Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-08-25

e0, II 1 am ever to have 1t taken,
must be in my sleep, when I do NJ
know what is going on.
"a singular fancy" smiled the artis
"It is; but one that for the sake ,
having ikeIess of her, the only being
have to love- went on the visitor, sti
restlessly, II would yield at any cos
Now my daughter has not been we'll late
~. She is delicate; that makes me ner,
GUS. Perhaps you perceive it? To il
sure her rest, an opiate is administers
to her every day after dinner. We MAX
it five now, when she has long Sleep
a sound sleep on the sofa in the drawing
room. There is no fear of her waking
Would you, Mr.. Hartley, consent t
humor her desire, and take her liken es
then 2"
Leonard Hartley paused, con sidering
You see, for good portrait, so nue.
rests on expression" he said
81 am aware of that; therefore 1 hav
come to good painter" And MI
Kesteven bowed. "You shall have help
Mr.. Hartley, from her dear dead mother
miniature, taken when at her age. TIL,
eyes, the expression, are Mabel's own
Stay Pardon me; I have yet one othe
thing to ask. Could YOU, in four even
lngs-making the hours as long as yol
please-take the likeness sufficiently tx
finish it from recollection and the NINA
tnre's aid"
The artist answered that he could; anC
finally, the terms, handsome ones, never
demurred at by Mr.. Kestcven, being
settled, it was arranged that Leonard
Hartley should make his first visit mex
morning.
"Well, if there was ever strange,
whim than this - he reflected, as easel,
colors and canvas having been sent dur.
ing the day, a little before the appointed
hour he proceeded to Belgrave square.
Reaching his destination he was at
once ushered into the library, where he
found Mr.. Kesteyen waiting.
"Mr. Hartley" exclaimed the Oldham
pressing his hand warmly, 81 shall never
forget your kindness. All, when you are
married, with children of your own, you'll
know what fathers love is; but I trust
it will not be for a daughter so delicate,
poor girl, as mine. If you see me moved,
know that that is the cause. Now, ifyorl
please, we will go
Opening the door, Mr.. Kesteven led
the way up the thickly carpeted stairs,
and showed the artist into the drawing
room. The soft, subdued light burning
there showed the tasteful elegance of the
furniture, But Leonard Hartley's eyes
went quickly to the couch. He could
not help starting as he beheld lying on
it in quiet slllmber one of the loveliest
girls he had ever seen.
Her complexion was Of singular fair
ness, while the bloom on her check was
as delicate rs full blown rose. Her
hair, Of a soft gold brown, was braided
back, and apparently confined by a bunch
OF forget-me-nots. She was in evening
dress and lay, the ivory lids with their
long silken lashes closed, with one hand
lightly on her bosom, and the other by
her side. As the father had said, that
sweet face was worthy of any painters skill
and Leonard Hartley felt that, despite
the singularity of the circumstances, here
he would exceed his best.
The easel and other requirements had
already been placed, and Hartley, after
arranging them as he desired with the
aid of gray-headed butler, who moved
as noiselessly on tip-toe as if his mis-
tress' slumber had been of the lightest,
at once set to work.
In low chair few feet behind him
sat Mr.. Kesteven: but rarely did the two
exchange even whispered word. The
old mans head was resting on the roof
Of his hand, save when the artist was con-
scious that he had risen, and was looking
over his shoulder
For an hour, engrossed by his subject,
Leonard Hartley worked vigorously. AL
ready in outline the lovely features be-
gan dlml y to look out from the canvas,
but as the next hour stole on the silence
began to Cypress him.
CHANGING round, he still saw the old
man in the same position. The stiffness
became almost unbearable, made more
tortuous by the monotonous ticking of a
clock somewhere in the room.
At the end of the second hour he could
support it no longer, and closed the sit
ting.
"You'll come tomorrow" inquired Mr..
Kesteven, wistfully.
OF course smiled the artist. ,s"A
compact is a compact. This is the
strangest whim for young lady ever
heard of. could succeed so much bet
ter were your daughter awake
" I know-I know; but, as I told you,
that's impossible. Will you make the
four evenings suffice, for on the fifth nv
daughter and I leave here?''
"Oh, yes, I can take the canvas home
If your footman will call cab,' re-
marked the artist. "By the help of the
miniature I can work upon it at my stu
dlo tomorrow, and get it advanced be-
fore the evening"
The cab was fetched, and Leonard
Hartley, with the portrait, got in.
"Well, I'm glad one sitting is over"
he reflected. II never felt anything so
awfully depressing. Pom my word, if
the girl were ugly I would even now
throw up the whole thing. But she is
SO beautiful-beautiful enough to be for
given any absurdity. Still, I'm glad to
be In the open air again."
He drew long breath of relief; but
the depression of that silent sitting was
was not easily to be shaken off.
It kept with him all the evening; it
held possession of him when asleep, in
the shape of nightmare dreams, from
refreshed. t3e
"What an idiot I AM he thought.
"A too sensitive nature is certainly a
curse. WE'LL" he laughed, Gin me it's
balanced by not too amiable temper.
One ought to counteract the other.
Let's look at my work.
Going into the studio, he went to the
portrait he had placed on the easel.
" It is lovely-beautiful! What deli
cate curves!" he exclaimed. "Never
have I had a more charming model.
The very look seems to give inspira-
tion."
And Selling the brush, he set to work,
throwing ali his. soul into the task.
The second evening was a repetition of
the first, only the oppression to the ar
tist was greater
There was something awful in the
Stiffness 9 that surrounded the sleeping
girl. " = =" "'~,' 20, e. '"s'4' 'SA ''''> =
Leonard Hartley grew nervous.
He started If his sbrushes clicked
against his palette TT