The Portland daily press., 1871-08-26

chestnut bralus,WdS gracefully SET on slender
white neck. Her smile was of surprising
beauty-it lit up her whole face-and her
hands and feet were exceedingly small and
beautifully proportioned. This fair gll, who
was apparently about twenty years of age,
wore plala Waite dress, with a tartan scarf
anu SASH, ana white straw hat, Simply trim
nied with purple and white heath-blossoms.
she might have passed for Ellen in the LADY
OF the Lake"
"Oh dear, am sure l beg your pardon!"
said the lady.
''Anne Boleyn, by Jovew thought the gen.
tleman; but he said as lie glanced at the
sketch-b book she held in her hand-"Nay,
BEG yours, if, as guess, have occupied the
place from which you intend TO sketchT
"Yes-no-that is %, pray do not move,"
as she saw Reginald Ashe begin patting TO-
eether his palette and brushes. "MiDe is no
sketch, it is merely scratch. l was never
taught. In fact this is my first attempt"
But Reginald had risen.
CO. do pray finish your painting" said the
Young girl Il shall be so distressed" And
She really looked so. "May l glance at it?"
she asked timidly.
80 yes, shall be most happy" said the
young man, looking at her with an artists
eye.
Beautiful" cried she.
beautiful indeed" echoed he. But the
lady meant the sketch, and the artist meant |
the lady.
1t is perfectly wonderful, when people have |
taste in common, how quickly they manage |
to make friends over it. Bring two entbusi- |
aStlc musicians, painters or politicians togeth- |
er Tor the first time, and in half an hour thew |
will be as intimate as if they had known each |
other all their lives. 1t is no wonder, then,
that the acquaintanceship progresses rapidly,
when on one side there is an intelligent and
beautiful girl, and on the other a handsome
and clever young man of fascinating manners.
Reginald found himself explaining and sug-
| costing to the yonng girl, as if he had been
engaged to teach her at half guinea lesson.
| lie ran through the gamut of Outline
'tone," eight" "coloring" and "chlare- obscu-
ro," with glib proficiency. Nor did his fair
| pupil appear by any means 10th to learn, 1t
| must be said in her excuse (if any OF our be-
witching town-bred ladies who read this pro-
nounce her "bold thing") that Belgravan
etiquette has not as yet been introduced into
| the Welsh mountains-and long may it be ere
| it is so! Lillian Wrasse flor it was the rector's
daughterl was speaking to a stranger without
an introduction, it is true; but then mutual
| love tor art drew them together, and the
lady spoke and acted as only true gentle
woman can do.
| Meanwhile, having finished his own sketch,
| the artlstwas examining that of Miss Wrasse
| and pointing out to her in what respects il
H..
| nave been expected from an unuaught hand
| Out rude as 1t was, it nevertheless bore evil
dences within it OF truth and artistic instincts.
Lillian was pleased with the artists approba-
llon OF what was good in her sketch, temper
ed as 1t was by honest censure of that which
| was bad.
81 like to be told my faults" she said.
Papa says my drawing is perfection; but |
| know, feel it is not. o, thank you for tell
! ing me-"
Reginald was amused, yet pleased How
| different was this unsophisticated sirl from
] ms fair London acquaintance, with whom, to
| question the perfection of anything they did
was to put oneself under the ban of perpetual
| exile from circles polite.
| Nobody ever taught me, you see," said
| Lillian; "oh, L should like to have a MASTER"
| And should like to be he," thought Regi-
nald But he did not say so. He knew the
propreties. Yet he was more than half in
love with this charming Welsh maid already
pang shot through his heart as he reflected
that this chance meeting would probably be
the last,snce he knew not who the young lady
was. Did similar reflection possibly cross
Llllan's mind? 1t is not improbable.
the sun had by this time risen high in the
heavens, and Miss Wrasse hastily prepared to
turn her steps hOmeward.
Il am so much obliged to you for your
hints she said, adjusting her red plaid scarf;
|
| 80, do not thank me-" he said with GLOW
OF his handsome face. at has been such
| pleasure" Then, unable to resist the tempta-
ton, he added, "May l not hope we shall
| meet"
| But, with graceful bow, she turned away
| her blushing face and was gone.
