Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-07

I have not bit of self-complaisance in
what 1 have done for Tom Erling's dsugh-
ter tonight, and l suppose now she will
be great nuisance to me-"
This rencoatre compelled him, even
against his inclination, to recall the gay,
clever, idle fellow whom he had so long
forgotten. ''What an infinite genius that
man had !" he muttered; there was moth
ing he couldn't turn his pencil to; and as
for music, it was his native tongue.
But, for all that, Tom Erling had been
failure and broken promise. He
worked irregularly, he never kept his
word, he fell into debt, borrowed money,
and by continual petty imposltions sinned
away his most faithful friends. And
vet the man had some excuses; for he had
been set to fight battle for which nature
had provided him no weapons. Time
money obligations! Tom knew the val
ue of none of these things. He ought to
have lived in some sunny Italian city,
and been cared for as the ravens are.
Lepel had at first been charmed with
his easy good-humor, his song and wit,
and free handed generosity. But men
can't afford to pay success and fame for
these pleasant things, and he had found
himself compelled to drop an acquaint-
anceship which brought him nothing
but unreasonable claims and annoyances.
Beatrice had then been shipshod, i'll
cared-for girl of twelve years old, per
fectly tamiliar1yith all her fathers shift
less, dishono1able ways ofraising money.
Scrambling breakfasts, disorderly din
ners, alternate fasting and teasting, was
the girls domestic story. She had picked
up knowledge of reading and writing,
and New York had done the rest for her.
In some marvellous way she had acquir-
ed lady-like and rather reserved manners
and the knowledge of making the most
of the little clothing she was able to pro-
cure.
But even among her fathers associates
she had no friends. The genial good-fel-
lows had nothing to spare for themselves
They all spoke pityingly of poor little
Bee" but not one of them would have de-
MED himself of cigar for her sake
When her father could no longer pro-
tect her, she had even got to fear them,
and to feel their notice of her, in some
way or another, an insult.
But Don Lepel's offer was different
thing. She thought it over after he had
left her, recalled his looks and tones, and
felt satisfied. "You are a lucky little
BENCH" she said smiling, and touching
almost superstltiously the rough wood
"and feel as though good fortune had
been making me call"
The next evening she was rather more
doubtful of it. Lepel had been very COO
and had made her fully earn her fifty
cents an hour. However, as the weeks
passed away, things grew pleasanter
Bee had plenty of tact, and had been il
an excellent school for developing it. She
saw at once that Lepel did not trust her
and that she would have to win his con-
tidence. Indeed, Lepel was constantly
expecting to find her the daughter finer
father. He feared that she would break
her word, forget her appointments, OF
ask for money in advance. AS her re-
serve passed away, and she became witty
and merry, or INDUCED herself in snatch.
es of songs, or new step in a dance, he
expected these moral ALTERATIONS more
and more.
But they did not come. Bee grew
rosy.cheeked and ligbt-hearted, began tc
dress with much taste, managed her small
funds with discretion, and said, grateful.
ly, ''she began to see the good OF living
In fact, before the winter was over, she
had got, through Lepels influence, 8
comfortable little business as model, ano
was making with her six hours hare
strain, three dollars day.
The Juue sunlight In which we first
saw Lepel's studio IS now January sun.
light. Somehow the room has q bright
look; perhaps it is the basket of flowers
on the table, or perhaps it might be such
trifle as cunning pair of bronze slip
pers trimmed with cherry -colored bows
that are standing on the hearth-rug. Dor
Lepel has just put them there. 1t is &
very, very cold morning; of course that
accounts for the action. He stands look.
ing at them with dreamy look in his
eyes, very unusual to those keen gray
orbs, until he hears clear, quick foot.
step come pit -pattlng along the hall
Then he resumes his preoccupied air and
his palette and pencil.
The door opens and in comes Bee. Hel
face is like rose, her eyes like starsi bel
dark blue suit has bits of snow all over
it, and so has her trim little hat and feath-
ers. She mods TO Lepel, shakes herself
jauntily, and then taking off her hat, fans
it gently before the fire to recurl the
feathers.
Better put on your slippers, Bee. I
can't have you take cold now, with these
three pictures on hand,
(Which do sit for this morning2"
"Ophelia. I have been painting the
face from mademolselle's photo; you will
dress and pose for the character"
81 don't feel like the love-lorn damsel
this morning. Bah! The idea of any
woman dying for love, and the snow, and
the sunshine, and the joys of music, and
reading, and eating, and walking to live
for! 1 suppose she was insane-ot course
she was
She was unbuttoning her boots during
this TRADE, and when she had slipped
her feet into the bronze slippers and
waltzed around the room, lodging Apol-
10 and Hercules very cleverIy. she an
nounced herself ready to begin. lE few