Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-05-29

~. Dsvsas would loss Il Ne Thought
10. be was coming, quickly but mot sure
'ly. His foot may have been upon tn
step whom II painted and rolled forward
and broke up suddenly with . noise like
tho crack Of doom. II seemed to Laurs
- II the heavens had rolled together u
: scroll ct that instant. She knew what
had happened without hearing . word
she was on her feet, cropping her way out
amidst the excited thrOng, which seemed
to part instinctivcly to let her pasa. She
did not know that she had called his
name tenderly, wildly, with the terrible
solicitude in her voice which only love
lends. She knew nothing till she found
him lying like death, broken, beside the
track, white and speeches and mutila-
ted. She crouched beside him there,
whispering tender words, ~ If he could
understand, rs if they two were alone,
and not the spectacle of 4 curious crowd.
~ was desperate, Laura, at losing
you," were his first faint words. 81 be-
Level took something to drink-at the
inn-in Chester-just to forget about it
all. The first-and the last"
There is to this day an unfinished por-
tA0Aty wi MGu A000 W stuC WILL, III tlC
studio Of Mr.. Raphael Smith.
"The lady arrived for her last
sitting" he expiainA Her husband
would have purchased il, but the artist
declined to sell an unfipished painting.
81 meant the portrait for a Christmas
present, dear, to you" said Mrs. Devens.
"That wa why l went to town 80 pri-
vately to my sittingA Why made such
a secret Of it,
"And the wretched fellow prolonged
the sittings in order to make love to
you"
" remember the very day when / re-
ceived the postal card from Cousin Jack
her name is Jacqueline, but We call
her Jack for brevity-telling me what
day to 80 up for my FIRST sitting. Mrs.
Bender brought it, and / thought you
would be in that evening. l supposed
you would drop 1t at any moment and
make up; and then-afterward-I had
engaged the portrait, and what excuse
could l give for Withdrawing, and Jack
at all the bother of securing Mr.. Smiths
servicesT
And presently it grew interesting,
a Raphael at you feet. 1 will
that l heard him kiss you at the
gate, and vow he should be the hap
piest-"
"No, cir; he only kissed my hand, and
said he should be the happiest artist alive
when the picture was finished, and
begged permission 80 show II to his
friends and fellow.students.'"
"But pardon, Mrs. Devens; what was
it you owed MI. Smith for which you
could return so little?'
why, ] thought you knew. / owed
him a heart, but found myself insolvent.
had stolen all l had"
Indeed" said MI. Devens, taking up
his crutch, ~ wonder you preferred a
cripple; but I'm glad you did"
Well, now, postal cards don't seem to
give much information, after ALL" con-
sidered Mrs. Bender, when she happened
to hear the solution of the riddle, "How
was l to know that Jack was only a girl,
and Laura was just going to town to have
her picture taken? 1t beats all how
misleading they are. AL I've gol to say
is, they might a. well never have been
invented"
But it was owing to a postal card that
Mr.. Devens married a gray-haired bride,
and that Laura Vaughn welded a Grip
pied lover.-Hayper's Bazaar.