The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-01-05
"Has she gone ?" asked the form

"Yes, she's gone,n ] answered.
'l am glad of that said nv moth.
er; | have no faith in that Stella
Severn. She might have had a good
home with Mrs. Lockwood, if she
had only behaved herself"
1t was not till some time afterward
that ventured to tell nv mother
what | bad done.
"You are a fool" she said, with
acerbity. "Your dollar is as clean
thrown away as if you had pitched
i! down the well and | am sure
don't know what Mr.. Leslie will
think of your interference.
hung my head and made no an
swer; but when summer hung her
coronal Of big, cream colored roses
over our farm house door, and Hubert
Leslie came back with his easel and
sketching umbrella, ventured to ask
him of Stella.
"Ob," said be, chat black eyed
/ girl with the Spanish face? Yes. |
remember now, got her place as
child's nurse with nv cousin, Mrs.
Evelyn, but she ran away within a
month"
That was just before Hubert Leslie
asked me to be his wife. We were
married the next spring, and | went
to New York to live.
| We had little bit of room open-
/ ing out of Hubert'5 studio, where we
kept house like pair of turtle doves
in nest Although Hubert was
such genius aud had painted so
many beautiful pictures, he was
young and comparatively unknown,
and we found it hard to live, portion
larly after the twins had opened their
blue eyes on the wintry sunshine of
glorious February day. | had done
little fancy needle work lfor the
store heretofore, but now nv hands
were tired, aud it was hard to see
the shadows creep over Hubert's
brow aud know that | had no power
to lift them,
So the years went by. More little
ones clustered around our scantv
board, and although Hubert worked
hard and conseientiously there were
other artists who pandered to the
public lasts and received more orders
We were very poor.
Hubert" said one dav, when
the load of poverty had been almost
more than we could bear, don't you
wish you had never married?"
"Do | wish sunshine had never
come into my life?" be asked. "Nev-
er put that question again, nv little
wife. VIVA. would existence be
without you and The bairnies ?"
If you could only sell that thous-
and dollar picture" | sighed. think
ing of something that had been on
the easel for months.
Harper says it isn't worth dol
lar" said Hubert, Struggling bis
shoulders. Harper thinks it far be-
yond the standard OF appreciation" "
| sighed. but in spite of poverty. |
would not have asked Hubert to low
er his grand ideal of art. | was
proud of it-I was proud of him.
Hubert came in from the studio
next day with radiant face.
Little wife, the golden age has at
last dawned, and true art is appreci-
ated. | have sold my picture"
Not the Sunrise Hubert ?"
"Yes, the Sunrise Look Here's
a check for 81, 900, signed by Signora
Es,ella Severini, the great prima DON
ma, who is now singing at the Acade-
my. She is in the studio now, and
says she wants to be introduced to
the artists wife,
But, Hubert, my dress! My ging-
ham dress ~
"Oh, your dress is good enough.
Mrs. Cinderella" be cried laughing
as he drew me towards the door.
A lady sat in the models chair-a
tall, superbly nodded lady, dressed
in black velvet aud an Indian shawl.
with hair of rippled purplish black,
aid big dusky eyes. The instant
she looked up knew her.
stella Stella Severn " | cried.
with sort of gasp.
She rose, laughing and crying, and
ran into my arms
"Efiie, darling, to think that we
should meet again :"
She told me her story. How, af-
ter battling with the world vicis-
situdes, she had come across an
opera manager, who perceived the
hidden treasure that existed in her
voice, and voluntarily assumed the
expense of training it.
Il am rich and famous now" said
she. can pay back the debt | owe
to you, Ellie, for | think if it had not
been for you and your dollar bill
that winter night should have been
driven to swallow the little bottle of
laudanum | had in nv pocket"
"Oh, Stella !"
"Ah, but | should. You do not
understand how prosecuted and
haunted | was, Effie--but, thank
God, that is over"
Signora Severini's thousand dollar
check was the beginning of our new
fortunes; it was the fashion to copy
her whims and cGprices. Other peo-
pie bought BECAUSE she did-and
pretty soon we were able to move in
to pretty cottage of our own in the
suburbs.
And when my mother and Deacon
Cornell, down i'll the country, beard
what Stella Severn bad become, they
declared savagely
'N ell, there's never anv telling
how things may turn ont in this
world !"
Mrs. Skinner on Woman's Rights.