Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-11-15

Tom closed the doors, and worked
alone the next evening, and I don't think
he retired at all that night.
Coming In rather late the next after
noon | found Hugh occupying the same
position In front of the picture in which
l had surprised him on the other &C.
caslon, with the brush again in his hand.
l glanced involuntarily at the picture
and then started back with horror This
is what L saw: man as large rs dozen
OF the soldiers, holding fishing-pole
much longer than any tree on the can
vas, appeared sitting serenely on top of
the mountain angling in the river.
The face bore a rude resemblance of
Toms, and the effect was grotesque in
the extreme. After accomplishing this
Hugh had turned his attention to the
battle scene III the foreground, and had
executeda gross, aricature of the goddess
OF liberty towering between the oppos-
ing forces and composing "peace in the
name of Hugh O'Neill "by means of a
streamer issuing from her lips. Her
flowing robes had completely obliterated
several of the central figures OF the piece
upon which poor Tom had devoted his
greatest skill
"She has accepted me, Fred, and I
feel uncommonly hilarious this evening.
Won't Tom swear ?"
I glanced at him savagely.
Who has accepted you? you scoun-
drel! youvillain! You-you-. It will
kill Tom, sure"
[ actually wept with mingled pity and
rage.
Who? Why, who should it be, but
Annie %
The DETACHMENT of the picture became
a secondary consideration in a moment.
| picked up something that my hand
touched--I believe it was q chair-with
the intention, think, of throwing it at
him, with kind of idea of protecting
Tom, but my arm fell powerless at my
side, for at that moment Tom himself
opened the door and entered the room
with Annie upon his arm-Tom with
such look OF supreme happiness upon
his face as shall never see again. He
looked at roe and said:
please uncover it, Fred"
/ choked down completely and dropped
into a chair. ] tried not to look at him
when he saw the picture. but I couldn't
help it. [ expected him to cry out Ito
Kill Hugh--something i scarcely knew
what. What he did was to look at the
picture, and then from me to O'Neill,
with an expression that made my very
soul dissolve with pity. His gaze rested
moment on Hugh, and gradually he
comprehended. somehow expected to
see Hugh wither under the look, but his
eyes were upon Annie He went toward
her presently, and what you saw in their
faces finished the blow. Tom started
toward me and then turned and went up
to the picture and drew the calico cover
softly over it as he would have drawn
the pail over the face of the dead;
walked slowly to Annie and Hugh and
said with the sweetest expression, g 1 am
glad you are happy and went out Of
the room.
He went down into his mothers cham
Der that night, and when l next saw
him it was at the close of another day,
and 'he came into the yard with his old
old white overalls and jacket on and a
pa1nt-bucket in his hand. He had been
at work as usual. He never stretched
another canvass. / know that his for
giVeness of Hugh was complete, and that
he took up the burdens of life again
patiently, and therein lies his sublimity.
Ii you care to know anything further
of me, know that [ am taking care of
Toms sister as my wife. AS for Hugh
and Annie they are happy, for they
never knew how they had wrecked Toms
life.