Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-03-20

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quietly received the materials,
He assentcd. and bending over the
paper, she shortly returned to him an
outline sketch of his face; not a finished
sketch at all, but so like that it was
wonderful He looked from the picture
to her. then laughed and said:
Upon my word, shall take care how
display my amateur attempts again, lest
flourish them in the fsce of genius!"
Muricl smiled carelessly, and rising
from her rocky scIt, was about to 60
when the silent gentleman spoke:
pardon me, would you sketch me-"
| For answer, Muriel resumed her seat
and took up her pencil again. Now and
then, as she worked. she glanced at the
grave stranger, and her own face seemed
to catch the shadow from it, growing
almost as grave as his. She gave more
finish and completeness to this picture
than she had bestowed upon the first
AS she was about to hand it to the
''original. sudden impulse caused her
to withhold it. an arch smile took the
place of her gravity, and bending low
her head, till the curls fell over and con
cealcd her work, she added few strokes
about the mouth and on the brow; then,
with q laugh dancing in her eyes, she
placed it in his hand
| 1t was his face, as real, as vivid almost
as its reflection in a glass; but his face
TRANSPORTED. The cloud of sadness was
replaced by a smile: such warm, frank,
glowing smile as gladdens the heart to
see it; 'the real sunshine of feeling"
| At first he looked at it in a puzzled
way, as if wondering what she had done
to his face, until his companion, looking
over his shoulder, uttered an exclamation
of surprise, and then burst out:
| ''Owen, l believe she has second sight!
She has drawn you as you looked six
years ago, in the college days. Old .fel-
| low, if you knew how smiles become you,
I you would not be so charry of them"
Owens dark-blue eyes frightened
for moment with something akin to the
smile that glorifed them in the picture;
/ then he sighed and his face grew sad
again.
I ''You are strange girl, he said, look
i ing curiously at Muriel. 500 you know
what | would give to feel again as you
have made me look:'
! you are rich, I suppose" answered
Muriel, simply; "and you would give
your whole fortunc-at least, would, in
your place.
| A look of perfect agony swept across
his handsome face, and he cried, passion
ately:
II would. girl, am very rich, and l
would give ten times as great wealth, if
] had it, TO bring back" he stopped,
abruptly, and turned away. He came
back Immediately, and again addressing
Muriel, thanked her for the picture and
then, as she was turning away. he hest
, tatingly asked her name
+ "Muriel Doyle" she quietly replied.
| ''And mine is Egbert Owen" he said
j 'Will You remember my name and me?'
She bowed, smiled, and walked lightly
away, never glancing back, though she
her from their sight.
''What a handsome man he was" she
soliloquizcd, walking up the beach toward
her home. ''But how sad and grave. and
how sorrowfully he spoke. wonder what
his trouble, is perhaps he is in love and
she won't have him. She must he ii perfect
IDIOT
Muriel did remember Egbert Owen.
That was her first adventure, and he was
its hero nor she scarcely thought of the
others) but she never thought to meet
him again.
The winter passel away and the sum-
mer came again, and with it came the
crowd of visitors to the new hotel
] Muricl's quiet haunts were made to
ring with gayety, and since their seclusion
was gone their chiefest charm was lost
for her. Yet still she sometimes sought
them, at times when she was not likely to
meet the fashionablcs. On one of these
occasions she was sitting among the
rocks when two women came and sat
down. nearer her, but out of sight. and
talked.
Muriel scarcely heard them, until one
mentioned familiar namr; then she
listened intently.
eyes" one of them had remarked, ''she
was married yesterday so the banker from
Chicago.
! 81 expected it long ago." sagely OBJ
served lady number two. ''Bv the way,
/ did you ever hear of the Affairs between
her and Egbert Owen?'
, ''No, indeed: what about it!"
''Shc was engaged to him." said the
other. at was some years ago before he
went to California lie Just about wor-
SHIPPED her, they say, and she pretended
to be very devoted to him; it is likely
she wanted his money Well. one day,
she got hold of that trumpcd-up story
about insanity in his family, and she
broke off the engagement, all in flash
! ''The poor fellow was half crazy. but
she would not listen to one word iron,
him. She treated him shamcfully, called
him an impostcr, and accused him of de-
ceiving her, and sent him away, half
maddencd My cousin, Dr. Thornc,
says if there had been particle of in
sanity in his veins. it would have shown
itself then. But that is all a story. The
only instance of insanity in the family
was a sort of cousin by marriage; but
that was enough to make rumor, Of
course
IAN that explains Egbert Owens mel
ancnoly ways, l SUPPOSED queried the
other.
YES; he has never been the same
man since. He went off to California,
and only came back last year. He is so
changed, poor fellow. Was that the
lunch bell? Tctr me, we shall be late"
and the two las cned up to the hotel.
i And Muricl went home, and thought
more than ever of Egbcrt Owen.
The summer and the early autumn
wancd, and the guests. one by one,
went home from the great hotel
II. IL 81,