The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-03-17
Nature, I sayl or course you will exhibit
it, Cirradine2"

sh III betray your secret, and you viii
hive a swarm Of visitors, worse than TIE
plague Of Egypt, let in upon YOU"
Carradine hesitated. A chance word
in his friends speech had suggested q
possibility that made his heart leap IL
spite of sober reason,
lyon are right" he said. II shall
send the picture for exhibition. 1t will
be better so."
After his visitor bad left him alone
again, Carradine bent long over his easel
gazing into the lovely, upturned face,
until it began to fade iuto the gathering
twilight.
"If-iil" he murmured 10 himself, halt
unconsciously. but it cannot be. Yet
Twill send it-on perhaps
And so the picture was sent, in due
time; and it seemed almost as il Cara
dimes soul hal gone with it and drawn
him to follow. Hour after hour, and
day af!er day, he sat in the gallery scrut-
inizing eagerly every face amid the Wis
itors whom taste or fashion bad brought
to look at the now celebrated artists lat.
est success. Every night he went away
and every morning he re-
turned with hope springing Rfresh in his
heart.
Still, the object of his search, whatey-
er it may have been, does not appear;
aud one day, discouraged at last, he re-
solved TO go no more on so fruitless an
errand. Shutting himself in his studio,
he began to paint, but strive as he would,
he could command neither hand nor
fancy. Finally, tired of repeatei failure,
he abandoned work, and yielded to the
impulse which drew his steps in the Gus.
tomary direction.
When he entered the small side.room
in which his picture hung, be found but
two persons within, a young man and h
girl.
Carradine could not see the faces OF
these two, but, with an earnestness for
which he was at n loss to account, he fol.
lowed their retreating figures as they
moved slowly toward his picture. But
the next moment an exclamation of as
tonishment burst from the lips of the
young man.
"Why, here is your portrait. Leila!
What does it mean? Vino can the paint
er be?"
With that, he hurried out to purchase
a catalogue. Carradine advanced quick
ly to the girl.
"y am the painter" he said.
She turned and looked at him with ono
steady gaze frcm those glorious eyes that
had haunted his visions for SO many
yeas. Then she spoke:
"You painted that ricture2 And hoW?''
From remembrance, he answered
at was my only tribute to the little un-
known princess who crowned me once
with roses. Does she. too, remember it?'
For moment doubt was in her face;
bu! as he looked fixedly at her it van
ished in certainty. A smile Just touched
the bright lips.
ut was you, then, on whom 1 forced
my roses2 q princess who gave away her
honors unasked. How often I have won.
dered since"
She stopped, turned to the canvas, and
added abruptly, But l was child then
and here"
Here you are woman" said Cara
dine. completing the unspoken sentence.
at is so hard to understand The same
power that kept the child in my heart
showed me into what she would ripen."
She did not look at him now, but al
the picture, as she asked in low voice
"And whom AM / to thank for such al
honor?"
"My name is Hubert Carradine," ht
answered, and saw at once that it was M
unfamiliar word to her. "Aud yours
Through all these years your face ha'
haunted me always, but your name
never knew"
She hesi;ated moment. then turned
TO him.
"You never knew my namt2 Thet
think of me still as you have though
OF me through hll of tho many pas
years." she said, half smile lingering
about her mouth. but never lighting tn
great dark that was shaded by some sub
tie sadness. Toe look, the tone. trans
ported Carradine beyond remembrance
of place or circumstance, into the unrea
realm of imagination in which his wisl
was Ipreme ruler.
II have thought of you always ms m.
| life and my lovs. he said. half ubcon
sciously. his dreamy, deep gray eye
glowing upon her face. She 6lushe'
suddenly, and then paled in an Instant
Just then her former companion entere,
/ the room.
II am Leila Auvernay. she sAid, has
lilly. "and this is Cecil Wyndham, my
my betrOthed husband"
Sot another wori was said. As tn
young man approached, CaEradine ieI
back step and looked at the two. Hi
was fair, handsome face, so little mari
ed AS yet by time. that it would be har
for an uupraciiced eye to conjecture wit
what lines the shaping character woul
yet stamp it. Nevertheless, with ou
keen gaze CArradine estimated botP pre-
ent aud future.
She said a few low-spoken words to he
companion, who presently moved towar
Carradine, and addressed him.
II have the honor Of speaking TO NJ
Carradine, the painter of this pictur,'
Carradine bowed without speaking,
"will you pardon me for asking If
is a fancy aketch?" continued Mr.. Wyn,
BAN.