Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-03
THE
PICTURE Or DORIAN GRAY,
By OSCAR WILDE.

IL see you did. Don't speak. Wait till
you hear what I have TO say. II was quite
true that | have worshipcd you with fn
more romance of feeling than a man usual!
gives to a friend, Somehow. ! had move
loved a woman. ] suppose / never had time
Perhaps, as Harry says, a really grand
passion il the privilege of those who have
nothing % do, and that is the use Of the die
classes In the country. Well, from the mo-
ment | met you, your personality had the
most extraordinary influence over me. ]
quite admit that | adored you madly
extravagantly, absurdly. ! was jealous OF
every one To whom you spoke. l wanted to
have you all to myself. | was only happy
when | Was with you. When | was away
from You, you were still present in my art.
II was all wrong and foolish, 1t Is all
wrong and foolish still. OF course never
let you know anything about this. Ii would
have been impossible. You would not have
understood it ! did not understand 1t my
self, One day | determined 10 paint a won
dcrful portrait Of you. II was to have been
my masterpiece. But as ! worked at it,
every flake and film of color seemed TO me
to reveal my secret. l grew afraid that the
W N'hlh hil'N " NY hlpluhAg 'N'Na
Dorian, that ! had told too much. Then IL
was that I resolved never 90 allow the
picture to he exhibited. You were a little
annoyed. but then you did not realize all
that it meant TO me. Harry, to whom l
talked about il, laughed at me. But j did
not mind that. When the picture was
finished, and | sat alone with it, l felt that
1 was right. Well, after a few days the por-
trait left my studio. and as soon as | had got
rid of the intolcrable fascination Of its
presence 1t seemed to me that | had been
foolish in imagining that | have seen any,
thing in il, more than that you were ex-
tremely good-looking and that | could paint.
Even now | can not help feeling that il is a
mistake To think that the passion one feels
in creation is ever really shown in the work
one creates. Art is more abstract than we
fancy. Form and color tell us Of form and
color-that is all. 1t often seems 10 ne that
art c~onceals the artist far more completely
than it ever reveals him. And so when |
got this offer from Paris | determined TO
make your portrait the principal thing in
my exhibition. 1t never occurred to me that
you would refuse. ] see now that you were
right. Tho picture must not be shown.
" HllNN INV bC uhEil WIN liit, ~ ldI, lOT
what | have told you. As | said to Harry
once, you are made to be worshipcd."
Dorian Gray drew a long breath. The
color came back TO his cheeks, and a smile
played about his lips. The peril was over.
He was safe for a time. Yet he could not
help feeling infinite pity for the young man
who had just made this strange confession
to him. He wondered If he would ever be
SO dominated by the personality of a friend.
Lord Harry had the charm of being very
dangerous. But that was all. He was too
clever and too cynical Ia be really fond Of.
Would there ever be some one who would
fill him with a strange idolatry! Was that
one of the things that life had in storei
1T is extraordinary to me, Dorian" said
Hallward, that you should have seen this
in the picture. Did you really see itl"
"Of course | did"
"Well, you don't mind my looking at il
now!"
Dorian shook his head. SYou must not
ask mt that, Basil. l could not possibly
let you stand in front Of that picture"
"You will some day, surely!"
"Never."
"Well, perhaps you are right. And now
goodbye, Dorian. You have been the one
person in my life of whom | have been
really fond. ] don't suppose l shall often
see you again. You don't know what it cost
me to tell you all that ] have told you"
my dear Basil, " cried Dorian, 'what have
You told mei Simply that you felt that you
pliment.n
ut was not intended as a compliment. II
was a confession"
"A very disappointing one"
"Why, what did you expect, Dorian' You
didn't see anything else IN the picture did
youi There was nothing else to sec!"
n there was nothing else TO see. Why
do you ask! But you must not talk about
not meeting me again, or anything of that
kind. You and ] are friends, Basil, and we
must always remain So"
you have got Harry" said Hallward,
sadly.
ooh, Harry cried the I'D, with a ripple
OF laughter. Harry spent his days saying
what was incredible, and his evenings in
doing what was improbable. Just the sort
of life ] would like to lead. But still | don't
think would go TO Harry if | was in
trouble. ! would sooner go to you, Basil"
but you won't sit to inc againF
'ImpossibleI'
"You spoil my life as an artist by refusing,
Dorian, No man comes across two ideal
things. Few come across one"
II can't explain it 10 you, Basil, but I
must never sit to you again. / will como
and have tea with you. That will be just as
pleasant
"Plcasanter for you, | am afraid" muir
INJURED Hallward, rcgretfully. "And now
good bye. J am sorry you wont let mo
look at the picture once again. But that
can't be helped. / quite understand what
you feel about it,
AS he left the room, Dorian Gray smiled
to himself, Poor Basil how little he knew
Of the true reason. And how strange it
was that, instead Of having been forced to
reveal his own secret, he had succeeded.
almost by chance, in wrestling a secret from
his friend How much that strange con-
fession explained TO him! Basil's absurd
fits Of jealousy, his wild devotion, his OK
travagant ~panegyrics, his curiou reticences
he understood them all now, and he felt
sorry. There was something tragic in q
friendship so colored by romance.
He sighed, and touched the bell. The
portrait must be hidden away at all costs.
He could not run such u risk Of discovery
again. II had been mad Of him TO have the
thing remain, even for an hour, in a room
to which any of his friends had access.
CHAPTER VII.
When his servant entered, he looked al
him steadfastly, and wondered IL he he'd
thought of peering behind the screen. The
man was quite impressive, and waited for his
orders. Dorian lighted a cigarette, and
walked over to the glass and glanced into
1t. He could sec the reflection of Victor's
face perfectly. II was like a placid mask
Of servility. There was nothing TO be
afraid Of, then. Yet he thought il best &c
be or his guard.
Speaking very slowly, he told him to tell
the house-keepcr that he wanted TO see her
and then to go to the frame-maker's and
ask him to send two of his men round a,
once. 1t seemed to him that as the mar
left the room he peered in the direction OF
the screen. Or was that only his fancyl
After a few moments, Mrs. Leaf, a dear
old lady in a black silk dress, with a photo
graph OF the late Mr.. Leaf framed in 8
large gold brooch at her neck, and old-fash
Toned thread mittens on her wrinkled hands
hustled into the room.
well, Master Dorian" she said, "what
can ! do for yout beg your pardon, sir
here came a courtcsy--"I shouldn't cal
you Master Dorian any more. But LORD