Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-19
A DUAL SOUL.

I.
On the night of tho 10th OF June,
iS8-. / awoke with loud cry. went
over to the mantcl-piece as we'll as I
could In the darkness, and liz match.
MY nervous terror had pcopled the
room with all kinds OF horrible mental
images. which. wrought to high
pitch of excitement, my Imagination
had conjured. | was glad when "A
flood of yellow gas-light dissipated
them. and showed TO me the remotest
corners Of my bachelor quarters. with
glimpse of myself in the big mirror
opposite. with face as white as the
sheets OF my deserted bed. / looked
at my watch. 1t was ten minutes
after midnight.
took a cigar from the mantel-piecc
ri am a great smoker--and sat down
ufH1non moment TO try and collect my
iele.ly. nd bad horrible dream.
The taking OF the cigar, the lighting
and the smoking Of 1t wero all mechan-
ical actions which performed readily.
When. however, began to try and re-
call some particulars Of my dream, my
mind displayed sluggishness in
grasping the salient points of the
mental vision which had come before
me In my sleep which surprised me.
And yet my dream had been most
vivid aud most terrible.
My mind had been wandering a long
way of In that litful unrest. had
dreamed that bad been in Paris aud
that had seen murder.
had never been In Paris. Where
had ever heard of the Rue dc Rev
erdyp 1t was In that street that my
dream had been located. IL all came
back to me as sat there putting away.
! could see the victim of my nightmare
lying upon the hearthrug of a rather
foreign looking room. well furnished
with paintings and other art objects
upon the walls. The murdered man
for had seen n man stagger aud fall
Ia my sleep--presented dreadful
sight. Blood oozcd from a terrible
cash in his throat. Through the open
window the yellow glare of the street
lamps flickered fcebly in the light of
the early dawn. Around me | heard
the rush aud roar of great city
awakening TO another day. Alto
gether had had horrible dream.
am. as you know, an artist. Being
a Chicago man prefer TO paint Chi
cago pictures. don't believe all this
humbug about man not being a
prophet In his own country. A paint
ing of one OF our railroad depots at
night, almost finished, stood on its
easel In an adjoining room, which
used rs a studio. had gone to bed
the night before intending to rise early
aud throw In some more figure work
In the middle distance. There was
just space enough left for man ans a
woman. thought would throw in
one OF those parting scenes which we
casually see in railroad depots, and
which are sometimes so affecting.
went out and stood before the pict-
ure. little drowsily; but soon wide-
awake and staring open-mouthed at
my canvas. The man and woman,
Just as | had conceived them in my
s. mind when lay down to sleep the
night previous. had been painted.
looked long ana earnestly at the
picture aud felt my senses beginning
to leave me. The features of the man
l had painted must have painted un-
consciously during the night-were
the features Of the man lying murdered
In my dream. in the Rue de Rcverdy.
In the city OF Paris.
The most remarkable thing, how
ever. about this sleep work was that
had entirely alfred my cplans regard
Ing the two figures. Instead of plac-
ing them in the middle distance / had
brought them boldly into the fore
ground. There they stood, the man
and the woman. He. tall. dark.
rather handsome fellow OF about 30
years of age. with sad. refined face
Of the French artist type. and strong,
vell-knit limbs, aud altogether hope
fnl. brave bearing which seemed to
lay: 'S>surage. we shall meet again"
bhe. woman not over 20, with ten
her face, on which were traces OF
recent tears. with reddish, Titianesque
hair blown in kind of graceful. ar
istic confusion across her charming
eyes aud low. white forehead as she
stood with enc tiny gloved hand IN
his, and hold up the other with the
iinger-tips just resting on his shoulder.
[ stood for fully i've minutes looking
mt these two figures. There was one
more remarkable thing about them
Not only were they different in style
eud treatment from anything l had
ever painted before, but they were
absolutely fhultless in drawing and
coloring. 1t was the finest bit Of iig-
ure work had ever done in my life.
was absolutely dazed. confounded.
II could paint like that in my sleep
the sooner discovered the receipt for
doing it--bad dreams or no bad dreams
the better for my reputation as an
artist.
1t was undoubtedly the finest bit of
work had ever accomplished. 1t was
the making Of the whole painting; aud
1t at once sugg gisied the title.
Selling brush painted IL in one
corner OF the canvas with my name
aud the date.
! called the picture Goodbye"
Il was only o'clock in the morn
lQgs Iwas getting drowsy again. l
wen back into my bedroom. got into
bed and slept soundly.
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