The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-02-26

lovely Marie might become connected
with a vagabond advcnturer.
Months passed, but the circumstance
would not free itself from Marie's mind.
and her father and mother had spoken
oft more than once.
One day the mail brought letter to
Miss Lawrence from Margery Loveioy,
a dear friend, who summered at the
same rural town with her, and who.
womanlike, pretended to be a regular
correspondent; but it was only when
she had some bit of news of a social ma
ture to communicate that she ever
wrote.
"Do you know, Marie" wrote Miss
Lovejoy, "that l have found out the
name and all about the young gentle
man with the fine, manly face and lovely
physique who stopped at Dixon's
up at Grosvenordale for a week last
summer. You will remember him, and
how we used to drive our heads almost
crazy with wondering why he took such
long walks every day, always carrying
a portfolio under his arm. There is one
thing which you will certainly remem-
Der, and that is that you did nothing
but rave over him, and when he caught
your eye one afternoon, as we passed
him while out strolling, you declared
that you knew you could love him with
just a little urging. Well, won't keep
you in suspense any longer. A short
time ago | went to New York to visit
my aunt Julia, and one evening cousin
Tom took me to the theater, where
almost the first face noticed was that
of our or your admiration of last
summer. After making sure that there
was no mistake, l asked Tom if he knew
who the young gentleman was, point
ing him out in az unobserved way with
my fan, and he said it was young Hart
jerome Hart, he believed-and that
he vas the young man whose water
color paintings were exciting the ad-
miration of every one who saw them,
artists and connoisseurs alike. When
my cousin saw that my interest was not
mere curiosity he told me that Mr..
Hart was received everywhere, not be.
cause he was a person of wealth or
family, but because he was person of
rare refinement and marked genius
Everybody said that his fame would be
worldwide in few years"
Marie could not deny that she had
thought of the young gentleman daily
since her country sojourn-so much so,
in fact, that she fancied that her heart
had becomed steeled against any one
else, although the subject of her grow
ing affection was unknown by name.
When she read the name her heart gave
a jump. Yes, it was the same person
who sent her the picture few months
previous. To think that it was the one
whose image was so impressed upon her
heart.
For days her brain was in whirl, and
her agony was intense.
"Oh!" cried she, "why were we Sc
hasty in deciding to return Mr.. Hart's
picture and letter? He is gone from me
forever. shall never know him.
She kept her grief to herself, not car
ing to tell her parents, and tried hard to
hide her sorrow, and to appear in hel
accustomed joyous spirit; but it was ol
no use: she could never forget the young
artist, and could never forgive herself
or her mother for their haste in giving
propriety its proper accord.
-Four years later Marie, at the age o
twenty-five, found herself the wife of Il
moderately we'll to-do countryphysician
She had married DR.. Ostrander, not SC
much that she had any love for him. but
that it was the desire of her father, who
had from an early period dotted on the
union of the Ostrander and Lawrence
families, the doctors father having beer
a college chum of Mr.. Lawrence, and
they had become more and more at
tached after leaving college, their homes
being favorably situated for such friend.
ship.
Six months before her betrothal all
the New York dailies and journals de
voted to art had contained lengthy
n orfr, IF L.,
for Europe, where he had gone to reside
in furtherance of his profession, and
where his ability would be accorded the
attention it so richly deserved.
Marie made the physician a good wife
considering her regard for him ceased
with admiration, and they were con-
tented and happy. His practice was
quite extensive, and he had accumulated
some property during the three years
he had been there, having welded Marie
a year after entering into the active
duties OF his profession. 1t was with
tender hands that she nursed him dur
ing lingering summer fever, but the
disease seemed to battle the skill of his
attendants, and just as the sun was
sinking in the west on a sultry August
afternoon his soul took flight to the bet
ter world, and Marie was widow.
A few months were spent in the set
tlement OF the estate, and when pur-
chaser for the little house had been
found, Mrs. Ostrander, not caring to re-
tain it, returned to her old home.
Even the luxuriant abiding place OF
her youth seemed to have lost its
charms, and she daily grew paler, until,
by the advice of her physician, her
parents and friends, she decided to take
a foreign trip, in hopes that change
of climate and scene would rally her to
her old self.
So in the early spring it was decided
that she should go abroad with Mr.. and
Mrs. Lovejoy, who were to spend q
year and,a half in travel.
The little party spent month in visit.
ing places of interest in England and
Scotland, and then went to Norway and
Sweden; and it was not till the winter
season that they arrived in Paris, at
that time being in its gayest attire
Mrs. Osrrander gained considerable, and
the last letter from Mrs. Lovejoy to
Margery said that they had great hopes
of bringing her around to the bright
and robust woman that they had SC
wished for.
Among the few Parisians whom Mr.
Loyeloy had letters OF introduction tC
was M. Meunier, an exceedingly refined
gentleman and pleasant acquaint.
ance. Several times he had told then
of the royal academy exhibition, anc
explained to them that it was there thai
the best artists of all Europe entered
their productions for prize competition
and so great was the strife that who
ever was fortunate enough to take ever
second or third prize his star was as