Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-11-07
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY,
By OscAR wILpla

COIne UD MY hSSlStdHce Il am ruined. Wny,
they will hang me, Alan Don't you under
standi They will hang me for what / nave
| DONE
There is no good in prolongiDg this scene.
I refuse absolutely to do anything in the
matter. 1t is insane Of you TO ask me-"
you refuse absolutely"
"Ycs.n
The same look Of pity came into Dorian's
eyes, then he stretched out his hand, took q
piece Of paper, and wrote something on It.
He read il over twice, folded IL carefully.
and pushed it across the table. Having
done this, he got up and went over to the
window.
Campbell looked at him in surprise, and
then took up the paper, and opened II. As
he read il, his face became CHASTITY pale,
and be fell back in his chair. A horrible
sense Of sickness came over him. He felt
as IL his heart was betting itself 10 death in
some empty hollow.
After two or three minutes Of terrible
silence, Dorian turned round, and came and
stood behind him, putting his hand upon his
shoulder.
VI am so sorry, Alan. he murmured. shut
you leave me no alternative. / nave a letter
written already. Here IL is. You see the
address. II you don't help me, / must send
1t. You know what the result will be.
But you are going to help me. IL is inn
possible for you TO refuse now. / tried 10
spare you. You Will do me the justice 10
admit that. You were stern. harsh, often
sive. You treated me as no man has ever
dared to treat me-no living man, at any
rate. / bore IL all. Now il is for me to
dictate terms"
-
Campbell buried his face In his hands, and
q sludder passed through him.
Yes, 1t is my turn 10 dictate terms, Alan.
You know what they are. The thing has to
be done. Face IL. and do it,
Il groan broke from Campbelrs lips. and
he shivered all over. The ticking of the
clock on the mantel-peace seemed 10 him to
be dividing time into separate atoms OF
agony, each Of which was too terrible 10 be
borne. He felt as If an iron was being
slowly frightened round his forehead. and as
II the disgrace with which he was threat
ened had already come upon him. The
hand upon his shoulder weighed like a hand
OF lead. II was intolerable. II seemed TO
crush hi2.
Come, Alan, you must decide al once.r
He hesitated a moment 'tIs there a fire
In the room upstairs - he murmured.
Eyes, there is a gas-flre with asbestos
II will have 10 go home and get some
things from the laboratory
mo, you need not leave the house. Write
on a sheet of ~note-papcr what you want,
and my servant will take a cab and bring
the things back 10 you"
Campbell wrote a few lines. blotted them,
and addressed an envelope to his assistant.
Dorian took the note up and read 1t care
fully. Then he ran the bell, and gave il TO
his valet, with orders 10 return as soon as
possible, and TO bring the things with him.
When the hall door shut, Campbell start
ID, and, having got up from the chair, went
over TO the chimney-piece. He was SILVER
Ing with a sort Of ague. For nearly twenty
minutes, neither Of the men spoke. A fly
buZzed noisily abQlt the room, and the
ticking of the clock was like the beat Of a
hammer.
As the chime struck one, Campbell turned
round, and, looking at Dorian GRAY, saw
that his eyes were filed with tears. There
was something in ths purity and refinement
OF that sad face that seemed TO enrage him.
"iou are infamous, absolutely infamousi"
be muttered.
"Husn, Alan you have saved my life,
said Dorian.
"Your lifei Good heavens. what a life
that Isl You have gone from corrur ton
IN cqnmae'isn sRads ornr~r~uS
what you force me TO do, il is not Of your
life that I am thinking"
"Ah, Alan" murmured Dorian, With a
sigh, II wish you had a thousandth purt Of
the pity for me that I have for you" He
turned away. AS he spoke, and stood look
ing out at the garden. Campbell made no
answer.
After about ten minutes a knock came 10
the door, and the servant entered, CARRYING
a mahogany chest Of chemicals, with a small
electric battery set on top of il. He placed
1t on the table, and went out again, return
ing with a long coil Of steel and platinum
wire and two rather curiously shaped iron
Clamps.
Shall | leave the things here, sirin hs
asked Campbell.
Yes" said Dorian. And / am afraid.
Francis, that ] have another errand for you.
What is the name Of the man at Richmond
who supplies Selby with orchidsi"
Harden, sir"
"Yes-Harden. You must 20 down TO
Richmond at once, see Harden personally,
aud tell him TO send twice as many orchids
as I ordered, and to have as few white ones
as possible. In fact, / don't want any white
ones. 1t is a lovely day, Francis, and Rich
mond is a very pretty place, otherwise i
wouldn't bother you about It,"
mo trouble, sir. AT what time shall i be
backip
Dorian looked at Campbell. How long
will your experiment take, Alanin he said
In a calm, indifferent voice. The presence
Of a third person in the room seemed TO give
him extraordinary courage.
Campbell frowned, and bit his lip. ''It
will take about five hours, ~ he answered.
1T will be time enough, then, il you are
back at half past seven, Francis. Or stay:
Just leave my things out for dressing. You
can have the evening to yourself. am not
dining at home, so l shall not want you"
THANK you, sir, said the man. leaving
the room.
Nov, Alan, there is not a moment to
be lost. How heavy this chest is, I'll take
1t for you. You bring the other things"
He spoke rapidly. and In an authoritative
manner. Campbell felt dominated by him.
They left the room together.
Wnen they reached the top landing,
Dorian took out the key and turned It in
the lock. Then he stopped, ana "A troubled
look came into his eyes. He sbuddered.
II don't think i can go in, klan," he muir
INJURED.
1T Is nothing to me. / don't require you,"
said Campbell, coldly.
Dorian half opened the door. As he did
80, he saw the face of the portrait g~rinning
In the sunlight. On the floor in front of it
the torn curtain was lying. He remember
ed that the night before, for the first time
in his life, he had forgotten to hide il, when
he crept out Of the room.
But what was that loathsme red dew that
cleaned, wet and glistening, on one Of the
hands, as though the. canvas had sweated
bloodi How horrible it wa s!-more horri-
BILE, it seemed to him for the moment, than
the silent thing that he knew was stretched
across the table, the thing whose grotesque
misshapen shadow on the spotted carpet
showed him that ii had not stirred, but was
still there, as he had left IL.
He opened the door a little wider, and
walked quickly In, with halfclosed eyes
and averted head, determined that he would
not look even once upon the dead man. |
Then, STOPPING down, and taking up the
gold-and-purple hanging, he flung it over
the picture.
He stopped. feeling afraid 10 turn round