The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-06

busting, hurrylngss NOISY, Helf1sf
city. eThe adiectives are Man,
own.l
Her repast finished, Nan put he
hand into her pocket for her shabby
little purse. The next moment sh'
uttered an exclamation of terror ant
dismay.
The purse and money were boti
gone.
Her waiter stood beside her with
outstretched hands, faint smile o
incrudelity on his smooth eounte
nance.
People who could hot find theil
purses were by no means rare.
"But I have lost i'll" faltered pool
Nan, pale and trembling with genu
inc terror and distress, cor else some
one has stolen it from me-my purse
with So in it"
Curtis Van Tasseh had heard ev.
cry word. He looked at Nan critic.
ally, and at the same time sympa.
thetically.
The troubled look in the brown
eyes was SO painfully apparent thai
he did not for a mohent share the
walters suspicion.
A brilliant ideas came to him
STOPPING down, quick as thought, hs
distracted S. bib from his OWE
wallet. a
Nan had not seensthe action, but
the quick witted waiter had.
81 beg your pardsn,p Curtis said
quickly, and courJSously, 'but
think this must be the missing bill
. / found it beside bur chair just
now. Doubtless yo have taken j,
out of your own pune, laid it beside
your plate, and then forgotten it
Very luckily Glanced to look
down." z
aHow can eversthank you, sir p
Nan exclaimed, while the servant
gave Curtisa slight wink, and dis.
creetly kept all knowledge of the lit
tie ruse TO himself.f So long as he
was paid, it was nos business of his
from whose pocket the money came.
But diligent search on Mans
part, aided by both the waiter and
Curtis Van Tasse brought no
purse to light, and she was compell-
ed to go home withdhtit. How the
money could be the and not the
purse was a mystery she was una
bic to soire.
Only a day or 20 later Curtis
was passing Harrisnn's book store
when painting in the window at
tracted his attention.
It's execution wab graceful and
vigorous, but it was the central fig
ure in it that he no6ced. 1t was the
very s young girl thi he met at the
Il am a fool !" he, thought as he
entered entered and asked Re price Of the
But for all that II bought il, pay
ing 500 for it, though Mr. Harrison
declared that the artist would con-
sidef S75amuni1lt hssuinss s-.s.'t
"Very fine, indeed" Mr.. Harrison
said volubly, glad of chance to
make a bargain, even if it brought
no money into his own pocket, "and
a perfect likeness of the artist, Miss
Kendall, Sir. If she wasn't as poor
as church mouse the world would
have heard of her long ago, I'll be
bound"
Curtis thought SO too, and wanted
very much to know Miss, Kendalls
address, but he did not say SO.
"My mother has long wished to
have her portrait painted" he said,
"but she wants it to be the
work of lady's brush. Do you
think if l sent Miss Kendall her pho
she would copy an oil por-
trait from it?'
"She would be only too glad. l
guess, Mr.. Van Tassels," said Mr..
effusively, land you
couldn't get a lady better fitted for
the work than She"
And Nan worked diligently and
happily on her first order, never
by what chain of circum-
stances the loss of her shabby purse
had brought all this good fortune.
She knew nothing about Mr.. Van
Tassels, except that he had purchas-
ed "Under the Lilacs," and was so
pleased with it that he wanted his
mothers portrait from the same
brush.
Il hope he will like it." she said,
on the very afternoon when Curtis
Van Tassels was coming for the fin
ished picture. Il have certainly
done my best"
Mr.. Van Tassels did like it, and
he liked the little artist, too, SO well
that he came again and again, on one
pretext or another.
And before many months he had
asked Nan Kendall to marry him,
and she had answered:
"Yes y
man," said Curtis, quizzically,
one day, "did you ever lose s5?"
Nan stared and laughed.
"What do you mean, Curtis ? No;
but l thought l did last spring." she
said.
Thought you didw Curtis ex-
claimed, why, didn't you really
lose it?"
Curtis, your not the gentleman
who" Nan stopped.
YES" nodded Curtis Van Tassels,
with smiling lips.
II have sometime wondered where
have seen you before. Oh, it was
of you to deceive me as
you did. / don't think / can ever
forgive YOU"
A lady visited Utah recently, and
while in Salt Lake City saw a
little Mormon boy crying in the
street.
What's the matter, my poor
little fellow ?" she said to him ten