San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-04
MY NEW MODEL.
BY ANNIE MARY BELL.

suppose II COulu nave heen IN very ulg-
nified manner. for, when he spoke
again. his tone was more cheerful. and
! believe he was smiling.
Al don't know whether | can prom
Use. he said quietly. But, if the temp
tatiOn is TO be resisted, | will do so.
THERE was feeling inclined to ask
your pardon on my knees two minutes
ago, and. now you are here, | feel
strangely tempted to repeat my Offence'
WAS not this too badp All, if could
only have summoned my dignity. and
crushed him with the weight of my
wrathful indignation! Instead of so
doing. | was standing quite still on the
exact spot where he had stopped me-
hardly daring to raise my eyes, and
feeling miserably conscious that, if my
model did give way to the tempta-
ton, | was pOwerless to prevent it.
viii you please let me gOr asked
meekly.
"'BHt, if you please he answered
gravely, i would rather keep you here.
Do you know what you look like stand
ing there? DoyOu know
ale took one step toward me. but l
made IA dash for the door, nearly cap
sizing auntie.
Goodness, child. what is the mat
ter! Mr.. Ray, what have you been
doing TO-
81 stayed to hear no more, but rushed
upstairs, and, safe in my room, | did
not again venture forth raShly.
Il heard auntie-after a long while it
seemed to me-speed the parting guest,
and, to make dOubly sure, | peeped
from one corner of my window and
watched Mr.. Ray depart. Then the
thought
"'What will auntie think of me?'
81 bathed my face and brushed my
hair, and tried to tone myself down in
to the everyday Olive Dallas; but the
burning flush would not leave my
cheeks nor the strange glitter my eyes.
Never mind | thought, when
Hannah came to tell me that tea was
waiting. i must trust to auntie not
noticing.
"I'm afraid. my dear said my pla-
cid relative, when | took my place at
the tea-table, that walk this afternoon
must have tired you
Il bent my face over the table, thank
full that auntie seemed too busy with
the teapot to notice me.
az suppose you know Mr.. Ray has
gone away
Il felt growing warmer and warmer,
and my head went down several de-
grees lower.
"Auntie got up and came behind me.
Then, with quiet little kiss, she whjS-
pered-
al know all about it. Olive. And
Mr.. Ray told me to give you his love-
"Oh, auutie. how did you knOw?' 1
cried.
"'My dear child, do you think that,
because wear spectacles, can't see
what is going on just under my eyes?
And, if l had not liked it, or thought
you did not, | should have sent that
young gentleman marching long ago.
But, auntie, | myself only knew
to-day
"'LOve is blind, my dear.
"'But am not in love with Mr.. Ray
l objected. AT least, =
"'YOu are next door to it; and, if
Mr.. Ray were killed in railway acct
dent
how can you suggest such a thing?-
and I felt as though my heart had
jumped into my throat. Then l COW
cred my face with my hands, and be-
gan to cry.
"'There, there, my pet-don't cryr
said my repentant relative, holding my
head against her and gently smoothing
my hair. Il don't mean to pain you
"'Auntie,' l began at last, half
ashamed of my question, you don't
think Mr.. Ray will be killed, do your
Goodness, no, child Drink your
tea and leave off crying, or expect
that young giant will nearly kill me If
he hears what | have DONE
$50 wiped my eyes, and drank my
tea Obediently. Certainly | was feel
ing anything but miserable; and, as
the strangencSs wore off, | was struck
with sudden idea-what was my sail
or-laddie's Christian name? l had
never heard it. asked auntie.
al have promised that he shall tell
you everything himself-sO your curl
osity will have to wait
land auntie was firm. only teasing
ly vOuchsafing the information that |
had heard it often enough.
"The next morning l went into my
studio to get on with my picture; but
first studied the painted face on the
canvas as if | had not had the original
before me daily for nearly six weeks;
one can however look at the same
thing in two different lights, and Mr..
Ray, my model. and Mr.. Ray, my lover,
seemed two different people.
81 had finished my picture by the end
of the week, and, after carefully pack
ing it, l sent it to SignOr TOSti; that
done, | felt my occupation was gone.
paintings: did not feel in the humor
for work: and, after idly mOping about
all one morning pretending to sketch, l
made up my mind to go for good long
walk and try to pick up a little energy.
! told auntie of my intention, and, d.
rectly after our primitive One-o'clOck
dinner, / sailed forth.
IL took my way over the cliffs, and
recalled the morning on which had
first seen Mr.. Ray, when | had taken
him for fisherman, and he had helped
to deceive me by changing his voice
and calling me miss knew by this
time that he was not fisherman, COM
mon sailor, or anything else of their
degree; but | was no wiser as to his
actual position. knew that he was
gentleman, and that he was well
known to Signor Tosti; and | had an
idea also that he was not blessed with
much worldly wealth. This last piece
of knowledge l could not account for.
/ could not remember any one telling
me in so many words that he was poor;
but l think it must have been from
chance observations, made either by
himself or others, that | had been led
to that conclusion. He told me once,
when | asked, that he was Mr.. Hays's
friend, and that Mr.. Hays very seldom
left the yacht, only himself and some
of the crew ever coming ashore.
AS wandered on, recalling first one
thing and then another, found myself
on the identical spot on which had
first met my 'Fisher-Lad.' There was
the overturned boat against which he
had leaned, and, from associations of
ideas, | suppose, / also leaned against