Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-01

= - u NAhsiN o1 ~ lIhAh VI fOuln III III III.
", that is childish
Harry" said Basil Hallward, looking
iim straight in the face, every portrait
hat is painted with feeling is a portrait Of
he artist, not ~ the sitter. The sitter is
Dorely the accident, the occasion. IL Is not
he who is revealed by the painter; IL is
rather the painter who. on the colored can
vas, reveals himself. The reason ] will not
exhibit this picture is that | am afraid that
have shown with il the secret OF my own
SOUL
Lord Harry laughed. And what is thati
be asked.
VI will tell YOU" said Hallward: and an
expression Of p~erplexity came over his face.
II am all expectation, BASIL murmured
his companion looking at him.
o there is really very little to tell,
Harry, answered the young'painter; 'and
| am afraid you will hardly understand II.
Perhaps you will hardly believe it,"
Lord Henry smiled. and. leaning down,
plucked a pink-petaled daisy from the grass,
and examined il. ~ am quite sure I shall
understand it." he replied, gazing intently
at the golden white-feathered disk, and I
San believe anything, provided that It IL In
credible
The wind shook some blossoms from the
trees, and the heavy lilac-blooms, with
their clustering stars, moved 10 and fro in
the languid air. 4 grasshopper began TO
chirrup in the grass, and a long thin dragon
fly foated by on its brown gauze wings.
Lord Henry felt as If he could hear Basil
Hallward's heart beating, and he wondered
what was coming.
well, this is incredible" repeated Hall
way, rather bitterly-'incredible TO me at
times. don't know what IL means. The
story ia simply this. Two months ago |
went 10 a crush at Lady Brandon's. You
know we poor painters have to show our
selves In society from time TO time. Just 10
remind the public that we are not savages.
With 81 evening coat and q white tie, as
you told me once, anybody, even a stock
broker, can gain a reputation for being
civilized. Well, after | had been In the
room about ten minutes, talking 10 huge
overdressed dowagers and tedious Acade-
micians, ! suddenly became conscious that
some one was looking at me. / turned half
way round, and saw Dorian Gray for the
hrst time. When our eyes met, I felt that I
49, St't Hoaps - ~ AHNAAA VI
terror came over me. / knew that | had
come face 70 face with some one whose mere
personality was so fascinating that, If al
lowed TO do so, il would absorb my whole
nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.
I did not want any external influence in my
life. You know yourself, Harry, how indie.
pendent ! am by nature. My father des-
tined me for the army. ] insisted on going
10 oxford. Then he made me enter my
name at the Middle Temple. Before / had
eaten half a dozen dinners l gave up the
Bar, and announced my intention Of be
coming a painter. j nave always teen my
own master; had at least always been so,
till | met Dorian Gray. Thcn- But / don't
know how TO explain it 10 you. Something
seemed TO tell me that / was on the verge
of a terrible crisis in my life. / had q
strange feeling that Fat, had in store for
me exquisite Joys and exquisite sorrows.
knew that IL l spoke to Dorian / would be
come absolutely devoted to him. and that
ought not 10 speak to him. / grew afraid
and turned to quit the room. 1t was no
conscience that made me DO 80: it wa,
cowardice. / took no credit to myself To-
trying TO escape"
'Conscience and cowardice are really th'
sarte things, Basil. Conscience Is the trade
nafe Of the firm. That's all"
u don't believe that, Harry. However
whichever was my m~otive-and il may hay,
be{n pride, for | used to be very proud
ce4tainly strug led TO the door. There, o
co Hse, / stumbled against Lady Brandon
u are not going 70 run away Sc. soon, MI
usnt-~s~Sfsh4s~~S2~~.S ~~s w. s42
To Wits with his long, nervous fingers.
ii could not get rid of her. She brougI
me ap to royalties, and people with Sta
and Carriers, and elderly ladies with gigai
tic tiaras and hooked noses. She spoke
me as her dearest friend. | had only ms
her once before. but she had Dol it into he
head 10 lionize me. / believe some pictui
of mine had made a great success at ID
time AZ least had been Chartered about
thep enny newspapers, which Is the min
,eenth-century standard Of immortalit,
Suddenly 1 found myself face TO face wit
the Young man whose personality had I
strangely stirred me. We were quite clos
almost touching. Our eyes met again.
} vas mad of me, but | asked Lady Brandt
} N introduce me 10 him. Perhaps 1t was n
an mad. after all. IL was simply inevltaoi
We would have spoken to each other wit
out any introduction. / am sure OF Una
. Dorian told me so afterward. He, too, IL
I that we were destined to know each other
"Aud how did Lady Brandon descri
!. this wonderful young mani l know 5
: goes in for giving a rapid precl OF all q
. guests. / remember her bringing me up
4 a most truculent and red-faced old gent
; man covered all over with orders and r.
i bons, and Kissing into my ear, in a trat
u whisper which must have been perfec'
. audible TO everybody in the ROOM, somethi
u like Sir Humpty Dumpty-you kno"
y Afghan frontier-Russian i~ntrigues: We
q successful man-wife killed by an elepha
. Quit in~consolable- wants TO marry
u beautiful American widow-everybody az
II nowadays-hates Mr.. ~Gladstone-out w
IL much interested in beetles ask him wi
y he thinks of S~chouvalof.' / simply ned.
" like 10 find out people for myself. But p
. Lady Brandon treats her guests exactly
N an auctioneer treats his goods. She cit
:, explains them entirely away, or tells
~ everything about them excepting what
O wants TO know. But what did she say ab
:. Mr.. Dorian Grayf'
" "Oh, she murmured, Charming ooy-p
dear mother and / quite inseparaolc-
gagged to be married 10 the saiio max
no mean on the same day-bow very shiy
~ mel But I forgot what he ~does-afraid
OF doesn't do a~nything-oh, yes, plays
IL piano-or is IL the violin, dear Mr. CIR
10 We could neither of US help laughing,
y. we became friends at once"
ny daughter Is not a bad beginning &c
friendship, and II is the best ending 1or o.
said Lord Henry plucking another daisy
Hallward buried his face In his ha
10 "You don't understand what friendship
10 Harry, he murmured-'or what enmit.
lsn for that matter. You like every one;
is to say, you are indifferent to every OF
ay- How horribly unjust of your cried
All, Henry, fitting his hat back, and looking
7 at the little clouds that were drifting &C
age the hollow turquois Of the summer
airy like raveled skeins of glossy white
my Yes; horribly unjust Of you. l mai
! l great difference between people. l On
oc- my friends for their good looks, my
20 ouaintances for their characters, and
the enemies for their brains. A man can
OF too careful in the choice OF his enemie
UGH have not got one who Is a fool. They q
gets men of some intellectual power, and
do. sequently they all appreciate me. Is
'kes vain OF me. l think 1t Is rather vain
ild; II should think IL was, Harry. bu
cording to your category must Dc 10
our an acquaintance"
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