The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-24


liked it or not she should be his wife.
The mood passed next morning, but
the sideboardN and all upon it remained
for his comfort.
Again he set to work, and his eyes
troubled him with spots and dashes
and blurs till he had taken counsel
with the sideboard, and the Melancolia
both on the canvas and in his own
mind appeared lovelier than ever.
There was q delightful sense of ire
sponsibility upon him, such as they
feel who, walking among their fellow
men, know that the death sentence Of
disease is upon them and, since fear is
but waste of the little time left, are
riotously happy.
The days passed without event Bes-
sic arrived punctually always, and,
though her voice seemed to Dick to
come from distance, her face was
always very near, and the Melancolia
began to fame on the canvas in the
likeness of a woman who had known
all the sorrow in the world and was
laughing at it. 1t was true that the
corners of the studio draped them
selves in gray film and retired into the
darkness, that the spots in his eyes
and the pains across bis head were
very troublesome, and that Maisie's
letters were hard to read and harder
still to answer.
He could not tell her of his trouble,
and he could not laugh at her accounts
of her own Melancolia, which was al
ways going to be finished. But the
furious days of toll and the night of
wild dreams made amends for all, and
the sideboard was his best friend on
earth. Bessie was singularly dull. She
used to shrek with rage when Dick
stared at her between half closed eyes,
Now she sulked or watched him with
disgust, saying very little.
Torpenhow had been absent six
weeks. An incoherent note heralded
his return. News! Great newsr' he
said
"The Nilghai knows, and so does the
Keneu. We're all back on Thursday
Get lunch and clean your accouter-
ments."
Dick showed Bessie the letter, and
she abused him for that he had ever
sent Torpenhow away and ruined her
life.
SWELL" said Dick brutally, you're
better as you are instead of making
love to some drunken beast in the
street" He felt that he had rescued
Torpenhow from great temptation.
81 don't know if that's any worse
than sitting to drunken beast in a
studio. You haven't been sober for
three weeks. You've been soaking the
whole time and yet you pretend you're
better than mev'
what d'you mean?" said Dick.
"A1ean You'll see when Mr.. Torpen.
how comes back
1t was not long to wait Torpenhow
met Bessie on the staircase without Il
sign of feeling. He had news that was
more to him than many BesSies, and
the Keneu and the Nilghai were tramp
ing behind him, calling for Dick
drinking like a fish," Bessie whis-
pered. Hes been at it for nearly a
month" She followed the men stealth
lily to hear judgment done.
They came into the studio rejoicing
to be welcomed overeffusively by a
drawn, lined, shrunken, haggard wreck
-unshaven, blue white about the nos
trils, STOPPING in the shoulders and
peering under his eyebrows nervously.
The drink had been at work as steadily
as Dick.
SIS that your" said Torpenhow
GAIL that's left of me. Sit down.
Binllie's quite well, and I've been do
ing some good work" He reeled where
he stood.
you've done some of the worst work
you've ever done in your life. Man
alive, you're
Torpenhow turned to his companions
appealingly, and they left the room to
find lunch elsewhere. Then he spoke,
but since the reproof of a friend is
much too sacred and intimate a thing
to be printed, and since Torpenhow
used figures and metaphors which were
unseemly. and contempt untranslata-
BILE, it will never be known what was
actually said to Dick, who blinked and
winked and picked at his hands. After
time the culprit began to feel the
need of little self respect. He was
quite sure that he had not in any way
departed from virtue, and there were
reasons, too, of which Torpenhow
knew nothing. He would explain.
He rose, tried to straighten his shout
right too. After you went away l hac
some trouble with my eyes. SO went
to an oculist, and he turned gaso-
gene-I mean gas engine-intO my
eye. That was very long ago. He said,
Scar on the head-sword cut and optic
nerve Make a note of that. So l am
going blind. 1 have some work to do
before go blind, and l suppose that 1
must do it. / cannot see much now,
but 1 can see best when l am drunk.
did not know l was drunk till l was
told, but must go on with my work.
If you want to see it, there it is He
pointed to the all but completed Melan-
cola and looked for applause.
Torpenhow said nothing, and Dick
began to whimper feebly for joy at
seeing Torpenhow again, for grief at
misdeeds, if indeed they were mis-
deeds, that made TorpenEow remote
and unsympathetic, and for childish
vanity hurt, since Torpenhow had not
given word of praise to his wonder
full picture.
Bessie looked through the keyhOle
after long pause and saw the two
walking up and down as usual, Tor
penhow's hand on Dicks shoulder.
Herpat she said Sninathin0 so i1nnrnnpr