Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-20

n.
ter. 1t was the embodiment of relentless
ness and determination. 1t was not that
II spoke volumes for the mental strength.
but never word for tenderness or ven
GRAFTON. 1t was an utterly INSCRIPTIONS
race. 1t was not that. The eyes glared
The lips parted as if the breath came
too quickly for the nostrils alone.
All, that was it! The expressioni No
man ever sat for his portrait with his
features cast in q mold such as this
This made the novelty and the strange
ness 1t was such look as the human
face sometimes in great emergencies, in
time of high pulse and excitement,
wears for aeeting instant. Nowhere
outside madhouse could it become fix
ed and changeless
Yes, that was it indeed. The perpet-
nation of the expression of q moment.
like the work of instantaneous photoc-
raphy, with all the latent power and
sense OF breathlessness that such fact
involves.
The brows were contracted into q
deep scowL The Gin lips seemed al
most to culver, md with its staring
eyes and changeless look in the glare Of
the gaslight this fearful countenance
seemed to float on through space.
The sound of music came from the
other room. Miss Maxey was singing
the ave Maria"
DR.. Lamar felt himself safe from in
terruption. An odd fancy, suggested
perhaps by the peculiar character Of the
subject, came to him. He reached up
and turned off the gas jets one by one
till but single light remained He re-
duced this until it was the feeblest
spark and stepped back to see the effect
There was fire in the open crate.
The light Of the Goals flickered and fell,
and the room was full of shadows. But
the face! Truly the lip quivers! And
the eyes! Did they not move? Th
scowl! Does it not deepen? Surely this
cannot be water through which it looks?
But moment ago it was space. Now
it seems as if the tide were flowing
the steady and relentless tide-and as
it flows its ceaseless motion causes the
soft flesh to trerH,c The eyes seem to
grow hollow, to SIle away, leaving un-
tenanted cavities, and as this happens
the quivering lips break into mocking
leer. A fierce breath from the unseen
river rises to rap with hollow rattle at
the windows. The sound breaks the
spell
Horrified at his own sensations, La
mar turned and hurried from the room.
When DR.. Lamar rejoined the party
in the next room, he found Mrs. Maxey
in tears.
did you notice how affected she
was?" Ellen asked him in an undertone
by what?'
BY the singing of Schubert's Ave
Maria Don't you remember, it was
the song that made her faint in the old
days? have never sung it since. Some
how thought of it tonight, and imme-
diately we found her crying. And it
seems it was something her mother
used to sing"
"Ahl DIR. Bently was right then. 1t
was "reminiscences
There was knock ut the door. Max
ey answered it. He closed the entrance
to the rear chamber after him and turn
ed up the gas in the vestibule before he
opened 1t to his visitor.
He was seized with sudden trem-
bling at the knees when he saw who that
visitor was. Paler, ghastlier, more fu-
nereal than ever, the melancholy Dye,
whose woebegone hat and threadbare
coat exhibited still deeper shade of
desolation, stood upon the threshold
"You again?''
"Sir, again"
''In spite of all that / told you?''
"Sir, have borne your instructions
well in mind have forgotten nothing
1t remains for you to say whether You
will admit me or no."
Mr.. Dye did not look at Maxey when
he addressed him. In truth, he did not
seem to have energy or spirit enough
left to raise his head, and he certainly
did not appear ut oil anxious to be in
vited into the room.
The growing conviction that this man
was not the prime mover, but only the
instrument in the hands of more pow
erful parsonage who kept himself al
ways in the background, leaped to o
most mature stage in the artists mind.
admit you'll" he exclaimed, suppress
ing the tendency to loudness in his
tones for fear of reaching the ears in
the adjoining chamber. THAT shall
do most certainly, since you have come.
Walk in, Mr.. Dye, and state your bust
ness, and let Us see If we cannot come
to something approaching mutual I'M
Outstanding. That is point which we
have TOO long been lodging about, Mr..
l'ye, and / have q very distinct idea that
it wculd be well for rs to reach it to-
night"
The somber man raised a look OF mild
inquiry to the artists face, said sim
ply, '.As you will, and passed into the
parlor.
Maxey closed and locked the door and
turned ON two Of the gus jets.
Then he noticed that Mr.. Dye was
trembling. 1t was chilly evening, and
il occurred to him that the threadbare
coat could not be very warm
"You are cold, man, he said. 'sDraw
mn horo nv the fro -