The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-07-21
original, and l will, if it is a seven days
jOurneyl1

"f l myself knew where TO fin
such an original should not be here +
tell you, my good friend" he answered
evasively.
"Oh, fancy SKETCH" said the Other
m!sed, as the artist had desired. "
might have saved myself the trouble q
asking. No real flesh and blood fac
ever looked like that-more shame +,
nature, l say. OF course you will ex
hlDit it. Carradine?'
mo" answered the painter, quietly
"No!' repeated the other. in suI
PRISE. But my dear fellow, you must
or l shall betray your secret, and yol
VIII have a swarm of visitors. w0rs,
than plague i'll Egypt, lot III upol
yOu.' Sr''
| Carradine hesitated. 4 chance wort
III his friends speech had suggested ;
possibility that made his heart leap il
spite Of sober reason.
!" You are right" he said. "I shal
send the picture for exhibition. Itwil
be better so.' -
After his visitor had left him alone
again, C;rradine bent low over his easel
gazing into the lovely, upturned face
!thCil IL began to fade into the gather.
ing twilight.
"lt-itl'' lie murmured to himself
ilall unc0nsclously. But it cannot
oe.. 1etl Will send it-and perhaps-''
ana 80 the picture was sent, in due
Gline; ana 1T seemed almost as if Carra-
aino'S soul had gone with it and drawn
nm TO follow. Hour after hour. and
gay after day, he sat in the gallery scru-
Iiniizlhg eagerly every face and the
VlsltoIs whom taste and fashion had
brought to look at the now celebrated
artlst'S latest success. Every night he
went away unsatislied, and every morn
nihg ne returned with hope springing
afresh in his heart.
Stlil, the object Of his search, what
ever IL may have been, does not appear:
ana one day, discouraged at last, he re-
SolVed 10 go no more on so fruitless an
errand. Shutting himself in his studio.
nc Degan to paint, but strive as he
would he could command neither hand
nor fancy: Finally, tired of repeated
failure, he abandoned work, and Welded
to an impulse which drew his stems in
the customary direction.
When he entered the small side room
III which his picture hung he found but
girl. '''' anu i"
Carradine could not see the faces of
these two, but, with an earnestness for
winch he was at a loss to account. he
lolloWed their retreating figures as they
moved slowly toward his picture. But
the next moment an exclamation of
astonlshment burst from the lips of the
WHY, here's is yonr portrait. Teiifil'
What does it mean? Who can the
painter be2'
With that he hurried out to purchase
catalogue. Carradine advanced quick
ly to the girl.
81 am the painter" he said.
She turned and looked at him with
one steady gaze from those glorious eyes
that had haunted his visions for so many
years. Then she spoke:
You painted that picture2 and
how?"
"From remembrance" he answered.
1t was my only tribute to the little
unknown princess who crowned me
once with roses. Does she. too, re-
member it?''
For moment doubt was in her face;
but as he looked at her it vanished in
certainty. A smile touched her bright
~
= 1t was you, then, on whom forced
my roses2 A princess who gave away
honors unmasked. How often | have
wondered since"
She stopped, turned to the canvass,
and added, abruptly," g But l was Il
child then, and here-~''
"IIere you are a woman, =" said Cara
dine, completing the unspoken sentence.
"It is 50 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 at
the picture, as she asked him in a low
voice, "And whom am to thank for
such an honor?''
"My name is Hubert Carradine," " he
answered, and saw at once that it was
no unfamiliar word to her. "And
yours? Through all these years your
face has haunted me always, but your
name never knew"
She hcsitated Il moment, then turned
to him.
You never knew my name? Then
think of me still as You have thought
of me through all these years." She
said, a half smile lingering about hel
mouth, but never lighting the great
dark that was shaded by some subtle
sadness. The look, the tone, trans
ported Carradine beyond all remcm
brance Of place or circumstance into
the unreal realm Of Imagination in
which his wish was supreme ruler.
~" have thought of you always as
my life and my love-" he said, half con
sciously, his dreamy, deep gray eyos
glowing upon her face. She blusHet
suddenly, and then paled in an instant.
Just then her former companion entered
the room.
"I am Leila Auvcrnay," she said
hastily, "and this is Cecil Wyndham-
my betrothed husband"
Not another word was said. AS tn,
young man approached, Calradine fel
back step and looked at the two. Hi
was "a fair, handsome face, 80 littl,
marked as yet by time, that it would b'
hard for an Impractical eye to conjec
ture with what lines the shaping char
acter would yet stamp it. Neverthe
less, with one keen gaze Carradine esti
mated both present and future.
She said few, low-spoken words Il
her companion, who presently movet
toward Carradine, and addressed him:
81 have the honor Of speaking t.
Mr.. Carradine, the painter of this pic
ture?"
Carradine bowed without speaking.