| Show The Painter of Gloom THE old man was dead There he lay upon the cot in the cabin which his unskilled unskilled unskilled un un- skilled hands had fashioned years before before before be be- fore when a new hope had just been planted in his breast That hope was of gold never thought of until his contact contact contact con con- tact with men rooted routed the noble ambit ambitions ambitions ambi ambi- t from his heart and left in their t I place only bitter memories Those t earlier years had been lived in sweet anticipation of some day seeing himself r a great painter Why work and work and work he said to himself Men will never thank me for that But money will bring with it respect from mankind and enjoyment that I will never have in a studio with unappreciative men sneering at me r There was his son the pride of the theold theold old mans man's life the only living reminder g of a patient tempered sweet-tempered wife long since gone to heaven What inheritance inherit inherit- ance shall I ever leave my boy if I keep up this everlasting tinkering at my easel Im I'm going to make some f money I But money could not save the old oldmans oldmans r mans man's life So when he felt his breath grow short and his limbs become weak he called Reynold to his bedside I I My boy we have shared this cabin for eight long years Since the day I announced my intention to you of leaving leaving leaving leav leav- ing our Eastern home for one in the West I have never heard you complain It must have been a sore trial for you to leave that dear woman whom you love so deeply May God bless her But you may now go back and claim her as your wife as the mine is practically worthless now and it will not pay you to stay here We have taken all the gold away and money is the result VV We VVe e have earned it Long ago I gave up my ambition then very dear to me I need not tell you what what it was for jour your yo youth th was spent with me in the studio and your talent showed itself there to me in a hundred ways I am glad now that I Idid Idid Idid did not give up my ambitions before your youthful das days were passed for your work in the studio instilled in you a alove alove alove love of art and gave you valuable experience experience experience ex ex- that will come handy in the life I have mapped out for you and of which you have no doubt many times thought My last wish is that you take up my my ambition and keep it as your own My time has nearly come When I am dead go to Paris and enter the best art school you can an find Do not indulge in ceaseless ceaseless ceaseless cease cease- less mourning remember that your father as he lay dying requested you to tous us use your talent in endeavoring to become become become be be- come a great painter Good-by Good my y dear son good The young man grasped his fathers father's hand and looked anxiously upon his face The old man was dead While the angel of peace was hovering hovering hovering hover hover- ing over his soul he was dreaming of those sunshiny days of his youth when his boyish ambitions thought nothing a hindrance to their fulfillment other than the space of time to elapse between boyhood boyhood boyhood boy boy- hood and manhood No use to cry no now w thought Rey Rey- nold His father was dead and there was no help for it He would certainly leave this cold col lonely place where he had enjoyed his fathers father's company and enter the lively world He would never let his Ids ambitions go astray H He would use his talent to its greatest capacity and let Fame judge as to the results And there was Jess the memory of whose goodness had ever been sacred to him him him- Jess him J Jess es the dear woman whom his father had referred to and who had bade him good-by good eight years ago whispering as she struggled to keep back the tears that they would not be separated d forever She was all he had to love now and upon reaching the cabin in after his fathers father's funeral he sat down buried his face in his is hands and repeated her name over and over again He had been een longing through all these years to go back and make her his wife f No ties bound him now to this wild region so distant from civilization that t he had only been enabled to receive four letters from her during these eight A years It had been two years since he heard from her How he would surprise her by suddenly appearing in person at ather ather ather her home As soon as convenient after his fathers father's t funeral he made hasty preparations for forgoing fort t going away and was soon on his way to camp After several days he reached his X destination and temporary i. i ings His mind had b been en confused since his father died and when at length he came to realize his grief and began to miss his companion that had been he did r not know what to do He left his room and sought a dark corner of the barroom barroom barroom bar bar- room intent upon finding r relief lief in a study of man He had hardly seated i himself when a miner entered and hurried to the bar Whiskey he hp demanded demanded demanded de de- and snatching the bottle from the bartenders bartender's hands uncorked it and Ji put put it to his mouth I It t did not take I long to empty the bottle Then he If stood perhaps for fifteen minutes apparently apparently i t deeply thinking tottered to a corner