The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-12-05
LIFE OR DEATH.
BY rHE LATE HUGH CONWAY,
Author If called Back" " Dark Days.
"A Family Affair."" Etc.
CHAPTER III,


summoned, but arrived too late to see
his father alive. Perhaps it was as wei IL
sbou be so; the farmers last mo nents be-
ing troubled ones and lull of regreS that
WatercresS Farm would no lo' g,r know "a
Leigh The nephew who had tax II G"faid .,
place had turned on. an utter lanure; 50
much 50 that Abra Iam Leigh mad rOuId.y
declared lie would b. bo.h,rei wIIh no more
bows. and for tue last few years hat mtl.
ace. ...ss, SIN Gle banded However,
altL ugh Gerald suph3ayal of FANNY ,raI.-
tions made the farmers deathbc ulhapp;,
ne showed that his son had not forfeited hi,
love. All he po stsse /, some til. thouslnl
pounds, was left to hln. Mr.. ii rber, too;
the lease Of the farm or the young mans
hands; hv AMI bye the live AMI dad stock
were sold or, and Wattrcre Farm was
wal ne for another 'nlnt
the winding up OF MS fathers affairs
Kept Gerald in the nei shborAool Tor some
weeks, AMI when it became known that .lr
Herbert had insi itcl urol his TAX ny up ais
quarters at The hill, ths simpe Co mbc-
Acton folks were Str .cIen with a great won
DER Knowing nothing of what Is cd Ell lna
"aristocraCy OF art y their mini were much
exercised Is such an unhaari-ol proce / NJ.
Whls had Jerry Leigh been doing in tue
Nothing his agricultural friells could
have understood. After picking up The
rnd ments of his art in weI-known sculp-
tors studio, young Leigh hal been sent to
study in the schools at Parl. Mr.. Herbert
to- Il III that, so far as his art was con-
carned, Par.s was In, workshop OF the
word-R Jme its bazli and show room So
20 Paris tn > boy went. He sou liei harl and
lived frugiliy. He won certain prz3, an
medals and was now looking forward TO
The time when he must strike Lolly Tor
fame Even now h was not quite unk iown
A coupla # mod eat buC very beau iIul
stuuies in low relief hal appeared i'll last
wears exhiblLiO l, and, 4 overlooked ~ tLs
u..ic.ity hal at race the nDglc, OF II frw
whose prai 81 was well wOrtl waning. He
wa. quite Statistic WITH Ina result Of IN
first temp In all thing that concernel
ms art he wa, wise ali pa,enG NJ sooner
he'd he place ms foot on tlg .o~c,y step oi
TIE lad Ter. than hs realized the amount OF
,yOr6 20 b. done he teChnlcIl slill - be
acolirel lafore hs cou d call him g a
scuIpt1r EVel now, az o. seven years
g.uiy AID ia o., he hai sclt-deh,al enough
toreioveupon baln "A pupil for tnree ye.trs
long,r Lp.or he maze nls great tifurt 81
mace nimSe,f ~ tue SIDE Of contemporary
sen ptO : Passion aud lmpus.vt "A, was
his tlua najure ne coulI follow ami WOO Arr
win THAT cam rcrs'telcy and metuol
~ rs 10 b. tIe surost way OF wIn1inS
h. smiIc.
He IS now n man-a spgtl ,r,y han som
maA il 10 50 tall rs bis youth promised,
be is we'll luit AMI graceful. Artist IL
stamped I'll ever HIM Brow, eyes, even
an, sleader. well shaped hands proclaim it.
- ,fH Insa IS ,tn of
eain 6ni repose, vi an acute observer
mi, ,sert that, when the moment cams
INIT Gc' might depict passions stronger
thsn . which sway mo t msn.
H.. or a d eyes AMI pmcthiny in the
STYLE e.. bis dress gave him II LOOK not quite
that o. p" 7, : sDman--a look lhab terribly
vexrl poor AhrElam Lgigh on those rar'
occasions wntu hi; cratic boy paid HIM a
VISIT: but never he'll :, II Is II look not on'
of plac' on yCuag artist
This il tIe klnl OF man q raid Leigh ha'
grown into, AMI while his transformation
has been IN progress Miss EuSenia Herbert
has hecuml n woman.
Although remembering every feature OF
th, child. wa seemed in Hom, way asSo-
>ciatAd wItl Il day Of his liberation Gerald
had NO, again seon her until his iather's
death cnie him back TO England Each
time h had visited Coombe Acton he had,
of course, reported progress to Mr. Herbert
hut, SHORTY after the chang, in his life, MIR.
Herbert, b. grea6 fort of self-denial, had
sent his darling away to school, and al
school sha had always Ieen when Gerald
,a VI at the hall But now, when he ac,
cepted Mr.. lierbert's hospitality, he found
She fair like chill grown, it seemed to him,
into his ideal woman; and found, more
over, that there was "a passion so intense
that even the love Of art must pale be-
1Cre II.
He made no attempt TO resist it. He let
II master him, overwhslm him, sweep him
.Blong Ere n week ha | gone by, not only
by looks but also in burning worls, he Ind
told Eu;, nia no lovod her Aud how did he
tarei
His very audacity and dis-cynri of every
thing, save tina; he love the CIR suCc ,eded
10 marvel Eugenia had already met
with many admirers, but not ole lik, this.
Such passionate pleading such fiery love,
such vivid e,oquence were strang, AMI new
10 her There was an originality, n fresh
ness, thoroughness in tho lovo he offered
Der. His very unreasonabeness affected
her reason. All the wealth of his magma
ton, all the crystalizations OF his poetical
dreams. he threw into his passion. His
ecstacy whirled the girl from her mental
fest, his warmth created an answering
warmth, his reckless pleading conquered.
She forgot obstacles rs his elcqusnce over
leapt them, she forgot social distinctions a:
his great dark eyes looked into hers, and al
lasC she confessed she loved him.
Then Gerald Leigh came down from tn,
clouds and realiz Il what he had done. and
as soon as he touched the earth and becam,
reasonable Eugenia fanciei she did not car,
Tor him quite so much.
His conscience smote him Not only mus
Mr.. Herbert be reckoned with. but terrible
interval must eaTse before he had fame and
fortune TO lay before Eugena. He could
scarcely expect her to leave her luxurious
home in Order to live an quatrieme or au
cinquieme in Paris, while he completed hi.
Studies. He grew sad and downcast as he
thought Of these things and Eugenia, who
liked pleasant, bright, well-to-do people,
felt less kindly disposed toward him, an
showed she did So
This male him reckless again He thrs "
The future to the winds, recommended hi.
passionate wooing, recovered his lost ground
and gained, perhaps, little more.
But Abraham Leighs affairs were settle
nm and Gerald knew he must tear binsal