The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1855-03-02

!. fruit forgetting that he could Of courst
know nothing about it.
On the following morning the artist
was up betimes. He felt a little faint, bul
then, thought he, 1shall get good
breakfast y-and-by and money enough %
morrow to keep me until next week, then
hope my patron will be liberal, for really
think l have done myself iustice;' aud
he gazed, with hand and brush suspended,
upon his work.
1t was nearly nine. Frank sat befora
his easel in a shabby, genteei dressing
gown, we'll adorned with huge tassels.-s
Thrown rather foppishly over his jetty
curls was really rich cap, embroidered
with silk and gold thread, and further of
namented with broad gold band. Tbo
door suddenly opened; a lad and younS
lady entered: the latter, in all but her ex.
tremeIy fashionable dress, very much like
Susy Blake, A flush mounted to Franks
cheeks and his eyes beamed with pleasure.
He sprang rather than arose from his
chair and stammered something aboa..
| his dishabille. ~
%, never mind, said the lady, refusing
with motion of her hand the chair hd
offered her i only called in to tell vou
and Charley will be ready to sit again orl
Monday. When is the exhibition to take
place?
Not for some two months yet, SO there
is plenty of time, was the answer, LAYING
his brush on the table, and wiping his BEL
spattered hand on his dressing gown. 4
% plenty was the lady's answer, good
morning; and she went out taking the sum
shine with her, leaving the artist standing
as if spell llbound.
Alas, what it is to be poor! he exclaim,
ed bitterly, throwing off his cap, almost
angrily. and divesling himself of his dres-
sing-gown She, SO beautiful and an heir
ess, will never marry me, fear, although
she Is so encouraging and gentle in man
ner, and l sometimes dare to think she
loves me. But truce to this--to business
now. Let us see if Madam Blake.s daugh4
ter is AS pretty as her cousin.
Saying which he went to the old chest
and unlocked it with rusty key. Such
an assortment as that yawning lid ,disclos-
ed! furnished gold and silver ornaments
threadbare cloths and silkbare yelvets.--
Old shoeswith enormous buckles, in short
the whole display was as motley as it was
profuse. Selecting a large red wig, longt
wasted, spotted and wrinkled coat, and
something like butchers apron, a set Of
false whiskers and eyebrows, he laid them
outfor inspection. They answered well,
aud he proeeeled to transform himself
from the highly talented Frank L., to a
respectable looking man of all-work.
That will do, he muttered before his
little mirror, my best friends would moi
know me now.
Ills best friend or his worstenemy could
not indeed have recognized, in the blow
sey, looking face, any resemblance
to Lemlnton-so Complete was his disguise
Going down hastily, he told his hostess
that he was the man sent by the painter
to whitewash. She was ready for him
but first, would he not like little break
fast? He looked cold.
Noobjection in the world, thought Frank
as he demurely assentcd; and sitting down
he did himself justice, and astonishing the
widow who saw she had the worst Of the
bargain; but poor man, soliloquized the
good-hearted woman, swho knows? May
be the poor thing has not had a good meal
for week Frank was by himself near
ly all that day; but the next Susy had re-
turned. She stood at the great Kitchen ia
BILE, her sleeves turned up, and her fair
white arms immersed in soapsuds to the
elbow, her dark locks turned coquettishly
over, the tips escaping in charming little
ringlets. They did not of course mind the
whiiewssher; and SO Susy ratified on, hap
PLY unconscious of the beating heart and
wandering glances of the stranger towards
herself.
!. 'How much she is like her cousin he
thought, yet how unlike. More beautiful
certainly in her simplicity, than she is in
her tnery, yet Marie is lovely, and alas, l
fear beloved Upon this he sighed so
hard that Susy turned half aud Won
dered what that noise was.
Mother said Susy,-the bustling little
woman was lighting up the big osen-'did
yousay you hadinvited the lodger up stairs
i mean the painter
Yes replied the widow, hastily retreat
ing from cloud of pine-wood smoke, and
then Justify using the bellows.
Didn't Cousin Marie ask you to?' con-
tinued Susy, rinsing the tumblers that were
to be put inrequisition the night following.
TO be sure, she did; you know she's sit
tim for her picter, replied her mother.
4 thought there was face up there that
looked like her, only better.'
Gracious mel! cried the widow, turning
round, while the whitewash brush went
amazingly slowi when did you see face
up there-what do you mean? when was
you up in that man s room2'
Susy's complexion Mas crimson all over.
However there was no alternative-the
story Of her visit and the sandwiches must
be told.
'Ho, that's the secretl' thought Frank,
stopping his work, and givingthe wig such
turn over with Que hand, that it came
near falling OFT. Luckily no body saw it,
We'll Susan, all I've got to say, is, that
you are served just right, going into the
lodgers' rooms that way; pretty manners.