The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-07-20
The Artist Lover.

Il wonder now" and Eta Clayton nes-
tied her chin in the hollow of her small
hand and looked up at her companion
Il wonder what ON earth | should have
done without you, Ned?
Somebody else would have turned up
i Very likely with a strong accent of
cOntemptuous Scorn i wish | was sufli-
cientiy Micawberish to think so
She was Il very small specimen of hui
manty, this young lady OF seventeen, sit
ting curled up on Il very low stool beside
the re-place, and loohin into the face OF
Il tail broad shoudered, decidedly ugly
man, nearly thirty, who leaned his elbow
upon the mantclpiece, and returned her
earnest gaze. He was tall, big, with IL
regular features, heavy beard, blue eyes,
and magnificent teeth. She was petite,
| brunette, with glorious eyes, clear olive
| complexion, and promise Of beauty; at
present, however, at the sharp elbowed,
angular age. Her dress, new mourning. of
the coarSest kind her mended shoes her
raven hair, confined in a careless knot !;
her whole attitude and appearance told Of
| poverty and sorrow. The room--an artist $
studio-had no sign OF wealth save that
doubtful wealth Of genius portrayed in Il
few pictures, finished and unfinished, upon
the walls and the easel.
Only that day the hand that had worked
to cover the canvas and win daily bread
had been buried, where never more it
could caress the shining hair OF the only
child, who, exhausted with grief, leaned
against t!ic wall, and aped cheertulness to
cover sore misery.
y pause of expressive silence, and then
Eta spoke again
i wonder now - wondering now was
child of Bohemia-.I wonder what is to
become of me | cannot paint as poor pa
pa did, and imagine shall not do for a
governess | might he 4 ladys maid
Eta =
There was 4 sharp accent Of pain in
Edward Thorney's tone. The dark eyes
raised to his, danced merrily for Il mo-
ment
Or might marry Bruin.'
Eta :. in Il shocked tone.
lie asked me- was the saucy answer
i was afraid papa would kick him down
stairs; but he became grand-you know
how papa looked when he was intensely
dgni,ied, and declined the honor OF the
alliance
'lIow can You Jest on such subject?"
1t was ne jest to Bruin. lie was in
earnest. lie told papa he had fifty thou
sand pounds
And he Is about seventy.
'I-e-e-s. DO you think weeds would be
becoming to my style Of beauty? Then
noting the deep. deep pain upon the kind
face looking down upon her, Eta srrants
up, pillowtd her soft cheek upon the
sleeve Of Thornley's coat, and sald-oh
so gently ,-'Don't look grieycd. | must
laugh or cry. could scream out now with
the pain at my heart. Don't you see am
halt-mad What is to become Of me"
Oh how many times in the last three
days Thornley, had asked himself that
same question ? What is to become Of her?
Berett of her only relative, her father, who
dropped dead at his easel with heart dis
ease, leaving Just sufficient money to pay
funeral expenses, she stood alone. The
landIadv was kind hearted, but had al
ready seven mouths to feed. And the prob
| lem was the more difficult for him because
he loved her lie was her fathers pupil,
caking out n very narrow income by paint
| ing portraits writing for the press, and
accepting odd commissions from custom
ers or patrons. Looking now into the
| @rieved, pitiful face, it seemed to him the
best refuge he could suggest to gather the
little figure into his strong arms and shell
ter her there. lie might have spoken the
words so very near his lips, SO deep in his
| heart, but there came Il knocking at the
door, and the bewildering announcement:
An old gentleman wishes to see Miss
| Clayton.'
10 see me ? cried Eta.
YES, Miss, and took him into my par
! lor, because this is so confused like He is
! a splendid old gentleman, and came in a
carriage, with Il diamond ring, and chain
rs thick rs a rope
What a wonderful carriage = said Eta,
and darted away.
And Thornley,, left alone, walked mood
lily to the little front room that had been
Mr.. Clayton's sleeping room, and looked
out at the carriage-it hired one evidently,
| but handsome enough. Small comfort in
that; so he strolled back again. Proba
bly, somebody wanted Il picture now that
the order was a mockery. Eta could not
paint it. What could Eta do ? She could
Waien the very soul Of music in the rick
ETY. old piano in the studio and did not
know one note from another. She could
read the Spanish and German books in her
fathers library, but spoke no word of
either tongue She could contrive dresses
and hats of exquisite beauty. and catch
them together with an appalling disre-
| gard for neatneSS Clean, because she
was refined by nature she was not order
ly. having been the sole companion Of an
artist, careless and easy going from her
infancy. Sucha poor preparation for bread
| SnrpIV he W0nlI do bDr
wrong to ask her to share his own power
ty, even if they must share the toll as
well. Still musing, he walked the room
till Eta returned.
She had flashed out with that saucy re-
mark on her lips, her black eyes dancing
with the quick variation of mood charac-
teristic of her disposition. She came in,
deadly pale, with deep gravity in her
eyes, not SO much sad as solemn. lie had
never seen the shadow Of coming woman
hood 50 marked before upon the childliEe
face.
Ned she SAID, with her face steadied
by Il great effort, my grandfather wants
me-
Your grandfather?
1T is like a novel, Ned; but it is very
real. My grandfather is travelling for his
Hedit1, anu ne came here ScSlelu'tS III
the Times he saw poor papa's death, and
he came to find mamma, his only child
Just think, she ran away from him eighteen
years ago, and he has never heard of hel
since. But he knew it was papa, and he
cried like a child when told him mamma
died when | was baby. | am like her
he says, and he wants me. He is rich
His name is Randolph Ned, why dom
you speak? for Eta had LETT long inter
walls between her sentences to give him ar
opportunity to answer her.
And Thornley, stood by window, look
ing out, and not even turning his face to-
! ward her, for he was fighting his heart
with sore struggle. In Etta's quiverins
voice, in the undertone of yearning. hi
read the anguish it cost her to speak o
separation. Through sorrow she wa
, learning the secret of her own heart.
At the first word her grandfather hat
, spoken, Etta's thoughts had flown to Ned
, Lo from him Go to ease and luxury an(