and soon sank upon the floor floo in a disgusting state of drunkenness rt Reynold did not wait to ponder upon the probable reason of all this but reasoning that here was one poor mort mortal mortal mor mor- t tal tal l unconscious of all pain he stepped to the bar and drank his first glass of liquor then another and another and and he he felt so dizzy and sick oh how he wanted something to rid him of this terrible feeling More he said and stepped or rather stumbled out into the J. J pure air oblivious of everything but a peculiar delightful lightness of mind and body i It was late at night and there were no people on the streets It was cold J Jand i and Reynold braced hims himself lf against the wall in the outer entry to the bar and endeavored to button his overcoat A Aman Aman Aman man was standing opposite him in the shadow of the door He had his coat buttoned tightly about him only the upper part of his face was visible and two black eyes shone from beneath his broad-brimmed broad hat Reynold leered stupidly at him and st started to cross crossover crossover over to him just as a miner eager to reach the bar dashed around the corner and ran into Reynold and being so unexpectedly unexpectedly unexpectedly un un- expectedly stopped was was thrown back several feet Get out of my way he said Get out th ay self Reynold managed to say and gave the man a vigorous vigorous vigorous vig vig- orous shove just as he was recovering his balance that sent him reeling against the wall A knife is drawn and Reynold remembers remembers remembers re re- members only drawing a revolver from his pocket firing in the direction of the theman theman theman man and then becoming suddenly sober The man with the black eyes sprang toward Reynold and and seized him by the arm Come on or youre you're a dead man Hurry up he said excitedly They start off just as two men come running up and Reynold runs into the arms of one of them The man with the black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes dashes away in the darkness pursued pursued pursued pur pur- sued by br the second comer and leaves Reynold struggling with an officer of the law who hurries him away to the rude log house which serves as a lockup lockup lockup lock lock- up for the camp By the time that the lockup is reached his mind is somewhat clear and he sits down upon the iron cot to reflect Yes he remembers all the all the liquor the brief quarrel the knife the pistol shot the man with the black eyes and here and here he is waiting to answer for his crime II Oh Ob God forgive me he cried and fell upon the floor He imagined he 1 I I I could see mankind leering leering at him fr from m between the bars on the window window grin grin grinning t ning and muttering I told you so II with voices full of gloomy prediction and unsympathetic conviction At first it was a low undecided sound then it gradually swelled until the poor mans man's brain rang with the tumult from a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand imagined tongues clamoring for a wavering soul Louder louder it became became became be be- came was it all to end in madness His exhausted body gave a away way to un un- consciousness When he awoke the first thing he saw was a man wi with th black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes almost hidden beneath dark thick eyebrows and lashes There was a half- half sneer a look of self-conceit self and satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction upon his face Black whiskers covered his cheeks and chin and his neck showed he had not been shaved for some time He was a very handsome handsome handsome hand hand- some man For a moment he stroked his beard complacently then suddenly slapping his hand upon his knee he exclaimed Well Youre You're here Where Reynold asked faintly Never mind my boy Youre You're here safe and sound from the avenging law Isn't that enough for you to know all at at once Ha ha ha Reynold sat up in bed and looked intently at the man Are you the same man that tried to get me away from that place The same he briefly answered And do you mean to tell me I am out of that that that-that- that J Jail ail the man man said finishing the sentence Most assuredly ls yes II And how did it happen This way you way you have me to thank for forit forit forit it a little str strategy on my IllY part You dont don't seem seem very grateful II Was it right Reynolds sat up in inthe inthe inthe the bed What right did you have to tor r take it upon yourself to to- to Hold on hold on my lad Youre You're i Nei 1 3 l i Ni I. I h ff fl too good for this world I I see Dont Don't you see that I saved your life Ah my boy you dont don't know what you did when you incurred the anger of those miners Old Jake was their favorite I feel sure you would have been even now dangling from a pine tree out there on the wild hills but you are here safe and sound Yes I I. know but dont don't you know Reynolds was now calm and spoke deliberately deliberately deliberately de de- and impressively impressively- that the principle is wrong that if I committed the the crime I should pay the penalty like a man If all men believed as I do there would be no need for iron bars In a moment of foolishness I killed a aman aman aman man they tell me it is true Should I Inot Inot Inot not suffer I was