The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-06-04

L y
ing to speak to me any more!" she said, but
Torpenhow was looking at Dick.
'sWhat stock of vanity the man has I'll
take him in hand tomorrow and make much
of him. He deserves it-Eh what was that,
Bess?"
Nothing. I'll put things tidy here a
little and then I'll go. You couldn't give
me that three months pay now, could you!
He said you were to-"
Torpenhow gave her check and went to
his own rooms. Bessie faithfully tidied up
the studio, set the door ajar for flight,
emptied half bottle of turpentine on a
duster, and began to scrub the face of the
| Nelancolia viciously. The pant did not
smudge quickly enough. She took palette
knife and scraped, following each stroke
with che wet duster In five minutes the
picture was a formless, SCARED middle
of colors She threw the paint stained
buster into the studio stove, stuck out her
tongue at the sleeper, and whispered
sBilkedl !" as she turned to run down the
staircase. She would never see TorpenhoW
any more, but she had at least done harm to
the man who had come between her and her
desire, and who used to make fun Of her
fCashing the check was the very cream of
the Jest to Bessie. Then the little privateer
sailed across the Thames, to be swallowed
up in the gray Wilderness of South-the-
water
Dick slept till late in the evening, when
Torpenhow dragged him off TO bed. His
eyes were as bright as his voice was hoarse.
ssLet's have another look at the picture" he
said as insistently as child.
! -go-to-bed, said Torpenhow
'sYou aren't at all well, though you mayn't
know it. You're as jumpy as a cat"
II reform tomorrow. Good night"
AS he repassed through the studio Tor
penhow lifted the cloth above the picture,
and almost betrayed himself by outcries:
| 'sWiped out!-scraped out and turped out !
! If Dick knows this tonight he'll go per-
fectly mad. He's on the verge of the ;-..2zoa
as IL is That's Bess-the little hend! Only
a woman could have done that-with the ink
not dry on the check, too Dick will be
raving mad tomorrow. 1t was all my fault
for trying to help gutter devils. Oh, my
poor Dick, the Lord is hitting you very
hard !"
Dick could not sleep that night, partly for
| pure JOY and partly because the Well-knoWn
Catherine wheels inside his eyes had given
/ place to cracking volcanoes of many-colored
fires "Spout away" he said, aloud. Give
! done my work, and now you can do what
you please" He lay still, staring at the
ceiling, the long-pent-up delirium of drink
! in his veins, his brain on fire with racing
thoughts that would not stop to be consld-
cred, and his hands crisped and dry. He
| had just discovered that he was painting the
/ face Of the Melancolia on a revolving dome
| ribbed with millions of lights. and that all
! his Won0rous thoughts stood embodied hun
| dreds of feet below his tiny swinging plank,
shouting together in his honor when some
thing cracked inside his temples like an
| overstrained bow string, the glittering dome
broke inward, and he was alone in the thick
night
'I'1l go to sleep. The rooms very dark.
] Let's light a lamp and see how the Melan-
cola looks There ought to have. been a
moon"
It was then that Torpenhow heard his
name called by voice that he did not know
lin the rafting accents of deadly fear.
''Ie's looked at the picture" was his first
thought. as he hurried into the bedroom and
| found Dick sitting up and beating the air
with his hands
''Torpl Torp! Where are you2 For PHYS
sake, come to mel"
"What's the matter?"
Dick clutched at his shoulder matter
I've been lying here for hours in the dark,
and you never heard me. Torp old man,
don't go away. I'm all in the dark. In the
dark, tell you"
Torpenhow held the candle within a foot
Of Dicks eyes. but there was no light in
those eyes. He lit the gas, and Dick heard
| the flame catch. The grip of his fingers on
Torpenhow's shoulder made Torpenhow
vince.
Don't leave me. You wouldn't leave me
alone, would you? It's black-quite black,
and feel as if I was falling through it ALL"
''Steady does it." Torpenhow put his arm
round Dick, and instinctively began to rock
him gently to and fro. - sg12sggg@r,
That's good. Now don't talk. If I keep
! very quiet for while this darkness will
/ lift, It seems just on the point of breaking
H'sh!" Dick knit his brows and stared
! desperately in front of him. The night air
was chilling Torpenhow's toes.
''Can you stay like that nlinute?" he
said. I'll get my dressing gown and some
slippers"
Dick clutched the bed head with both
hands and waited for the darkness to clear
away ''What time you've been !" he cried
/ when Torpenhow returned. Its as black
! as ever. And what are you banging about
in the doorway"
Long chair-horse blanket-pillow. Co
ing to sleep by you. Lie down now, you'll
| be better in tte morning"
| ST shan't!" The voice rose to wall. my
i God I'm blind I'm blind, and the dark
Eess will never go away" He made as if to
j leap from the bed, but Torpenhow's arms
were around him, and Torpenhow's chin
was on his shoulder, and his breath was
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