The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-11-07

1.-THE dead linger sometimes. The mar
upstairs will not go away He is sitting
At the table with bowed head and out.
stretched arms. Alan! Alan! if you dom,
come to my assistance / am ruined. WHY.
they will hang me, Alan! DON'T YOU under.
standl They will hang me for what l have
done
There is no good in %prolonging this scene.
I refuse absolutely to do anything in the
matter. 1t is insane of you 10 ask me.n
you refuse absolutelyl"
"Yes.n
Tho same look of pity came into Dorian's
eyes, then he stretched out his hand. took o
piece OF paper, and wrote something on It.
he read 1T ger twice, folded it carefully,
and pushed it across the table. Having
done this, he got up and went. over to tho
window.
Campbell looked at him in surprise, and
then took up the paper, and opened it. As
he read it, bis face became CHASTITY pale,
and ne fell back In his chair. A horrible
sense OF sickness came over him. He felt
as 1t his heart was betting itself to death in
some empty hollow.
Alter two or three minutes of terrible
silence, Dorian turned round, and came and
stood behind him, putting his hand upon his
shoulder.
u am SO sorry, Alan, +" he murnured, "but
you leave me no alternative. l have q letter
written already. Here it is. You see the
address. II You don't help me, I must send
II. You know what the result will be.
but you are going to help me. 1t is inn
possible for You to refuse now. / tried to
spare you. You will do me the Justice to
admit that. You were stern, harsh, Often
slVe. YOU treated me as no man has ever
dared TO treat me-no living man, at any
rate. 1 bore it all. Now it is for ME to
dictate terms"
Campbell buried his face in his hands, and
. shudder passed through him.
Yes, it is my turn to dictate terms, Alan.
You know what they are. The thing has to
be done. Face it. and do it.n
"A groan broke from Campbell,s lips. and
he shivered all over. The ticking of the
clock on the mantel-peace seemed to him to
be dividing time into separate atoms of
agony, each OF which was too terrible to 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
land upon his shoulder weighed like q hand
Of lead. 1t was intolerable. 1t seemed to
crush hiiA.
Come, Alan, you must decide at once.n
He hesitated a moment. SIS there a fire
In the room upstairst ~ he murmured,
"Yes, there is a gastric with asbestos"
Il will have to go home and get some
things from the laboratory
mo you need not leave the house. Write
on a sheet OF note-paper what you want,
and my servant will take a cab and bring
the things back to You"
Campbell wrote a few lines, blotted them,
and addressed an envelope to his assistant.
Dorian took the note up and read it care
fully. Then he rang the bell, and gave it to
his valet, with orders to return as soon as
possible, and to bring the things with him.
When the hall door shut, Campbell start
sd, and, having got up from the chair, went
over to the c~himney-piece. He was SILVER
ing with a sort Of ague. For nearly twenty
minutes, neither Of the men spoke. A fly
buzzed noisily aboIt 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 We're filled with tears. There
was something in the purity and refinement
Of that sad face that seemed to enrage him.
you are Infamous, absolutely infamousl"
he muttered.
"Husn, Alan: you nave saved my life,n
said Dorian.
"9our life! Good hoayens! what a life
that is! You have gone from corrur ton
to corruption. and now you nave eliminated
in crime. In doing what 1 am going to do,
what you force me to do, it is not of YOUR
life that I am thinking
"Ah, Alan" murmured Dorian, with a
sigh, II wish you had a thousandth pvrt 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 msde no
answer.
After about ten minutes a knock came to
the door, and the servant entered, CARRYING
q mahogany chest of chemicals, with a small
electric battery set on top of it. He placed
1t on the table, and went out again, return
ing with q long coil of steel and platinum
wire and two rather cLriously shaped iron
clamps.
Shall leave the things here. sir,n he
asked Campbell.
'fYes," said Dorian. "And I am afraid,
Francis, that l have another errand for you.
What is the name Of the man at Richmond
who supplies Selby with orchidsln
Harden, sir"
"Yes-Harden. You must go down to
Richmond at once, see Harden personally,
and tell him to send twice as many orchids
Is I ordered, and to have as few white ones
as possible. In fact, I don't want any white
ones. 1t is a lovely day, Francis, and Rich
mond is a very pretty place, otherwise l
wouldn't bother you about tn
mo trouble, sir. At what time shall I be
backqn
Dorian looked at Campbell. "How long
will your experiment take, Alana" he said
In a calm, Indifferent voice. The presence
OF q third person in the room seemed to give
him extraordinary courage.
Campbell frowned, and bit his lip. ut
will take about five hours he answered.
ut will be time enough, then, If you are
back at half past seven, Francis. Or stay:
Just leave my things out for dressing. You
can have the evening to yourself. 1 am not
dining at homo, SO l shall not want you"
THANK you, sir, said the man, leaving
the room.
"Now, Alan, thefr is not a moment to
be lost. How heavy this chest is! Phi take
1t for you. You bring the other things"
He spoke rapidly. and in an authoritative
manner. Campbell felt dominated by him.
Auey lelt inc room tOEetner.
. AoL ..eJ fc.cuea the top landing,
Dorian took out the key and turned it in
the lock. Then he So pea, alu - ,rouoleu
look came into his eyes. He %shuddered.
81 don't think I can go in, Alan,n he muir
INJURED.
ut is nothing to me. Idon't require you,"
said Campbell, coldly.
Dorian half opened the door. As he did
30, he saw the face Of the portrait g~rinning
In the sunlight. On the floor in front OF it
tho torn curtain was lying. He remember
ed that the night before, for tho first time
In his life, he had forgotten to hide it, when
he crept out of the room.
But what was that loathsme red dew that
cleaned, wet and g%listening, on one Of the
hands, as though the canvas had sweated
bloodi How horrible it was!-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 it had not stirred, but was
still there, as he had left it.
He opened the door a little wider, and
walked quickly in, with half-closed ewes