Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-02-19

evening she undresspd and went to bed
and being unhappy and wakeful, took
novel to read herself sleepy That was
the woman's way OF getting sleep, rs
Reginald's had been the mans. She will
never forget that evening. Forever the
novel she read then Will be associated
with her trouble. ROSES stood on her
dressing table. She will "uever again be
friends with roses ~
The feet of the pasScrs by, rs from her
bed she could hear lhem. seemed to be
treading into her brain. AT length the
book grew indistinct to her sight, she
blew out the candle, and slept.
The next morning Reginald awoke
weary; his head throbbed, and his tongue
Glove to the roof of his mouth. He took
bath and put Oh fresh clothes. His
work awaited him and he began upon it.
So he made up his mind to face the life
which lay before him. The next day he
commenced painting his first large oil
picture. The weeks went by, and brought
one specially hot July day-one of those
sweltering days on which London is alb
solutely unbearable, one of those days in
which the sun seems to have burnt up
the very sources of the winds, II day to
make all the London odUrs painfully man
ifest.
Reginald Longhurst was working away
in his shirtslecvcs, Il pipe in his mouth
and Jug of beer by his side, thinking
that if any money We're his he would fly
from London, and somewhere within
sight and sound of the sea, would rest his
weary brain and his yet Wearier heart,
when the studio bell rang sharply; he
opened the door and admitted Edward
Fullerton and Il little sharp -nosed man,
introduced 10y Fullerton as
My friend, who loves art and whatever
is distinctly precious -
Ionghurst did the honors of the studio
as well as the hot weather would allow.
Mr.. Jones asked the price of small
drawing. With not the least eXpecta-
tion of selling it, and hardly knowing
what he was saying, Reginald put price
upon it which was TAR in excess of its
value. He was, therefore, quite thun-
derstruck by Mr. Jones's making himself
the possessor of the picture.
81 like your touch, Mr.. Longhurst,"
said that gentleman, "and ! like your
choice of subject. | hope we may have
many more transactions of this kind. I'll
look in again some day this week if
may. just now I'm rather pressed fol
time Good morning, and many thanks"
SO saying he withdrew himself, and
Longhurst drained off his beer, washed
HIS HdltlS, tSSiluletl HIS COHl anu tOOk lne
train some miles out into the country.
Getting back late to town he dined well
for Il man whose dinner was often no
more than bread and cheese. Besides
tasting good food he had tasted pure air,
and he had heard the nightingales. For
tune in one way, at least, seemed to be
turning her wheel in his direction. Two
or three days afterwards he had another
visit from Mr. Jones, who bought with a
most lavish hand, and talked of a com
mission for the great picture. Now a
more prudent man would have harbored
his resources; but Reginald had only one
idea, which was to 90 to Italy, so that
autumn, being now rich to the amount of
E6O0 he started for Florence, taking his
big picture with him. He returned i'll
March, having all but completed it also,
he brought with HIM many small paint
ings and drawings, which found an eager
purchaser in the highly appreciative Mr..
Harry Jones.
"Well." said Reginald, when he had
displayed his picture to his friend Full
lerton what say YOU; You are my first
critic"
Really :"
Really"
"Well, | like it very much. l book it
Tor a success ~
Reginald's pale face flushed with plea
sure, tor Fullerton was known to be a
frst-rate judge of pictures.
Il hope Jones Will bid for it, went on
Reginald, looking at the picture lovingly.
ITS something wonderful, the way in
which he buys up all do But what the
devil Fullerton, are you smiling at 50
Because you think he gets Il 10; Of trash -
well, he certainly does get some
amount of it,"
But thatwas not the point}'
"No.n
well, ten, what was it ?" and Long
Aurst flushed almost painfully, as is the
,t % Ia WI at fur nN
they have somehow made themselves ri
.liculOuS.
soar friend" reioined Fullerton
knows no more about it than cat
But all the same he buys"
mo, ne does not"
"Once again, what do you means
didn't know you went III for mysteries"
81 go in for no mysteries. ! repeat, thai
he does not buy the paintings He is bu
acting for someone else VINO is the rea
purchaser. Is there anything mysteriou!
in that 2"
80 you know who the person is :"
II do ; and though | was eujOined L
secrecy, is was my informant, half thinl
that you ought To know, AS TO know i
might change your life happily. The pur
chaser, then, is no other than Miss Ros
Bellward."
"Impossible ~ answered Reginald
"Miss Bellward is not rich"
"Was not!' rejoined Fullerton, but is
Unexpected fortune left her-Or some
thing of that kind--didn't pay much at
tenuon, but heard the facts Really, ole
boy, she must DE very fond of you still"
"Wait II minute" said Longhurst ant
for many minutes there was silence be
tween them. Regnald's face had grow
white as death and his lips quivered
When he spoke, his voice sounded har
AMI strange. He began
Full rton, we. have seen friends to
some tins nOW ~
"Surely."
and have never yet asked favor {
you, though have been II very poor ma
and you Il very rich man. win you Civ
me $1,000 | don't say lend, because
don't believe shall ever be able to pay
it back ~
Are you prepared to do something fC
?" replied the aesthetic, "For cash dowI
as they say
81 would give you my soul ~
"Yes, but don't at all want your sol
besides Pm not sure that you have one
and if you had, find one quite enough
But | have a PROPOSE TO make" he lit