The west shore., August 01, 1889, Page 453, Image 46

THE WE8T SHORE.
holiest friendship, not because I degrade the latter.
And now onoe more, dear OouBin Arthur, good night
-good bye."
I came down late to breakfast I had not teen
Olive since Winthrop'i thrilling narration the even
ing before. As the came to wait upon me I notiood
she was very pale, and bore the appearance of one
who had been through some unusual experience.
" Olive," I said, " you look pale this morning; are
you not well?"
" Where is he?" she exolaimed, paying no heed to
my question.
" If yon mean my oouBin, the artist," I replied, "I
suppose he is in his room, perhaps asleep We did
not part last night until after midnight"
Olive looked at me with an expression that be
trayed beyond description the birth of a new nature;
there was a rapt expression in her manner which
hold my close attention. Almost unconsciously she
sank into a chair on the opposite side of the table,
seemingly oblivious to the faot that she had not taken
my order for breakfast As if under the influenoe of
an unseen power she began
" I never had a dream until last night I have
heard persons tell of dreams, in which it seemed to
me such strange things happened, because I oould
not understand what they meant But last night I
dreamed, or at least I suppose it was a dream. I had
been asleep a long time. Fresontly I woke up, and
the room was dark, and so still; but I was not afraid.
Then gradually it seemed to get lighter, oh, a beau
tiful light 1 but still there was no lamp in the room,
and it didn't oome in from without because it was
dark, not even the moon or stars were shining. Pres
ently the light that came from nowhere and from
nothing, seemed to quiver, just as if" (she faltered
a moment)" I thought I oould tell you what it was
like, but I can't, for it was so strange, and it only
trembled a second, and then it all rushed together
from all parts of the room and formed in a halo st
the foot of my bed so bright that it blinded mo, and I
shut my eyes. When I opened thorn I saw Aim
standing there just as plainly as I see you now; and
oh! how beautiful he was. The sad look his face has
woru so many days was gone, and be looked at me
and smiled. When he smiled I felt as if 1 was dy
ing with happiness. 1 can't describe it, but I closed
my eyes again because I oould not bear so much hap
piness all at once, and then I didn't know any more,
tor I immediately fell asleep again."
When Olive had concluded her aooouut I tri.nl to
peak, but oould find no words with which to expr.HH
the thoughts that whirled through my brain. H-'i
my hesitation she said
M Wasn't that a dream, Mr. Arthur? "
M I don't know what to call it, Olive, if it was not
a droam. But are you sure you wore awake when it
happoned?"
Before she could answer, a messenger hurriedly
entered the dining room. " You are wanted at Mrs.
Ellis's boarding house," he said, "your friend la
dead."
Almost paralysed by the sudden shock, I oould
only stare at Olive, until her cry, "0, my life, my
love!" pioroed my heart, and then springing to my
foot I ran swiftly to what I feared was the soeue of
a suicide. As I entered the gatoway a physician ap
proached, and together we haatouod upstairs to the
artist's room. The door was open, and two or three
persons wore standing awo-struck in the hall outside.
At the first glance through the door I saw the order
ly arrangement of everything within the room. In
an easy chair at the farther side sat Wlnthrop Fair
fax faring the door, apparently aaloep. Beckoning
the physioian to follow mo, we entered the holy
chamber of death. There wu no visible evldenoe of
suioido, and after a moment's deft examination of tl
artist the physioian prouounoml it death resulting
from anyim priori; and yet it must have been an
ticipated by the artist, for everything betokened
preparation for death. Ilia attitude wu most natur
al, and there was a peaceful expression on his face
that wu hard to associate with death. Partially In
front of him, and almost within arm's length, stood
the easel, which for the first time I now saw unveiled,
and upon it wu a remarkable painting. The central
figure wu that of a woman kneeling. A glance bo
trayed it to be Olive, though somewhat IdnalisivL In
the left of the foreground stood the artist, with half
averted face, in the act of lifting a veil from the fig.
ure of the woman who knelt at his feet; and he bad
raised it nntil iU soft blue (olds jut drooped over
the brow and half oonot'alod the eyes of the beautiful
creature who, upon her knees, with elapsed hands,
seemed portrayed in a moment of supreme expecta
tion; her figure seemed to palpitate with the breath
of life; her attitude, especially the breeching olup
of tho upraised hands, and so muob u wu visible of
her features, Indicated the most pathetio longing.
The artist's attitude and evidently dominant feeling
wu that of eestuy, more spiritual than earthly. Ills
hands that uplifted, u if Iwth In supplication and
! iuvocation.the shadowy veil, f iproasod at onoe wonder.
i ful strength and yetoorapIeU renunciation. His face
I win slightly uplifted, u if the beauty of the beseech.
I jug fwje, were tho mantle to be lifted entirely from
it, would bo greater than he could bear. 8o remark.
tMi) wu this painting, so thoroughly did It seem
! Jive, and to glorify and to consecrate everything la
lb.; rm, evea the dear face of my friend, that for