Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-25
The Romance of a Water Color.

Pretty Marie Lawrence sat in the ele-
gantly furnished library, dividing her
attentions between the book she had in
one hand and the sprightly little kitten
in her lap, which playfully toyed with
the trimming on her dress, when her
father entered, having returned from his
Office intent CT getting the cream of the
days news before dinner was served by
hasty scanning of the daily papers.
by the way, Marie" he said, rather
absent-mindedly rs he settled into n
large easy chair, there's little package
on the table in the hall which the ex-
pressman left at the Office to-day"
' For me, did you say. pa? Why, I'm
not expecting anything by express"
The matter was quickly settled by
Marie going into the hall and returning
with package about an inch and half
thick and perhaps foot by a foot and "A
half square. There could be no mistake
about it, for there were the name and
address as plain as could be. The small
red label showed that it had come from
New York,
:" don't see what it is or whom it Is
from" "she said, as she laid 1t down TO go
in pursuit of something with which to
cut the binding cord and wrapper.
A moment later she held at arms
leE 9Th little landscape done in water
colors and enclosed In an artistic gold
leaf frame.
She was not long in recognizing the
locality. however. from which it was
sketched. for II was perfectly fami lar
to her, bVIng the old mill in the town
where she spent portion ofevery sum-
mer. Yes, there was the pond stretch
ing back till it was lost in the distance; !;
and thn lftflp IL arnaga1 tho
roadway under the single-arched stone
bridge seemed true to nature. How
often had she visited that old mill made
dear to her perhaps by girlhood's men,
ories!
But who was the artist that had
painted it, and why had it been sent to
her?
Sure enough, among her long list of
acquaintance there was not single
artist.
In the lower right-ba corner there
was a cipher which had escaped her
scrutiny. and which on closer examlna-
tion took the form of -. H"
MIR. Lawrence regarded the picture
for minute, and rs he handed it back
to his daughter he said that whoever
the author of II was he was far from be-
ing novice, for such blending of light
The remainder of the household were
taken into the library after dinner to
look Mt the picture, and many were the
utterances In admiration, of IL, and
many were the surmises as to why IL
had been so Unexpectedly sent to Marie.
The mother said that probably il would
be explained In good time. And sure
enough. for the next Mornings mail
brought n letter for Miss Lawrence
which partially cleared up nc mystery.
And so Jerome Hart Is artist and
strives to enter into corr, pondence
with me. does hei" and Marie stamped
l.cr pretty foot in an impetuous manner
and threw the letter to her mott or.
Mrs. Lawrence read 1t slowly, md as
she returned It to the envelope she
asked her daughter If she had any idea
who Mr.. Hart was.
mot the faintest, only that the letter
says he Is an artist and has his studio Mt
No. 1856 - street. New York ;" came tn,
response, "and he must be as poor In
Judgment as such people generally are
in pocket to send me picture one day,
followed by u letter on the next, saying
that be has had a desire for some time %
know me, and trusts that / will keen
the sketch, which of course means to
= . correspondence with the fellow
by writing note of acceptance" she
continued, showing her displ.asure as
much IN her expression as in her speech.
To be sure" Mrs. Lawrence said,
u was peculiar way Of seeking nm
acquaintance which must OF course
follow should the picture be kept" and
she quickly decided that It must be ry-
tui ned: SO the next express to New
York bore the package which had
created the admiration and ut last the
ditpleasure of the family. A letter
written by Mrs. Lawrence was placed