The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-10-24
~ OsNAR WILDE.

"No: ] am going to be out OF England Tor
ak months. / intend to take a studio in
Paris, and shutmyself up till | have finished
o great picture / have in my head. How
ever, it wasn't about myself l wanted TO
talk. Here we are ut your door. Let me
come in for a mcment. / have something to
say to YOU"
Il shall be charmed, Blu Won't you miss
your train. ~ said Dorian Gray, l%ans,sidly, as
he passed up the steps and opened thu door
with his latch-key.
The lamp-liyht struggled out through the
fog. and Hallward looked at his watch. Il
have heaps of tine" he answered. THE
train doesn't go till twelve-tstaen, and it is
only Just eleven, In fact, | was on my way
to the club to look for you, when ] met you.
You sec, ! sha'n't ave amy delay about
luggage, as / have sent on my heavy things.
Ali | nave with me is this bag, and / can
easily get to Victoria i'll twenty minntcs.a
Dorian looked ut him and smiled, What
a way for a fashionable painter to travel! A
Gladstone bag, and an ulsteri Come in, or
the fog will got into the house. Aud mind
you don't talk about anythiug serious. Moth
ing is serieus nowadays. All least nothing
should be-
GldllN.lBa iicoN itS gay GS III SilltlON,
and followed Dorian into the library. There
was "a bright wood fire blazing in the oper
hearth. The lamps wero lighted, and al
open Dutch silver spiritease stood, witt
some siphons of soda-water and large cut
glass %tulnblels, on a little table.
You see your servant maze me quite Al
home. Dorian, He gave nc everything
wanted. including Your best cigarettes. lie
ic {, ,,a., I.n,,.yt,ll L. -, I H tsbN Id,
much better than the Frcnthnnan you used
to have. What has become Of the French
man, by the bye.f
Dorian shrugged his shoulders. "I be-
lieve he married Lady Ashton's maid, and
has established her IL Paris as an English
dress-maker, Angtonaais is very fashion
able over there now, | hear. 1t seems silly
of the French, doesn't it! But--do You
know?-he was not ut all a bad servant /
never liked him, hut / had nothing to com,
plain about. One often ilnagines things
that are quite aosurd. He was really veSy
devoted to me, and seemed quite sorry
when he went away. Have another brandy
and soda! Or would you like hook and
settler, | always take hook and setter
myself. There is sure to bc some in the
next room" el.
Thanks. ] won't have anything more
said Hallward, taking his cap and coat off,
and throwing them on the bag that he had
placed in the corner. "And now, my dcar
fellow, / want tG speak to you seriously.
Don't frown like that. You make it SC
much more difficult for me-"
What is it all about!' cried Dorian, in
his petulant way. tliuging himself down or
the sofa. II hope it is not about myself.
I am tired of myself tonight. l should like
to be somebody else
sit is about Yourself" answered Hall.
ward, in his grave. deep voice. ssand mus,
say it to you. ] shall only keep you half az
hour
Dorian sighed. and lighted u cigarette
sEalf an hour?n he murmured.
1T is not much to ask of YOU. Dorian, and
speaking. l think it right that you should
know that the most dreadful things arc be
ing said about you in London--things tina
could hardly repeat to voc.n
Il don't wish to know anything about
them. love scandals about other people
but scandals about myself don't interest
me. They have not got the charm OF
novelty"
They must interest you, Dorian. Every
gentleman is Interested in his good name
You don't want people to talk of You us
something vile and degraded. or course
you have your position. and your wealth
and all that kind of thing. But position
and wealth are not everything. Mind you
] don't believe these m at all. A
least, l can't believe them when ] see you
Sin is a thing that writes itself across :
man's face. 1t can not be concealed. PEG
pie talk of secret vices. There are no suci
things as secret vices. II a wretched MAJ
has a vice, it shows itself in the lines Of hi.
mouth, the droop of his cyelids, the moldin.
of his hands even. Somebody won
mention his NAME, but you know hin
came to ME last year to rave his por
trait done. had never seen him before
and had never heard anything about him
at the time, though ] have heard a good dea
since. He offered an extravagant price.
refused him. There was something in til,
shape of his fingers that l hated. l know
now that ! was quite right in what ] fanciet
about him. His life is dreadful. But sou
Dorian, with your pure, bright, ienocen
face. and your marvellous untroublcd you'll
Il can't believe anything against YOU
And yet | see you very seldom, and yo,
never come down to the studio now, ant
wncn am away from you, aud l hear al
thcso things that people are whisperin,
! about you. | don't know what to say. VIII,
is it, Dorian, that a man like the Duke o
Berwick leaves the room OF a club whel
you enter 1t! Why is it that so many gen
| tlelnen in London will neither go to YOU
house nor invite you to theirs! Dorian
| YOU don't know what is said about you.
won't tell you that l don't want to preac'
to you. l remember Harry saying one
| that every man who turned himself into a
amateur curate for the moment always sal
that, and then broke his word. | do wan
to preach to you. L want you to lead such
life as will make the world respect you.
want you to get rid of the dreadful peopl
you associate with. Don't shrug YOU
shoulders like that. Don't be Indifferent
You have a wonderful influence. Let it b
for good, not for evil. They say that 70
corrupt every one whom you become int
mate with, and that it is quite sufficient 70
you to enter a house, for shame of some kin
to follow after you. l don't know whethe
It is so or not. How should l knowa Blu
1t Is said of you. ! am told things that
seems impossible to doubt. Lord Glouceste
was one OF my greatest iflenuS NJ OX1OfG
He showed me u letter that his wife ha
written to him when she was dying alone i
her villa at Mentone. Your name was in
pltcated in the most terrible confession
ever read. l told him that it was absurd
that l knew yon thoroughly, and that yo
wore incapable of anything of the kind
Know youf I wonder do ] know yous BE
fore / could answer that, 1 should have t
see your soul"
.To sec my soul. y muttered Dorian Gray
starting up from the sofa aud turning a!
most white from fear.
Yes, y answered Hallward, gravely, an
with infinite sorrow in his voice-''to Sc
your soul. But only God can do that.
A bitter laugh of mockery broke from tn
lips of the younger man. e'You shall see
yourself, tonight" he cried, seizing a lam
from the table. Come: it is your ow
handiwork. Why shouldn't YOU look at ii
You can tell the world all about it after
ward, IL you choose. Nobody would bcliev
you Ifthey did believe you, they'd lik
mo all the better for it., ] know the az
better than than you do. though you wi
pirate about it so tendiously. Come, ! tie
you. You have Chartered enough abor
corruption. Now you shall look on it fac
to face"