The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-07-25

have been the fault OF her girl hood
her subsequent years bad fully ston
ed for it; she had used her giits right
" in the case Of her stepson, and his
father, who had died about yeal
ago, blessing her Tor her unwesriei
devotion and the happiness shs had
given him. leaving her the updisputed
guardianship Of b only child. +
As 5000 as thsif meal was conclnd'
ed she went into he adjoining room,
divided by folding doors from the ont
in which they had been sitting. II
bore no traces Of : previous occupant
like the other, ssvs for . fewperfsctly
executed pictures which hung above
the manetl-piece. She had her trsv
cling bag 10 her hand as she entered,
which she was about to deposit upon
table, when herseye caught Sigh,
of one Of the pictuses, and the bag
fell to the ground - she started for
ward to examine tie pencil-sketeh.
Impossible! |" she exclaimed: and
she gszed around the room, helpless.
ly, 70 see if she copld by any means
find aught therein that would throw
a light upon the mystery before her
but all was void tables. chairs. war
drobe, and dressing appliances were
what met her gaze; while. like Ole
fascinated, she continued standing
before the sketch a. if spell-bound.
"Are you coming 30 IN ~ inquired
Fred, knocking, who, notwithstsnd.
ing his disinclinatiQn to tree converse
could never bear h1r long out of bis
sight when they were together.
II will be with 1ou in moment. .
she returned, recalling herself with
no slight effort.
What is the mstter?" be excls;m
ed as soon as she joined him. "You
look as white as 4 ghost; YOU are
over-tired, l suspec{; had you moi
better get to sleep as soon as you
can?" he inquired With concern, as
he noticed that she was suffering
from an amount of nervous ex
bausuicn that alarmed him.
at is nothing" she returned "the
journey was fatiguipg )" and then hel
eyes stole round the room with sup
pressed interest.
as that the pretty girl you want
ed me TO admire, Fred, just now when
I was 100 hungry 70 obllge you ?"
"Yes. Is she not a picture
What ! should callsa 'stunuer p"
when shall we ever knock the
scboolboy out of you. Fred ?" she
cried, laughing. You are q long
way off from that rs6ned phraseoIo
gy 1 am laboring to inculcate. Bot
you are right 10 this case. 1t is q
beautiful picture Of what | should
csll detestable character. She ii
as you remark, 'stgnner.' There il
not the least soul 10 her face; nothing
but proud self consciousness, as if she
were saying: I am q beauty, and
know it, Poor thing! she is to be
pitied if that is true picture, and il
looks as if it were"
"How is she to be pitied ? dom
see that at ALL"
Because you can't see yet, Fred,
from your brief study of her face, tia,
girl Ike that may learn to feel al
some lime or another, and when she
does, the lesson is generally such q
painful one that few have the cour
age to rise above it. The artist who
drew her was 10 no lenient mood
be could detect nothing in her bu. The
stern facts which possibly made hin
suffer-" she added in an undertone
accompanied by a long-drawn sigh
Il wish we had book to read !; try
the bookcase it may be unlocked"
He did as she bade him; and shool
his head negatively as he went FIRST
TO the bookcase and then to the pi
ano.
The gentleman as our landlady
calls him, is a cautious man evident
ly," said Mrs Arlington. "Well, We
must not find fault with him, for bis
amiability toward his landiady ha:
secured US nights repose. l won.
der il he is the artist of these pie
lures? am ashamed of my curiosi
ty, but l have a wish to know
Could you be diplomatic, Fred, and
End out FIR me 7"
"W5y no, ask the landlady straigb,
out?
II hate to appear SO iaquisitive, as
il is of no moment to Us who be is
II don't know that. If be is an
artist, be would, no doubt, be much
obliged to us for asking. Act on
that presumption You admire the
pictures, and may possibly wish to
order some, or TO sit for your por.
trait"
"How magnificent you are, Fred
We look likely pair-don't We ITO
order pictures or sit for portraits! A
hundred guineas or SO are nothing to
US, are they, my poor boy? Rem 10
your fancy. am afraid of you in
this respect, when you are once fairly
launched on your own resources, as
| cannot always be at your elbow, to
control your lavish ideas, and our
r,~.o, go uas 10 roo
"Well, l was only suggesting,
you know, . ready rode of solving
your difficulty about finding out who
is the artist If these pictnres," said
the boy as be wished her goodnight.
As soon as be was gone, Mrs. Arl.
ington went cautiously round the
room, making minute survey oi
every article, with look of intense
interest 10 her face, as though she
was searching for clue she could nc,
ind Every vase on the mantle-piece
she subjected to close scrutiny, to
see if possibly . card or old envelope
lay concealed therein. But every,
thing was dumb, aud refused TO bear
the least witness as to the name or
calling Of the previous occupant.
Quite foiled, she sat down and fell
into profound reverie, which consin-
ued until the landlsdy knocked at the
door, and entered to inquire if there
was anything more she wanted. and
when she would Re her breakfast 10
the morning
"Thant youi nothing more to,
night aad breakfast ct Q. BY the
way. have you any other lodgers ia
the house ?n