The artist stood a lew moments watching
the tall slight figure as, with white dress fut
terlng, 1T slowly descended from the hill-slope
| to the moorlands below. He sighed uncon-
sciously as he thought how often it happens
thus in life. We meet lin some railway car
rage perhaps) man whom instinct tells us
VIC could love as FRIEND or woman who
; realizes our day dream. The station is reach
ell, the train stops, and into the seething
crowd OF life vanish both man and woman
leaving us with vague indefinable feeling of
something missing" which we never expert
enced before.
But as Reginald Ashe stood watching the
young girl (who had certainly not left him
fancy free'O he observed her suddenly stoop
with gesture that betokened somewhat of
alarm, and look undecidedly round her. Be-
fore the artist-though he strained his gaze to
the utmost-conld discern the reason of this.
he beheld the young girl turn round and re
trace her steps toward the spot where he
stood, looking up to him as she did so, and
augmenting her pace till it reached positive
run.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed Reginald.
what can be the matterW and he advanced
rapidly to the young lady's assistance He
had not run twenty yards down the hill side,
with his painting tresses in his hand, when
an agonized shrek from Lillian made him re-
| double his pace, and at the same p,oment he
| perceived the cause of her alarm.
A few yards behind the young GIRL and fol-
/ lowing at a brisk trot, was one of the largest
| of the shaggy black cattle of which we have
| spoken; Although this species is of no size as
| compared with the ordinary kinds of cattle,
they are often obstinate and vicious to de-
| gree, and sufficiently powerful to give any,
body whom they may attack a poor chance OF
| getting away from them without either loss
| OF life or damage to limb. The spiteiul little
brute was probably attracted by the red por-
| ton OF Lillian's scarf, for she wore "Rob
Roy" tartan; and as he followed her. he stop
ped few momentl TO below vrathfuy and
to toss his shaggy black head, in which his
little evil eyes twinkled from out forest of
of hair like those If a demon. Fortunately.
this deliberate gloating over the prospect of
the immoation of a victim gave Lillian time
to gain considerably on her pursuer, and to
Reginald to take in the whole situation and
determine upon his course of action. He had
observed, as he descended the hill a small
clump of Stunted thorn bushes, the shelter of
which it was his object to gain, and accord
ingy, having reached Lillian and taken her
lc Hall ulSeu, Hall uTdSSeu terrified
girl till they were both safely ensconsed behind
this friendly shelter. 1t was not too soon, for
they had barely reached the bushes when
their vicious little enemy was upon them.
Now the bushes, seven in number, formed |
cump, round which it was impossible, so long
as Reginald and Lillian kept moving, for the |
bull to catch them. Accordingly they lodged |
round and round the clump, until the young |
girl sick, terrified and giddy, was on the point |
of tainting. The bull, nothing daunted. i'm |
spite of several severe blows on his muzz lie |
from the artists tressels, continued to walk |
around the trees with all thesmalignity of |
cat who has mouse IN view which she |
knows cannot escape her; when it suddenly |
occurred to Reginald, that were The cause of |
his anger removed, the bull might become |
more manageable. Accordingly Lillian, with |
the help OF the young man, removed the OBJ |
noXIous scarf, which Reginald rolled I'D and /
concealed in his pocket. No sooner was the |
object OF his hatred removed than the savage
little animal stared stupidity at the pair, as If |
deslrOus OF some fresh pr0vocation, and then
baked OF his intended assault on the detest- |
ed color, gave snort OF indignation and then 1
trotted back to rejoin the herd.
But directly all immediate danger was re- /
moved, the highly-wrought nerves eff the /
young girl gave way and she tainted, The
artist laid her gently and tendery down on |
the heather, aud proceeded to fill his cap with
water at one of the many rivulets which me-
andered over the moor. This done, he mix
ed with it small portion of brandy from his
luncheon flask, anu bathed the temples and
hands OF the insensibIe girl. Whilst he was
i u