to blame for the degrading condition that caused the deed May Maya a thousand evils befall the cursed stuff I Come am I not right Should a man not pay the penalty for his misdeeds The man arose and walked back and forth upon the floor He was evidently earnestly thinking Now and then he cast his eyes anxiously in the direction of a door on the other side of the room For fifteen minutes he continued his meditation and then turning to Reynold Reynold Reynold Rey Rey- nold he said Dont Don't you see the tears in my eyes They tell me it is so My life has been a peculiar one Ever since I was old enough to know anything my existence has been a continual evading of the law and the right Can I ever forget the time I was being hunted for murder Yes murder But I was too sly for them I was a cunning rascal then and hidden away among the mountains mountains mountains moun moun- safe in my cabin which no one knew about I laughed at them It was wasa a wild night when I found my refuge there My soul even in the tracks of that devilish crime longed to hear some fearful tale There by the fire I sat safe fro from the law and the terrible storm without The wind howled and I f d y y s er fancied it seemed to wan want t to take me from my place hiding-place and in its own way cheat the law of its j just st due And yet it was a pleasing sound for I could afford to laugh at such things It was wasso wasso wasso so plaintive so mournful so cold Thanks to God I have never been compelled to suffer from the cold and x sk storms huddle beneath stone walls or shake with the cold But I am wandering wandering wandering wander wander- ing from the subject He stopped poi poised ed on tiptoe in a listening attitude while he buttoned a heavy overcoat about his body I am going now to deliver myself to the law There is still a little good in me enough to make a man a true manof manof man manof of me I propose to deliver myself up and suffer for the numerous crimes II 1 I I s have committed f. f The Th rason for what I have done for you was based on a sudden generosity I saw that the deed was with you purely a matter of self I did not think it fair you should risk your life with the people of that rough town and hence acted as I did If I had been seen there by the officers I would have been recognized and they would have gladly taken me within their keeping keeping keeping keep keep- ing as there is a large reward for my capture dead or alive If that quarrel and consequent deed had not taken place I would even now be in prison for I had decided after days and nights of pondering to give myself up to the law That was my mission at camp But you came staggering out of the room bar-room the man came along so soon after the deed was done and I saw your life was r in danger I determined to save you from the mob I think I did save your our life and I intend to ask of you a return t favor In that room there is a woman as dear and good a worn woman an as ever everi i r lived She is everything to me I II It t I I. I have loved her since I saw her for theY the Y 4 s tf i i X ie 1 rob t des id i e a y J SP f ii t first time time that that summer night when I r 1 entered her parents' parents house intending to rob them Just as I was about to leave leave- with their hard earned savings she entered entered entered en en- the room holding a lighted candle in her hand How I stared how my y eyes lingered upon her beautiful face 1 She stood silently listening and the halo that the light of the candle threw about her head oh oh God I could not take that money away it reminded me me- of a time Christmas-time many years ago when we had a Christmas tree in our ourtown ourtown ourtown town and the old preacher told me of Christ the divine and the golden light that always shone about His head I sprang from the window and ran away ashamed of myself Afterwards the picture picture picture pic pic- ture of her as she stood behind the light candle-light haunted me and I went back For a year I lived a good life and won her She is my wife But come do you promise me to do as Isk I 1 ask sk Yes yes indeed I do if do-if jf only for your sake Reynolds Reynold's eyes were were moist with tears He saw that the man was in earnest Are you going Are you not going to bid her good-by good No I cannot do it Then bid me good good- good good-by by Reynolds said stretching forth his hand No not until I have made such amends for my crimes as will justify me mein mein mein in taking an honest mans man's hand within my own Do you not read in my eyes an impulsive mind I am so but so-but but do donot donot donot not think I T will ever regret this step I Ido Ido Ido do not make any claims daims as to the personal personal personal per per- I am making You donot donot do donot not know what hopes and lives I leave behind me Yet it is no doubt best that I 1 I go There are moments torturing in their imaginations or possibly bly their truths when 1 I fear that she does not love me Had I been certain of the truth of this long ag ago would I have j. j J a Jt taken this step But I T see now so r clearly that my duty lies in the direction direction direction tion of the world where thoughts of Y realized love may never be allowed to enter my life for there I am to atone God knows how I love her I know you will soon follow me to meet the law law it it |
