The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-30
SOMERSET. Pa, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 1898

SOMERSET, PA
1t was towards afternoon of that day
that Selward began TO see pictures in
the red calico blind. 1t had been pull.
ed down to keep the light from his
eyes as he lay facing the window. The
calico was very coarse, and was here
and there closer in mesh than elsewhere.
Ii amused him, and was even easing
for a time to look for faces in the grain.
He found many-faces with boards,
faces with whiskers, faces with NOUS
taehes, faces clean shaven, womsn's
faces, faces that were of recognizable
types; then faces he knew, a celebrity
or two, "reminiscences of photographs;
Mrs. Hollick-that was strangel He
lost her and could not find her again,
though he stared at the spot where
lights and shadows had given him a
likeness Then the faces began TO
BOTHER him, and he saw landscapes,
trees, groups of people-notably some
ladies of the sixties playing croquet-
animals, monsters. The thing became
weariness ard a vexation. Night
came on. The blind faded with the
growing Of the darkness outside, but
the seeing" stayed. He saw beautiful
phantasies. A girl fioated in the sky,
and had star upon her forehead. A
peri sprinkled golden rose petals in the
air, and breeze waited them softly
hither and thither. Some fell with
gentle sound upon the coyerlet.
The nurse was bending over him to
see if he slept.
NO" he murmured, "they won'tlet
me-"
"WhO won't let you?"
''The people"
"What people"
He opened his eyes more widely.
'Pm talking nonsense, 1 believe"
He paused and smiled. ''There's no
one there really know, but 1 see peo-
ple.n
"Never mind them, Mr.. Selward.
Take this. You ought to have had it
quarter of an hour ago, but you were
quiet, and I thought it would be pity
to disturb you.p
81 wasn't quiet inside my head" the
patient said vaguely. What a long
time it was since he had been really
quiet-since he had had any restl How
nice it would be to restl All, the weary
tossing was beginning once more. His
pillow-would the nurse turn it for him?
He was so sorry to be troublesome.
Poor nurse, she must be so tired. How
tired he wasl If he could sleep! The
people would not let him. 1t was the
faces of women that he saw now. They
were all beautiful-some radiantly beau
tiful. They leaned over balconies as az
some pageant. They had most of them
long eyes and delicate skins, with ex
quisite tints, and their lips were all rose
red. They caught the eye, and they
always showed crescent of white and
even teeth. How beautiful they werel
He saw each one singly. She replaced
the last, as slides oust each other in u
magic lantern. But-every one-haxen
princess, raven gypsy or red-haired
peasant-had time to smile before her
place was taken. The beautiful smile
was fatiguing. The beauty itself of the
faces exhausted him. He shut his eyes
aud tried to think of nothing. Oh, he
was so tired-and so thirsty. He must
ask for something to drink. The nurse
rose at once and held the glass to his
hot lips.
"You haven't slept?"
''Not yet. You must be worn out L
am so sorry"
She silenced him with a gentle smile
and a word or two. Her smile was
tranquil and quite different.
She stood for a few moments with
her cool hand upon his forehead.
go to sleep" she whispered softly.
Presently she returned silently to her
chair. He was doing. He woke with
a cry and some ineoherent words.
"Her legs were only two inches long"
he said. az tell you 1 saw her. Her
feet grew out of her body like turtles
flaps. Let me go, please, can't stop
here. Why do you hold me? l don't
know you"
Lille down, Mr.. Selward You'll
catch cold if you pull the clothes Off
your chest. Do as tell you-lie DOWN.
With some considerable strength she
forced him back on to the pillows.
"But 1 saw her, and she had a square
chest and big arms.n
"Never mind. She won't come near
yoa."
at isn't that he said, scornfully-
"As if should mind that. It's on her
account. 1t must be so dreadful, must
it not ?"
"Yes, very. But don't think of her
now"
"I must, because you see, there was
no one else in the street. 1t was before
you came. Oh, 1 must sit up for a
minute"
"why?"
'eThe room is all wrong. Here's the
wall, here. thought to be there, ought'n
it, where the fireplace is? 1t used to
be. And the doors wrong, too. 1t isn't
generally there. / can't make out
where am. Which way are we trav-
cling? Am 1 facing or are we going
backwards? must know. I'll be quiet
If you'll ell me-"
ave are not travelling, Mr.. Selward-
The rooms not wrong. 1t is just as
usual. I'iI turn up the gas for min
nfe and vou'li see. Therai It'sall right.