The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-04-17

he looked like genius, and that She mad
never met any enc who WAS quite like him.
Eo certainly very unconventional.
He had no small talk. The girl teit with
some amusement, that he seemed TO have
the attitude OF saying " II you can speak
of things worth taking about shall
have some conversation. II not, no" But
this very fact interested Ethel AberCrJn-
bic powerfully. She was curious girl,
this young creature to whom Bruce was
engaged aidcnt, imaginative, with q tor
mentIng sense Of those ." high purposes" "
of which Bruce had spoken, and = hunger
after only vaguely descerned ideas that
nothing i'll the world she lived in had
yet ever satisfied or directed. Her lSTfo
eyes looked worry eagerly, iuquirHEly, with
sort Of dumb, undenncd sadness, into
the world, as though dlm!y y presstSlug some
loSS-propheSyiuy some pain to come.
She looked ike Psyche SAIL pOny1 10
himself 1 should like to paint her So
And then, with his eyes still hXed in
teutly on his pure profile, with its nervous,
sensitive lines and tho transparent skin
that made him think of alabaster behind
which a lamp might burn. he cSsI'SHt aim
self swiftly coming to some not wholly TIL
expected conclusions.
After he had talked to her all hour-they
probably would not have known, either of
them, how lsng OF how short time they
sat there-a few thiRgs had become as
clear to him as though no had know.
them always, instead Of having arrived ut
them, piecing this and that together ard
apprehending much that did not meet tGo
eye by rapid train OF futuitious. re Uli-
derStOOd perfectly that Miss AherCrOnDle
had become engaged to man who WIS
not Bruce himself, but an IMAGE Of him
formed in her own Imagination. The ult n
she had met in her few brief yaars of
" society " experience had not satisfied her
underlined cravings that wero in her.
Bruce, artist with picturesque aesthetic
tastes, with facile and plant euthu-
siasm about things Rppertaining to the
same, had seemed to her, for the first time
to do But Aponyi knew that she was
doomed diSannOintmen A
Bruce kept himself more or less at the
level where she had placed him, because
he was, in his way, very fond OF the fair
girl who was not yet his, and because, too
to say all plainly-she was remarkably
good match for an artist who, though very
reasonably successful, was still not be
yOnd the sordiditiss OF occasional pecu-
mary misgiyings and troubles But when
he had secured the prize he " ould relax
his efforts, and then-a few hours before
Aponyi would have said g Well, one dis
uIuslOued woman more or less In the
world, what would that matter -
But now he felt n great and strange pity
Tor this girl who sat there with her caudiG
eyes nXed on hIs face. They were BeaHd-
ful eyes They suggested all things high
and au things deep to him somehow.
This would not be - only one more woman
In the world dlslllustoned she would be
one in thousand in her capacity for suf-
fering under the disillusion. Yes, he was
sure Of it; she was that rare thing, n
creature with = soul. Psyche-Psyche-
that was what expressed her best.
ApOuyl was not in the least a lady'S
man. He had had neither opportunity
nor desire for cultivating the fair sex.
But he began after a while to have =
faint feeling that this afternoon in Bruce's
studio would mark an epoch in his life.
he had an anticipatiye assurance that the
scene-this slight, spiritual looking girl
on the low lounge, with the buck ground Of
rich hangings, stuffs old weapons, quaint
Pottery-would remain with him many =
long day; Miss Abercrombie had few
HgzSy
spray OF pale hyacinths-in her dress
He even felt that that particular perfume
would be forever associated in his con
sciousness with that sensitive profile and
those candid eyes
The evening shadows were creeping into
the studio when be got up suddenly aud
rather brusquely took his leave, first OF
Miss Abercrombie and then, shortly, OF
Bruce
The latter presently came up to Miss
A0ercrombie where she stood, bri8ht-eyed
and silent.
Il have enjoyed my afternoon somuoh,
she said softly. q l like your friend
"Oh, knew you two would hit it Oft,
laughed Bruce, somewhat off his QuSr,l
You're both about equally trauscenden-
tlal, and all that. 4 fellow here asked me
moment ago who the seedy Samson dis
foundly about the Thusness of the 1t
might be oh, yes, Aponyi belongs to the
seventh sphere
Miss Abercrombie flushed little; she
"
good-humor and considerably elated at u
large order one of his guests and patrons
had Unexpectedly bestowed upon HIM I 4.L
afternoon, did not notice this 1t was not
kind or 8entlemanly, she thought for
Bruce TO alIude that way to his friends
poverty. And yet the thought was
thrust back almost before it took form.
Ethel AberCombie had but one faith.
/ She lOvsd Bruce: and she was loyal 10
him oven to the most secret motions Of her
mind.
! Bruce had not seen Aponyi for some
| time, when he one day climbed to the
studio under the caves where the latter
worked
! As he went in Apouyi was standing with
! his back TO the door, so engrossed in con
temptation of Il canvas to which he had
just been conveying some rapid touches
/ that he did not notice the newcomer till
/ Bruce stood at his shoulder. Then he
! turned abruptly aud a very slight color
came to his face.
| 81 didn't mean that you should see
this" he said bluntly.
| Bruce, without replying, stared at the
! canvas and then at tue painter.
! " Has Ethel-MiSs Abercrombie-beeu
/ giving you sittings -
g No. l have never seen her except that
/ afternoon at your den"
You are even more Of q genius than 1
! took you for, then, - said Bruce, with some
! irony. And she is supposed TO be"
| Psyche, said Aponyi, briefly All ="
was not only the wonderful resemblance
to the original, drawn as it had been
/ from memory, which struck him. That
peculiar look which this Psyche wore it
/ occurred to Bruce that he had never seen
! it in Ethel Abercrombie's face and proba-
! bly, never would but that Aponyi must
| have seen it-or divned more than ever
he had done. After a while he slowly
! asked
Are you in love with Miss Abercrom-
bier"
The suddenness of the question did not
I take ApOnyi unawares. He stood quite
still for moment before replying.
! mo, l am not yet. But / might as well
! be frank. l think if l saw her once or
twice more l should be. She comes nearer
my ideal than any woman l Ihave ever met
! in fact, she fills it. l would be happier
man with her for my wife, he added, as
/ II to himself " She would be happy with
me-"
Well, it's certainly great pity you're
! too late, observed Bruce with an irrita-
] tion that found vent in a short, satirical
laugh.
Yes, it is pity" said Aponyi, very
/ quietly. g think we two were" he
/ broke of short But this is not subject
! to talk about. The lady we are speaking
of is to be your wife. l shan't see much OF
you after that event. l don't know that
shall see anything Of you at all. That will
be the only thing that will remind you of
I the few words l said this afternoon. As
! for this sketch, l shall destroy it. meant
/ to do so anyhow, W. len had got the idea
/ / wanted to tx fairly expressed. You've
drawn = prize. | don't think you appreci-
ate it know you don't. But that's the
way Of the world
/ He threw himself down before his easel
and began scraping the paint from his