The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-24
A Queen of Spades.
ICONCLUDED.l
BY NJ, W. HAZELTINE.

d
home?' cried Bob, on one occasion, when
they had walked out along the Bartlett road
to point where Mount Washington itself
looms grandly against the northern verge,
shouldering way between Mount Franklin
and Mount Monroe.
"You can't mean," said practical Ruth,
''you would exchange the old farm for such
here, and know our house lies in hollow,
but the soil is ten times richer down the val
ley. Why, the country hereaDouts is scarce
fit to Craze over, and even buckwheat would
starve in land like thatp' And she pointed
to field where the stone were, no doubt,
discouragingly numerous.
"But we don't intend to go on farming"
explained Robin plaintively. 81 was only
thinking of the summer months, and what
paradise we might make of this quiet hillside,
ringed with forest and river and set in the eye
of that glorious scene. We need know moth
ing of Its bleak winter, for then we should be
in New York. thought you understood,
dear Ruth. Didn't tell you had taken
studio in town.
New Yorkp' cried Ruth, almost broken
hearted by this disclosure. "Give up the
farm, take me away from home?' And the
poor girl, though unused to the melting mood,
gave way to most unreasonable tears.
Here was plight for sensitive young ar
fist, who could not seriously think of relin-
gushing his calling, and yet was 10th to see a
woman cry-how much more buXom cousin
with hundred claims to his regard? What
arguments and Establishments, what humor-
ings and compromises were here resorted TO,
cannot tell, but it is certain the betrothed
There exists not a gentler, more considerate
being than modest Robin, or one less quail
fled to take the tyrant's vein; while Ruth,
with all her sturdy purpose and executive
turn, held quaint theories of female obed-
ence and wholesome notions of the rights of
man. Yet all the fostering aud comforting
In the world cannot sweeten the cup of exile
to the foolish Switzer lass, nor will the model
meekness of your Griselda rob bereavement
of its sting. I think Bob read this in his
companions patient looks, and, no doubt, he
Doticed that she seldom thenceforward went
singing about the house.
There is no situation more trying TO tn
temper than to find yourself the reluctant ex
acter of an irksome, rueful sacrifice. and no
wonder Bobs spirits at this epoch under
went considerable depression. suppose he
was conscious of his uncompanionable mood,
for he began to roam about the farm alone,
and evinced less relish for Miss Nell's light
chat during hours of labor. Over Miss Tyr
rell's portrait he was most assiduoIs, but
somehow the picture made no progress. Had
Bob addressed himself specially to portraiture
ne Ingnt na.uIany seea w nsne .Ie n ~, VI
la.nel lan.as.: supJeo., anu 80, pt.tS Wy ole
pquan1 tne anrd ;,, VI d sT
y p nav" o U;u nf his art and o
therefore, at a loss to explain his present fe-
verish and unsatisfed behavior. Two or
three weeks slipped away and still he was
dawdling and fddling with the canvas. Was
Npoos nusm pInsiso shauo" VII - w wal
anG az ~ LIZ VI n m"' h;a IL,
t II, sne ,s aoe ne hs p h oV'i "ni' uie"
Whv ahenld ;Snn;ra Allan wbo raoardod
art mich o az Rob raga rded ton,dressinc select
this moment IN visit The stndio and ventilate
his unyarnisbed heterodox opinions To be
snre he was ALWAYS lettering about The house
and cons "Ia With Ruth f,Von. Init matters
Of rnomant eporossed those discnssons and
II was rather tardv politeness that promp ,
him to ask what Rob was doing.
The ,s son attitnde az he surveved the
atelier whittier Ruth conducted him. was
verv affahle and friendly. and the discourse
he pronounced on the occasion abounded in
fresh frT,itfnl Suggestions, which Rob in a
normal frame of mind world have devonred
with infinite onsto.
stThem pictures O, scenery.n he remarked.
in the course of his review ssair GOOD and
vaphle They amt ro kind q, nse to me. hnt
citv folks that lived cooned nm in them briclr
6wellin,s and hain,t cot room tn keen car
din thew kin hire a chan to naint snthin,
Green and countrv-like which is huIsome 10
fhe mind Ami that the idee pn
Robin Thought perhaps it was.
"As for them naiaces.n pursued the ,souire.
nointing tn a street scene in Ferrara. land
marble meetin,- houses T set INV foot ao;in
'em as savorin, o. the pomns and supersti-
tions a, the old world. They air The high
nIaces of idolatrv and the sink o. corruntion.
Let 'em crumble to the airthv'
@Crnmblep, said Rob. indignantly. "Can,t
Won see the hearty of them as mere models pn
GAS models. n'raps . 'alIowed the critic.
afor a state bonse or Roston most offica thew
kin he used Rut that ere THING % he contin.
ned snannino !. fnoer Of Miss TvrreIps MIC.
tnro aupprp lin cav Sntbin, fori There ANT
NO No. ssns ~ IN i r. - S"S A''"- '' 90"
.syVha o 10 Won re.n pu cried Robin rod
denine. ~
exn,onssa .s;n ,bo oId t;me s" and with ,nnnau
tod I,va cot ono ., than, i;, e " - hnr
tbot oost ss;Cbt,, ho roearraJ - he s;ra;o
nras S ayocu,ed bv me sHnch r Se
,ooaI ar,;st ~ soma farno' uhnt 1rho;s ST.;
to nav NOWADAYS for all them naints and s van
10y rUbon woo non or cot nb"tn o h1 .a
dnar % Yon a ype smart Rober |n aea i tha
Init Won can't heat The snn. nohowp, '
seTbe sun,s an ass, - shouted Robin. nro-
yolod baunn5 endn1ance 1Tha snn ,a p,T
,m Uhea ShsIesneara looH bocEbesd st muua
md so aasn;n@ p at that bio bnlps eus '' GonS
lord man. do vomr features saw anvthinop
And the exnression of vonr face too at q
oiuen n,oment What 10 Il bnt the . rede AZ of
Sne mood "a SINGLE letter in the alnbahet Of
$1,000 Thay,ro 1neIl fttoS ~ foois" VI
unnr 1hn+ooronb, Rrt tho nrocn,rt f.no H.
s,t s.oa San,ands ,nI 10 800 ,mS
do ,t;I h haI p ,oIio5 " proG rs. anu
ora. I'D nrntad 10 +bara On tho ~, ,asS
Sc. a. anJ -. 0od Till, on rhnt oSmsSs
e. e. w Nv VIII l;,.a " tLo.U; VI
Huna c,n,h o1er Tho A insnIted nrtra ar'iS'
an not ao;nG t W ran;a poh;n co
rantine ;ntemnerate sneech for bn vas n vr@O
emily beartilv ashamed of i. Rntb "1 on p her
part could not have looked more confoupded
IF one of her sheen had bitten her and sneed-
iiy invented an excuse to draw the squire
away. '' ~ OO " WV 'aNA0
ssThats no business for me-" the squire
observed. when the two had retreated 10
less feryid atmosphere. 81 guess il NAYS
thopeh. when Won get the knack of il. ri
tell We. he added. what Robert ought to do:
lest hurry nm naint off a dozen ~ Them mic,
tnres. stock he old farm co,nnleie. and settle
down