Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-09-23


You had stepped out from soma 1es me-, -
di@val castle with Iyanhoa yor' iii
do. When can you sitYD - =
On any time you wish, sir, and as
- would like you to come twice !
week In the forenoon. And he NAM
ed such liberal terms OF compensation
that the wistfni face frightened with
delicious bloom and color.
II am 50 glad, Mr.. Seymour. that
you like me, for need the money verv
much. Vet, it seems as if Won wars
paying me u great deal"
II pay according to the value of a.
thins. You are very beautiful. had
dreamed OF beauty like yours. but
never thought to see it. NV Rosa.
mond viii bemagnificent. Ishalllook
Tor you to-ihorrow at s o'clock pre-
ciseiy, and, with an attempt to an.
appear very business-like, you will
please be prompt. am perfect des.
pot as regards punctuality."
Have no fear; viii not keen vo,,
waiting" ou
"oh! had almost Forgotten What
Is you manner"
bafoara--Barbara Howth," she
answered, with a queer little tremor
in hes voice.
Perfect like yourself. Well, good
morning. Miss Howth," and the artist
turned to his brush and palate.
Barbara Howth, true to her word
made her appearance at the time des.
lsnated, and for days thereafter. she
illumned the room with her beauty.
haiph lett an inspiration even when
ne looked at her, and as his Fair Rosa
mond grew on the canvas, the ORIGINAL
grew dear to him, not merely as his
model, but as the one woman who
could guide and make happy his life.
But Tor long, long days, he never told
her this.
Miss Wilmot had come in once after
ne had begun his work, carrying her
sen IKE the queen she was, in her cos.
tune OF velvet satin, with soft white
plume sweeping round the purple-bIack
hair, and caressiue the curve of her
superb shoulders. She was charmed
with the progress he had made, and
the attitude OF the model, and she
went away without one thought or fear
OF her rivals power.
For several weeks thereafter she did
not visit the studio, and Ralph had
begun to wonder at her absence, when
one day the post brought letter. He
smiled as he recognized the elegant
hand- writing. Opening the envelope
he read:
DEAR Mr.. SEYMouR:-Have Won missed
/ II M 4 haI n
Fair Rosamondn was finished But moth
err WAS not well, and we left the city earlier
than usual Newport is beginning to wake
Up, and soon society win be in its CAV whirl
here. am, woman-like, wasting time and
strength ON peurile things, while yon are
struggling nobly on works that will live.
Well, viii not say Cui bono. Do not nut
out your painting till / return. shall OK.
pect TO sec you by the last of October.
With good wishes, your friend,
CATHIE WnMor
The letter pleased him, for its tone
was so free and frank that he felt she
wrote only as friend. He had half
suspected she loved him, but he was
glad 1t was only iriendship-glad for
his sake and for hers.
"She is noble woman and my true
friend, he said to himself, "a good
and true woman; there are few of them,
but she is one. She thinks of my la.
bors even IN the whirl of her fashiona-
blelife. Well, no stranger s eye sh all see
my masterpiece till she hath seen it,"
And when at last the great painting
was finished, when the last touch had
been given it, he turned it to the wall
in his studio, for the sake of her who
had inspired it.
The summer days passed quickly,
and the cool, frosty nights of October
brought Miss Wilmot back to her city
home The second after her return
she visited Ralph's studio. She went
up the stairway to the well-remem-
bered room, and the rustic of her silk
en- robes startled Ralph at his work.
After an exchange of civilities she
walked up TO the painting and gazed
with all her heart at it's wonderful
figures. And as she looked her lips
grew white and "A terrible expression
crept into the dark, despairing, beau
tiful eyes. She clasped her hands
over her heart and would have
fallen had not Ralph's strong arms
been near.
What is it?' he gasped. Miss
Wilmot, are you ill.,"
1T is nothing, Ralph-Mr. Seymour"
she answered, recovering herself "a
sudden faintness, the room is close
perhaps. | am better now"
"And what do you thing OF Queen
Eleanor and Fair Rosamond?" he
asked. thinking only of what she
would say.
"What do / Think" with an elo-
quent gesture. "Why, that it isgrand,
1t will make you famous. | am so
glad for your sake, Ralph. Tor / love
you"
my Godl What are you saying?"
cried the astonished artist. Miss
Wilmot-Cathie, are you mad?"
''No; but shall be if | 60 longer
without telling you my feelings" she
answered, sinking into chair. "Wait,
do not speak; hear me out. l have
loved you from the first; you did not
know-it, but tell it to you nov; and
| feared lest you might think NV
wealth should stand between MS. But
tell me truly, Ralph, now that you
know love you, are you glad?"
She raised her Cleopatra-llke eyes to
his, and stretched out her white hands
entreatiRgly. And there was a great
anguish in his face as he took one Of
the far hands in his, and his voice
trembled and shook as if he had stood
at the grave of a friend, as he said:
"Cathie, dear Miss Wilmot, would
to God you had never told me this.
shall never be happy again. /"
She grasped his shoulders with both
hands, and gave him a glance that he
never forgot. "Fhen you cannot love
me. You are not tree. have spoken
too late. Oh, God, that Iwere dead!
and she buried her face in her hands
while her form shook like a sobbing
child's.
"Cathie, forgive me- would rather
have died than wounded you" said
Ralph, feeling that he must say some
thing to comfort her, and deeply hurt
for her sorrow. "You are n dear
friend. prize you highly. Forget
this folly, and let us be friends as oil
old"
"Oh, Ralph. love you too deeply
for that. 1t cannot, cannot be.
She staggered to her feet, and went
across the room to the picture. Her
face was pale as death, but the rigid
lines about her mouth were firm as
iron.
'.Is it true Ralph. can it be that she
won your heart? Yet need not ask.
You have painted your heart into the
canvas. The light 0f victory shines IN
that soft, iair face. And she could