St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1880-11-06


Lady Weston had given him would
be sufficient for him tocomplete the
portrait
Was he mad? I am certain that
Lord Weston thought so. I knew
he did.
"My lord," said Ber.ie, quietly,
'in three weeks you shall see this
picture. make myself answerable
that it shall We satisfaction"
Bowing, he drew back and coolly
left me to conduct the visitors down.
stairs. When I returned found
the old canvas flung aside aid my
friend hard at work op new one
with all the grace and boldness of
touch which had made him renown-
ed.
"Bertie," I said, standing by him.
"what is the meaning of all this? I
f'efer to youi behavior just now"
The hatred of psronage!" he an
swered. sharply.
"Nonsense! There is o mystery
between you and. Lady. Weston"
what" he exclaimed, finging
down his brush, "you have foune. it
ont? Well, listen; I don't see Why
l should not tell you. I've years
ago Lady Weston was simply Lucie
Lester, clerEyman's daughter, my
betrothe1. We were to be married.
when Lord Weston saw Lncie,
wooed and won her Her parenta
coolly showed me the door, aud Lc-
Gle only too readily yielded to their
will. Grayling, it broke my heart.
for no man loved = nay loves
woman as do tbis one! When
we parted, I said bitterly: "Lucie,
If ever you cared for me, sword
shall pierce through your heart one
day! What ever occurs to me, re-
member you are the Cause. The
sequel of our love is to comet" I
meant what / said then-I mean
what l say now--that sword shall
pierce her heart, il she have one!
Now, Giayling, you know all the
mystery laughed bitterly
let us say no more on the subject
He returned to his easel, and
would not again revert to the subject;
but sedulouslv he worked ut Lady
portrait, and never had T
seen anything So true, SO perfect. ia
color. L was a masterpiece. It
was Bertie's chief d'euvrs. There
Sas but one fault. He placed, and
would not remove, a,bunch of with
,red field flowers in Lady Weston's
land.
When completed, he wrote, ap-
the day and hour for Lord
md Lady Weston to visit the studio
md inspect the work.
When the morning arrived, Berthe,
Who was unusually grave, asked me
o surrender to him the entire use
IT his studio till the visitors arrived,
Vhen he begged me, as favor, to
them to him myself.
He puzzled me, yet / could not
efuse compliance.
Was tue sequel coming? ,
Attwelve, punetually, the carriage
lrove up, and I escorted LoA.d and
Iadv Weston to the studio. On
ntering, to my surprise / found it,
s / imagined. deserted.
II fear Mr.. Gibson is absent"
aid, annoved; "but it can only be
Or moment This is the pic
ure"
We moved. toward it when, in
iinctively. all three recoiled, and
lady Weston, uttering wild
cream, fell insensible to the floor.
Before the easel lay Bertie,. his
:llire faced Turned upward, his hand
ssting ON his chest, grasping Il
unch of field flowers, the original
those in the picture. They were
.ncie Lester s last gift. He had, in
eed, pierced her heart, as with
sword, for he was dead-poisioned
y his own hand.
That evening, far too stunned and
retched for work, / went to Lord
is>tou 5 to inquire regarding her
dyship. She was ill-very- i'll.
ith brain Afeser. It was ,menths.-
,fore she was able again to. .re1ss.-
r society, when he was graver,
i'd muc ugef; while the pallor I
ID observed on her features nessr
,itted them to her death. This
ell, was the sequel to my poor
eud's love story, and q womanis
ieIity.
The doct : who gave his patient