The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-03-01

Cuas5 IIOm HALer-cOlOF exhibition
Tney bad been nearly all duly in
spected, Frank making apprppriat.
! reference, Of course, to Mss Dlerss
J own taste and skill In the art anC
the party We're passing along 3 cor
J ridor back to tue drawing room fol-
afternoon tea, when the sight OF an
easel, through = half open door
caught Huary's attention.
"YOar painting-r0Om, Miss D 4cres,
l presume" be cried, stopping, while
Mr. Hughes and his two daughters,
who We're in advance, continued
their way to the drawing-Oom
May l not be privileged tJs.s WnAt
you are doing -
80, have very little to show; but
IL you care to look, walk in"
he did so, step in advance OF her.
n an instant she shot by him like q
rush Of wind, and with q sweep Ol
her arm rapidly drew q curtain across
q little recess or alcOve but Franks
eyes were quicker than ner action /;
she was too late, for be had seen
what? ? Why, his picture. "a Lldy
Sketehing," &c, hanging on the
wall, and side by side with 1t, as COM
panion, his own portrait "An Art
ist Sketching," &C.! 1.
Covered with confusion and blush
es, she stood convicted. Far tO0 gen.
eTOus to take undue advantage, Hill
ary Immediately turned 20 the work
on the easel, aud after q few unmean-
ing words Of criticism he said, "Iou
are going to send this drawing to the
| Academy ?"
eff get it finished iu time" she
answered, reddening q little.
80, you must; il would never do
for 'Corisande Brown not to be req
| resented" )"
Il think you are very unkind, Mr..
Hilary"
"DO you then behave in a Chris
tisn spirit-ratu-n good for evil; be
kind to me-"
He hardly knew what be WAS say
ing, but he was very conscious OF tha
truth of the axiom, "faint heart
&c, and this consciousness swept all
before it. He turned toward her.
81 have guessed this, hoped this,
all along; that Is, that you, Cori-
sande Brown, and the purchaser Of
my picture, were one and the same
person. 1 have an intuItive eonvie-
ton of it, q presentiment, Miss
Daeres."
81 don't believe Ia prezentiments,"
she answered, avoiding his eyes and
going to the door. "Fes is waiting"
o, pray stop 8 moment; at least
you believe ia St. Valentine you
said 80 at the Academy"
''I said nothing Of the kind"
"Ah, but you said the two pictures,
our two pictures, would make q pair
Of Valentines, q happy pair Ac-
cept the omen, Miss DAcress there
must be something in it. Why, To-
day is the annIverssry-tO-day is the
18th St. Valentine again, as live
Tt is fate we cannot fly ia the f4es OF
fate when it thus DEGREES US both .
chance in the lottery, and assures me
that, if l win, at least must do SO
with 8 priceless prizs. Say that I
may hope, and if the devotion of q
life have any influence, you shall adj
NIT that at least you nave not drawn
q blank"
He had followed her to the door,
and for one moment held her band in
his, and put it to his lips before she
passed out, and led the way without
= word to the drsWing-room.
WHAT need to detail the sequel to .
scene like this ? Clearly there could
be but one. Ground thus broker,
Frank Hilary's impetuOus courage
bore down all obstacles, and some
months before the next anniversary
Of St. Valentine came round, the hap.
pay pair were at work in the same
studio.
"Corisande Brown" Is still q fire.
quent exhibitor. Frank often sits to
her (he is very handsome,) but she
tells him he Is by no means so steady
q model as be was at that memorable
time at Old Croyston.
"Ah, did not know you were look
ing at me then," be pleads, ''and by
the bye, you have never told me how
it was you managed to elude my
esgle eye +; was looking everywhere
for you the two following days"
20, it was on the afternoon Of st.
Valentines day that made my
sketch of you," answered Mrs. Hill
sry. 81 wanted to finish my sketch,
and 1 was returning through the
wilderness from lunching with old
Lady Belport, when l caught sight of
you in the distance, and determined
70 Try ana nave peep az WnaE you
were doing so made 8 great round,
and came upon you from the other
side Of the c0pse, where you never
looked. or course it was very wrong
of me but 1 got quite close, so close
that could see you drawing. To my
surprise, 1 beheld ycu were touching
up, not q drawing of CroystOn Tow
ers, but s sketch OF myself. 1 was
piqued at your impertinence, and so,
as you said sfterwsrd, took my re-
venge. made q sketch Of you, and
erept away again, like the guilty
creature that was, in the gloon OF
the evening, without your once hav-
ing had an idea Of my presence
was not near the place after tnat."
"Well, all is fair in love and war;"
answered Frank 1--WE were both
guilty creatures it was tit for tat. |
You don't grumble, do you ?'
"No, indeed" answered his wife !;
"iOr feel that l, no less than you,
las you say,l have drawn prize in |
st. Valentines lottery "--LondoH |
Society.