Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-22
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.
ny OSCAR WILDE.

eltneT an uuIDTlundNf dt'iutDi, OI I'M ~ /
pleasant result Of temperament. Young
men want 70 be faithful. and are not; old
men want TO be ~faithless, and can not; that
3 all one can say"
s'Don't go to the theater tonight, Dorian"
said Hallwsrd. stop and dine with me-"
az can't, really"
"Whyi"
because I rave promised Lord Henry TO
20 with him."
"He won't like you better for keeping your
promises. He always breaks his own. /
oeg you not to 60"
Dorian Gray laughed and shook his head.
II entreat you"
The lad hesitated. and looked over at Lord
Henry, who was watching them from the
tea-table with an amusing smile.
al must go, Basil, I" he answered.
"very WELL" said Hallward: and he
walked over and laid his cup on the tray.
LIT is rather late. and, as you have TO dress,
you had better lose no time. Goodbye,
Harry good bye, Dorian. Come aud see me
soon. Come tomorrow"
Certainly"
"You won't forgeti'
"No, Of course not"
"And-Harryl"
ayes, Basil,"
Remember what I asked you, when In the
garden this morning"
IL have forgotten it,"
Il trust YOU
81 wish / could trust myself said Lord
Henry, laughing. Come, Mr.. Gray, my
hanson Is outside, and | can drop you al
your own place. Goodbye, Basil. IL has
been a most interesting afternoon"
As the door closed behind them, Hallward
flung himself down on a sofa, and q look OF
pain came into his face.
CHAPTER III.
One afternoon "A month later, Dorian Gray
Gas reclining in a luxurious armchair, In
the library Of Lord Henry's house in Curzon
Street. II was. in its way. a very charming
room, with its high paneled wainscoting OF
olive-stained oak, its cream-colored frieze
and ceiling Of raised plsster-work, and its
brick-dust felt carpet strewn with long.
fringed silk Persian rugs. On a tiny satin
wood table stood a statuette by Clodion, and
beside II lay a copy of Les Cent Nouvelles,'
bound for Margaret Of Valois by Clovis
Eve, and powdered with gilt daisies that the
queen had selected for her device. Some
large blue china Jars. filed with parrot
tulips. were ranged on the mantel-shelf, and
through the small loaded panes of the win.
dow streamed the apricot-colored light of o
day in London.
Lord Henry had not come In vet. He was
always late on principle, his principle being
that punctuality is the thief Of time. So the
lad was looking rather sulky, as with list
less fingers he turned over the pages Of an
deliberately illustrated edition Of "Manon
Lescautn that he had found in one OF the
bookcases. The formal m~onotonous tick.
ing Of the Louis Quatorze clock annoyed
him. Once or twice he thought of going
away.
At last he heard q LIGHT
ss~s<s~~nr murfnured.
II am afraid it is not Harry, Mr.. Gray,
said a woman's voice.
He glanced quickly round. and rose to hi.
feet. II beg pardon. l thought"
''You thought IL was my husband, 1t i:
only his wife. You must let me introduce
myself. / know you quite well by your
photographs. | think my husband has got
twenty-seven of them"
"Not t~wenty-seven, Lady Henryi"
swell, twenty-six, then. And I saw you
with him the other night at the opera" She
laughed ~nervously, as she spoke, and
watched him with her vague forget-me-noi
eyes. She was a curious woman. whose
I dresses always looked as as IL they ha6
been designed in a rage and put on in .
tempest. She was always in love with
somebody, and, as her passion was never re-.
turned, she had kept all her illusions. She
tried 10 look picturesque, but only sue
ceedod in being untidy. Her nam wa.
Victoria. and she had q perfect mania foi
going TO church.
That was at 'Lohengrin,' Lady Henry,
think"
Eyes. it was at dear Lohengrin.' l like
Wagner's music better than any other
music. 1t is so loud that one can talk the
whole time, without people hearing wha,
one says. That is a great advantage; dont
you think so, Mr.. Grayi"
The SANE nervous staccato laugh broke
from her thin lips, and her fingers began r.
play with a long paper knife.
Dorian smiled and shook his head. 81 am
afraid | don't think so, Lady Henry.
never talk during music-at least during
good music. If one hears bad music, it il
ones duty to drown il by conversation
'Ahl that is one Of Harry's views, isn't
1t Mr.. Grayi But you must not think ]
don ike good music. l adore il, but | am
afraid Of il. 1t makes me too romantic. ]
have simply worshiped pianists-two at Q
time sometimes. don't know what it Is
about them. Perhaps it is that they are
foreigners. They all are, aren't theyi Ever
those that are born in England become for.
eigners after a time don theyi 1t is SC
clever OF them, and such a compliment to
art. Makes it quite cosmopolitan, doesn't
it, You have never been TO any of nv
parties, AVE you. Mr.. Grayi You must
come. / can't afford orchids, but l spare nc
expense In foreigners. They make ones
rooms look so picturesque. But here is
Harry Harry, / came in to look for you te
ask you something forgot what it was
and l found Mr.. Gray here. We have had
ISuch "A pleasant chat about music. We have
quite the same views. No; l think our
views are quite different But he has been
most pleasant l am so glad I've seen him. "
II am charmed, my love, quite charmed"
said Lord Henry, elevating his dark
crescent-shaped eyebrows and looking at
them both with an amused smile. $50
sorry i am late, Dorian. ! went To look at
a piece Of old brocade In Wariour Street.
and had TO bargain for hours for it. Nova
days people know the price of everything.
and the value Of nothing"
81 am afraid I must be going" exclaimed
Lady Henry, after an awkward silence,
with her silly sudden laugh. ~ have
promised to drive with the duchess. Good
bye, Mr.. Gray. Goodbye, Harry. You are
dining out, I supposed So am i. Perhaps 1
shall see you at Lady T~homhury's."
II dare say. my dear" said Lord Henry,
shutting the door behind her. a. she fitted
bout of the room, looking like q bird-of-para-
disc that had been out in the rain, and leay-
Ing a faint odor OF patchouli behind her.
Then he shook hands with Dorian Gray,
lighted q cigarette, and flung himself down
on the sofa.
Never marry . woman with straw
icolorcd hair, Dorian, !" he said, after Q few
,pufYs.
"Why, Harryf"
because they are sentimental
but ! like sentimental people,
: "Never marry at all. Dorian. Men marry
because they are tired; women, because
they are curious; both are d~isappointed.p
I, II don't think ] am likely 10 marry, Harry.
I am too much in love. That IL one of U
.~sphorisms. Am putting II into practice, n
I do everything you say"
"Whom arc you in love with I" said Lord
Henry, looking at him with Q curious smile. |
with an actress" said Dorian Gray. |
,blushing.