The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-02-26
The Romance of a Water-Co or.

Pretty Marie Lawrence sat in the Gle
gantly furnished library, dividing Eer
attentions between the book she had in
one hand and the sprightly little kitten
in her lap, which playfully toyed will
the trimming on her dress, when her
father entered, having returned from his
office intent on 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, as he settled into Il
largr easy chair, there's little package
on the table in the hall which the tx
pressman left at the Office to-day"
For me, did you say, pap Why, Pm
not expecting anything by express"
The matter was quickly settled by
Marie going into the hall and returning
with Il package about an inch and a half
thick and perhaps foot by 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,
Il don't see what it is or whom it is
from, \" she said, as size laid it down to go
in pursuit of something with which to
cut the binding cord and wrapper.
let 9Th a 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 it was perfectly fami lar
to her, being the old mill in the town
where she spent a portion fevery sum-
mer. Yes, there was the pond stretch
ing back till it was lost in the distance {;
and the little stream as 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 girlhood's men,
ories!
But who was the artist that had
painted it, and why had it been sent to
herP
Sure enough, among her long list of
acquaintance there was not single
artist.
In the lower right-hand corner there
was Il cipher which had escaped her
scrutiny, and which on closer examina-
ton took the form of "J. H."
Mr.. Lawrence regarded the picture
for Il minute, and as he handed it back
to his daughter he said that. whoever
the author of il was he was far from be-
ing u novice, for such blending of light
and shade was rarely seen.
The remainder of the household were
taken into the library after dinner to
look at the picture, and many were the
utterances in admiration of it, and
many were the surmises as to why it
had @ been so unexpectedly sent to Marie.
Inc mother said that probably it would
pe explained in good time. And sure
enough, Tor the next mornings mail
Drought letter for Miss Lawrence
Wnlch partially cleared up he mystery.
ana SO jerome Hart is a artist and
strives to enter into corr, pondence
with me, does he!" and Marie Stamped
her pretty foot IN an impetuous manner
and threw the letter to her mott or.
Mrs. Lawrence read it slowly. md 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, land he must be as poor in
Judgment as such people generally are
IN pocket to send me picture one day,
followed by "a letter ON the next, saying
that he has had desire for some time to
know me, ahd trusts that | will keep
the sketch, which of course means to
start correspondence with the fellow
by writing a note of acceptance" she
continued, showing her displeasure as
much In her expression as in her speech.
q, 10 be sure,n Mrs. Lawrence said,
IL was peculiar way of seeking an
acqualntanceship which must of course
iollow should the picture be kept,n and
she quickly decided that it must be re-
turned. So the next express to New
York bore the package which lad
created the admiration and at last the
disp.easure OF the family. A letter
written by Mrs, Lawrence was placed
within the package, in which she brief '
but concisely stated that she could moi
for a moment think of her daughter