The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-03
THE VISION OF A FACE.
By JOSEPH HOOKING. @.
Author OF GALL MEN ARE LIARS" Etc.
. ~ Copyright 1895 by the Bachelsf syndicatel

fectly awake. was as much aware
OF what was going on as l am now.
The face was real enough, the dress
| was real, and yet-and yet"
He thought it all over again point by
| point, he remembered the page he had
| been reading in the Confessions" he
recalled the strange feeling that crept
over him.
Can it be the spirit of that girl?"
in that foolish story? a girl murdered
in this very room. Ell? But why did she
/ appear in such a way? No, il cannot be
that; but how is it to be explained?"
He got up and walked around the
room. He was getting excited.
1t brought no terror." he cried.
| "How could it? 1t was a beautiful
face-more beautiful than anything l
ever dreamed of. Good and pure!" He
thought of his words to Herbert Walk
| er and laughed. Yes, 1t was good and
| pure." he repeated. I'D give some
thing to see 1t again. Why"
He stopped suddenly; his eyes acted
| strangely, Il mustn't make a fool of
myself" he cried. II know it's not the
| thing to smoke in bed room; but Mr..
| Walker is a good old sort, and u cigar
always sets me right. I'll have a
smoke; it'll bring me back to my
| senses"
His hands trembled so that he could
hardly hold the match; even when the
cigar was lit he could not tell whether
| he was smoking good tobacco or cap-
hage leaves. and after "a few minutes
| he threw it down.
Il must be getting mad" he cried.
THE face haunts me; l shall never rest
| till see that face again! What makes
| my heart thump 50? oh, l wish-l
wish it would appear again!" and he
| looked long and steadily into the mir
| ror, but nothing appeared.
Again he paced the room, uttering
all sorts of impatient eNclamations as
| he did so, and then after half an hour
| of this exercise he threw himself on the
chair again.
Its no USE" he cried; 81 shall never
rest till 1 see that face again. never!
It's no use denying it, I'd give all the
world, if had it, to kiss those lips! l
i Yes. I'm in love with a face!
Whether it has a real existence or not
| l don't know. but I'm in love! Yes,
I'm in love! My word, surely fellow
was never in such position before!
What can it mean?"
o'clock. The oil in the lamD was ex-
| hausted and the light was beginning to
| die out and the fire had got low again.
| Then like one i'm a dream he undressed
and got into bed.
When he got dowE the next morning
| he found Mr.. Walker and Herbert wait
ing for him.
Had good night, Bob?" asked Her.
| bert.
Yes. a grand night" he replied.
You weren't frightened by the
ghost of the murdered woman, them"
| NO. l wasn't frightened. I've had u
splendid night"
| We'll, you're late, anyhow, and if
| you don't make haste you'll not catch
the one good train from here to Lon
| don. You are sure you'll not stay and
meet the girls"
| NO" he replied. although he wished
afterwards that he had said yes.
| well, | wish you joy in your lonely
den in Crime street. Pm thankful that
l was able to arrange for day or two
longer, and you are fool not to have
a good time. Why, the house'll be alto
gether different when the girls are
around. We shall have a grand time
| tonight"
| You are very good" replied Bob,
but I'll get back to London"
| Neither Herbert Walker nor his ia
| ther pressed him to stay, and few
| hours later Bob was In London. His
landlady brought him some tea. and
| after he had partaken of a rather scam
| ty meal he sat down before the fire
in his little room.
He was strangely happy, and yet very
subdued. Somehow the last twenty
four hours had made the world new to
| him, and he could not understand why
his heart thumped so loudly. His mind
was full of fancies, too he had all sorts
of wild longngs. For the first time in
| his life he knew what romance meant.
| ITS no use." he said, at length: I'll
give up all thoughts of writing. I'll
swallow my pride and go back to the
law. I'm sure old Rimmer will give me
a chance, if only for fathers sake.
Poor old dad, he didn't think when he
| was alive that his son would be a
scribbler for less than twenty-five shil-
lings week. No, I'll go back to the
! law again. Ill But even as these
thoughts were shaping themselves in
his mind the face in the mirror came
back to him. He could see it almost as
| plainly as when he was startled by 1t
at Beechwood. He closed his eyes and
he could see it STILL The great gray
were parted, as If they would speak
to him.
| "Shall go back to the law?" He said
| this aloud, and it seemed to him as If
the lips said NO"
| II think I must be losing my head,
said Bob; but if he were. he was not
desirous of finding it again. 1t was
bliss beyond words to sit there and
| dream and see visions.
And so, with eyes closed, he watched
the face, which he could still see plain
ly, and somehow it seemed to tell him
| something.
"The face is an inspiration" cried
Bob, "a real inspiration. 1 feel as
though could write now."