The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-16

''No" cried the artist, passionately- mo!
only from her own lips will l condemn her.
This may be only idle gossip of the hangers.
on of the fashionable world. My darling"
he exclaimed, addressing the picture upon
the easel, show can / doubt you? Truth
looks from those radiant eyes; love breathe
from those rosy lips, and no words but your
own will convince me of your falsehood."
At this moment carriage suddenly
stopped in the street below, and q fashion
able footman's rap resounded from the door.
Perhaps you may hear those words ere
long, said Clarice, looking from the win
dow, 'for Miss Ovington is here. 1t must
be something very extraordinary which can
have brought the queen of fashion to the
artists humble studio"
MAUD herew cried Clarence Suydam.
"You are dreaming, Clarice"
"Conviuce yourself then, cousin. There
is the lady's carriage, and there is the lady
herself" added Clarice, as an elegantly
dressed woman descended from the vehicle
The artists care-worn face grew pale as he
recognized the original of the miniature.
"Maud at my studio" he muttered:
something strange must have happened!
Leave me, Clarice-leave mel" he added,
with nervous impatience; ~ must see her
alone"
The young girl retired silently into nm ad-
Joining apartment, which was divided from
the artists studio by heavy curtains of dam
ask.
Clarence Suydam listened to her retreat
ing footsteps, and then, going to the cur
tains, parted them and looked into the
apartment within.
1t was empty His cousin Clarice had
left it by door opposite the cuTtained arch
way-a door which led to the other part Of
the house.
"All is safe," said Clarence, as he closed
the curtains ''We must have no listener.
Lscarcely know why, but there is something
| in Clarice's manner which inspires me with
| fear What a terrible hatred she betrays to-
ward the woman lover
He was silent, his heart beating violently,
as he listened TO light footstep upon the
staircase without
at is sher' he exclaimed-'it is Maudw
| The door opened, and the original Of the
miniature entered the room.
Miss Ovington was paler than the artist
himself. Her large blue eyes were sur
rounded by purple circles, which told OF
sleepless nights, harrassed by anxiou,
thoughts. The hand which she extended to
the artist trembled as he grasped it in his
own.
"You here, Maud" he exclaimed.
| ayes" she answered, withdrawing her
hand "I come alone, unannounced, at the
risk of my reputation, because life and death
are in the errand."
Life and death"
eyes, Clarence my life or my death.
came to demand of you a sacrifice"
"a sacrifce" repeated the artist, trembl-
IA sacrifice, Clarence, said Maud Owing.
ton-"you must release me from the VOWS
which bind us."
"Release you, Maud2 Neyer!"
"You must, tell you, Clarence" she
said, her large eyes dilating with glare Of
feverish brightness. 81 told you but mo-
ment ago that came upon an errand of life
and death; spoke the truth when said SO.
| can never be your wife!
As Maud Oyington uttered these words a
singular change came over the face OF the
artist. Until that moment his gaze had
been fixed, with earnest alteration, upon the
counteuance of the woman he loved but as
these words were spoken his brow con,
tracted, the light in his eyes slowly faded
and the lines about his mouth assumed the
rigldIty OF iron.
1t was AZ if in that one moment his feel
ings toward Maud Ovington had been trans
formed from love to hate.
Il understand you, Miss Ovington," b,
said. at is an old story. The artist who
PAINTED your portrait and who fell wildly il
love with the original, was, no doubt, anus
ing Tor Il time. But, ridiculous as the
mans folly has been, you have at last grown
weary OF It and come to-day to tell him 30.
| ~ w a TnnpkInu me"
"Not so; it is you who have Knocked me
il is you who have spurted with the heart o
the struggling artist; it is you who have lee
him Oh with dreams of elysium, and whc
now casts him back upon the realities o
hell. Do not fear me, Maud Ovington;
release YOU from the VOWS which yol
breathed n few brief months ago. Tho wo
man | loved was all truth and constancy
but | discover to-day that she was but
creature of the artists fancy-she was neve
Mand Ovington. | have read of your in
tended marriage in the Herald madam.
, know all.
!, "But you do not know the motives fo
that marriage, Clarence
II do not seek to know them.
sYou do not know that my father is
! ruined man; that this marriage alone ca
save me from ahject poverty-the most al
jeet, the most terrible poverty-the povert
of the great who dare not confess that the
= are poor.
Il would have worked for you, Maud,
said the artist, reproachfully.
"Yes, and at best your work would hav
"" "" given me bread" answered Miss Ovngtor
with a bitter laugh. sit was brigl
- dream Clarence do not be angry with MT
. if am thn first to awaken from that dream
" You could never have given me wealth an
= splendor, and those are as necessary to III
u as the air l breathe. The General can Civ
b me these, and he can save my father trol
ruin; have therefore accepted him.
= $50 be it, madam. And you have CON
u to bid me farewell. / do not complain
u Shall conduct you to your carriage?"
> "Not yet, Clarence; l have favor to as
i of you"
u u IA favor"
d "Yes. In the old, happy time, while o,
brief dream Of love lasted, | wrote you Sc
eral letters-letters in which | poured Of
~ my soul to the man loved. You have the
=, still?"
y ''I have them still. Ay, Maud Ovingtol
~ have kept them as miser would keep Il
-. rarest jewels from monarch's crow
y, :, There are thirteen of those dear letters
~ thirteen letters filled with VOWS of love al
constancy, which |, poor fool, believed!
"You must return me those letters, Cla
- ence," SAID Maud Ovngton.
u VI "Return them! Why, MADAME?
l" "Because General Dumont is prot
man. When he made me the offer of b
W. hand, he oxlorteu nom me an oath that
b had never loved before"
"And you took that false oath, Ma,
10 OvingtonY"
od aa 81 did. Clarence; was mad perhaps, b
w took the nath Now Uslen 10 IL