The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-09-12
THE
Of DORIAN GRAY.
NJ OSCAR WILDE.

OF DORIAN GRAY.
ny OSCAR WILDE.
"Dorian, Dorian she cried, .'bcforc ]
knew you, acting was the one reality OF my
lifc. 1t was only in the theater that lived. j
thought hat it was all true. l was Rosa
lipd one night and Portia the other. The
10y OF Beatrice was my Joy, and the sorrows
81 Cordelia were mine also. I believed IL
everything. Tho common people who acted
with me seemed to me to be godlike. The
painted scenes We're my world. l knew
nothing but shadows, and I thought them
real. You came-oh, my beautiful love! i
end you freed my soul from prison. You
Taught mo what reality really is. Tonight,
Tor the first time in my life, ! saw through
The hollowrness, the sham, the Stiffness, OF
the empty pageant in which I had always
played. Tonight, for the first time, l be-
came conscious that the Romeo was hideous.
and Old, and painted, that the moonlight in
tho orchard was false, that the scenery was
vulgar, and that the words l had to speak
were unreal, We're not my words, not what
! wanted to say. You had brought me
something higher, something Of which all
art is but q reflection. You have made me
understand what love really is. My love
my Lowell am sick of shadows. You are
more to me than all art can ever be. What
have ! to do with tho puppets of a playi
When came on tonight, l could not under.
stand how it was that everything had gone
from mo. Suddenly it dawned on my soul
what 1t all meant. The knowledge was Ok.
quisite to mo. Ihoard them kissing, and ]
smiled. What should they know of love-
Take me away, DorAn-takc me away with
you, where we can be quite alone. I hate
the stage. / might mimic q passion that ]
do not feel, but ! can not mimic ono that
burns me like fire. Oh. Dorian, Dorian,
you understand now what it all means
Even If | could do it, it would be profana.
ton for mo to play at being in love. You
have made me see that"
He flung himself down on tho sofa, and
turned away his face.
"You have killed my love-" he muttercd.
She looked at him in wonder, and laughed,
He made her no answer. She came ncross
10 him, and stroked his hair with her little
fingers. She knelt down and pressed his
hands to her lips. He drew them away,
" Oh pll1ouSh I'LL. ,
Then he leaped up and went to tho door
YES" he cried, you have killed my love,
You used to stir my imagination. Now you
don't even stir my curiosity. You simply
produce no effect. Ilovcd you because yor
were wonderful, beca, } you had genius
and intellect, because you realized the
dreams of great poets and gave shape and
substance to the shadows Of art. You have
thrown it all away. You are shallow an6
stupid. My God! how mad 1 was to love
you! What a fool I lave beenl You are
nothing tome now. l will never see 70,
again. I will never think of you. 1 will
never mention your name. You don't know
what you were to me, once. Why, once
oh, can't bear to think of it! 1 wish Ihat
never laid eyes upon you! You lave spoiled
the romance Of my life. How little 70,
can know of love, If you say it mars you
artl What are you without your art! Moth
Ing. I would have made you famous, splen
did, magnificent. The world would hay.
worshiped you, and you would have be
longed to me. What are you nowl Athird
rate actress with a pretty face"
The girl grew white, and trembled. Sh,
clinched her hands together, and her voic,
seemed to catch in her throat. "You ar,
not serious, Dorian?" she murmured. "Yo,
are acting"
acting! Ilcave that to you. You do |
80 we'll, !" he answered, bitterly.
She rose from her knees, and, with
piteous expression of pain in her face, cam,
across the room to him. She put her hant
thrust her back. Don't touch mel" h,
cried.
Allow moan broke from her, and sh,
flung herself at his feet, and lay there lik'
q tramplcd flower. dorian, Dorian, dom
leave mel" she whispered. ~ am so sorr,
/ didn't act well. I WAS thinking of you al
the time. But 1 will try-indeed, 1 will try
1t came so suddenly across me, my love TO
you. / think I should never lave known /
If you had not kissed me-if we had no
kissed each other. Kiss me again, my love
Don't go away from me. l couldn't bear II
Can't you forgive me for tonight I viii
work so hard and try to improve. Don't b,
cruel to me because ] love you better thai
anything in the world. After oil, it is onl,
once that I nave not pleased you. But 70,
are quite right, Dorian. / should hav,
shown myself more Of an artist. It wa.
foolish of me; and yet I couldn't help it
Oh, don't leave me, don't leave me.n A fl
Of passionate sobbing choked her. Sh,
crouched on the floor like a wounded thing
and Dorian Gray, with his beautiful eyes
looked down at her, and his chiseled lin
eurled in exquisite disdain. There is Away.
something ridiculous about the passions o.
people whom one has ceased to love. Siby
Vane seemed to him to be absurdly melo
| dramatic Ha,, faorc opI har aNba an,,oyaf
him.
II am going" he said at last, in his calm
clear voice. 81 don't wish to be unkind
but I can't see you again. You have dis
appointed me-"
She wept silently. and made nc answer
but crept nearer to him. Her little hand:
stretched blindly out, and appeared to b.
seeking for him. He turned on his heel and
left the room. In a few moments he wa.
out Of the theater.
Where he went to, he hardly knew. HI
remembered wandering through diml,
lighted streets with gaunt b~lacl-shadowet
archways and evil-looking houses. Womer
with hoarse voices and harsh laughter hat
called after him. Drunkards had reeled b!
cursing, and chnttcring to themselves lik'
monstrous apes. He had secn grotesqu'
children huddled upon doorsteps, and hat
heard shrieks and oaths from gloomy courts
When the dawn was Just breaking b.
found himself at Covent Garden. Hug
carts filed with nodding lilies rumblet
slowly down The polished empty street
The air was heavy with the perfume OF thu
flowers, and their beauty seemed to brinl
him q n anodyne for his pain. He followed
into the market, and watched the men un
loading their wagons. A white-smooket
carter offered him some cherries. H.
thanked him, wondered why he refused I,
accept any money for them, and began Il
eat them listlessly. They had been pluckct
ut midnight, and the GOODNESS of tho moor
had entered into them. A long line of boy
carrying crates of striped tulips, and of vel
low and red roses. defled in front Of him
threading their way through the huge Jade
green piles Of vegetables. Under thu
portico, with its gray sun-bleached pillars
loitered a troop Of draggled. b~areheade,
girls, waiting for the auction to be over
After some time he hailed q hanson an
drove home. Tho sky was pure opal now
and tho roofs of the houses glistened lik
silver against 1t. AS he was passing
through the library toward the door Of hi
bedroom, his oye fell upon the portrait Basi
Hallward had painted OF him. He starte,
| hack IN srrnrise and then want nvnr IN 1