The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-11-24
she had promised to take a ride that


Leyett was somewhat strange, and
had much that was painful in it. Ii
onel Black and Ronald Levett were
first school fellows, and college friends
then fast friends in the outer world
Both were artists-painters-but viii
a considerable difference in the con.
ditions under which they practiced
art. Lionel Black was poor, and
meant TO live by his painting; Ronald
Levett was the only son of a man
who had made large fortune in trade
and was now in weakly health. BotI
young men were New Workers by
birth; but there was in Levett's blood
some leaven of the Cuban creole, and
people said his mother had been q
slave in one of the Havana hotels, and
was thence bought, brought and mar
,ied by the elder Leyett. However
that may be, Levett the younger was
that rare creature. "swell' artist.
Like the late Augustus Egg, he used
to ride to his studio on magnificent
horse, with a dashing groom behind
him; or set the neighborhoodin in com
motion by Gathering up there four-in
hand. In Paris and in Rome, Levett
amazed the modest circles of art by
his splendid displays and his lavish
expenditure. 1t does not take much
indeed, in The way of expense to daz-
zle the eyes of Roman art-student
but Levett did certainly display gen.
uine Fifth Avenue prodigality of
costly barbarism. Yet he and Lionel
Black were as fast friends as ever.
Black often laughed good humoredly
at his comrades magnificence, but, as
he did not envy it, he made no pre-
tense of despising it.. All things went
on well with them until an unlucky
chance made them both fall in love
with the same girl. This is sort OF
fatality happening TO pair of friends
so often in the drama and romance,
that we are apt to forget that it occurs
much more often still in real life.
The girl they fell in love with was
young American, who usually
passed the winter with her father and
mother in Rome. Julia Challoner
was her name, and she was a girl who
might fairly be called beautiful but
who was especially attractive because
of the exquisite simplicity, sweetness
and truthfulness of her nature, and
the delicate refinement of her intel
Iectual tastes. The two young artists
were constant visitors at her fathers
house. 'sThe wind and the beam
loved the ose," in Lord Lytton's pret-
ty, sentimental poem" and the rose
loved one" In this instance, the one
whom the rose loved, was the money
less artist Lionel Black
Ronald Levett was the first to speak.
He proposed for the girl, and he had
to back him all the influence her faith
er and mother could give; but Julia
frankly and firmly refused to marry
him-and this was fhe first time in
his life that Ronald Levett had been
refused anything on which he had set
his heart. He really loved the girl
passionately /; but in his disappoint-
ment there was mingled other bitter
ness than misprized love. Yet he put
a good face upon the matter until il
became only too evident that his old
friend and comrade had only to ask
for the love which was refused to him.
Indeed, Julia's whole soul sometimes
spoke out of her clear, candid eyes
when she looked at Lionel Black ; and
Black must have been blind if he had
not seen it. So he asked her one eve
ming for her love-he had kept it back,
poor fellow, thus far, only because he
had no money, and she put her hand
in his, and pledged herself to marry
him. There was a good deal of op-
position on the part of Julia's father
and mother; not very unreasonable
from their point of view and at last
they insisted on some delay. Lionel
| must win his way little before they
| would consent that he should have
their daughter. Lionel, who was ac-
tually beginning to make his way al
| ready, and was in every sense manly
fellow, was willing to wait and prove
what was in him. Indeed, he would
| have accepted almost any conditions
which promised him Julia in the end
and so they were to wait, and were
not even to be bound, meanwhile, by
anything which Julia's family would
recognize as an engagement.
When Ronald Levett heard what
| had happened he gave way to a per.
feet tempest of passion. lie attacked
his old conrade with furious re.
proaches; and they might have had s
fierce quarrel but that Lionel was toe
generous, and now too happy, not to
| uldk0 lull dllOWduC0 even IOI bilc UlOS
unreasonable expression of his friend'i
disappointed and frustrated love. II
a few days Ronald returned 10 him
| self; became calm and reasonable
held out his hand to Lionel anG
begged for forgiveness which wa
cordially offered before he had time tt
ask explicitly for it. So the old com
Erades became comrades once more
and they presently set out together tt
make tour through Sicily.
This tour was the occasion of al
event which created at the time wil(
and painful excitement, Both tn
young men were missing for severa
days from Palermo. At last Ronald
dragged himself one day back to tn
hotel. He was haggard, wasted, ex
hausted, and with gunshot woun'