The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-09-19
THE
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY,
By OSCAR wrrpn

1HloS oCloCh SITuCR, ana Jour, anu nhll
past four, but he did not stir. Ho was try,
ing to gather up the scarlet threads of life,
and to weave them into u pattern; to find his
way through the sanguinc labyrinth Of pass
ion through which he was wandering. Hed did
not know what to do, or what to think. He
went over to the table and wrote a passion,
ate letter to the girl he had loved, imploring
ner forgiveness, and accusing himself oil
madness. He covered page after u witt
Wild words OF sorrow and of pain. Thore is
a luxury in se~lf-reproach, When we blame
ourselves we feel that no one else has u
right to blame US. Ii is the confession, moi
the priest, that gives us dissolution. When
Dorian Gray had finished the letter, he fel,
that he had been forgiven.
Suddenly there came a knock to tho door
and he heard Lord Henry's voice outside
MY dear Dorian, ! must sec you. Let me
In at once. 1 can't bear your shutting your
self up like this"
He made no answer at first, but remained
quite still. The knocking still continued
and grew louder. Yes it was better to lei
Lord Henry in, and to explain to him the
new life he was going to lead, to quarrcl
with him If it became necessary to quarrel,
to part If parting was inevitable. He
jumped up and drew n screen hastily across
the picture, and unlocked the door.
Il am so sorry for it all my boy" said
Lord Henry coming in. "But you must not
think about it too much"
"Do you mean about Sibyl vane!" asked
Dorian.
Eyes, of course" answered Lord Henry.
sinking into a chair. and slowly pulling his
gloves off. "It is dreadful, from one point OF
view, but it was not your fault. Tell me
did You go behind and sec her after the play
was over2"
"Yes."
II felt sure you had. Did you make o
scene with her2"
" was brutal, Harry-pcrfectly brutal
But it is all right now. am not sorry fol
anything that has happened. 1t has taught
me to know myself better"
"Ah, Dorian, [ am so glad you take it In
that way! 1 was afraid I would find yor
plunged in reno rse, and tearing your nice
hair"
81 have got through all that said
Dorian, shaking his head, and smiling. 90
am perfectly happy now. 1 know what
conscience is, to begin with. 1t is not wha,
you told me it was. 1t is the divinest thins
in US. Don't sneer at it, Harry, any more
ut least not before me. I want to be good
cant boar the idea Of my soul being
hideous."
IA very charming artistic basis for ethics
Dorian! congratulate you on it. But how
are you going to begin3'
by marrying Sibyl Vnne.r
Marrying Sibyl Vane! y cried Lord Henry
standing up, and looking at him in per
picked a1nazement. "But, my dear Dorian
Eyes, Harry. l know what you are going
to say. Something dreadful about marriage
Don't say it. DON'T ever say things of thai
kind to me again. Two days ago I asked
Sibyl Vane to marry me. I am not going tt
break my word to her. She is to be my
wife"
"Your wife! Dorian!- Didn't you gel
my letter? I wrote to you this morning
and sent the note down by my own man,"
"Your letter. Oh, yes, l remember.
have not read It yet, Harry. I was afraid
there might be something in it that
wouldn't like"
Lord Henry walked across the room, and
sitting down by Dorian Gray, took both Of
his hands in his, and held them tightly
DORIAN" he said, ''my letter-don't bt
frightened-was to tell you that Sibyl Vant
is dead"
A cry of pain broke from the lads lips
and he lcaped to his feet, tearing his hands
away from Lord Henry's grasp.
"Deadl Sibyl dead! 1t is not true! 1t j,
. horrible lie!"
ut is quite true, Dorian,n said Lore
Henry, gravcly. SIT is in nil tho morning
papers. l wrote down to ask you no
to see any one till I came. There will have
to be an inquest, of course, and you mus
not be mixed up in it. Things like tina
mako a man fashionable In Paris. But il
London people are so prejudiccd. Hero
one should never mako ones debut with
scandal. Ono should reserve that to Civ.
an interest to ones old ago. I don't sup
pose they know your name at the theater
II they don't it is all right. Did my ono SCI
you going round to her rosml That is az
important point
Dorian did not answer for q few moments
He was dazed with horror. Finally he
murmured, in a stihed voice, s.Harry die
you say an inquestl What did you mear
by that Did Sibyl- Oh, Harry, l cam
bear it! But be quick. Toll me everything
ct once"
81 have no doubt it was not an accident
Dorian, though it must be put in that wa,
to the public. AS sho was leaving thu
theater with her mother, about half pas
twelve. or so, she said she had forgotten
something upstairs. They waited some time
for her, but she did not come down again
They ultimately found her lying on the
1oor of her d~ressing-room. She had swal
lowed something by mistake, some dreadful
Thing they use at theaters. l don't know
what it was, but it had either prussic acit
or white load in it. l should fancy it wa:
prussic acid, as she seems to lave died in
simultaneously. 1t Is very trugic, of course
but you must not get yourself mixed up II
1t, l see by the Standard that she was
seventeen. should have thought she was
almost younger than that. She looked such
o child, and seemed to know so little abou'
acting. Dorian, you mustn't let this thins
get on your nerves. You must come ant
dine with me, and afterward we will look il
at the opera. 1t is a Patti night, and every
body will be there. You can come to M,
sisters box. She has got some smart womer
with her."
so l have murdered Sibyl vane," .saic
Dorian Gray, half to himself-.murdcret
her as certainly as If I had cut her little
throat with q knife. And tho roses nre no
less lovely for all that. The birds sing JUS
as happily in my garden. And tonight
am to dine with you and go to the opera. ani
sup somewhere, I suppose afterward. How
extraordinarily dramatic life isl II I hat
read all this in a book, Harry, I think
would have wept over 1t. Somehow, nov
that 1t has happened actually. and to me, i
seems far too wonderful for tears. Here ii
the first passionate loveletter 1 have evel
written in my life. Strange, that my frs
passionate love-letter should have beer
addressed to q dead girl. Gun they feel,
wonder, those white silent people we cal
the deadf Sibyll Can she feel, or know
or listen' Oh, Harry, how L loved her once
1t seems years ago to mo now. She was
everything to me. Then came that dread
full night-was it really only last night
when she played so badly, and my hear
almost broke. She explained it all to mo
1t was terribly pathetic. But 1 was no
moved q bit. l thought her shallow. Thor
something happened that made mo afraid
/ can't tell you what it was, but it wa.
awful. I said I would go back to her.
felt I had done wrong. And now she il
dead. My Godl my Godl Harry, VIVA
shall dot You don't know the danger
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