Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-05
er stI,l. II YOU live in town, appoint me your

Ter stIli, n you live In town, appoint me your
family doctor. IL may prove the nucleus OF
that West End practice which II rs the dream
of every doctor TO establish"
/ have already alluded to the strange beai-
~ OF Carriston's dark eyes. AS soon as COM
panionship commenced between us those
eyes became TO me, from scientific reasons,
objects of curiosity on account of the mysteri-
Gus expression which at times detected In
them. Often and often they wore look the
like 10 which, | imagine, is found only In the
eyes of a somnambulist-a look which one
feels certain Is intently fixed upon something,
vet upon something beyond the range OF ones
own vision. During the first two or three
days OF our newborn intimacy, found this
eccenhicity of Carriston's positively startling.
When now and then l turned Ia him, and
found him staring with all his might at moth
Ing, my eyes were compelled 10 follow the
direction in which his own were bent Ii
was at first impossible to dvest oneself of tho
belief that something should be there TO
Justify TO fixed gaze. However. as the
rapid growth of our friendly intercourse soon
showed me that he was a boy OF most ardent
poetic perhaps even more
poet than an artist laid at the door of the
Muse these absent looks and recurring flights
into vacancy.
We were at the Fairy Glen one morning,
skcJching, 10 the best of our ability, the swirl
ing stream. the gray rocks, and the overhang-
ing trees. the last just growing brilliant with
autumnal tints. So beautiful was everything
around that for long time | worked, idled,
or dreamed in contented silence. Carrlston
had set up his easel az some little distance
from mine. At last turned to see how his
sketch was progressing. He had evidently
fallen into one of Mss brown studies. and ap-
parenty, a harder one than usual. His brush
had fallen from his fingers, his features were
iminovab!e, and his strange dark eyes were
absolutely riveted upon a large rock in front
of him, at which he gazed as intently as IL
his hore OF heaven depended upon seeing
through il.
He seemed son the while obliyiOus to things
mundane A party of laughing, chattering,
terrible tourist girls scrambled down the rug
ged steps, and one by one passed in front OF
| him. Neither their presence nor the inquisi-
tive glances they cast on his statuesque face
reused him nom his fit OF abstraction. For
a moment wondered if the boy took opium
or some other narcotic on the sly Full of the
thought Irose crossed over 10 him, and lid
my hand upon his shoulder. As he felt my
touch he came 20 himself, and looked up at
( me liz dazed, nquiring way.
Really Carriston," | said, laughingiy,
'you must reserve Your dreaming hts until
we are in places where tourists do not con-
J gregate. or you will be thought mailman, ar
/ at least poet"
He made no reply. lie turned away from
me impatiently, even rudely: then, picking
up his brush. went on with his sketch Aft
/ or while he seemed To recover from his pet
/ tishness and we spent the remainder OF the
day as pleasantly as usual.
As we tI1dged home in the twilight, he
said to me in an apologize, almost yenitent
Nay
Il hope | was not rude to you just c,Ow-"
'When do you mean?' / asked, having al
most forgotten the trivial Incident
when You woke me from what you CALI
ed my dreaming"
"Oh dear, no. You Were not at all rude.
! II you had been il was but the penalty due
70 my presumption. The flights of genius
should be respected, not checked hy q mater
/ ial hand