The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-22

seal. No eye should see or intruder dis
turb his silent. secret work on the mys-
ferrous object. After a long wait. in
leriak drew forth the image again and
carved and carved and carved.
As he, carved he muttered. He seemed
Twice he arose and walked solemnly about
the bearskin in a half-hopping. half-
stumbling manner. making weird passes
with his hands and uttering strange
sounds. Then he knelt and worked as If
his life depended on II. All the While,
Pawiak kept watch. The hours OF the night
passed. Gray dawn was spreading an ashy
pallor in the East. Obleriak saw the first
streaks OF coming day, hastily hid the
little fur bag. led Pawiak back 10 his cage,
crept into the whalebone igloo and when
the village was aroused at : a m, for the
days doings. Obleriak emerged clipper
and fresh as If he had slept soundly and
restfully all night. To make the deception
all the more real, PaWiak made a great
hullabalOo of the morning greeting. as II
he had not left his master a few hours
before in the early merging OF dark and
dawn.
Night after night has that performance
on the part OF the mysterious little Es-
quimau and his dog gone on. Regularly,
Obleriak has crept out with the bearskin,
released Pawiak, uncovered the bag ana
toiled the night away
The object of his toll is grotesque. II is
a god or image Of figure over six inches
long. Its tip or crown is a queer outline Of
the tower. Craven all over its funny body
dIo SI4IcS anu UGdhS anu ONACl SAAlhAiH
points Of the exposition architecture All
these are dotted with speckleS, from which
radiate lines. as If they were miniature
child-drawings Of the sun or OF light. There
are unintelligible hieroglyphics as IL a
Chinaman had worked for several nights on
the image. Also, there are unrecognizable
figures or drawings. They all mean some
thing.
Obleriak is devout. When he came TO the
exposition and saw all the glory and splen-
dor and loneliness he was moved deeply
and as he thought IL over he came to be-
lieve that the god Of light had made 1t his
dwelling place. The god or light shuns the
far north at times for many weary weeks
Obleriak pondered il all and came 10 know
hat the god Of light fed from his palace at
midnight, but lowered concealed TO see
that all went we'll. To those who. in the
glory and gave him the praise, Obleriak be-
lieved the god Of light would come and
linger and live in his work. Best OF all. If
one who was devout would fashion an
image after his likeness the god of light
would shine in it. and when the image went
and become of the bygone, light would
beam from it and it would be as a pillar of
fire through the long northern nights.
Obleriak dreams, as he tolls, of the long
darkness TO come when he is home again
in the far north, where the seals sleep On
colossal diamonds. In his imagination, he
seems to see himself step forth in the night,
take the image from his breast, meant to
Ii the mystic C of the sounds now SWELL
ing in the City of the Beautiful. and, To- it
will beam brightly and light Obleriak
wheresoever he may go.
1t seems a pity that some day he must
awaken. The awakening will be the cruel
part. He may not grudge the lost labor.
but he will mourn the shattered faith.