say he was right
! in his assertion.
Sketching has always been my favor
lite holiday pursuit Poor as my draw
ings may be, nevertheless. as [ tirr
them over in my portfolio, they bring
to me at least, vivid rcincmbranccs o
many sweet and picturesque spots, hap
: Ply days. and congenial companions: |
) is not Tor me to say anything of thel
l actual merits, but they are dear to ~
for their associations,
This particular Year 1 went to Nort1
= Wales, and mado Bcttws Coed m
Y | headquarters. | stayed at the Roya
e Oak, that well-known little inn dear +
j many an artists heart, and teelnin
with "reminiscences OF famous men VIII
8 have sojourneI there times withou
8 number. 1t was here l made the az
$ ! allaintancc OF the man with whose lii
/. 1he curious events am going to narrat
J are connected.
" VII Lio lloI utN NitSl my alllFtsr
q Bettws my appreciation of my liberty w;
so thorough, my appetite Tor the EMO!
y meut OF the beauties of nature so keen an
h | Unsuitable, that went SO far and saw S
"a | much that when returned to the Roy:
a Oak night had fallen, and the hour
"a dinner had long passed by. l wa
d when my own meal was placed on II
s. table. the only occupant OF the coiie
70 room. Just then young man entered
"a and ordered something to eat: III
a waiter knowing, no doubt, something
the frank CG7n0rdderie which exists,
al should exist, Between the followers
VI Melpomene, laid his cover at my tabl
a The newcomer seated himself, gave n
a pleasant smile and nod, and in ti'
va minutes we were in full swing of co
versation.
The moment my eyes fell upon tt
| Young man l had noticed how singula
" handsome he was. Charles Carr
ton-for this l found afterward to
his name-was about twenty-five yea
* of age. He was tall, but slightly bu'
in his whole bearing and figure being !
re-. markably elegant and graceful. l
nd look d even more than gent1emanly
-. he looked distinguished. His face w
n'' pale, its features well cut, straight a.
On regular. His forehead spoke of hi
nix intellectual qualities, and there W
the somewhat of that development over
INK eyebrows which hrenologists, bclieN
ars | consider rs evidence of the possession
ate imagin ton. Tho general eHpressi
of his face was one OF ser BUSINESS,
OF not sadness, and its refined beauty W
cry he ghtened by pair OF soft, dal
md dreamy-looking eyes.
for 1t only remains to add that. from
to attire l Judged him to be an artist
? in professional artist to the backbone.
Inc course OF c0ny crsation l show
hlm how 1 had classified him.
yer smiled.
Sou Il am only an amateur he 50
~" ian idle man, nothing more =;
Ior | youp'