The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1896-10-30
CHATTER IL-tCoNrINuED.)

4
dark eyes. "You see, boy who has
waited for years expecting to die,
doesn't grow up with exactly the same
| feelings as other people. don't think
/ shall ever meet a woman ! can care
| for enough to make my wife. No,
expect my cousin will be Sir Ralph
yet"
tried to laugh him out of his NOR
! bid ideas. Those who live will see,
l said. "Only promise to ask me to
your wedding, and better still, IL you
live in town, appoint me your family
doctor. 1t may prove the nucleus OF
that West end practice which 1t is the
dream of every doctor to establish"
/ have already alluded to the strange
beauty of Carriston's dark eyes. AS
soon as companionship commenced be-
tween US those eyes became to me,
| from scientific reasons, objects OF curl
osity, on account of the mysterious cx-
preston which l at times detected in
them. Often and often they wore
look the like to which, imagine, Is
founc only in the eyes Of somuam-
bulist-a look which one feels certain
is intently fixed upon something, yet
upon something beyond the range of
oces own vision. During the first two
or three days of our newborn intimacy
l found this eccentricity of Carriston's
positively startling. When now and
then turned to him, and found him
staring with all his might at nothing,
my eyes were compelled to follow the
direction in which his own were bent.
1t was at first impossible to divest
one's-self of the belief that something
should be there to justify so fixed
gaze. However, as the rapid growth
of our friendly intercourse soon showed
me that he was a boy of most ardent
poetic mperament-perhaps even
more a 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 morn
ing, sketching, to the best of our abil-
ity, the swirling stream, the gray rocks,
and the overhanging 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. Carris-
ton had set up his easel at some little
distance from mine. At last l turned
to see how his sketch was progressing.
He had evidently fallen into one OF his
brown studies, and. apparently, hard
err one than usual His brush had
fallen from his fingers, his features
were immovable, 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 hope of
heaven depended upon seeing through
it.
He seemed for the while oblivious to
things mundane. A party of laughing,
chattering tourist girls scrambled down
the rugged steps, and one by one passed
in front of him. Neither their pres
ence nor the inquisitive glances they
cast on his statuesque face reused him
from his fit of abstraction. For a
moment l wondered il the boy took
opium or some other narcotic OH the
sly. Full of the thought rose, crossed
over to him, and laid my hand upon
his shoulder. AS he felt my touch he
came to himself, and looked up at me
in dazed, inqui-ing way.
Really, Carriston,' / said, laughing
ly, you must reserve your dreaming
7ts until We are in places where tour
IT'S do not congregate, or you will be
lought a mailman, or a least poet.
He made no reply. He turned away
from me impatiently. even rudely
then, picking up his brush, went on
with his sketch. After a while he
seemed to recover from his pettishness
and we spent the remainder of the day
as pleasantly as usual.
AS we trudged home in the twilight
he said to me in an apologize, almost
penitent way:
81 hope l was not rude to you jus
now?"
When do you mean?" 1 asked, hav.
ing almost forgotten the trivial Incl
dent.
when you woke me from what yor
called my dreaming?"
ooh, dear no. You were not at al
rude. If you had been, it was but the
i penalty due to my presumption. The
flights of genius should be respected
not checked by material hand"
THAT is nonsense; l am not q gen.
. ius, and you must forgive me for my
rudenees," said Carriston simply.
After walking some distance in
silence, he spoke again. IL wish wher
you are with me you would try and
stop me from getting into that state
1t does me no good"
Seeing he was in earnest, promised
to do my best, and was curious eisougt
.. to ask him whittier his thoughts wan.
dered during those distracted mo-
. ments.
II can scarcely tell you" he said
Presently he asked, speaking with
hesitation, II suppose you never fee
that under certain circumstances-cir
cumstances which you cannot explain
You might be able to see thing.
which are invisible to others?"