The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-01-04

CHAPTER XVII.


multitudinous voices of the press had
spoken their last word about the
Brangwyn mistery for years to come
Alexis was his old self again. The po-
lice had been foiled on their final clue
and life, with all its various claims
Of mind and body, had come to its own
as it always does after any event. how
ever momentous, until the last event
of all.
The cousins were at breakfast. and
old Sewar, with napkin over his
arm. sbood at the sideboard.
"Loy!" said Alexis, addressing his
companion with the familiar abbrevi
| alton of his name Come into the
studio in half an hour. will you?
There's something want to ask your
advice about"
| "All right" said Aloysius. looking
up from the study of that morning 8
Times. ''Tll be there"
| Alexis finished his coffee, ut a Gig
arctic, and strolled away. At about
the appointed time the elder found
! him sitting before a half-wrought col
| ossal figure. He arose and began to
circle about it critically from dozen
different halting places. Aloysius fol
lowed, engaging himself in the same
way.
What do you think of it," asked
| Alexis.
| ''It promises" the other answered
'E don't like the pose of the head
though. You meant it for defiance?
"Yes, that's the idea"
"Have you a sketch anywhere?"
NO." said Alexis; II went straight
at it. l like to work large, and clays
! cheap enough"
"Oh!" said Aloysius, half-laughing
You'll do nothing worth doing SO long
| as you live until you cease to rush at
your work like bull at gate. You
have fine talent If you choose to
You've wasted a heap Of time here
! and the whole things set as hard as a
brick II you want to utilize the idea
| make a careful little sketch, and have
this thing broken up, and begin again,
de novo."
"Oh. dear, no." said Alexis. I'm not
! going to have my Boadicea broken
up. Not by any manner of means. IN
| get her into a condition in which can
work at her again. I'll make Sewar
spray her and cover her in wet cloths,
and she'll be all right in a week"
"Very WE'LL" said Aloysius. We'll
see what you make of her. The chin
wants lifting full inch. You must
bring the eyelids lower. should cat
the pupil deep - about two-thirds
seen. The right hands disproportion.
ate. It's three or four sizes larger
than the left. Bring it farther back
and mass 1t here" n
"H'm!-yes," Alexis answered
| watching his cousins hand as he drew
lines in the air. Il think you're right
30 far. Do you know, old man. I'm dy
ing to get back to work again? I'm
sick OF this unoccupied, unsettled life
| I must take up something ambitious
something that will fasten on me and
distract my thoughts, or do sincerely
believe I shall go mad. begin to un
derstand Eugene Aram with his 'one
| tormenting, horrid thought, that
racked him all the time.." He began
to pace up and down the room, NUT
tering under his breath and gesticu
lating wildly. !. ene. '''si ~:
+ steady" said Aloysius, "Steady!'
II was thinking of the poem," Alexis
answered. What masterpiece" hi
began to recite, with a vibrating voice
and dreadful eyes:
"And WELL" quoth he. II know for truth
l. Their pangs must be extreme,
Woe! Woe! @Unutterable woe! 9
i Who spill life's sacred stream.
For why? Methought last night J.
/ wrought
A murder-in q dream"
II. It looked and sounded like a piec,
OF the intensest acting, and 1t startles
Aloysius, who never had thought, hi
cousin had any power that way. |
was not less than awful. The CRY
"'WoN! Woe! Unutterable woe!" wa
like the wall Of lost soul. and tn,
despairing toss. Of the hands that wen
4 with It was as eloquent as the. ton!
itself. Then the wall dropped to ,
hoarse whisper, the last word Of whicl
was barely breathed. and sounded hor
Fible because In some inexplicable wa!
the tone proclaimed the word a lie AM
the pretended vision q reality. (
NV Hold on!" said AlDysius, sternly
rStop that! You make my flesh creep
Come into the fresh air. Come int,
the park"
/ "Why not?" returned Alexis. Hi
face was pale, but he had turned bacl
to his ordinary manner.
/ That scene, too, came back to Alloy
sius as he sat alone with those old lie,
ters. And then that ever-memorabl
| walk, the true beginning Of the mar
1 tyrdom he had endured SO long. Col
I looks, averted eyes, unrecognizin
stares from old acquaintances, peopl
gathering In clusters to point him ou