Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-09-30
AUSTIN MOWER COUNTY, THURSDAY SEPT 80 1875.

be as bad as I am now. Yet I will do
my best. Give nc the money and let me
CO."
l watched her dark form plodding
| away over the snow until the black speck
vanished under the wall oftrces that lined
the road, and then came back into the
house where my mother and the deacon
were discussing their cider and apple
question.
"Has she gomez" asked the former.
"Ycs, she has gone," answered, short:
ly.
Il AMI glad of tllat,' said my mother,
"1've no faith in that Stella Severn. She
might have had good home with Mrs.
Lockwood, if only she had behaved her
selt"
And it was not until sometime afterward
that vcnturcd to tell my mother what l
had done.
"You are fool" said shc with acerbi
ty. "your dollar is as clean thrown away
as if you had pitched it down the we'll; !;
and I'm sure don't know what Mr.. Les
llic will think of your interference"
hung my head and made 40 answer.
But when the summer hung her coronal
Of cream colorcd roses over our farmhouse
door, and Hubert Leslie came back with
his easel and stretching umbrella that l
vcnturcd to ask him of Stella.
"Oh,' said he, 'that black eyed girl
With Spanish face? Yes, I remember
now. I got her = place as child's nurse
with my cousin, Mrs. Evelln, but she ran
away within the month"
"Nevcr mind, Efic,' said Mr.. Leslie,
kindly, "a good action is never entirely
thrown away. Stella Severn's gipsy blood
could i'll bear constraint; 5; but l don't think
she'll forget you, for all that"
That was just before Hubert Leslie ask
ed me to be his wife. We were married
the next spring, and went to New York
to live.
We had q little bit of room, opening
out Of Hubert's studio, where we kept
mouse like a pair of turtle doves in a nest
Although Hubert was such genius, and
had painted so many beautiful pictures
he was young, and comparatively un
known, and we found it hard to live, par
ticularly after the twins had opened their
blue eyes on the wintry sunshine Of a glo
rious February day. l had done little
fancy needlework for the store heretofore
but now my hands were ticd and it was
hard to see the shadows creep over Hu
berl's bros, aud know that had no pow
cr to lit them. So the years went by
More little ones clustered around oul
scanty board, and, although Hubert work
ed hard and conscientious|y, there were
,thcr artists who pandcrcd to the public
taste, and received more orders. We wer,
, very poor.
"l1ubcrt," sail I, one day, when tn
load of poverty had been almost mor
than we could bear, "don't you wish 20,
nevcr had marricd:'
"Do wish the sunshine had never com
into my lille ?" lie asked. "Ncverput tha
, question again, little wife. What woul'
existence be worth without you and th'
bairnies 90
"If you could sell that Thousand dvlla
picturc,'' sighed, thinking of somethin!
that had been on the easel for months
He shrugged his shoulders.
Harper says it isn't worth a copper,
said he. "lIarper thinks it is far bcyon'
the popular standard of appreciation"
y sighed; but in spite Of all our rriva
ton would not have asked Hubert II
lower his grand ideal ofart. Twas prout
of it. l was proud of him.
Hubert came in from the studio mex
day with radicnt face.
"Wifey, the golden age has dawncd, an(
; pure art is appreciated at least. l hav
sold my picture"
Mot the Sunrise Hubcrt?"
Eyes, the 'Sunrisc.' Look! l have
check for a thousand dollars, signed b,
Signora Estclla Sevcrina, the prima don;
who is now singing at the Academy. Sh
is in the studio now, and she says sh
wants to be introduced to the artists wife.
"But Hubert, my dress! My ginghan
dress"
"Oh, your dress is we'll enough, Mrs
=. Cinderella" he cried, laughing as h
drew me towards the door.
A lady sat in the models chair-a tall
superbly moulded lady, dressed in vclve
and an Indian shawl, " ilh ha,r Of ripple
purplish black, and large dusky eyes
:, The instant she looked up I knew he
again.
"Stella! Stella Sevcrn!' I cried with
sort Of grasp.
:, She rose, laughing and crying, and IA
~ into my arms.
"Eflie, darling, to think that we shoul
meet after all these years 8"
:, She told me, then, her story. How, a
ter long battling with the worlds Weiss
), tudes, she had come across an opera mar
ager WHO perceived the hidden treasur
= that existed in her voice, and voluntaril
" assumed the expense of training it!
And am rich and famous now," sal
Il she. II can pay back the debt owe t
you, EGie, for I think if it had not bee
. for you and your dollar bill, that winte
night, should have been driven to swa
low the little vial Of laudanum l had a
g ready IN my pockets"
i, "Oh, StcIla!'
"Ah, but I should You do not kno'