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

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has q simpf5 and beautiful nature. Your
aunt was quite right In what she said of
him. Your influence would be bad. The
world is wide, and has many marvellous
people In 1t. Don't take away from me the
,ne person that makes life absolutely lovely
70 me, ano gives 10 my art whatever wonoer
or charm 1t Possesses. Mind, Harry, thrust
you.T He spoke very slowly and the words
seemed wrung out OF him almost against his
will
What nonsense you talkl" said Lord
Henry, smiling, and, taking Hallward by
tho arm. he almost led him into the house.
CHAPTER II.
As they entered they saw Dorian Gray.
He was seated ~ the piano, with his back
to them, turning over the pages Of q volume
OF Schumann's Forest Scenes" "You
must lend me these, Basil" he cried. u
want to learn them. They are perfectly
charming"
day, Dorian
'oh. am tired of sitting, and I dom
want a life-sized portrait Of myself" an.
swered tho lad, swinging round on the
music-stool., In a willful, petulant manner
When he caught sight Of Lord Henry,
faint blush colored his cheeks for a moment,
and he started up. II beg your pardon,
Basil, but didn't know you had any one
with you"
This is Lord Henry Wotten, Dorian, an
old Oxford friend Of mine. have just been
telling him what q capital sitter you were,
and now you have spoiled everything"
"You have not spoiled my pleasure In
meeting you, Mr.. Gray" said Lord Henry,
stepping forward and shaking him by the
hand. MY aunt has often spoken TO me
about you. You arr one ~ her favorites,
and, l am afraid, one Of her victims also"
II am IN Lady Agatha's black books at
presc At" answered Dorian, with a funny
look of penitence. al promised to go TO her
club in Whitechapel with her last Tuesday;
and l really forgot about II. We were &c
have played a duct to~gether-three duets, I
believe. don't know what she will say to
me. ] am far too frightened 70 CALI
"Oh, i will mako your peace with my
aunt. She is quite devoted TO you. And |
don't think 1t really matters about your not
being there. The audience probably thought
II was q duet. When Aunt Agatha sits
down to the piano she makes quite enough
noise for two people"
THAT is very horrid 10 her, and not very
nice TO me-" answered Dorian, laughing.
Lord Henry looked at him. Yes, he was
certainly wonderfully handsome, with his
finely curved scarlet lips, his frank blue
eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was some-
thing In his face that made one trust him at
once. All the candor of youth was there, as
well as all youths passionate purity. One felt
that he had kept himself unspotted from the
world. No wonder Basil Hallward wor.
SHIPPED him. He was made TO be w%orshiped.
"You are too charming TO go In for phil
anthrophy, Mr.. Gray-far too charming"
And Lord Henry flung himself down on the
divan, and opened his cigarette-case.
Hallward had been busy mixing his colors
and getting his brushes ready. He was
looking worried, and when he heard Lord
Henry's last remark he glanced at him,
hesitated for a moment and then said:
Harry, I want TO finish this picture to-day.
Would ycu think it awfully rude Of me If 1
asked you TO go awayl"
Lord Henry smiled, and looked at Dorian
Gray, IAN / TO go, MIR. Grayl' he asked.
ooh, please don't, Lord Henry. / see
that Basil is In one Of his sulky moods; and
l can't bear him when he sulks. Besides, I
want you tell me why l should not not go In
for philanthrophy."
81 don't know that I shall tell you that,
Mr.. Gray. But l Certainly will not run
away, now that you have asked me to stop.
You don't really mind Basil, do you. You
nave often told me rat you liked your sit
ters to have some one to chat to-"
Hallward bit his lip. "If Dorian wishes
10 90 cnurco Won unt,ut ota, n,r;ao'a
whims are law to everybody, except him
SELF
Lord Henry took up his hat and his gloves.
"You(a are very pressing, Basil, but l am
afraid ! must go. / have promised to meet
a man at the Orleans. Goodbye, Mr.. Gray.
Comexmd see me some afternoon In Curzon
Street. am nearly always at home at five
o'clock. Write to me when you are coming.
| should be sorry TO miss you.''
Basil" cried Dorian Gray, 'if Lord
Henry goes / shall so too. You never open
your lips while you are painting, and it is
horribly dull standing on a platform and
trying to look pleasant. Ask him to stay.
| insist upon it,"
Stay, Harry, to oblige Dorian, and TO
oblige me- said Hallward, gazing intently
at his picture. lit is quite true. never talk
when / am working, and never listen either,
and II must be dreadfully tedious for my
unfortunate %sitters. / beg you TO stay"
"But what about my man at the Orleans"
"Hallward laughed. 81 don't think there
will be any difficulty about that. Sit down
again, Harry. And now Dorian. get up on
the platform, and don't move about too much,
or pay any attention TO what Lord Henry
awe Il ha, 4, w,o-, lx-l 4. A,a.,o z.,A. n
his friends, with the exception Of myself"
Dorian stepped up on the dais, with the
air Of a young Greek martyr, and made a
little moue Of discomfort to Lord Henry, TO
whom he had taken a fancy. He was SO
unlike Hallward. They made a delightful
contrast. And he had such q beautiful
voice. After a few moments he said TO him
Have you really such a bad influence, Lord
Henryi AS bad as Basil saysf"
''There is no such thing as q good in.
~fluence, Mr.. Gray. All influence is i'm
moral-immoral from the scientific point OF
view
"Whyi'
Because TO influence q person is TO give
him ones own soul. He does not think his
natural thoughts, or burn with his natural
passions. His virtues are not real to him
His sins, II there are such things cs sins
are borrowed. He becomes the echo of some
one else's music, an actor Of a part that has
not been written for him. The aim Of life
Is self-development. To realize ones nature
perfectly-that is what each Of IL hers
for. People are afraid Of themselves, now
adays. They have forgotten the highest Of
all duties, the duty that one owes to one'i
self. OF course they are charitable. They
feed the hungry, and clothe the beggar
But their own souls starve, and are naked
Courage has gone out Of our race. Perhaps
we never really had il. The terror O
society, which is the basis of morals, tn,
terror Of God, which is the secret Of religion
these arc the two things that govern us
And yet"
just u your head q little more TO tn
right, Dorian, like a good boy said Hall
ward, deep In his work, and conscious onl,
that a look had come into the lads face tina
he had never seen there before.
And yet" continued Lord Henry, in hi
low, musical voice, and with that graceful
wave of the hand that was always s
Characteristic Of him, and that he had eve
in his Elton days, II believe that II one ma
were to live his life out fully and complete
ly, were to give form to every feeling, es
preston to every thought, reality to ever
dream-I beliava that the WORLD would raj