Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-16
!" To claim fulfllment of your promise

81 To claim fulfillment of your promise
dearest"
She fixed her glance earnestly upon bis
face. gazing into his eyes, as though to read
the truth in them.
You have fulfilled your promise, Will.
helm you have been true to art; you have
worked sedulously, for six hours a day at
least, uninterruptedly, without quitting your
studio; you have Stunned low company
and the tavern; you have been true to
yourself and to mo-"
Wilhelm bowed his glossy head afirma-s
lively before her. He looked very superb
indeed. Maria turned away her glance;
she was shivering with nervous agitation.
not cold, as he thought.
And | may trust my happiness to your
keeping" continued she, still looking
down.
Dearest Maria. / swear that you shall
never repent SO doing"
And no twirled the ends of his ample
moustache, and busted his beard with
b-oidered handkerchief, which, tucked in
his doublet, had been adding to the curve
Of his massive chest.
Maria started back from him, and Al Al,
cry light cleaned IN The blue eyes wonteds
" SO soft and gentle. It was like forked
lightning breaking out suddenly on calm
summer day.
Wilhelm, you would scorn to play with
cogged dice; you would beat to the earth
any one who said you tricked at cards you
would condoscend to dupe no man. Why
then do you come here to me with lie on
you lips ?-wby seek to cheat me? What
have | ever done that you should turn
against me thus? Is it because | am weak
and n woman, that am to be treated with
falsehoods-won by fraud?"
Wilhelm, amazed, puzzled, embarrassed,
looked Mt her. He put forth his hand i'm
ploringly; he sought to speak she waved
back his approaches by an angry gesture.
You would not have thought that such fury
could have possessed her. The lily was
whirling in a tempest
You know you have broken every letter
of your promise; you know that your every
act of late has been falsehood to me; YOU
know that l dare not confide my happiness
in your hands; that you are utterly I'M
worthy such trust. This is nothing
You have right to act as you will. To
stain your name, your genius, your art with
mire if you will; it is not for me to call for
an account. But to act thus shamefully
and crown that shame by lie, to me. to
me, who, God knows, never would or could
have done you Wilhelm, Wilhelm,
it is too much !"
There were tears now upon her cheeks,
Ike rain drops on lily.
Wilhelm stood speechless, abashed md
angry. His position was humiIiatinp
enough-to cheat, and to be found out to
late Yet he tried to pluck up heart and
sturdy lying seemed his safest course-so
his weak, false mind suggested.
You wrong me, indeed"
Stop!" she cried, putting her hands to
her ears, to shut out bis words. mo more:
you have lied enough. Look here p' and
she pointed to the window post there were
hundreds of streaks Of lily,white. Each
time you have failed in your promise, |
have registered the failure here. You have
been absent from your studio YOU have
been idle, you have been gaping at the win
dow, or idlng at the door; you have spent
days and nights at the Golden Calf. Hell
has heen with you, and Broken, and Van.
der Move, and-0, Wilhelm-others who
should not have been !" and a blush crossed
her cheek; it was a sunset on a lily-'and
you have painted worthless pictures. You
know it-nOne better. Oh, in a thousand
ways you have been false and here, see,
here's the record ~
In Wilhelm's culprit face, midst all his
shame and confusion, yet fingered an inter.
negative:
How do you know all this?"
She read 1t in his looks without needing
his words.
my studio is opposite to yours; can
see you from here as well as you can see
me from there"
4" Yet your back was always turned"
She could not help smiling, it was such a
wretched, pitiful, schoolboy plea
" You forgot tie mirror! With that il
front of me, had no need to turn"
Wilhelm stamped on the floor with rage
and disappointment, cursing thousand
times his own stupidity.
"Adieu Maria van Oosterwyck."
| "Adieu Wilhelm van Allst."
Utterl y crushed and mortified, he moved
! to the door. There he stood for moment
rallied little, with feeble, broken swag-
! ger, with an attempt to cOnjure back some
thing OF his old manner, whispered softly
And there is no hope, Maria?"
None! said the lady stoutly. She wa.
deaf tp the voice of the charmer, and he
wentout, banging the door, never to return
| The poor girl, her trial over, broke dowr
completely; she fell into chair, weeping
! copiously.
Heaven help me! And so loved tina
man."
With strong curiosity and weakness
she sent her servant on the following morn
ing to make inquiry concerning him. Sh,
learned that he had quilted Delft: it wa
said for ever. Paris was thought to be hi
destination. Then Maria was on her knee
once more before the panel:
80 my lilies l am yours forever-onl-
yours. | will only love but you"
And she kept her word. devoting hersel
to her art, and clarifying it by her devo
ton. And Europe struggled for possession
of her works not numerous, but all perfect
And the Emperor Leopold, and Louis tn
Magnificent, and England's great monarch
William of Orange-all bought from he
easel.
In 1893, she painted her last lily-neve
having seen again the faithless Wilhelm
never having loved agaiI-stiIl Maria va
OOsterwyck.
The Ups and Downs of Life.
Mires, the great French banker. iIlus