The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-04-09
ROnaDrS Of a Watpr-COlOr.
BY " Pen ELoPE. I"

BY "PEN ELoPE."
Pretty Marie Lawrence sat in the Gle
gantly furnished library, dividing her ut
tentions between the book which she had
In one hand, and the spaghtly little kit
ten she had in her lap, which playfully
toyed with the trimming on her dress.
when her father entered, having return
ed from his Office intent on getting the
cream of the days news before dinner
was seived by hasty scanning of the
daily papers.
"By the way, Marie, he said, rather
absent-mindedly, as he settled into n
large easy-chair, "there's little package
on the table In the hall which the ex-
press-man 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 a foot by foot and n
half square. There could be no mistake
about 1t, for there was the name and adj
dress rs plain as could be. The small
red label showed that it had come from
New York.
~ don't see what il is or whom il is
nom, she said, as she laid it down to go
IN pursuit of something with which TO
cut the binding cord and wrapper.
A moment later she held Mt arms
length 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 il was
sketched, for it was perfectly familiar TO
her, being the old mill in the town where
she spent portion of every summer.
Yes, there was the pond stretching back
hll 1t was lost in the distance; and the
little stream Us it crossed the 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 glrlhood's memories
But who was the artist that had paint
ed 1t, and why had it been sent to her?
Sure enough, among her long Est of
acquaintances there was not a s:ncle ar
tist
In the lower right hand corner there
was cyPher which had al first escaped
ner scrutiny, and which on closer exam
NATION took the fora of 81. H."
MI. Lawrence regarded the picture for
minute, and Is he handed it back to his
daughter he laid that whoever the author
OF II was he vas far from being a novice,
ior such Offending of light and shadow
wss rar .ly seen.
Inc remainder of the household were
tax N snto the library after dinner to look
at the picture, and many were the utter
knces i'll admiration of it, and many were
the surlnises as to why it had been 30
unexpectedly semitic Marie. The mother
said that probably it would be explained
In good time. And sure enough, for the
next mornings mail brought letter for
Miss Lawrence which partially cleared
up the mystery.
And so Jerome Hart Is an artist and
strives TO enter into correspondence with
me, does heI" and Marie stamped her
pretty foot IN an impetuous manner and
threw the letter to her mother.
Mrs. Lawrence read it slowly and as
she returned it TO the envelope she asked
her daughter if she had any idea who
Mr.. Hart was.
"Not the faintest, only that the letter
says he is an artist and has his studio at
No. l55 - street, New York" came
the response, "and he must be as poor
IN Judgment as such people generally are
In pocket to send me picture one day,
followed by letter Oh the next, saving
that he had desire for some time to
know me, and trusts that will keep the
sketch, which of course means to start
correspondence with the fellow by writ
ing note of acceptance" she continued,
showing her displeasure as much in her
expression as in her speech.
"To be sure" Mrs. Lawrence said,
1t was peculiar way of seeking an
acquairtanceship which must of course
follow should the picture be kept" and
she quickly decided that il must be re-
turned. So the next express to New
York bore the package which had created
the admiration and at last the displeasure
of the family. A letter written by Mrs.
Lawrence was placed within the package,
In which she briefly but concisely stated
that she could not for moment think of
her daughters keeping the water-color
without the acquaintance, by legitimate
means, Of its painter. Surely, Mr..
Harris letter WAS on it's face honest in
purpos", but there was 10 alternative;
the rules Of etiquette must not ne disre-
garded, or the lovely Marie might be-
come connected with a vagabond adj
venturCr.
Months passed, but the circumstance
would not free itself from Marie's mind,
and her father aud mother had spoken Of
il more than once.
One day the mail brought letter to
Miss Lawrence from Margery Loveioy,
dear friend, who summereda at the same
rural town with her, and who, woman
la1 In, l,a
spondeut, but it was only when she had
some bit of news of q social nature to
communicate that she ever wrote.
"Do you know. Marie" wrote Miss
Lovejoy, "that / have found out the
name and all about the young gentleman
with the fine, manly face and lovely
physique who stopped at the DIon's up
at GrOsvenOrdale for q week last sum
meri You will remember him and how
we used to drive our heads almost crazy
with wondering why he took such long
walks every morning, always carrying q
portfolio under his arm. There is one
thing which you viii certainly remember,
and that is that you did nothing but rave
over him, and when he caught your eye
one afternoon, as we passed him when
out strolling, you declared that you knew
you could love him with just little urg-
ing. Well, / won't keep you in sus-
pense any longer. A short time ago /
went TO New York to visit my Aunt
Julia, and one evening cousin Tom took
me to the theatre, where almost the first
face noticed was that of our-or your
admiration of Last summer. After
making sure that there was no mistake,
I asked Tom if he knew who the young
gentleman was, pointing him out in an
unobserved way with my fan, and he
said it WAS young Hart-Jerome Hart,
he believed-and that he was the young
artist whose water-color paintings were
exciting the admiration of every one who
saw them, artists and cOnnoisseurs alike
When my cousin saw that my Interest
was mere curiosity he told me that Mr.
Hart wos received everywhere, not be
canse he was a person of rare refinement
and marked genius. Everybody sale
that his fame would be worldwide in q
few years"
This was the principal information
contained IN the letter, and with q few
inquiries about the family and other &C.
duaintances j. closed.
Marie could not DENY that she hat
thought Of the young gentleman dali,
since her country soiourn-so much so
in fact that she fancied her heart had be
come s5eeled against any one else
although the subject Of her growing af
lection vas unknown by name. Whel
she read fire name her heart gave jump
"a ...., 81, n came r.orJ1.,, In aer,k 1,r