The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-14
FAME VERSUS LOVE
BY FLORENCE REVERE PENDAR.

bps she arose from her seat-an old ovel
turned boat-and moved slowly towar
the waters edge.
For a moment her c~ompanion-a man @
perhaps 25-hesitated then he Joined hei
repeating:
not in earnest. You love me-have yo'
not said it?-and yet you refuse to becom
my wife,"
Edwin, L"
you did not mean it," quickly inter
rupted Edwin Bennett, adding: Come
darling, why should we not be happy?
and he drew her hand within his arm.
For an instant she let it rest there, the
slowly but firmly she loosened his clasp, a
she said:
.sFor two years you and l have bee
friends. In that time did you ever kuo,
me to change my mind after l had once DC
cided upon anything ?"
"No. but" answered her companion
quickly, while she, unheeding, goes o.
with:
you know the one great desire OF m!
life is to win anne as an artist. Could l az
this as your wife,"
"Why not, Helen? Would not do any
thing in the world to help you?" come tn
proud answer, as Edwin Bennett bent MI
eye fondly upon the fair face beside him.
NO. QW1h DIS d In 1 COulu AA'p'
to attain fame. Marriage brings to woman
so MANY cares that there is very little time
left over for other work. Ishould not make
you happy. l should be constantly long
ing for my old, free life
"If that is all | am not afraid to risk my
happiness, IIelen," answered her lover, a
more hopeful look lighting up his hand
some face. ,
..Think how for FIVE years." continued
Helen, Il nave worked with the one end IN
view. Ny home. you are aware, has not
been particularly agreeable. i'nele ana
aunt are kind in their way, and have al
ways let me have my will about painting,
provided it did not cost them anything.
As for love or sympathy, o have seen
how much they have yielded me-"
seen and felt for you, Helen, God knows.
And now that | will make your life, if love
can do it, one happy dream. you will not;
and yet you do not deny your love for me.
For a second Helen's eyes rested longingly
upon the face Of the man who loved her
80 dearly: then into their dusky depths
erept an intense, passionate longing. as
they swept the horizon and noted the glo-
nous spiendor of the setting sun, while she
"Oh. Edwin. If | could only reproduce
that sunset just as it is. II only could"
With an impatient sigh he turned away.
Always her art, never me; perhaps she ls
right after all. 1t would always stand be-
tween u.s."
She, not noticing. went on with:
IF it would only stay long enough Tor me
to catch those colors, but no, it ID fading
now"
Turning, Helen found her companion
had left her side, and stood a few yards
away.
Edwin" she called.
In an instant he was beside her, every
thing forgotten except that she was the
woman he loved.
81 wanted to tell you how good Mr..
Hovey il. 1t seems he was acquainted with
poor papa years ago, when | was a baby,
You have heard how be praises my work,
and last night he proposed"
Proposed" exclaimed Edwin Bennett,
hotly. why, you don't mean TO say the
old man-actually had the audacity to ask
you to marry him?"
How ridiculous. How could you think
OF such a thing? , answered Helen, q ripple
OF laughter escaping from between her
pretty teeth as she continued:
"No; he proposed, ii 1 were willing to send
me to Italy for two years, he, of course, de-
fraying the greater part 0! the expense. He
said when I became famous l could refund
him the little amount if l wished. Was it
not generous OF him? Just think, W
years at work among the old masters.
What could l not do then? 1t would be
such a help to me. One can live SO simply
there. My little income would do. with
care, l think"
"And you would go?" Az Edwin Bennett
asked this question a look of pain crossed
his face.
"Why not?" came the reply, as Helen
raised her eyes questioningly to her com
panion.
"You say you love me; yet you would
put the sea between us. Helen, wait; l will
work hare and earn money enough to take
us both abroad. Do you think l could
deny you anything? You should paint to
your hearts content, from the old masters,
or anything else you pleased. So long as
you were happy, / should be. Perhaps l
should turn painter, too, some day, with
you to inspire me- he added, smiling
slightly.
II do not doubt your love for me, Edwin,
but / shall never marry. l intend to de-
vote my life to art. AS a wife it would be
impossible for me to do so. / should be
hindered and trammeled in a thousand
ways. Believe me, l have thought very
earnestly Of all this, and L"
"Helen, when l anne to spend my vaca- !
ton here at Little Rock, so as to be near |
you, | said to myself, Now you can ask !
the woman you love to be your wife, and
know that you have a home to offer her.
For your sake l wish 1 were rich; but l am
still young, and with the good prospects l |
have l do not see why / shall not be able |
before many years to give my wife all she
can wish"
at is not that, Edwin. l should not |
millionaire" interrupted Helen glancingI re.
proachingly at him.
Helen. my holiday Is over tomorrow. |
i must have my answer tonight" The
words came somewhat sternly from be- |
tween Edwin Benefits lips.
Mechanically, with the end OF her p~arasol, |
Helen Armstrong traced on the glittering,
yellow sands, Fame versus love-" Then, ]
as she became aware OF what she had done. |
she sought to efface them. Too late. Ed.
win Benefits hand stayed hers, as, point
ing to the letters that stood ont, he said, /
hoarsely,:
CHOOSE"
For a second she hesitated; then, slowly,
came the answer:
II accepted Mr.. Hovey's offer this MORN
ing am to sail with him in a week."
Spurning her ha.ld from him, Edwin Ben.
nett cried out, passionately:
God forgive you! / ~cannot.' Then.
without another word, he turned and left
her.
A faint cry OF Edwin escaped her lips,
"a her arms were held out imploringly to.
Then they fell to her side, and
she. too. turned and went slowly across
the sands in the opposite direction. If he
had looked back and seen those outstretch- |
ed arms how different their life might nave
been; but no, he plodded angrily along the
shore, %glancing neither to the right or to
the left. Little by little the waves crept up
and Love was drowned, while Fame still
out bold and clear upon the yellow
sands.
Ten years have come and gone since
Armstrong and Edwin Bennett part.
sd on the shore, and during that time they
have never met. Helen had won that which
she had striven for. She had become an
artist Of renown. Even royalty had been
pleased to compliment her upon her art.
For the last month one of Helen Arm
paintings had been on exhibition
1T the Academy OF Design, and the crowds
been drawn thither to see this last
work OF the celebrated artist. The subject
simple, nothing new, yet visitors re-
turned again and again to gaze at it.
1t was the last day OF it's exhibition. when
4 Ia6v and yonf1omon tho Oanfla~n- lool