The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-22
Select Storp.
A Modern. Pygmalion.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

uaDDleu III caCI. OrIuuulcly lc was ilOI
dependent upon any one of them for his
daily bread, or Johnny might have been
reduced to a dry crust. He held small
government appointment, where the
pay was pretty good as times go. so
he scraped his violin and daubed his
canvases and wrote his little verses
with a gay and careless heart. The
summer had come, and Johnny was to
have his holiday He determined to
spend it abroad, not with crowds of
tourists nor in the most beaten tracks,
but to strike out little for himself.
He was tired of being petted Cor pat
ronized, as he called iD by all his ac-
quaintances; for there was something
so fresh and youthful about Johnny
Lupton that people were led to treat
him at once in friendly, not to say
familiar, manner. This Master Johnny
resented. His very name was aperpet-
ual annoyance to him. He preferred
to be called Mr.. Lupton, or Lupton, or
even Jack by intimate friends; but it
was no use--every one called him
Johnny, and Johnny he was likely to be
till the end of the chapter.
So he determined to assert his per-
sonal dignity, and to travel alone. After
much consideration, he fixed upon Inn
spruck as his headquarters, whence he
could make excursions into the Tyrol
He directed his luggage" Herr Lupton,"
in the most ostentatious manner, and
hoped, for few weeks at least, to get
rid of the obnoxious Johnny"
He was so pleased with Innspruck
that he seemed likely to spend all his
holiday there. The people were very
friendly, the town was picturesque; but
it was not only these charms which en-
thralled Mr.. Lupton. We have said he
was very enthusiastic. The fact was,
he had seen a picture in the museum
which so captivated his youthful fancy
that the romantic young man was be-
coming second Pygmalion. 1t is true
he had not painted the picture, as the
Greek sculptor had hewn his statue,
but he was equally in love with an in
animate object
The lady of his dreams was dark,
crowned with a diadem of starry iessa-
mine, and jewels round her neck. Her
velvet dress hung in heavy folds, and
from her waist hung a dagger in a
highly ornamented sheath. But the
lady did not look murderous. Her full
red lips were smiling and her eyes soft,
as if welcoming a lover. The sky be-
hind her was blue, like the sky of
sunny Italy, and in her hand she held a
bunch of orange blossoms. Her name,
however, was German. In corner of
the picture one read, Carlotta, Gra-
fin Won Werdenfels.' This was the
lady who kept Johnny Lupton in Inn
spruck.
He had obtained permission to copy
in the museum, and day after day saw
him there, endeavoring to transfer the
fair features to his canvas.
But he was to be driven away sooner
than he expected. One morning, as he
was standing in his accustomed place
gazing in rapt admiration, he was
reused from his reverie by n slap OF
the back-yes, an unmistakable. jovia
slap on the back.
He turned round, with outraged dig
nifty in every feature, which turned int
CONSERVATION when he saw the man
1t was the greatest bore in the Office
Flight was the only possible course
Johnny gazed round like hunted ami
NAL. How was he to get away?
All! Johnny, me bhoy!-delighte
to see ye! I've Just been longing TO SCI
a craythur that could understand tn
langwidge. DRAWN picture, too. !
foine, strappin' wench! Not so gooC
looking as Philippine Weller, though
Come and have look at her now"
9 Pm sick and tired of Philippine
her, and so you'll be if you stay her
more than day. What are your plans
Where are you going?"
Och! Pm Just undecided. I'll b
guided by you"
8 Pray, don't think of such a thing
Pray don't count upon me! Besides
I'm going. I'm off to-day--turnin
my steps homeward, you know. |
fact quilting out his watch), must b
Off at once"
Ye don't say so, now?"
Hastily scrambling together his be
longings, cutting short his friends re
grets with indecent haste, giving on
last look at Carlotta Won Werdenfel,
Mr.. Lupton rushed from the museum
his friends stentorian tones re-echoin
after him through the rooms:
Goodbye, Johnnyn'
Before the sun had set he was at Pa
tenkirchen. charming little town
Bavaria. He was amused at his ow
precipitate flight. He need not hay
come so far. Why had he not stoppe
at Seefeld or Mittanwald?- wilt
interesting places. However, the in
at Partenkirchen seemed comfortabl
and there were plenty of promising e,
cursions to be made; so he resolved
carry out his original plan of eXplorir
the villages of the Tyrol.
But poor Johnny's plans seemed de
tined to be frustrated.
Running down the wide wooden stat
case of the inn, his foot slipped. II
hands were full-he could not save hir
self; he fell heavily, sharp point
the carved balustrade running into,
dangerously near, his eye. The pa
was intense, and the wound bled pr
fusely. In an instant group of syI
pathizing people were lamenting aroul
him
Ach du liebe zeit? Ach de arm
Englanderp'
Meanwhile, Frau Werner, the Ian
lady, instead of saying "Oh!" al
Ali" had sent for the doctor.
He came at once, shook his he
grayely, bandaged poor Johnny's eye
and condemned him to darkness for
week
Here was pretty thing-hs e