Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-01-17


The intensity of his gaze brought
tho color TO her check. She motioaed
toward the vine. "Get IL them"
lie shook his head and answered,
sadly:
at is beyond my reach"
lie turned quickly, and nassed through
the gate out into the road.
Letters came often to Ralph and the
other home friends. Rose, in her frank,
artess way, de scribed the sights they
people they were meeting. She had
fresh, naive way of writing all this that
made the letters seem like bits OF real
conversation with her. She laughed
over her blunders, and her utter ignO-
rance of the ways of the world
"Will anything ever spoil hcrp'
thought Ralph
AT the end of six months came letter
from the Judge in which he said:
81 wish, Ralph, you were with us.
You do not know what you have missed
by your obstinacy. We are having Il
surfeit of delights. My wife, Maria,
and /, take it slowly, and leave about
half the sights unseen. Fred and Rose
are we'll mated. They rush righ
through, and see everything. BY the
way, shonld not be surprised if --wel
you can imagine. Fred's fine fellow.
If he is my nephew; and Rose could
not make better choice"
A week or two after this, Ralph's
mother died; and he wrote to Rose:
"Dear mother died last month. 1t
seems, now, as If the last tic were
broken; and want to get away from
the old scenes. i have sold the little
place, and have enough TO take me to
California. l may find success there.
Do not write until | send my address"
This was all they heard from him.
All efforts to find where he was were
unavailing, their letters meeting with
no response. TIL, Judge complained
bitterly of his young friends neglect;
Mrs. Leland was grieved at his ingrati-
tude; and Rose grew daily thinner and
paler, until her anxiety eliminated in a
severe illness. On her recovery, the
doctor ordered her to Italy for the
winter. Once, at q brilliant reception
in Florence, Rose suddenly withdrew
her hand from the Judges arm, and
darted into another room. In
moment she returned, pale and sad,
with this explanation:
81 thought caught glimpse of n
| figure, strangely ike-you know who |
mean-Ralph; but | could find no one"
Four years passed, and the Lelands
were staying for few weeks in Paris,
previous to sailing for America. All
the art journals were filed with the
most enthusiastic praises of a picture
which had just been accepted at the Salon
and all Paris was discussing the merits
of this new genius. The artist, was
| young American, who had been studying
in the atelier of one of the famous French
| figure painters; and strange TO say, he
had refused the most llattering offers
for his picture.
"IIere's a chance for you. Rose"
said the Judge, looking up from his
paper. "You are patron of the arts
now Can't you secure this gem?
Come, ladies, it won't do for us to 90
off to America without ut least seeing
this famous work. For my part, Pm
so tired of looking at meek madonnas
| and cadaverous st. Johns and sad
Josephs that it will be positive relief
to see something that belongs to our
own times"
After short walk, they entered the
spacious exhibition rooms, and at one
end of the hall found largo crowd
gathered around picture, which
seemed to be the chief attraction. The
canvas was called "The Two Rose
buds" and represented the porch OF an
old-fashioned New England farmhouse.
Over the roof, wreathng the pillars and
hanging in long festoons, clambared
rose vine, with its thousand deep blood
red buds nesting among tho glossy
foliage. A young girl, in simple muslin
dress, stood reaching for half-opened
bud, and the exquisite purity of the
flesh tints, and skillful management of
the sunlight falling on the golden hair
and upturned face, gave evidence of n
master hand.
a sudden exclamation startled the
on-lookers, and young girl, richly
dressed, forced her way among them,
and stood before the picture, with
hands clasped and tears rolling down
her cheeks.
"Thank God" she sobbod. ave
have found him at last"
"Those irrepressible Americans!
drawled one of two Englishmen, putting
up his eye-glass, and staring AZ Rose,
complacently.
I" Mon Dicur exclaimed little
Frenchman, "con,u,e CT ie est 6etLen
81 can give you the artists address,"
said a young man, evidently an Ameri-
can, in answer to Judge Leland's in
quiries. "Mr. Loring Is i'll now. He
has been working too hard lately. My
brother, young physician, who camo
over on the same ship with him, is now
taking care of him. shall be glad to
show you the way Shall l call cabp'
In few moments the carriage turned
into a narrow street, and stopped before
a door. Its occupants silently Chamber
cd the four long flight of stairs, the
strange young man going before.
''Is he very Up" asked Rose, of the
grave young physician who stood by the
open door.
He bowed and handed her chair.
81 shall stay" she said, drawing off
her gloves.
at would not be prudent he an
swercd. cit is typhoid-thcre is dan
ger"
She pointed toward an adjoining
room. al shall STAY" she reiterated.
''Do you understands lie is everything
to me. II he dies, do not wish to live.
If lose my life by taking care of his,
l shall be content. Ii we both live"
she buried her face in her hands and
murmured: "Oh, my Father in Heav-
en-, grant i'll"
The Judge protested; the doctor re-
monstrated; but she simply repeated:
sI shall stay. You can send me my
maid; she is an Englishwoman, and an
excellent nurse. She will be glad to
come"
Rose looked about the studio. Busts,
casts of arms, bits of dusty armor,
quaint old carved cabinets and chairs,
palettcs, brushes and mcerschaum pipes,
were lying around in utter confusion.
In one corner stood an easel covered
with green cloth. She walked quickly
toward it, lifted the covering, and her