Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-08-05

mother also left her. She long re-
manned Lima Michel. though her beau
| ty and her wealth had brought many
suitors to her door. The love that she
had thought necessary to marriage
the mysterious. wonderful lovc-had
never come to her; and now she be-
lieved that it never would, for she
was eight-and-twenty. But, somehow,
ever since the morning when she
| awoke and found that Cousin Henri was
gone, her memories Of him had grown
more sweet and tender every year.
She travelled two years and heard
| nothing of her Cousin Henri, and at
last found herself in Paris, at the
height of its gay season. and there
rested, dove who had not found her
| olive branch. There is no place to
dream like picture gallery; no place
like Paris for pictures.
Lima Michel spent many hours with
her eyes fixed on painted faces that she
never saw, for the living face that
haunted her; but only one day she
woke to a wondrous interest IN small
picture which hung in small dealer s
gallery in which she found herself. 1t
| was simple scene. A moonlit garden,
the distance dying into underlined
shadows, fountain into which Hebe
emptied her cup, and by the fountain S
brim a youth and young girl. The
moonlight kissed her face. His was
not seen. He bent toward her, lover
ike. His hand touched hers, and hers
rested on one of the little posts that
held an encirc,ing chain about the
fountain. These were drowned with
lilies, and, as she looked closer, she
! saw that one had broken leaf. 1t
was the garden of her grandfather s
old house at Munich. And this was
more than chance. Was there such a
watched Henri and herself on the night
when she made that miserable mistake?
For that was Henri, and surely that
black-haired girl was not unlike her.
self.
''Is this picture for sale?" che asked
the dealer.
He shrugged his shoulders.
Il think the artist is mad" he said.
''This is the first picture any one has
! wanted to buy, and he refuses to sell it.
Perhaps price sufficient will tempt
him: but if l give his address the lady
will remember my commission?"
The lady promised faithfully to do so.
lit is wretched street.-the is very
poor" said the dealer, and gave her
the number written on a card. 1.-The
| fifth floor" he said with shrug of his
shoulders.
Lima Michel stepped into her car
riage and soon. followed by her maid,
climb the stairs of dingy dwelling,
raped upon the door that bore the
word .'Atelier' on it. In moment a
man with a long beard. who held a
palette in his hand. opened the door
for her. and stood regarding the appa-
rition of closely-yailed lady attended
by her maid, with some surprise.
81 speak to the painter of the picture
at Monsieur $50 said the Frau
lein Michel. "The garden and fount-
ain. desire to buy it at any price"
Madame" replied the artist, Il re-
! greet to say that picture is not to be
sold"
"But must have it," said the lady.
81 am rich-any thing. any price.
81 am poor said the artist, "but it
has no price"
Listen, SIR" said the lady. cit is
more than a picture that want-it is
a Renaissance. 1t is like IA place l
know. beg for it. Iimp!ore you to
sell it to me"
MADAME" said the artist. Il see
you have heart Will speak plainly
Long ago l stood with the only
woman ever loved, beside that fount-
AHA fountain in an old garden in
Munich. l was young IDIOT. did
not even know my own heart; but l
know it now. l have known it for
years. One day the memory of the
spot and the hour returned to me as if
by magic. l painted the picture in q
few hours. Then again she stood
before me. saw the moonlight on her
face. l saw white hand lying in
mine. 1 saw the whole picture. Never
before could l put it upon canvas I
know 1never can again. And, Madame,
while l live l must look upon that
picture. When l die, must cast my
her again. Long since she has become
the wife OF some one she loves well, no
doubt; but II shall never love any
other. So l must keep her picture; I
must. You see that, Madame
And rs he spoke, Lima Michel knew
Henri Kleber--knew him despite the
flowing beard and all the changes of
twelve long years. And as he ceased.
she threw back her vail and held both
her hands toward him.
Henri she sighed. "Eenri! Oh.
Henri, do you not know me?" And
then he clasped her in his arms, and
she lay sobbing on his bosom.
When they stood beside the old fount-
ain in the old garden at Munich again,
they were man and wife. ~ y Daily
NeWs.